Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a playable but demanding experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance scaling that clearly favors lower resolutions and settings. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the powerful 16-core CPU ensures that frame rates remain consistent even when the graphics load is reduced.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance curve as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 139 FPS, which drops to 104 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 69 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 50% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the rendering load is scaling significantly with pixel count.

Moving to High settings, the pattern continues: 87 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 44 FPS, or roughly 51% fewer frames per second. This consistent halving of performance when quadrupling the pixel count strongly suggests the RTX 4080 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed by the game's detailed environments.

The Medium preset shows the same trend with 104 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Medium incurs a 27 FPS penalty, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 26 FPS. This nearly linear scaling with resolution indicates that the GPU's rasterization throughput, rather than any CPU bottleneck, governs performance in these scenarios.

Ultra settings present the most demanding scenario, with average frame rates falling to 63 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p, and just 31 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling, showing that even a high-end GPU like the RTX 4080 cannot maintain smooth gameplay at maximum quality in this title. The data suggests that players targeting 4K will need to compromise on settings, as the gap between Medium and Ultra at this resolution is 20 FPS, a 39% performance loss for the higher preset.

Notably, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K across all settings. For example, at Low settings, the 1080p to 1440p drop is 35 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is also 35 FPS. This balanced degradation implies the GPU is consistently saturated, with no single resolution threshold causing a disproportionate collapse. The measured minimum frame rates at Medium settings — 89 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K — confirm that frame pacing remains stable even when the average dips into lower territory.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 sits as the clear performance arbiter in this pairing. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a mobile platform. The benchmark data shows that memory capacity is not a limiting factor in Red Dead Redemption 2, as even at 4K Ultra, the game runs without hitting a memory wall — the 31 FPS result is a product of compute throughput, not capacity exhaustion.

Clock speeds play a direct role in the observed results. The GPU's base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz are relatively high for the Ada Lovelace architecture, allowing the 9728 shading units to process the game's complex lighting and shadow calculations efficiently. The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is evident in the 1080p Low result of 139 FPS, which shows the card can push well beyond typical 60 FPS targets when the workload is light.

The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, while not directly measured in these frame rates, contribute to the game's overall visual fidelity. Red Dead Redemption 2 does not heavily rely on ray tracing, so the rasterization performance — driven by the 112 ROPs and 304 TMUs — is what determines the final output. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s explain why the card handles 1440p High at 65 FPS comfortably but struggles at 4K Ultra.

The RTX 4080's position in the broader GPU landscape is solid, ranking in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 54247 places it close to the RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209 with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the non-SUPER variant is effectively on par with its successor in synthetic tests. The data indicates that this GPU is well-matched to a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor or a standard 60 Hz 4K display, provided settings are adjusted appropriately.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gameplay, the measured data points to Medium as the optimal preset. The 51 FPS average at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is the only 4K configuration that approaches a playable 60 FPS target, and the minimum of 44 FPS ensures that frame drops are not catastrophic. High at 4K delivers 43 FPS, which falls below the threshold for smooth action sequences, while Low at 69 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a marginal gain over Medium.

At 1440p, High settings provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The 65 FPS average is sufficient for most players, and the jump to Ultra costs 18 FPS (47 FPS average) without a proportional improvement in image quality. For players prioritizing frame rate, Low at 104 FPS is available, but Medium at 78 FPS offers a better compromise, with minimums of 66 FPS ensuring consistent gameplay.

The 1080p resolution gives players the most flexibility. High at 87 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience with good visuals, while Ultra at 63 FPS remains viable for those who want maximum quality. Medium at 104 FPS and Low at 139 FPS cater to competitive or high-refresh-rate setups, with the Medium preset's minimum of 89 FPS making it a safe choice for 120 Hz displays. The data shows that the RTX 4080 does not face any CPU-related constraints at this resolution, as even the lowest GPU-bound result of 63 FPS at Ultra is well above typical playability thresholds.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest measured average is 139 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 104 FPS at 2560x1440 and 69 FPS at 3840x2160 under the same preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K at maximum quality?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 31 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Players seeking 4K should use Medium settings, which yield 51 FPS average and 44 FPS minimum.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54247 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209. It also trails the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828) by 1.1% and the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698) by 2.6%.

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

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 87 FPS at 1920x1080 to 65 FPS at 2560x1440 and 43 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 44 FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across resolutions. The GPU's workload scaling with resolution shows it is saturated, particularly at 4K.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 deliver 65 FPS average, which is the recommended balance. Medium offers 78 FPS, but the visual quality difference justifies the 13 FPS cost for most users. Ultra drops to 47 FPS, which is not optimal for action-heavy gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Ryzen 9 8945HX and RTX 4080 combination ranks 1229th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the 67th percentile of all configurations. This is a strong showing, though not top-tier, reflecting the mobile nature of the CPU and the high-end but not flagship status of the GPU.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that many desktop combinations with more powerful GPUs will outperform this setup, particularly at higher resolutions. However, the data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested, especially those with older or lower-tier hardware. The 16-core CPU ensures that the system does not fall behind in CPU-bound scenarios, while the RTX 4080 provides solid GPU performance that is competitive with desktop cards from the same generation.

Within the context of other tested combos, this pairing is well-balanced. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate that neither component is significantly dragging down the other. The combo's overall rank of 1229 out of 3714 suggests that while there are faster configurations, this system delivers a consistent and capable experience in Red Dead Redemption 2 across all tested settings and resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, provides substantial processing power that ensures the GPU is never starved for data. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, based on the Zen 4 architecture, allow it to handle the game's simulation and AI workloads with ease. The 64 MB of L3 cache helps maintain high frame rates by reducing memory latency, particularly in open-world scenarios where the CPU must constantly track numerous entities.

The CPU's benchmark results reinforce its capability. A Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030 indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. In Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its CPU-intensive crowds and physics, this translates to stable frame pacing even when many NPCs are on screen. The PassMark multithread score of 51405 and single-thread score of 3907 further confirm that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 8945HX holds its own. It scores 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155 vs 76212 average), and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% and the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4%, but these are server or workstation parts that are not directly comparable for gaming. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a top-tier mobile processor, and the data shows that it comfortably supports the RTX 4080's output without introducing frame drops or stutter.

The 5 nm process node and 13,140 million transistors contribute to the CPU's efficiency, but the key takeaway from the measured frame rates is that the CPU's role is supportive rather than dominant. At 1080p Low, where GPU load is lighter, the CPU still manages to feed the GPU effectively, achieving 139 FPS. This indicates that the 8945HX has sufficient headroom to handle even the most demanding CPU-bound scenarios, making the GPU the definitive factor in determining final performance.