Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a playable but demanding experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the graphics card as the primary bottleneck. The data shows a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K, making it a configuration best suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions or a solid 60 FPS experience at 1440p with adjusted settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 78 FPS, which drops to 58 FPS at 1440p and further plummets to 38 FPS at 4K. This represents a 51% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at High settings, demonstrating that the RTX 3070’s rendering pipeline is being saturated by the pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 125 FPS, but this falls to 93 FPS at 1440p and 61 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is particularly informative: even with the lowest graphical load, the frame rate barely maintains 60 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the hard limit. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect the 1080p and 1440p results to be much closer together, as the processor’s workload does not scale with resolution.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend with average FPS of 93 at 1080p, 70 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K. The minimum FPS values at Medium are also telling: 79 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The gap between average and minimum at 4K (7 FPS) suggests that there are moments of significant stutter, likely due to the GPU hitting memory or render limits. At 1080p, the gap is only 14 FPS, which is a much tighter and more consistent experience.

Ultra settings exacerbate the resolution penalty. The combo manages 56 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is borderline playable, but drops to 42 FPS at 1440p and a very choppy 28 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is effectively unplayable for smooth action, confirming that this hardware combination should never be pushed to maximum settings at that resolution. The data indicates that users targeting 4K should expect to use Low or Medium presets, while 1440p is the sweet spot for a balance between visual fidelity and performance.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its heavy CPU usage during large open-world scenes, this processor provides ample headroom. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 125 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can feed frames well above the 60 FPS threshold.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 69996 places it just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF. This places it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier performer for gaming workloads. The 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for this game’s multi-threaded rendering and physics calculations, and the high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance for the main game logic.

When analyzing the resolution scaling data, the CPU’s role becomes clear. The fact that FPS drops consistently from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at every preset level suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a plateau in FPS as resolution increases, but the data shows a steady decline, which is the behavior of a GPU-bound system. The 125 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates that the CPU can handle high frame rates, but the RTX 3070 cannot sustain them at higher resolutions.

The processor’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU with texture and geometry data. In practical terms, this CPU will not hold back the RTX 3070 in this game, and any performance limitations will be entirely attributable to the graphics card.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the decisive component in this configuration, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in Red Dead Redemption 2, as the game’s high-resolution textures and draw distances can easily consume more than that at 4K. The benchmark results reflect this, with the 4K Ultra preset producing only 28 FPS, a clear sign that the GPU is overwhelmed both in terms of compute and memory capacity.

The GPU’s boost clock of 1725 MHz and 5888 shading units provide substantial compute power, but the data shows that this is insufficient for 4K Ultra. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (46 FPS) and 4K Low (61 FPS) indicate that the GPU can handle the workload only when the graphical load is significantly reduced. The difference between 4K Low and 4K High is 23 FPS, which is a massive performance cost for the visual upgrade, highlighting the GPU’s inability to manage high-fidelity effects at that resolution.

The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, is just 0.7% behind. This is a mid-to-high-tier GPU, but it is not designed for 4K gaming with modern titles. The 8 GB VRAM is the most likely culprit for the 4K performance collapse, as the game may be spilling over into system memory, causing severe frame drops.

At 1440p, the GPU shows its strengths. The High preset yields 58 FPS, which is playable, and the Low preset reaches 93 FPS, which is very smooth. The Medium preset at 70 FPS is a balanced choice. These results indicate that the RTX 3070 is well-suited for 1440p gaming in this title, provided the user adjusts settings to avoid the heaviest effects. The 1080p results are excellent, with High at 78 FPS and Low at 125 FPS, making this a strong card for high-refresh-rate monitors at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. For 4K gaming, the data shows that Low is the only viable preset, producing 61 FPS on average. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but it is tight. The Medium preset at 4K produces 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, which will result in noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they produce 38 FPS and 28 FPS respectively, which are below the playable threshold.

For 1440p, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 70 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS. This keeps the frame rate above 60 FPS for most of the experience, with only minor dips. The High preset at 58 FPS is also acceptable for users who prefer higher fidelity, but the minimum FPS is not recorded, so the consistency is unknown. The Low preset at 93 FPS is excellent for competitive play or users with high-refresh-rate monitors, but it sacrifices significant visual detail. The Ultra preset at 42 FPS is too choppy for a smooth experience and should be avoided.

At 1080p, the High preset is the clear choice, delivering 78 FPS on average. This provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, and the frame rate is high enough for most displays. The Medium preset at 93 FPS is also excellent, with a minimum of 79 FPS, making it the most consistent option for ensuring no drops below 60 FPS. The Low preset at 125 FPS is the best for maximum smoothness, but the visual downgrade is significant. The Ultra preset at 56 FPS is borderline, and users should consider dropping to High to maintain a stable 60 FPS.

In summary, the recommendation is to use Medium settings at 4K or 1440p, and High settings at 1080p. This approach maximizes the playable experience without pushing the GPU to its breaking point. Users who prioritize frame rate over visuals should opt for Low at 4K or Low at 1440p, but the Medium preset is the sweet spot for average users.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1206 out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the 58th percentile of all systems. This is a solid mid-pack ranking, reflecting that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU holds the system back from the upper echelons. The ranking suggests that there are many combinations with faster GPUs that achieve significantly better frame rates, but this setup is still ahead of a large portion of the tested hardware.

Given the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking, the combo’s overall rank of 1206 is heavily influenced by the GPU’s mid-tier status. The data indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700F has substantial headroom, and pairing it with a more powerful GPU would likely result in a much higher rank. Conversely, the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor, and its performance is reflected in the combo’s position.

The nearest rival CPUs show that the processor is not the issue, as the Ryzen 7 9700F outperforms the Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.7% and the Core i7-14700K by 0.9%. This means that users with this combo are CPU-bound only in the sense that they have excess CPU capacity. For the game itself, the GPU is the primary constraint, and the combo’s rank is a direct result of the RTX 3070’s capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produces an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS, and High settings fall to 38 FPS, so 4K requires significant graphical compromises.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings provides 70 FPS on average, which is a good balance. 1080p with High settings yields 78 FPS, and 1080p with Low settings reaches 125 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops consistently from 1080p to 4K at every preset, which is a signature of GPU-bound performance. The CPU’s high benchmark score and 125 FPS at 1080p Low indicate it has ample headroom.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its nearest rivals in this setup?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF. It outperforms the Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.7%.

Q: What is the impact of the 8 GB VRAM on performance?

A: The 8 GB VRAM is a likely contributor to the poor 4K performance. The game’s high-resolution assets can exceed this capacity, leading to frame drops. This is evident in the low 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 a good match for the Ryzen 7 9700F in this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the pairing is well-balanced, with the GPU able to deliver playable frame rates. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU’s extra performance cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations.