Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Arc B390, configured as an integrated GPU within a Panther Lake package, is paired here with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. This combination produces remarkably low frame rates in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it near the bottom of all tested configurations. The data reveals a system where the graphics processor is the overwhelming bottleneck, and the CPU’s substantial multi-threading capabilities are largely left idle.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but severe decline as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 51 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops the average to 38 FPS, a reduction of 13 FPS or roughly 25%. Stepping up to 4K at the same Low settings yields only 25 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result.

This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The frame rate drops almost proportionally with the pixel count increase, meaning the renderer is saturated at every resolution. For instance, 4K has four times the pixels of 1080p, and the 4K Low score of 25 FPS is almost exactly half the 1080p Low score of 51 FPS, not a quarter. This suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is working near its maximum capacity, and the additional pixel workload at higher resolutions directly translates to lower output.

The gap between settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 28 FPS (51 vs 23). At 4K, that difference narrows to 14 FPS (25 vs 11). This compression at higher resolutions is further evidence that the GPU is the bottleneck; when the shader and fillrate demands are extreme, the impact of quality settings diminishes because the hardware is already overwhelmed by the sheer pixel count.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 16262 and a single-core score of 1527. The data indicates a processor that is more than capable of feeding a discrete graphics card, but in this pairing, its potential is untapped.

The game’s performance is so severely limited by the iGPU that the CPU’s role is minimal. With a 1080p Low average of 51 FPS, the CPU is not the constraint; the graphics unit is. Even the most demanding single-threaded tasks in the game would be unlikely to stress the 5900X, given its high boost clock of 4.80 GHz and strong PassMark single-thread score of 3469. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9075 further illustrates the CPU’s capability to handle heavy multi-threaded workloads, but Red Dead Redemption 2 at these frame rates will not leverage that power.

The data suggests that the CPU’s performance is effectively irrelevant to the final outcome. Whether the game is running at 1080p Low or 4K Ultra, the frame rate is dictated by the Arc B390’s rendering throughput. The 5900X is waiting for work that never arrives, as the GPU cannot process frames fast enough to create a CPU-bound scenario. This is a case where the processor’s 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs is meaningless for this specific gaming workload.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested CPU and GPU combinations, this pairing of the Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3306th out of 3714 total combos for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested, a position that reflects the GPU’s extremely low performance ceiling.

The GPU’s individual standing is even more telling. The Arc B390 has a percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs, indicating it performs better than only 9% of the graphics processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 1482 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, a 1.3% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% difference), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% difference). These are all legacy entry-level mobile or OEM parts, which shows the B390’s performance class is not competitive for modern gaming.

The CPU’s ranking does not compensate for the GPU’s weakness. The 5900X sits at the 87th percentile, but the combo’s rank is dragged down by the graphics unit. The data implies that the overall rank is almost entirely a function of the GPU, as the CPU is more than sufficient for the task. Any other modern processor would likely produce nearly identical frame rates when paired with this iGPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across resolutions and settings. The only setting with a full set of FPS data is Medium, which includes minimum and maximum values.

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 51 FPS average.
• Medium: 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS.
• High: 32 FPS average.
• Ultra: 23 FPS average.

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 38 FPS average.
• Medium: 29 FPS average, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS.
• High: 24 FPS average.
• Ultra: 17 FPS average.

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 25 FPS average.
• Medium: 19 FPS average, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS.
• High: 16 FPS average.
• Ultra: 11 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent step-down in performance for each increase in quality settings. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 12 FPS, from Medium to High costs 7 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 9 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings (33 FPS at 1080p) suggests that even the average frame rate is not stable, and players would experience dips below 30 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its performance, however, is extremely limited, as evidenced by its 9th percentile ranking.

The GPU’s memory configuration is "System Shared," which means it uses a portion of the system’s DDR4 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which implies performance is tied to the system memory speed. This setup is a significant disadvantage for a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2, which benefits greatly from fast, dedicated video memory. The lack of dedicated memory bandwidth likely contributes to the low frame rates observed across all settings.

The compute capabilities are also low for this game. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is insufficient for the complex shaders and post-processing effects in the game. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the only GPU benchmark available, and it places the B390 in the same performance tier as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which is a decade-old entry-level card. This data strongly suggests that the Arc B390 is not designed for gaming, and its performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 confirms this, with even the lowest settings failing to produce a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that approaches a playable experience is 1080p with Low settings, which yields a 51 FPS average. This is the highest score in the entire dataset. While this is above the 30 FPS threshold for basic playability, it is still below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

The Medium preset at 1080p produces a 39 FPS average, which is a significant drop from Low. Given that the minimum FPS at this setting is 33, players would experience noticeable stuttering. The data suggests that the visual quality improvement from Low to Medium is not worth the 12 FPS performance penalty, as the game will not be consistently smooth.

For any resolution higher than 1080p, the performance becomes marginal. The 1440p Low setting achieves 38 FPS, but the 4K Low setting drops to 25 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable motion. The Ultra settings are not viable at any resolution, as they produce frame rates between 11 and 23 FPS, which are effectively unplayable. The data recommends that users prioritize resolution and settings to achieve the highest possible frame rate, with 1080p Low being the only sensible target for this hardware combo.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 51, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 3306th out of 3714 total tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom 11%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The data clearly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly with resolution increases, and the CPU’s high benchmark scores are not utilized, confirming the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 51 at 1080p to 25 at 4K, a reduction of 26 FPS or roughly 51%.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5900X performance relevant for this game with this GPU?

A: No. The CPU is far more powerful than needed. Its 12 cores and high clock speeds are wasted because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to create a CPU-bound workload.

Q: What are the closest performance rivals to the Intel Arc B390 based on average benchmark score?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster).