Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly unbalanced configuration for Red Dead Redemption 2. The data shows this combo ranks 2670th out of 2902 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems for this title. The benchmark results indicate a severe bottleneck, with the processor's substantial capabilities essentially wasted by the integrated graphics solution.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4nm process. It operates at a 4.40 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.50 GHz, with a 120W TDP. The processor carries 128 MB of L3 cache, which is substantial for gaming workloads, and supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Benchmark data shows the CPU delivers strong synthetic performance. It scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6739 in single-core, while Geekbench returns 22884 multi-core and 3041 single-core. The PassMark multithread score reaches 56154, with a single-thread score of 4646. In 3DMark, the processor achieves 13795 with max threads and 1269 single-thread. These numbers place the CPU at the 91st percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54762.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits within 2.1% of the Intel Core i7-14700F (which scores 53620) and is 2% above the Intel Xeon 6505P (53701). The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093, which is 0.6% higher, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54053 trails by 1.3%. This tight clustering indicates the 9900X3D is competitively positioned among high-end desktop processors.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, a game from 2018, the CPU's raw computational power is far beyond what the title requires. The game's engine benefits from strong single-thread performance, where the 9900X3D's 6739 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 1269 3DMark single-thread score are exceptional. Multi-threaded workloads, such as background physics and AI simulation, also benefit from the 24 threads, with PassMark physics scoring 5340 and floating-point math at 119622.

However, the bottleneck in this configuration is not the CPU. The measured frame rates are consistently low across all settings and resolutions, indicating that the integrated graphics, not the processor, determines performance. The CPU's capabilities are effectively unused headroom; the game simply cannot push enough frames to stress the 9900X3D.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides clear guidance on settings selection. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 47 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this configuration at any resolution or setting. Moving to Medium drops to 35 FPS, High falls to 29 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 21 FPS.

At 1440p, the pattern repeats with lower absolute values. Low achieves 35 FPS, Medium reaches 26 FPS, High drops to 22 FPS, and Ultra falls to 16 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor: Low manages 23 FPS, Medium hits 17 FPS, High drops to 14 FPS, and Ultra falls to 10 FPS.

Given these numbers, the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that approaches playable frame rates. The 47 FPS average is borderline acceptable for a story-driven action adventure, though it falls short of the 60 FPS target many players prefer. The Medium preset at 1080p, with 35 FPS and a minimum of 30 FPS and maximum of 40 FPS, offers a compromise between visual quality and performance, but the frame rate is noticeably less smooth.

The data indicates that dropping below 1080p would be necessary to achieve higher frame rates, but no such measurements exist in the dataset. For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the highest quality setting that maintains a minimum of 30 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at any resolution produce frame rates below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the lower bound for acceptable gameplay in a fast-paced action title.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals the nature of the bottleneck. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows consistent percentage drops: Low falls from 47 to 35 FPS (a 25.5% decrease), Medium from 35 to 26 FPS (25.7% decrease), High from 29 to 22 FPS (24.1% decrease), and Ultra from 21 to 16 FPS (23.8% decrease). Stepping from 1440p to 4K shows similar proportional drops: Low falls from 35 to 23 FPS (34.3% decrease), Medium from 26 to 17 FPS (34.6% decrease), High from 22 to 14 FPS (36.4% decrease), and Ultra from 16 to 10 FPS (37.5% decrease).

These consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the performance scaling is governed by pixel count rather than CPU or memory bandwidth limitations. If the CPU were the limiting factor, frame rates would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload is largely independent of resolution. Instead, the data shows frame rates dropping proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a 25W TDP, 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. It features 10 ray tracing cores and operates at a 300 MHz base clock with a 2400 MHz boost. The GPU's memory is system shared, with bandwidth described as system dependent, meaning it relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The GPU scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% lower).

These comparison points underscore the GPU's position: it performs at the level of integrated graphics from over a decade ago. The 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 compute, 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 96.00 GTexel/s texture rate are insufficient for modern gaming at resolutions above 720p. The resolution scaling data confirms that the GPU is the sole limiting component, with the CPU sitting idle waiting for the graphics pipeline to complete its work.

FAQ

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

A: The only resolution that produces an average frame rate above 30 FPS is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which achieves 47 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 35 FPS, and at 3840x2160, even Low only manages 23 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU competitors?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower).

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D bottlenecked by the Intel Arc B370?

A: Yes. The CPU is at the 91st percentile of all processors with an average benchmark score of 54762, while the GPU is at the 5th percentile with an average score of 1184. The measured frame rates show classic GPU-bound scaling, where performance drops proportionally with resolution increases.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows 26 FPS average at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core i7-14700F?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F's score of 53620.

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains a minimum of 30 FPS?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 achieves a minimum of 30 FPS with an average of 35 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. No other settings/resolution combination in the measured data reaches a 30 FPS minimum.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3nm process under the Panther Lake chip. It operates with a 300 MHz base clock and 2400 MHz boost clock. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its memory configuration is entirely system shared, with no dedicated VRAM, and bandwidth is system dependent on the CPU's DDR5 memory.

The GPU's pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 compute reaches 6.144 TFLOPS, while FP16 performance is 12.29 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio. The 25W TDP and IGP form factor mean it draws power from the CPU package and shares system memory bandwidth with the processor.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places the Arc B370 at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a critically low position, indicating the GPU performs worse than 95% of all tested graphics cards. The nearest rivals are all older integrated and entry-level discrete GPUs from the early 2010s, with performance deltas under 1.5%.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's limitations are immediately apparent. The game's open-world environments, dynamic lighting, and detailed textures require significant fill rate and memory bandwidth. The Arc B370's 20 ROPs and 48 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for the game's rendering demands, particularly at higher resolutions. The system-shared memory means the GPU competes with the CPU for bandwidth, though the CPU's 89.6 GB/s DDR5 bandwidth is generous, the GPU's access pattern and latency characteristics are suboptimal for gaming.

The 25W TDP is indicative of the GPU's intended use case: low-power mobile and entry-level desktop systems, not high-performance gaming. The 2400 MHz boost clock is respectable for an IGP, but the underlying hardware resources are simply too limited. The 1280 shading units provide 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is modest by modern standards and clearly inadequate for a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2 at playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 47 FPS
• Medium: Average 35 FPS, minimum 30 FPS, maximum 40 FPS
• High: Average 29 FPS
• Ultra: Average 21 FPS

The 1080p results show a clear progression from low to ultra, with the Low preset nearly doubling the frame rate of the Ultra preset. The Medium preset's minimum of 30 FPS represents the only measured configuration that stays at or above 30 FPS throughout, though the average of 35 FPS leaves little headroom.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 35 FPS
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, minimum 22 FPS, maximum 30 FPS
• High: Average 22 FPS
• Ultra: Average 16 FPS

At 1440p, all presets fall below 30 FPS average except Low, which barely exceeds it at 35 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 30 FPS is still below the average of the Low preset, highlighting the significant cost of higher settings. The Ultra preset at 16 FPS is essentially unplayable, with visible stuttering and input lag.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 23 FPS
• Medium: Average 17 FPS, minimum 15 FPS, maximum 20 FPS
• High: Average 14 FPS
• Ultra: Average 10 FPS

The 4K results are uniformly poor across all settings. The highest average is 23 FPS at Low, which represents a 51.1% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Ultra preset at 10 FPS is a slideshow, and even the Medium preset's minimum of 15 FPS is far below any playability threshold. The data at 4K confirms that this configuration cannot handle the resolution's pixel count, regardless of settings.

The frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern: the GPU is saturated at all settings, and reducing graphical quality provides proportional gains in frame rate. The 1080p Low preset is the only viable configuration for actual gameplay, and even then, it falls short of the 60 FPS target that many players expect. For this CPU/GPU combination, the practical conclusion is that Red Dead Redemption 2 requires a dedicated graphics card to achieve acceptable performance, as the integrated Arc B370 is fundamentally outclassed by the game's rendering requirements.