Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. The data shows a system where the graphics card dictates performance scaling, with the processor providing ample headroom across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance decline as resolution increases, a pattern that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary performance limiter. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 110 FPS, but this drops to 82 FPS at 1440p and further to 54 FPS at 4K. This represents a 51% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showing that pixel throughput heavily constrains the RTX 4060.

The scaling pattern intensifies at higher quality presets. With High settings, the system delivers 69 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 35 FPS, or roughly 51%, mirroring the Low setting trend. Ultra settings show the most dramatic falloff: 49 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result drops below playable thresholds, indicating the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus struggle with the game's highest fidelity demands at high pixel counts.

Medium settings provide the only preset with complete min/max data, offering insight into frame time stability. At 1080p Medium, the average is 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and maximum of 95. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 71. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. The consistency of these ranges suggests the frame pacing remains stable even as the overall throughput declines, pointing to a smooth but GPU-bound experience rather than one plagued by stutter.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D with 12 cores and 24 threads provides far more processing capability than Red Dead Redemption 2 requires, especially given its 128 MB of L3 cache. The consistent frame rate declines across resolutions — rather than plateaus or erratic swings — confirm that the RTX 4060's rendering throughput, not the processor, sets the performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 2,902 tested combinations in the database, this pairing of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D with the RTX 4060 ranks 1,544th for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 47th percentile of all tested combos, meaning roughly 53% of pairings deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. The mid-pack ranking reflects a mismatch: a top-tier CPU paired with a mid-range GPU, where the graphics card limits overall gaming performance.

The CPU itself ranks high among all processors, sitting in the 91st percentile with an average benchmark score of 54,762. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF at 55,093 (0.6% faster), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54,053 (1.3% slower), and the Intel Xeon 6505P at 53,701 (2% slower). The Ryzen 9 9900X3D outperforms the Intel Core i7-14700F by 2.1% in average score, demonstrating its strength in general computing tasks.

The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile among all graphics cards with an average benchmark score of 17,639. Its nearest rivals are notably weaker: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17,551 (0.5% lower). This clustering shows the RTX 4060 sits at a performance tier where small differences separate it from older or integrated solutions, explaining why the combo's in-game ranking sits near the middle rather than the top.

The gap between CPU and GPU percentiles — 91st versus 61st — illustrates the bottleneck dynamic. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the combo's rank of 1,544 out of 2,902 is driven almost entirely by GPU capability. A stronger graphics card paired with this same CPU would likely move the combo significantly higher in the rankings, while a weaker CPU with the same GPU would barely change the outcome.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 82 FPS average, which is 13 FPS higher than High and only 28 FPS lower than Low. The 70 FPS minimum at this setting ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, making it the optimal choice for 1080p displays.

At 1440p, Medium produces 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum, comfortably above the 60 FPS target for most players. High settings at this resolution drop to 51 FPS, which remains playable but leaves less headroom for demanding moments. Low settings push to 82 FPS but sacrifice significant visual fidelity for a marginal gain over Medium.

For 4K, Medium yields 41 FPS average with a 35 FPS minimum, which falls below ideal smoothness for fast-paced action but remains playable for slower exploration. High settings at 4K produce 34 FPS, and Ultra drops to 24 FPS, both of which struggle to maintain consistent motion. Low settings at 4K reach 54 FPS, making it the only preset that approaches playable frame rates at this resolution, though it requires substantial visual compromises.

The Low preset provides the highest frame rates at every resolution, reaching 110 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs only 28 FPS while likely delivering noticeably better visuals. Similarly, at 1440p, the gap between Low and Medium is 21 FPS, a reasonable trade for improved image quality. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as they produce 49 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K — all below the frame rates achievable with High settings at the next lower resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its strongest performance. Low settings produce 110 FPS average, Medium produces 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and maximum of 95, High produces 69 FPS, and Ultra produces 49 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 61 FPS spread, with each preset step costing roughly 20-30% performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates step down noticeably. Low settings deliver 82 FPS, Medium delivers 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 71, High delivers 51 FPS, and Ultra delivers 37 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra here is 45 FPS, narrower than at 1080p because the GPU becomes more constrained at higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings produce 54 FPS, Medium produces 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47, High produces 34 FPS, and Ultra produces 24 FPS. The 30 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest of all resolutions, reinforcing that the GPU's limits compress the range of achievable performance.

The Medium preset data provides the only complete min/max measurements, showing consistent frame intervals across resolutions. At 1080p, the 25 FPS range between minimum and maximum suggests occasional dips but overall stability. At 1440p, the range narrows to 19 FPS, and at 4K it narrows to 12 FPS, indicating that frame times become more consistent as the GPU saturates.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. Low produces 110 FPS and Medium produces 82 FPS at 1080p. At 1440p, only Low reaches above 60 FPS with 82 FPS, while Medium falls to 61 FPS. At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS; the highest is Low at 54 FPS.

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

A: The data shows 1080p as the most viable resolution. It offers the widest range of playable presets, with even Ultra reaching 49 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium exceed 50 FPS, and at 4K, all presets fall below 55 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 17,639 on average. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17,551 (0.5% lower). These differences are minimal, placing the GPU in a tightly contested performance tier.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D a good match for the RTX 4060?

A: In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU dramatically outperforms the GPU. The processor ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 61st percentile. The measured FPS scales consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting component and the CPU has significant headroom.

Q: What settings should be avoided with this combo?

A: Ultra settings should be avoided at all resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra produces 49 FPS; at 1440p, it drops to 37 FPS; and at 4K, it falls to 24 FPS. High settings at 4K also struggle at 34 FPS, making Medium the highest recommended preset for that resolution.

Q: How stable are frame times at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset has complete min/max data. At 1080p, it ranges from 70 to 95 FPS around an 82 average. At 1440p, it ranges from 52 to 71 FPS around a 61 average. At 4K, it ranges from 35 to 47 FPS around a 41 average. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates improved frame pacing consistency.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D brings substantial processing power to this pairing. It features 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The base clock runs at 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and the processor includes 128 MB of L3 cache alongside 1 MB of L2 cache per core. This cache configuration is particularly beneficial for gaming workloads that frequently access repeated data.

Benchmark results show the CPU's strength across both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks. It scores 6,739 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 47,737 in multi-core, 3,041 in Geekbench single-core and 22,884 in multi-core, and 12,490 in 3DMark with 16 threads. The PassMark multithread score reaches 56,154, while the single-thread score is 4,646. These figures place the CPU in the 91st percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54,762.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The game's engine, released in 2018, does not heavily tax modern high-end processors. The 12-core, 24-thread configuration provides far more parallel processing capability than the game can utilize, and the high boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the game's primary simulation thread. The 128 MB L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which can improve frame pacing in open-world titles.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with a delta of -0.6%, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 1.3%, the Intel Xeon 6505P at 2%, and the Intel Core i7-14700F at 2.1%. These small percentage differences show the Ryzen 9 9900X3D competes closely with other high-end desktop processors, though the in-game results are unlikely to differ meaningfully given the GPU bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the decisive component in this combo's gaming performance. It uses the AD107 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 18,900 million transistors. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and boosts to 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz or 17 Gbps effective. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 3,072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, 48 raster output units, 24 ray tracing cores, and 96 tensor cores. It achieves a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s, and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit bus are modest by modern standards, which likely contributes to the steep performance drop at 4K resolutions where memory bandwidth becomes critical.

Benchmark results place the RTX 4060 in the 61st percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 17,639. It scores 19,545 in PassMark G3D, 9,213 in PassMark GPU Compute, 95,057 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 48,643 in Geekbench Vulkan. The nearest rivals are all within 1% in average score, indicating the GPU sits at a competitive but not dominant tier.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 272 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but inadequate for smooth 4K performance. The measured FPS at 4K tops out at 54 FPS on Low settings, and the 24 FPS result on Ultra suggests the GPU runs out of memory bandwidth or capacity at that resolution. The 128-bit memory interface is a clear limiting factor, as higher-resolution textures and effects require more data throughput than this bus can provide. The GPU's role as the bottleneck is evident in the consistent frame rate scaling across all presets, with no signs of CPU-induced stalling.