Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, and it brings eight cores and sixteen threads to the socket AM4 platform. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 4.80 GHz, and it operates on a 7 nm process node with a 105 W TDP. This configuration is well-suited for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which can utilize multiple threads for its simulation and AI workloads. The CPU’s benchmark data supports this notion; its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 23794, while its single-core score is 3359. For broader context, the processor’s PassMark multithread score is 27988, and its single-thread score is 3538.

The 5800XT’s performance relative to other CPUs is solid, placing it in the 86th percentile overall. When compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight cluster: it scores 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, which has an average score of 29740. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS by 0.3% (that chip’s average is 29856). Against the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, the 5800XT is 0.3% ahead, and it is also 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H. These deltaPct values are minuscule, indicating that in general compute tasks, the 5800XT is effectively performance-parity with these other processors. However, for gaming, the 8-core/16-thread design ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck when feeding the high frame rates that a top-tier graphics card can produce, even at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant force in this pairing. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features a massive 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, which yields a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 2520 MHz, and its memory runs at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective. With 16384 shading units and 128 RT cores, the RTX 4090 is designed for extreme rasterization and ray tracing performance. Its compute capabilities are equally staggering, with an FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS. The card’s benchmark scores reflect its power; it achieves a PassMark G3D score of 38194 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 317684.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of frame rates, especially at high resolutions and detail settings. Its percentile rank among all GPUs is the 91st, and while its nearest rivals in the database are professional workstation cards like the NVIDIA Tesla T4 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, the RTX 4090’s gaming-specific architecture gives it an edge in this title. The data shows that the GPU’s immense memory bandwidth and raw shading power are what allow the game to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the CPU’s role diminishes. The RTX 4090’s performance is so high that even at 1080p, the CPU must work hard to keep up, but the GPU still manages to push frame rates well above 200 FPS on lower settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates across different presets and resolutions provide a clear picture of the optimal experience. At 1920x1080, the High preset yields an average of 132.8 FPS, while Medium offers 162.7 FPS and Low reaches 213.7 FPS. However, the Ultra preset at this resolution drops average frame rates to 98.9 FPS. While 98.9 FPS is still high, the jump from High to Ultra is a significant 33.9 FPS loss for visual gains that may be marginal in a game like this. For 2560x1440, the pattern continues: High averages 102.1 FPS, Medium 119.8 FPS, and Low 159.3 FPS, while Ultra falls to 69.5 FPS. The High preset at 1440p offers a strong balance, but the Medium preset provides a smoother experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully stressed. The High preset averages 67.3 FPS, Medium 76.8 FPS, and Low 104.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 48.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer. Given this data, the High preset is the recommended choice for most users. It provides over 60 FPS at 4K, over 100 FPS at 1440p, and over 130 FPS at 1080p. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those who want higher frame rates, but the quality reduction is noticeable. Ultra is only advisable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate and are playing at 1080p or 1440p, where the frame rates are still above 69 FPS. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for this combination, offering a robust visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the High preset achieves an average of 67.3 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 76.8 FPS. Even the Low preset reaches 104.7 FPS. Only the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS at 4K, averaging 48.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: For 2560x1440, the High preset is the best option, delivering an average of 102.1 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with high visual quality. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 119.8 FPS if you prefer more headroom, while Ultra still provides a playable 69.5 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: The impact is substantial. On the High preset, the frame rate drops from 132.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 67.3 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly half. On the Ultra preset, it drops from 98.9 FPS at 1080p to 48.6 FPS at 4K.

Q: Which component is the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates that the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 48.6 FPS, which is a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its strong multi-threaded scores, but the RTX 4090 is fully saturated at these settings.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT a good match for the RTX 4090?

A: Yes. The CPU’s single-core performance (3359 in Cinebench R23) is strong enough to avoid being a bottleneck. The system achieves a rank of 47 out of 1687 combinations in this game, indicating a very high-performing pairing that is likely CPU-limited only at very low resolution and settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination can achieve?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 213.7 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This shows the ceiling for this hardware when the graphical load is minimal.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates illustrate a classic resolution scaling curve, where the GPU’s workload increases dramatically with pixel count. At 1920x1080 on the High preset, the system averages 132.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 102.1 FPS, a reduction of 30.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 67.3 FPS, representing a 34.8 FPS drop from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all presets, but the magnitude of the drop varies. For instance, on the Low preset, the frame rate declines from 213.7 FPS at 1080p to 159.3 FPS at 1440p, and then to 104.7 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior reveals that the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090’s rendering throughput is the primary constraint, as the CPU’s role in feeding frames diminishes. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU is likely the limiting factor, especially on the Low preset where the GPU has less work to do. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s pixel processing and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is notable, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even steeper, underscoring the exponential increase in pixel count. The data suggests that for this combination, 1440p is the sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming, while 4K is viable for a high-fidelity experience at around 60 FPS on High settings.