Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2 with AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

Red Dead Redemption 2, an Action Adventure title released on 2018-10-25, presents a demanding workload that scales sharply with visual fidelity. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a configuration that handles 1080p comfortably, struggles at 4K Ultra, and exhibits a clear GPU-bound pattern at higher resolutions. The combo ranks 856 out of 1687 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the database’s tested pool, which suggests a balanced but not exceptional pairing for this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-intensive game like Red Dead Redemption 2. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 70.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 52.0 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 26%. Moving to 3840x2160 High, the average falls further to 37.8 FPS — a 46% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is consistent with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with a different starting point. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo delivers 114.5 FPS, which drops to 87.7 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 23% reduction) and then to 58.6 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 49% reduction from 1080p). The percentage drops between resolutions are remarkably consistent across presets, indicating that the RTX 5060’s rendering pipeline is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU even at lower resolutions, where the frame rate ceiling is highest.

The Ultra preset exposes the harshest scaling. At 1080p, the average is 51.7 FPS; at 1440p it falls to 38.6 FPS (25% lower); and at 4K it collapses to 27.0 FPS (48% lower than 1080p). These figures suggest that Ultra settings impose a heavy shading and geometry load that the RTX 5060’s 3840 shading units and 48 ROPs cannot sustain at higher pixel densities. The data implies that the GPU’s 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR7 memory, while fast at 448.0 GB/s, may also contribute to the 4K performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 856 out of 1687 tested combinations, this pairing sits at the 50.7th percentile of all tested combos for Red Dead Redemption 2. This middling position suggests that while the Ryzen 7 7700 and RTX 5060 are competent components individually, their combined performance in this game does not break into the upper echelon. The GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 73, meaning it outperforms 73% of tested graphics cards, but the combo ranking is dragged down by the demanding nature of this title.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context for its compute potential. The Ryzen 7 7700 scores an average benchmark of 40468, which is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (40431) and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40262). It trails the Intel Core i9-13905H by 0.6% (40712) and leads the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T by 1.2% (39995). These small deltas indicate that the 7700 is competitive with mobile flagship chips, but the benchmark average does not translate directly into game performance at 4K, where the GPU dominates.

The RTX 5060’s nearest rivals show a tighter cluster. Its average benchmark score of 30109 is virtually identical to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (30158, -0.2% delta). It leads the NVIDIA Tesla M60 by 0.5% (29969) and the RTX 5070 Mobile by 0.6% (29928). This suggests the RTX 5060 is a mid-pack performer, which aligns with its 73rd percentile standing. The 4K Ultra result of 27.0 FPS, however, indicates that this GPU is not designed for maximum fidelity at high resolutions in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the most playable resolution. At High settings, the average is 70.6 FPS, and at Low it reaches 114.5 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops High to 52.0 FPS, which is still playable, but 3840x2160 High falls to 37.8 FPS, below the smoothness threshold for many players.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 7700 XT?

A: The RTX 5060’s average benchmark score is 30109, while the RX 7700 XT scores 30097, a delta of 0%. This means the two GPUs are statistically tied in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting similar rasterization performance in this game.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7700 a bottleneck at 1080p Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo produces 114.5 FPS average. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, appear sufficient for this workload. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1049 and cinebench r23 single-core score of 4136 indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for this game’s engine.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: High averages 52.0 FPS, while Ultra averages 38.6 FPS. This represents a 25.8% performance penalty for Ultra. Given the visual improvements are often subtle in motion, High appears to be the more balanced preset at this resolution.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit 4K performance?

A: The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 27.0, which is likely influenced by both memory capacity and bandwidth (448.0 GB/s). The 4K Low result of 58.6 FPS suggests that lowering texture quality helps, but the GPU’s compute throughput (19.18 TFLOPS) remains a limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank globally?

A: The combo ranks 856 out of 1687 tested combinations, placing it just above the median. This suggests that while the parts are capable, there are many faster pairings for Red Dead Redemption 2, particularly those with higher-end GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the four presets produce a clear hierarchy. Low averages 114.5 FPS, Medium 86.2 FPS, High 70.6 FPS, and Ultra 51.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 28.3 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 18.9 FPS. This suggests that Medium to High is the sweet spot for 1080p, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low with a smaller performance cost than Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 87.7 FPS (Low), 62.4 FPS (Medium), 52.0 FPS (High), and 38.6 FPS (Ultra). The Low preset remains highly playable, and Medium offers a solid 60+ FPS experience. High drops below 60 FPS, but only by 8 FPS, making it a viable choice for players who prefer higher quality. Ultra is borderline, with an average below 40 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are more constrained: Low averages 58.6 FPS, Medium 45.6 FPS, High 37.8 FPS, and Ultra 27.0 FPS. Only Low achieves a playable frame rate, and even that is marginal. Medium and High are below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra is unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is roughly a 33% reduction at each preset, confirming that the RTX 5060 is the primary limiting factor at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the High preset at 70.6 FPS is the recommended balance of visual fidelity and performance. Medium at 86.2 FPS offers a smoother experience, but the jump to High provides a substantial quality improvement for a 15.6 FPS cost. Ultra at 51.7 FPS is playable but drops below the 60 FPS mark, making it less desirable for fast-paced scenes.

At 2560x1440, Medium at 62.4 FPS is the best choice for maintaining a high refresh rate experience. High at 52.0 FPS is acceptable for slower exploration but may feel less responsive during combat. Low at 87.7 FPS is the option for competitive play, though it sacrifices significant visual detail. Ultra at 38.6 FPS is not recommended for active gameplay.

For 3840x2160, Low at 58.6 FPS is the only preset that approaches a playable frame rate. Medium at 45.6 FPS and High at 37.8 FPS are better suited for screenshots or cinematic viewing, while Ultra at 27.0 FPS is essentially a stress test for the hardware. Players targeting 4K should consider reducing resolution scaling or accepting lower quality presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, based on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael) on a 5 nm process, provides 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 8484 and max-thread score of 8479 show strong multi-threaded performance, while the single-thread score of 1049 indicates capable per-core speed. In Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its open-world simulation and AI workloads, the CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) help maintain consistent frame pacing.

The benchmark data shows the 7700 sits at the 91st percentile vs all CPUs, with an average score of 40468. This places it well above the median, and its nearest rivals are all mobile chips, indicating it outperforms most laptop processors. The cinebench r23 multi-core score of 29302 and single-core score of 4136 further confirm its capability. For this game, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS drops align with GPU load. Even at 1080p Low with 114.5 FPS, the CPU maintains frame delivery, suggesting headroom for higher-refresh-rate monitors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GB206 chip), features 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Its base clock is 2280 MHz with a boost clock of 2497 MHz, delivering 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a notable strength for this class. The GPU’s 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but this game does not heavily utilize ray tracing.

The RTX 5060’s percentile vs all GPUs is 73, and its average benchmark score is 30109, placing it near the RX 7700 XT (30097) and RX 570 (30158). The passmark g3d score of 20891 and geekbench opencl score of 120785 confirm its mid-range positioning. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is clearly the limiting component at 1440p and 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 27.0 FPS is particularly telling — the combination of 48 ROPs and 128-bit memory bus struggles with the game’s high-resolution textures and post-processing effects. The 5 nm process and 21,900 million transistors provide efficiency, but the 145 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate this is a mainstream card, not a high-end solution.