Red Dead Redemption 2

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The processor includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5, dual-channel, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 1280 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 9771 at max threads. Cinebench R23 results show 2211 single-core and 20485 multi-core. Geekbench reports 3023 single-core and 17906 multi-core. The processor's percentile vs all CPUs is 86, with an average benchmark score of 37943.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the measured FPS data reveals that the CPU has ample headroom even at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 47 FPS average, which is the highest measured in this dataset. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, the average drops to 21 FPS. This pattern indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios; instead, the integrated graphics solution limits performance. The Ryzen 7 9700X's strong single-thread performance (2211 in Cinebench R23 single-core) and multi-thread capability (20485 multi-core) suggest it can handle the game's simulation and AI workloads without significant frame drops, as evidenced by the relatively small gap between Low and High settings at the same resolution compared to the gap between resolutions.

The nearest rivals for this CPU, based on average benchmark score, include the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911, delta 0.1%), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904, delta 0.1%), the Intel Core 5 211E (37829, delta 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (37804, delta 0.4%). The 9700X leads these by a razor-thin margin, with deltas of 0.1-0.4%, meaning its computational performance is statistically indistinguishable from those competitors. This context shows that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 9700X would perform comparably to these alternatives, but in this game with this GPU, the CPU is not the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this CPU+GPU combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest average FPS measured is 47 at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 35 FPS at 1440p Low, and 29 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, scores 37911, which is 0.1% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37904 (0.1% lower), and the Intel Core 5 211E scores 37829 (0.3% lower).

Q: Does the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration benefit this game?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 47 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra it drops to 21 FPS. The CPU's 16 threads handle the game's workload, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase, since the FPS drop correlates with GPU load rather than CPU capability.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X is in the 86th percentile vs all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943. This places it well above the median processor, indicating strong overall computational performance.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo first become playable (above 30 FPS)?

A: Only 1080p Low (47 FPS) and 1440p Low (35 FPS) exceed 30 FPS average. All other configurations fall below this threshold, with 1080p Medium at 35 FPS being the only other setting above 30 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the CPU at single-thread vs multi-thread tasks in Cinebench?

A: The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2211, while the multi-core score is 20485. The multi-core score is approximately 9.3 times higher, reflecting the scaling across 8 cores and 16 threads.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 47 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p (a 25.5% drop), then to 23 at 4K (a 34.3% drop from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the rendering load increases with pixel count.

For Medium settings, the progression is 35 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p (a 25.7% drop), and 17 FPS at 4K (a 34.6% drop from 1440p). High settings show 29 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p (a 24.1% drop), and 14 FPS at 4K (a 36.4% drop). Ultra settings follow the same trend: 21 FPS at 1080p, 16 FPS at 1440p (a 23.8% drop), and 10 FPS at 4K (a 37.5% drop).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings (roughly 24-26% from 1080p to 1440p, and 34-38% from 1440p to 4K) strongly suggests a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the linear scaling with pixel count indicates that the Intel Arc B370's integrated graphics are overwhelmed as resolution increases.

The 4K results are particularly telling: even at Low settings, the combo only manages 23 FPS, which is far below playable. At 1080p, the jump from Low (47 FPS) to High (29 FPS) is a 38.3% drop, showing that settings also heavily impact the GPU. The data implies that to maintain a consistent frame rate, users must reduce both resolution and settings, but the GPU's limited pixel throughput (48.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) cap overall performance.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings further illustrate the instability: at 1080p Medium, the range is 30-40 FPS (average 35), at 1440p Medium it's 22-30 FPS (average 26), and at 4K Medium it's 15-20 FPS (average 17). This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is hitting its limits consistently, with less variance as it becomes fully saturated.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + Intel Arc B370 ranks 2670 out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested combos, which is consistent with the GPU's performance percentile of 5 (meaning it outperforms only 5% of all GPUs).

The CPU's strong performance (86th percentile) does little to boost the combo's ranking because the GPU is the limiting factor. The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, with nearest rivals including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, delta 1.4%). These deltas show that the Arc B370 performs within 0.7% of these older or lower-end graphics solutions, confirming its position at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum.

The rank of 2670 out of 2902 means that 232 combos perform worse. Given that the CPU is high-performing, the low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU. In a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is graphically demanding, the GPU's 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs are insufficient to deliver playable frame rates at most settings. The GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 25W TDP (typical for integrated graphics) further underscore its limitations in a AAA title.

The data indicates that pairing this high-end CPU with such a low-end GPU creates a severe imbalance. Users would benefit more from pairing the Ryzen 7 9700X with a discrete GPU that has a higher performance percentile, as the CPU's headroom is entirely wasted in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience in Red Dead Redemption 2 for this combo is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, yielding an average of 47 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches smooth gameplay. The 1440p Low setting (35 FPS) is also playable but with a noticeable reduction in fluidity.

For users prioritizing visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Medium (35 FPS) offers a balance, though it drops below the 30 FPS threshold only at 1440p. The High preset at 1080p (29 FPS) is borderline, while Ultra at any resolution is not recommended, as even 1080p Ultra only achieves 21 FPS.

The data shows that Low settings at 1080p provide a 34.3% improvement over Medium (47 vs 35 FPS), while the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p is only a 27.6% drop (29 to 21 FPS). This suggests that the GPU's performance scales poorly with increased settings, likely due to its limited shading units and texture units.

At 4K, all settings are unplayable, with the highest being Low at 23 FPS. Therefore, the recommendation is clear: use 1080p Low for the best playable experience, or 1440p Low if the user accepts a 25.5% FPS reduction for higher resolution. Medium settings at 1080p are the highest quality preset that maintains an average above 30 FPS, but the margin is thin (35 FPS). Users should avoid Ultra settings entirely, as they provide no playable configuration across any resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the measured average FPS values are as follows:

• Low: 47 FPS
• Medium: 35 FPS (min 30, max 40)
• High: 29 FPS
• Ultra: 21 FPS

At 2560x1440 resolution:

• Low: 35 FPS
• Medium: 26 FPS (min 22, max 30)
• High: 22 FPS
• Ultra: 16 FPS

At 3840x2160 resolution:

• Low: 23 FPS
• Medium: 17 FPS (min 15, max 20)
• High: 14 FPS
• Ultra: 10 FPS

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in settings (Low to Medium to High to Ultra) costs roughly 20-30% of the average FPS at a given resolution. For example, at 1080p, the drop from Low to Medium is 25.5%, Medium to High is 17.1%, and High to Ultra is 27.6%. At 4K, these drops are 26.1%, 17.6%, and 28.6% respectively.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings show that at 1080p, the frame rate varies between 30 and 40, at 1440p between 22 and 30, and at 4K between 15 and 20. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates the GPU becomes consistently saturated, reducing variance.

Across all settings, the 1080p Low configuration (47 FPS) is the only one that provides a comfortable margin above 30 FPS. The 1440p Low (35 FPS) is the only other configuration above 30 FPS. All other settings and resolutions fall below this threshold, with the lowest being 4K Ultra at 10 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake chip), built on Intel's 3nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, 20 ROPs, and 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. The TDP is 25W, and it uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

In the single benchmark available (3DMark Steel Nomad DX12), the GPU scores 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, delta 1.4%). These deltas are all within 1.4%, indicating the Arc B370 performs nearly identically to these legacy or low-end parts.

The GPU's role in Red Dead Redemption 2 is clearly the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that even at the lowest resolution and settings (1080p Low), the combo only achieves 47 FPS. The GPU's low pixel rate and texture rate, combined with its shared memory architecture, prevent it from handling the game's rendering workload efficiently. The 25W TDP is typical for integrated graphics, which cannot match the performance of discrete GPUs in AAA titles.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 5 means it outperforms only 5% of all GPUs, which aligns with the combo's overall rank of 2670 out of 2902. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is the only benchmark available, and it confirms the GPU's position at the bottom of the performance hierarchy. For this game, the GPU cannot deliver playable frame rates at high settings or resolutions, and even at Low settings, the 47 FPS at 1080p is the ceiling of what this combo can achieve.