Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the data shows that 4K Ultra is beyond its reach. This combination ranks in the 54th percentile of tested combos, reflecting a balanced pairing where the CPU provides ample headroom and the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, delivering 69 FPS on High, 82 FPS on Medium, and 110 FPS on Low settings. At 2560x1440, the combo still manages 51 FPS on High and 61 FPS on Medium, making it a viable option for higher-resolution monitors. 3840x2160 is only playable on Low settings with 54 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Only at lower presets. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 54. Medium settings drop to 41 FPS, High drops to 34 FPS, and Ultra falls to 24 FPS. The data suggests 4K is not a practical target for this game with this hardware unless you are willing to compromise heavily on visual quality.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5900X perform relative to other CPUs?

A: The CPU sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 41376 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (0.4% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (0.4% delta). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-14650HX by 0.5%.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon 780M (0.3% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.5% ahead). The data shows it is a mid-range performer.

Q: What is the expected frame rate jump from 1080p to 1440p on High settings?

A: Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings reduces the average FPS from 69 to 51, a drop of 18 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 4060 is still capable at 1440p, but the increased pixel count has a significant impact on performance.

Q: Is there a big difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the performance gap is substantial. At 1920x1080, Low settings yield 110 FPS on average, while Ultra settings yield only 49 FPS. That is a 61 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset is nearly 2.2 times more demanding than Low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. For a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, this level of multi-threading is far beyond what is typically required, meaning the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck in this pairing.

The 64 MB of L3 cache and high thread count contribute to a strong showing in multi-threaded benchmarks like Cinebench R23, where it scores 16262 points in the multi-core test. In single-threaded tests, it scores 1527 points, which is more relevant for game logic. The data in this benchmark set shows the CPU reaching a 3dmark single-thread score of 941 and a passmark single-thread score of 3469.

Given its performance, the CPU is effectively a non-issue for this title. The measured FPS results are constrained by the GPU, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops when increasing resolution. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking confirms it has substantial headroom. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the average benchmark scores of the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H and the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H are within a fraction of a percent, suggesting that these CPUs would deliver similar gameplay in a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the primary driver of the FPS results in this analysis. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but can be a limiting factor at 4K with higher texture quality settings.

The GPU's 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores are part of the Ada Lovelace architecture. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 19545 in Passmark G3D and 2302 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12. The 61st percentile ranking shows it as a competent mid-range card, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 780M, which is an integrated GPU, highlighting that the RTX 4060's performance tier is accessible across different product segments.

The benchmark data indicates that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p, it can push high frame rates, but at 4K it struggles to maintain playable numbers on higher presets. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's needs at the tested presets, but the frame rate drops at 4K suggest that raw compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, not capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 110 FPS. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 69 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset brings the average down to 49 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low setting yields an average of 82 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings produce an average of 61 FPS (min 52, max 71). The High preset averages 51 FPS, which is at the edge of smooth gameplay for many users. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 37 FPS, making it a less desirable choice for action-heavy scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings provide an average of 54 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings average 41 FPS (min 35, max 47). High settings drop to 34 FPS, and Ultra settings are unplayable at an average of 24 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings or resolution has a substantial impact on the average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2013 out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other configurations.

This ranking reflects a balanced but not top-tier system. The CPU is a high-end part, but the GPU is a mid-range option, which anchors the overall performance. The 54th percentile positioning suggests that while this combo can play the game well at many settings, there are numerous other combinations that achieve higher frame rates, likely those pairing similar CPUs with more powerful GPUs.

The gap between the CPU's 87th percentile ranking and the combo's 54th percentile ranking is telling. It confirms that the RTX 4060 is the performance bottleneck for this pairing in this game. Upgrading the GPU would yield a much more significant performance increase than upgrading the CPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on your target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 69 FPS. This is smooth enough for most players and looks significantly better than Medium. If you have a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 82 FPS is a strong alternative, offering headroom above 60 FPS while still looking good. The Ultra preset is not recommended here, as the 49 FPS average is a substantial downgrade for visual gains that are often hard to perceive in motion.

For 2560x1440 displays, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice, yielding an average of 61 FPS. This is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset, at 51 FPS, is still playable but may feel less fluid in intense scenes. The Low preset at 82 FPS is an option for competitive play or if you prefer maximum frame rates over visual fidelity.

For 3840x2160 displays, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 54 FPS. This is playable but not ideal. The Medium and High presets are too demanding for consistent performance. Players with 4K displays should consider reducing the resolution to 1440p to unlock higher quality settings and better frame rates.

In summary, the data recommends using High at 1080p or Medium at 1440p for the best overall experience. These settings provide a good balance of visual quality and performance without pushing the hardware to its limits.