Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a strong showing in Red Dead Redemption 2, with the data indicating a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The measured frame rates suggest that this combination is well-balanced, though the specific bottlenecks shift as you move from 1080p to 4K. This analysis breaks down the performance data, contextualizes the combo's standing, and offers practical advice for smoothing out your experience in Rockstar's sprawling western epic.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop, which is expected given the GPU's load. At 1920x1080, the combo is capable of pushing very high frame rates. With Low settings, the average hits 194 FPS, and even at High settings, it maintains a robust 121 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is likely the primary limiting factor in certain scenes, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames well above the 144Hz refresh rate of many monitors.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very playable but show a distinct step down. The High preset average drops from 121 to 90 FPS, which is a 25.6% reduction. The Low preset sees a similar trend, falling from 194 to 145 FPS, a 25.3% drop. This scaling indicates that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor, but the Ryzen 7 5700's performance is still sufficient to keep the system from bottlenecking severely. The data shows a shift of the bottleneck from the CPU at 1080p to a more balanced load at 1440p.

The most significant scaling occurs when moving from 1440p to 3840x2160. The High preset average falls from 90 to 60 FPS, a substantial 33.3% reduction. The Medium preset drops from 108 to 72 FPS, a 33.3% reduction as well. The Low preset also follows suit, going from 145 to 96 FPS, a 33.8% decline. This consistent percentage drop across all presets strongly indicates that at 4K, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the definitive bottleneck. The GPU's rendering workload at this resolution is so high that the CPU's role becomes more about keeping up with the GPU's output, which it does effectively.

The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable for smooth action, with an average of just 43 FPS. The scaling from High to Ultra at this resolution is a 28.3% drop in FPS, which is a massive performance hit. The data suggests that the Ultra preset is extremely demanding, and at 4K, it pushes the RTX 4080 to its limits. In contrast, the scaling from High to Ultra at 1080p (121 to 87 FPS, a 28.1% drop) and 1440p (90 to 65 FPS, a 27.8% drop) shows that the relative performance impact of the Ultra preset is consistent, but the absolute frame rates at 4K are too low for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 for Red Dead Redemption 2 ranks 260 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top 7% of all recorded configurations, which is a very strong showing. This high rank reflects the overall power of the setup, especially when considering that the GPU is the primary driver of performance in this game at higher resolutions.

The CPU's own percentile ranking is 78, meaning it scores better than 78% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 25517. When compared to its nearest rivals, the performance is remarkably close. The Intel Xeon D-2752TER has an average score of 25530, putting it a mere 0.1% ahead of the Ryzen 7 5700. The AMD Ryzen 5 7640U scores 25485, which is 0.1% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600H is 0.1% ahead with a score of 25550, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U is 0.3% behind with a score of 25446. This data indicates that the CPU is a very consistent performer relative to its direct competitors.

The GPU's percentile is even stronger, ranking in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 54247. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, has a score of 54209, which is 0.1% behind, making them almost identical in raw compute performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% ahead, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% ahead, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% ahead. This shows that the RTX 4080 is part of a very tight performance cluster at the top, and the combo's rank is largely driven by this high-end GPU. The combo's top-15% rank is not a fluke; it is a direct consequence of pairing a solid mid-range (relative to the very top) CPU with a near-top-tier GPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The measured data shows an average of 60 FPS on the High preset and 72 FPS on the Medium preset at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K, as it drops to an average of 43 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: The data shows excellent performance at 2560x1440. With the High preset, you get an average of 90 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 108 FPS. This resolution provides a great balance between visual fidelity and high, smooth frame rates.

Q: How much of a performance hit is the Ultra preset compared to High?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 121 to 87 (a 28.8% decrease), at 2560x1440 it drops from 90 to 65 (a 27.8% decrease), and at 3840x2160 it drops from 60 to 43 (a 28.3% decrease).

Q: At which resolution does the CPU start to become a bottleneck?

A: The data suggests the CPU is more of a limiting factor at 1920x1080. For instance, the Low preset averages 194 FPS at 1080p, which is a very high frame rate for a CPU to maintain. As you move to higher resolutions like 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as seen in the significant FPS drops.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest competitor, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The benchmark data shows they are effectively equivalent in performance. The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER has a score of 54209, a difference of only 0.1%. In real-world gaming, this difference would be imperceptible.

Q: What is the expected frame rate with the Low preset at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 145 FPS at the Low preset on 2560x1440. This is the highest frame rate recorded at this resolution, making it suitable for competitive-style play if you prefer maximum frame rates over visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on your target resolution and refresh rate. For a balanced experience, the High preset is generally the best choice, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining solid performance. At 2560x1440, the High preset's 90 FPS average is excellent for smooth gameplay on a high refresh rate monitor. At 1920x1080, the 121 FPS average is also very strong, although the drop from the Low preset's 194 FPS highlights that the CPU is pushing hard at this resolution.

For players with a 4K display, the Medium and High presets are the only viable options for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at an average of 72 FPS is the safest, offering a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 60 FPS is exactly at the threshold, which means you can expect occasional dips below 60 in demanding scenes. The data shows that the Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K, as the 43 FPS average will feel sluggish for most players.

At lower resolutions, the Medium and High presets are the most sensible choices. The Ultra preset provides the best visual quality, but the performance hit is significant. For instance, at 1080p, the Ultra preset's 87 FPS average is still playable, but it comes with a 28.8% performance reduction compared to High. If you prioritize frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p, which hits 145 FPS, is a great option. At 1440p, the Medium preset's 108 FPS is a fantastic option for high-refresh-rate gaming, offering a 20% performance boost over High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact measured FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 194 FPS average.
• Medium: 145 FPS average, with a minimum of 123 and a maximum of 167 FPS.
• High: 121 FPS average.
• Ultra: 87 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 145 FPS average.
• Medium: 108 FPS average, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 125 FPS.
• High: 90 FPS average.
• Ultra: 65 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 96 FPS average.
• Medium: 72 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 82 FPS.
• High: 60 FPS average.
• Ultra: 43 FPS average.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS data, indicating that the frame times are more variable at this setting. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent, with each step up in resolution reducing performance by a similar percentage. The step from 1440p to 4K is particularly harsh, highlighting the GPU's difficulty with this game at that resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This is a capable CPU for gaming, but the data shows its role changes depending on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU is often the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 194 FPS on Low settings. This is a frame rate that can push many CPUs to their limits. The data in the benchmark shows that the average multi-core score is 25517, with a 16-thread score of 6628 in 3DMark, which is a strong result for a desktop chip.

The CPU's performance in Cinebench R23 is 20655 points for multi-core and 2916 for single-core, which are solid scores that reflect its capability in gaming workloads. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is less critical to the average FPS. At 4K, the GPU is completely saturated, and the CPU's role becomes more about managing the game logic and feeding the GPU with draw calls, which it does effectively.

With a TDP of 65W and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, the Ryzen 7 5700 is efficient for its performance class. The CPU's 16MB of L3 cache is a standard amount for the AM4 platform. The data shows a strong CPU that is more than adequate for this game at 1440p and 4K, and only shows its limitations at 1080p with lower settings, where the high frame rates become CPU-bound. The benchmark results indicate that this is a well-matched pair for Red Dead Redemption 2, with the CPU not holding back the GPU at higher resolutions.