Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This configuration provides a substantial foundation for gaming, as its 16 threads allow the CPU to handle background tasks and game logic without bottlenecking the graphics pipeline. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor demonstrates strong scaling from 2 to 16 threads, with a 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 compared to a single-thread score of 1280, indicating that multi-threaded workloads are well-served by the core count. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for game data that is frequently accessed, though Red Dead Redemption 2's performance data suggests that the graphics card is the primary constraint in most scenarios.

The CPU's single-core performance, as measured by a Geekbench single-core score of 3023 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2211, is more than adequate for the game's engine, which typically relies on a few heavily loaded threads for physics and AI. The Ryzen 7 9700X sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 37943, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14901E and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core 5 211E. This high level of headroom means that in Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution; instead, the frame rates are dictated by the GPU's ability to render the scene, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops when moving to higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the Intel Arc B570 ranks 2335 out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's modest position in the overall hierarchy, as the Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 puts it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that this combo is not optimized for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, but rather for playable frame rates at lower settings. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% higher score) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% lower score), suggest that the B570 is a mid-range performer, and the combo's rank aligns with that expectation.

When compared to other CPUs in the same test, the Ryzen 7 9700X's performance is not the issue; its 3DMark 8-thread score of 8184 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 are robust figures. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as the measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate is 79 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional for a high-end CPU. The combo's rank of 2335 indicates that many other pairings with stronger GPUs will outperform it, but within the context of the Arc B570's capabilities, the Ryzen 7 9700X provides sufficient processing power to avoid leaving performance on the table. The data suggests that users with this CPU would benefit from pairing it with a more powerful GPU to move up the rankings, but for the current setup, the results are consistent with the GPU's tier.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 79 FPS, which drops to 59 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 39 FPS at 4K Low. This is a 50.6% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload scales almost linearly with pixel count. The same trend is visible at High settings, where the average FPS falls from 49 at 1080p to 37 at 1440p and 24 at 4K, a 51.0% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This consistent scaling across settings is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario, as the CPU's frame generation capability remains constant while the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are stretched thinner.

The data also shows that the gap between settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 43 FPS (79 vs 36), but at 4K, that difference shrinks to 21 FPS (39 vs 18). This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU's raw compute power becomes the dominant factor, while at lower resolutions, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls becomes relatively more important, though not enough to cause a bottleneck. The 10 GB VRAM on the Arc B570 is likely a contributing factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 18, as the memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s may struggle with the game's high-resolution textures and effects. Overall, the scaling data confirms that the Ryzen 7 9700X is not the limiting component; instead, the Arc B570's performance envelope defines the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 79 FPS on Low, 59 FPS on Medium, 49 FPS on High, and 36 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum FPS of 50 and a maximum of 68, indicating some frame time variance but generally stable performance. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 59 FPS on Low, 44 FPS on Medium, 37 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p records a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS, showing a tighter range than at 1080p, which is typical when the GPU is more heavily loaded.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 39 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS (with a minimum of 25 and maximum of 34), High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra drops to 18 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the average frame rate is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where Medium to High settings provide playable frame rates. At 1440p High, the 37 FPS average is borderline, but dropping to Medium yields 44 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced game like Red Dead Redemption 2. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as even at 1080p it only achieves 36 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The card is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K data suggests that the 10 GB capacity may be a limiting factor, particularly at higher settings where texture detail is increased. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with its 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 compute performance.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B570 achieves a PassMark G3D score of 14195 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 0.1% higher on average, while the Intel Arc A750 scores 0.1% lower. This positions the B570 as a direct competitor to last-generation mid-range cards, but its performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 is further constrained by the game's engine. The data shows that the GPU's 18 ray tracing cores are not heavily utilized in this title, as the FPS drops are consistent across settings that do not explicitly enable ray tracing. The card's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-efficient option, but the measured FPS indicates that it is not sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p on higher presets.

The GPU's role in this combo is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 79 FPS average is close to the card's practical limit, and the 36 FPS at Ultra shows that the card's compute resources are saturated. The 4K results, with a maximum of 39 FPS on Low, illustrate that the Arc B570 is not designed for 4K gaming, and users should target 1080p or 1440p for a better experience. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is a bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the game's open-world environments require frequent texture streaming. Overall, the Arc B570 provides a playable experience at 1080p Medium to High settings, but its performance envelope is limited, and the Ryzen 7 9700X has ample headroom to support a more powerful GPU if an upgrade is considered.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the best resolution, offering an average of 59 FPS at Medium settings and 79 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 44 at Medium and 59 at Low, which is still playable, but 4K is not recommended due to sub-40 FPS averages.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its nearest rivals in terms of CPU performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911) and 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904). It is also 0.3% higher than the Intel Core 5 211E (37829), indicating a very tight grouping among these processors.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data suggests that 10 GB is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, as the game runs at playable frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 18, which could be attributed to VRAM limitations combined with the GPU's compute power, making 4K gaming impractical.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 79 on Low settings and 36 on Ultra settings, a difference of 43 FPS. This shows that the Ultra preset demands significantly more GPU resources, and users should expect a substantial performance hit when enabling higher visual fidelity.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2335 out of 2902 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This ranking is primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance, as the CPU's percentile ranking is much higher at 86th among all CPUs.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No, the data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The FPS drops consistently when resolution increases, and the CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread scores suggest it can handle the game's processing demands without constraining the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and performance expectations. For 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a balanced experience with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with decent visual quality. The Low preset provides a higher average of 79 FPS, which is beneficial for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra frames. The High preset at 49 FPS is also acceptable, though the Medium preset's tighter frame time range makes it the safer choice. The Ultra preset at 36 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate falls below the playable threshold for most players.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the best option, delivering an average of 59 FPS, which is ideal for maintaining a consistent experience. The Medium preset at 44 FPS is also viable, but the minimum of 38 FPS indicates occasional dips that might be noticeable in fast-paced scenes. The High preset at 37 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 27 FPS should be avoided. For 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, with an average of 39 FPS, but even this is below the 60 FPS target. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering their resolution to 1440p for a better experience. Overall, the data recommends the Medium preset at 1080p as the best compromise between visual quality and performance, while 1440p users should stick to Low for a smoother experience.