Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B390 pairing represents a stark contrast in component capability. The CPU is a modern 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 part with a 3.80 GHz base and 5.50 GHz boost clock, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution with a 300 MHz base and 2500 MHz boost. This combination produces benchmark results that are heavily skewed by the graphics processor's limitations, making the CPU’s role largely secondary in this particular game’s measured outcomes.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a 65 W TDP and support for DDR5 memory on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are substantial: a PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470, placing it at the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

However, the measured FPS data for Red Dead Redemption 2 reveals that the CPU’s high compute potential does not translate into playable frame rates when paired with the Intel Arc B390. The bottleneck is unambiguous. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 51, which is the highest result across all tested configurations. Even at this most CPU-friendly setting, the frame rate is modest, indicating that the integrated GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s PassMark data, including a floating-point math score of 77955 and an integer math score of 120788, suggests it could handle far more demanding workloads, but the frame rate ceiling is set by the graphics solution.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% faster), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% slower), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% faster), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% faster). These deltas are negligible, meaning the 9700F is competitively positioned among high-end desktop parts. Yet, none of this CPU performance matters for the game’s frame rates because the data shows the GPU is the primary constraint. For instance, moving from 1080p Low to 1080p High drops the average FPS from 51 to 32, a reduction of 19 FPS, which is a GPU-side scaling effect rather than a CPU limitation.

The Ryzen 7 9700F’s architecture-specific features, such as its PCIe Gen 5 lanes and dual-channel memory bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, are relevant for system responsiveness, but the benchmark results indicate that the game’s performance is capped by the Intel Arc B390’s output. The CPU’s PassMark physics score of 2122 and data compression score of 421988 are strong indicators of general compute capability, but they do not directly influence the measured FPS figures. In essence, the CPU is far ahead of what this GPU can utilize, making its role in this combo one of providing a stable, high-performance foundation that is never fully exercised.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo rank for this specific pairing in Red Dead Redemption 2 is 2568 out of 2902 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom percentile of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s low benchmark standing. The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score from 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482. The GPU’s nearest rivals are all legacy or low-end NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster). These comparisons underline that the Arc B390 is positioned near the very bottom of the graphics performance spectrum.

The combo rank of 2568 indicates that only 334 tested combinations perform worse. This is a poor result, but it is not surprising given the GPU’s specifications. The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. It has 12 ray tracing cores and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, but its FP32 performance is only 7.680 TFLOPS. The GPU’s memory is system-shared, meaning it draws from the main system memory with bandwidth that is system-dependent. This architecture is fundamentally unsuited for a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2 at playable settings.

The data shows that the combo’s rank is driven entirely by the GPU, as the CPU’s percentile rank of 94 would suggest a top-tier system if paired with a discrete graphics card. The delta between the CPU’s high standing and the combo’s low rank is a clear indicator of the imbalance. For context, the CPU’s nearest rival scores are all within 1% of its average, yet the GPU’s nearest rivals are all within 3% of its much lower score. This disparity explains why the combo sits at 88.4% of the way down the list of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which confirms the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 51 at 1080p, to 38 at 1440p, and further to 25 at 4K. This represents a 50.9% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the integrated graphics unit struggles to fill an increasing number of pixels.

At Medium settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 39, dropping to 29 at 1440p (a 25.6% decrease) and then to 19 at 4K (a 51.3% decrease from 1080p). The minimum FPS values are also telling: at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 33 FPS, while at 1440p Medium, it falls to 24 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 16 FPS. These minimums show that the frame pacing becomes more erratic at higher resolutions, which is typical for a GPU that is overtaxed.

The High settings row shows a similar trend: 32 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. This is a 50% drop from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 23 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K, a 52.2% reduction. The consistent pattern of roughly halving FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The CPU’s role in resolution scaling is minimal. The Ryzen 7 9700F’s high single-thread score of 4691 would easily handle the draw calls and game logic at any of these resolutions. The data shows that the FPS drop is proportional to the pixel count increase (4x from 1080p to 4K), but the actual FPS reduction is only about half, which suggests that other GPU bottlenecks, such as memory bandwidth or shading rate, are also at play. The system-shared memory on the Arc B390 is a significant constraint, as the bandwidth is system-dependent and cannot match dedicated VRAM.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 51, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, though it remains below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. It is 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% slower than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% slower than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% slower than the GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combo is ranked 2568 out of 2902 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11.6% of all systems, indicating that the vast majority of tested hardware configurations deliver better performance in this title.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance have any bearing on the measured FPS?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 are high, but the FPS figures are consistently low across all settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 51 on Low settings to 23 on Ultra settings, a difference of 28 FPS. This represents a 54.9% reduction in performance when moving from the least to the most demanding preset.

Q: Are there any settings where the minimum FPS stays above 30?

A: No. The only minimum FPS values recorded are at Medium settings: 33 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. No other settings or resolutions have minimum FPS data points, but the averages suggest they would be lower.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake chip) built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a 80 W TDP. The GPU’s memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM, and its memory bus and bandwidth are listed as system-shared and system-dependent, respectively. This is a fundamental limitation for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its large textures and open-world streaming.

The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s and its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, and FP16 performance is 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). These specs place it firmly in the entry-level segment, and its percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs confirms this. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the only GPU benchmark provided, and it aligns with the low-end rivals listed.

The GPU’s clock behavior is relevant to the measured FPS. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable, but the lack of dedicated memory means the GPU must contend with system memory latency and bandwidth. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates even at 1080p Low. The average FPS of 51 at 1080p Low suggests the GPU is maxed out, and any increase in settings or resolution causes a disproportionate drop in performance. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 11, which is unplayable.

The GPU’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 means it is feature-complete, but the hardware is too weak to leverage these APIs effectively in this title. The system-shared memory is the critical weakness; without dedicated VRAM, the GPU cannot efficiently handle the texture data required by Red Dead Redemption 2. The data shows that the GPU is the clear performance limiter, and the CPU’s capabilities are entirely wasted in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for this combo are at 1080p with Low settings, which yields an average of 51 FPS. This is the sole configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, though it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. The 1080p Medium preset produces an average of 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which is marginally playable but likely to feel inconsistent. The 1080p High preset drops to 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 23 FPS, both of which are below acceptable thresholds for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the best average FPS is 38 on Low settings, which is below 40 FPS and not recommended for a game like this. The 1440p Medium preset averages 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS, and High averages 24 FPS. The 4K resolution is entirely impractical, with the best average FPS being 25 on Low settings and the worst at 11 on Ultra. The data indicates that anything above 1080p Low will result in a sub-30 FPS experience, which is generally considered unplayable for an action-adventure title.

The optimal choice per the measured rows is 1920x1080 with Low settings. This provides the highest average FPS and the most stable experience, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a compromise between visuals and performance, with a minimum FPS of 33, but the average of 39 FPS may still lead to noticeable stutters in demanding scenes. For users who prioritize frame rate over graphics, Low settings at 1080p is the only sensible recommendation. The Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution, as even at 1080p, the average FPS is 23, which is well below the playability threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 51 on Low, 39 on Medium, 32 on High, and 23 on Ultra. The Medium preset has recorded minimum and maximum FPS of 33 and 44, respectively. This shows a clear progression: each step up in settings reduces the average FPS by roughly 7-9 FPS, with the largest drop occurring between Low and Medium (12 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values drop to 38 on Low, 29 on Medium, 24 on High, and 17 on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum and maximum FPS are 24 and 33. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level is consistent: a decrease of 13 FPS on Low, 10 FPS on Medium, 8 FPS on High, and 6 FPS on Ultra. This indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly strained as resolution increases, with the performance penalty per setting level becoming less pronounced at higher resolutions because the GPU is already saturated.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 25 on Low, 19 on Medium, 16 on High, and 11 on Ultra. The Medium preset has minimum and maximum FPS of 16 and 22. The drop from 1440p to 4K is severe: 13 FPS on Low, 10 FPS on Medium, 8 FPS on High, and 6 FPS on Ultra. This pattern mirrors the 1080p to 1440p drop, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor across all resolutions. The data shows that the combo cannot achieve 60 FPS at any resolution or setting, and only the 1080p Low preset comes close to a playable experience at 51 FPS average.