Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

This combination places 12th out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, a top-tier result that reflects the strengths of both components. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 delivers strong single-thread performance with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1,049 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4,063, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 provides massive graphics throughput with a passmark_g3d score of 39,650. The measured frame rates show this pairing excels at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K Ultra remaining playable but demanding.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture with a 5 nm process. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz give it excellent responsiveness for Red Dead Redemption 2's open-world simulation. The CPU's 32 MB shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth help feed the game's streaming world efficiently.

Benchmark data confirms the 7700's balanced profile. Its 3dmark_8_threads score of 6,933 and 3dmark_max_threads score of 8,479 indicate that the processor handles moderate thread counts well, which suits this title's engine. The cinebench_r23_multicore score of 29,302 shows strong multi-core capability, while the single-core score of 4,136 ensures that the game's main thread logic runs smoothly. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile against all CPUs, placing it above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H by 0.1% and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 by 0.5%, while trailing the Intel Core i9-13905H by 0.6%.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the 7700's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient to avoid becoming the bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 221.3 FPS, suggesting the CPU can push frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. The processor's 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier offer headroom for enthusiasts, though the stock configuration already provides ample performance for this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the defining component in this pairing. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process, this GPU packs 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. Its boost clock of 2,407 MHz and base clock of 2,017 MHz drive a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Red Dead Redemption 2's large textures and open-world geometry.

The RTX 5090 ranks in the 94th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84,306. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, is just 0.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 trails by 1.3% and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX is 1.6% behind. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS ensures that compute-heavy effects like volumetric lighting and particle simulations run without compromise.

In this game, the RTX 5090's memory capacity and bandwidth prove decisive at high resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 49.1 FPS, which is GPU-bound. The 32 GB VRAM buffer means texture streaming at maximum quality never hits memory limits, even with the game's detailed environments. The GPU's 170 RT cores also provide headroom for any ray-traced effects, though Red Dead Redemption 2 primarily relies on traditional rasterization.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 141.4 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 106.1 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls to 66.1 FPS. This represents a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 37.7% drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU becomes progressively more stressed while the CPU remains underutilized at higher resolutions.

The scaling across settings tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low (221.3 FPS) to Ultra (103.2 FPS) costs 53.4% of performance. At 4K, the same settings change from Low (107.3 FPS) to Ultra (49.1 FPS) costs 54.2%. This consistency suggests that the RTX 5090's rendering pipeline scales linearly with workload, and the CPU keeps up even at the highest settings.

The limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p Low, the 221.3 FPS result is likely near the CPU's practical ceiling for this game, given the 7700's single-thread score of 1,049. At 4K Ultra, the 49.1 FPS result is almost entirely GPU-bound, as the RTX 5090's compute resources are saturated. The 1440p Medium result of 124 FPS represents a balanced point where both components contribute meaningfully to the final frame rate.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, it averages 66.1 FPS, which is smooth on most displays. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 49.1 FPS, which is playable but may require adjusting settings for a locked 60 FPS experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700's average benchmark score of 40,468 places it 0.1% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H and 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365. It trails the Intel Core i9-13905H by 0.6% and leads the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T by 1.2%.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in this game?

A: The 1440p High preset at 106.1 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and frame rate. For competitive play, 1080p Low at 221.3 FPS maximizes responsiveness, while 4K High at 66.1 FPS provides the best visual experience.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the 221.3 FPS result suggests the CPU may be the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the 49.1 FPS result indicates the GPU is fully saturated. The bottleneck shifts from CPU at low resolutions to GPU at high resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's benchmark score compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5090's average score of 84,306 is 0.1% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D and 0.2% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile. It outperforms the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 by 1.3% and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX by 1.6%.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame rate at 4K?

A: The 4K Medium preset at 81 FPS offers the best trade-off between visual fidelity and performance, providing a 65% improvement over Ultra while maintaining quality substantially above Low.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 12th out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 0.7% of all pairings. This exceptional ranking reflects the RTX 5090's dominant GPU performance, as the 7700 CPU, while strong, is not among the absolute fastest processors tested. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking and the CPU's 91st percentile ranking combine to create a system that excels in this game's demanding rendering workloads.

The rank of 12 suggests that only a handful of combinations with even faster CPUs or more specialized configurations outperform this setup. Given that the RTX 5090 is already near the top of the GPU hierarchy, the remaining gap to the top 11 combos likely comes from CPUs with higher single-thread scores or additional cache, which can matter in CPU-bound scenes at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that this combo already delivers 221.3 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating the CPU is rarely a practical limitation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings levels:

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo delivers 66.1 FPS on High, 107.3 FPS on Low, 81 FPS on Medium, and 49.1 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 58.2 FPS, with Ultra costing 54.2% of the Low performance.

At 2560x1440, results are substantially higher: 106.1 FPS on High, 166.6 FPS on Low, 124 FPS on Medium, and 72.2 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 94.4 FPS, with Ultra retaining 43.3% of Low performance.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches its peak: 141.4 FPS on High, 221.3 FPS on Low, 166.4 FPS on Medium, and 103.2 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra delta is 118.1 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 46.6% of Low performance.

The pattern across all resolutions shows that Ultra settings impose a consistent penalty of roughly 50% compared to Low, while High settings typically deliver 60-64% of Low performance. Medium settings consistently offer about 75% of Low performance, making them the most efficient tier for balancing visuals and frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 81 FPS provides the best measured experience. It delivers 64.9% higher frame rate than Ultra (49.1 FPS) while maintaining substantially better visual quality than Low (107.3 FPS). Players with high refresh rate 4K monitors may prefer High at 66.1 FPS, which offers improved fidelity at a cost of 18.4% performance versus Medium.

For 1440p, High at 106.1 FPS is the recommended preset. It provides a smooth experience on standard 144 Hz displays while retaining significant visual quality. Those with 240 Hz monitors can use Low at 166.6 FPS to maximize frame rate, while Ultra at 72.2 FPS suits players prioritizing graphics over responsiveness.

For 1080p, Medium at 166.4 FPS offers the best balance, comfortably exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates. High at 141.4 FPS is also excellent for 144 Hz displays, while Low at 221.3 FPS caters to 240 Hz competitive play. Ultra at 103.2 FPS remains playable for those who insist on maximum quality, but the performance cost is substantial.