Red Dead Redemption 2

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Red Dead Redemption 2 with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shows a clear and predictable performance curve as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers 68 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Ultra drops that to 51 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra it falls further to 34 FPS. That is a 50% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the highest preset, which is a substantial hit but consistent with what the data suggests about GPU-bound rendering at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern tells a more interesting story when you look at the Low preset across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 152 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it drops to 113 FPS, and at 4K Low, it reaches 75 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 26%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 34%. This is a steeper decline at higher resolutions, which indicates the RTX 4070's memory bandwidth and compute resources become increasingly limiting as pixel count grows. The GPU has a 192-bit memory bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth and 12 GB of GDDR6X, and the data suggests that at 4K, even the Low preset is pushing the card hard.

For the Medium preset, the measured rows include min and max FPS values, which add context. At 1080p Medium, the average is 114 FPS with a min of 97 and max of 131. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 85 FPS with a min of 72 and max of 97. At 4K Medium, the average is 56 FPS with a min of 48 and max of 64. The min-to-max spread is roughly 30% of the average at each resolution, which suggests frame time consistency is maintained even as the GPU load increases. The 4K Medium min of 48 FPS is still above the 30 FPS threshold typically considered playable, but it is getting close to the edge for smooth 60 Hz displays.

The High preset shows a similar trend: 95 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 25%, and from 1440p to 4K is 34%. This matches the Low preset pattern almost exactly, reinforcing that the RTX 4070's performance ceiling is the primary constraint at higher resolutions regardless of settings level. The CPU, with 12 cores and 24 threads from the Zen 5 architecture, is not the bottleneck here; even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed, the system reaches 152 FPS, which is well within the range where a capable processor would still keep up.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in Red Dead Redemption 2 with this hardware combination. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 95 FPS average is the sweet spot. It delivers well above 60 FPS with a comfortable margin, and the jump to Ultra only costs 27 FPS (to 68 average) while the visual gains from Ultra over High in this game are typically diminishing. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, the Low preset at 152 FPS is the only option that fully saturates that refresh rate, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. Medium at 114 FPS is a strong middle ground for high-refresh displays, though the min FPS of 97 suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable.

At 1440p, the High preset at 71 FPS average is the best measured option for a 60 Hz display. It stays above the 60 FPS target with a small buffer, and the Medium preset at 85 FPS offers more headroom if you prefer smoother motion over visual fidelity. Ultra at 51 FPS average is below 60, so it is only suitable for players who prioritize image quality over frame rate consistency. The Low preset at 113 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors, but it could be useful for competitive play or if you have a high-refresh panel and want to maximize responsiveness.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 47 FPS average is technically playable but will feel sluggish on a 60 Hz display. The Medium preset at 56 FPS is the best measured option for a playable experience, though the min FPS of 48 means there will be dips below 50 during heavy scenes. The Low preset at 75 FPS is the only 4K option that stays comfortably above 60, but it requires significant graphical compromises. Ultra at 34 FPS is not recommended for anything other than screenshot-taking or cinematic viewing, as the frame pacing will be noticeably inconsistent.

The data supports a simple recommendation hierarchy: at 1080p, use High for the best balance; at 1440p, use High or Medium depending on your refresh rate; at 4K, use Medium if you want a playable experience with decent visuals, or Low if frame rate is your priority. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer in terms of FPS per visual gain, and the data shows it costs 28-40% of the average frame rate compared to High across all resolutions.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge codename) with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It has 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a massive amount for gaming workloads. The benchmark data shows it scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6739 in single-core, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269. These numbers place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (deltaPct -0.6%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (deltaPct 1.3%), the Intel Xeon 6505P (deltaPct 2%), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (deltaPct 2.1%).

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is largely secondary to the GPU, as the game is known for its heavy graphics load. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the system achieves 152 FPS. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the RTX 4070 without creating a bottleneck. The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this game, which typically scales well up to 8 threads but does not heavily utilize more than that. The high single-thread performance (6739 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that the game's main simulation thread runs efficiently.

The 128 MB of L3 cache is worth noting because Red Dead Redemption 2 has large open-world assets that benefit from cache locality. The data does not include specific per-core utilization for this game, but the overall benchmark scores indicate that the 9900X3D is a top-tier gaming processor. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 9002 and 16-thread score of 12490 show strong scaling across cores, which is relevant for background tasks and streaming while gaming. The CPU's TDP is 120 W, and it supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, which provides ample memory bandwidth for game data streaming.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 9900X3D is essentially in a dead heat. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF is 0.6% slower on average, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is 1.3% faster, and the Intel Xeon 6505P and Core i7-14700F are 2% and 2.1% faster respectively. These differences are within noise for gaming workloads, meaning the CPU choice is unlikely to produce measurable FPS differences in Red Dead Redemption 2 at the resolutions tested. The GPU is the limiting factor in this game, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data showing FPS drops that track closely with GPU load.

# FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 2560x1440 with High settings provides the best balance, delivering 71 FPS average. At 1920x1080, you get higher frame rates (95 FPS at High) but with less visual detail, while 3840x2160 requires dropping to Medium to stay above 50 FPS (56 FPS average).

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Medium or Low settings. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 56 FPS average with a min of 48 FPS, while Low hits 75 FPS average. The High preset at 4K drops to 47 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 95 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p (25% loss) and then to 47 at 4K (34% loss from 1440p). At Low settings, it drops from 152 at 1080p to 113 at 1440p (26% loss) and to 75 at 4K (34% loss from 1440p).

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: The data suggests no. Even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed, the system reaches 152 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle the game's demands. The 12-core, 24-thread processor with a 5.50 GHz boost clock and 128 MB of L3 cache provides ample headroom.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The measured rows for Medium settings include min and max FPS values. At 1080p, the range is 97-131 FPS around a 114 average. At 1440p, it is 72-97 around an 85 average. At 4K, it is 48-64 around a 56 average. The spread is consistent, suggesting stable frame pacing.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648 and sits in the 81st percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (0.1% slower), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% slower), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% faster), and AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (1.3% slower).

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1920 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). It has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's FP32 performance is 29.15 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales almost linearly with resolution adjustments, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game at all tested settings and resolutions, as the data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering or crashes. The 192-bit memory bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game's texture streaming demands, even at 4K Ultra where the frame rate drops to 34 FPS.

The GPU's benchmark scores put it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 37648. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% faster), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% slower), and AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (1.3% faster). These deltas are negligible, meaning the RTX 4070 sits in a performance tier where small differences in synthetic benchmarks do not translate to meaningful FPS differences in real games.

The RTX 4070's ray tracing and tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in Red Dead Redemption 2, which does not have demanding ray tracing effects as a core feature. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores provide headroom for games that do use these features, but the data for this specific game shows that raw rasterization performance is what matters. The card's 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the primary driver of the measured frame rates.

The GPU's TDP is 200 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, and it uses a single 16-pin power connector. The card is dual-slot with dimensions of 240 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. These physical characteristics are relevant for case compatibility, but the performance data shows that the card is well-matched to the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 85 FPS, which is a strong result for a demanding open-world game. The 4K Medium result of 56 FPS is also respectable, showing that the RTX 4070 can handle 4K gaming when settings are adjusted appropriately.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for Red Dead Redemption 2 with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 152 FPS. The Medium preset averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131. The High preset averages 95 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. This shows a clear progression: Low to Medium costs 38 FPS (25% reduction), Medium to High costs 19 FPS (17% reduction), and High to Ultra costs 27 FPS (28% reduction).

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 113 FPS. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 97. The High preset averages 71 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 51 FPS. The setting-to-setting drops are 28 FPS (25%) from Low to Medium, 14 FPS (16%) from Medium to High, and 20 FPS (28%) from High to Ultra. The pattern is consistent with 1080p, suggesting the GPU's relative performance across settings is resolution-independent.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 75 FPS. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 64. The High preset averages 47 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. The drops are 19 FPS (25%) from Low to Medium, 9 FPS (16%) from Medium to High, and 13 FPS (28%) from High to Ultra. The percentage reductions are nearly identical to the lower resolutions, confirming that the RTX 4070's performance scaling is consistent across the settings spectrum.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings: Low preset goes from 152 FPS at 1080p to 113 FPS at 1440p to 75 FPS at 4K. Medium goes from 114 to 85 to 56. High goes from 95 to 71 to 47. Ultra goes from 68 to 51 to 34. The resolution-to-resolution drops are roughly 25-26% from 1080p to 1440p and 34% from 1440p to 4K, regardless of settings. This uniformity indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are the limiting factors, and the CPU is not introducing any variable bottleneck.

The combo ranks 648th out of 2902 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the top 22% of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the CPU and GPU pairing, where neither component is drastically over- or under-powered for the other. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 91st percentile CPU ranking and the RTX 4070's 81st percentile GPU ranking combine to produce a system that is competitive but not top-tier for this demanding title. The measured data shows that the system is best suited for 1440p gaming, with playable 4K available at reduced settings.