Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a four-core, eight-thread Alder Lake desktop processor with a 3.30 GHz base clock and a 4.30 GHz boost clock. Its architecture relies on 12 MB of shared L3 cache and a dual-channel memory bus that supports both DDR4 and DDR5. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 7252. Its average benchmark score of 13494 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested, and its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492 (a 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% ahead of the i3), and the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (0.7% behind).

For a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the simulation of the open world. The i3-12100F’s four physical cores with eight threads are sufficient to handle the game’s engine at most settings, but the data suggests that the processor is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing. The PassMark multi-thread score of 14015 and the 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051 indicate a capable mid-range part, but its single-thread performance, as measured by a PassMark single-thread score of 3444, is strong enough to avoid severe frame pacing issues in this title. The benchmark results show that as resolution increases, the FPS drops significantly, which points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor, while the CPU maintains a consistent level of throughput. The chip’s 58-watt TDP is modest, and its position in the 68th percentile of all CPUs confirms that it is not a top-tier part, but its performance is within a narrow band of several similarly-scored rivals, meaning that the i3-12100F is not an outlier in either direction; it delivers a predictable baseline of processing power that is adequate for the game’s demands, especially when paired with a high-end graphics card.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end RDNA 3.0 graphics card built on the Navi 31 chip, featuring 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus with 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz, and the card is a dual-slot design requiring a 700-watt power supply. The GPU’s compute power is substantial, with 5376 shading units and 84 ray-tracing cores, producing 51.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The card’s average benchmark score is 13745, placing it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs tested. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 660M with an average score of 13812 (a 0.5% lead over the RX 7900 XT), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile at 13821 (also 0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 570X at 13871 (0.9% ahead), while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT trails by 1.5% with a score of 13543.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is the dominant component. The measured FPS data reveals that the RX 7900 XT is the primary driver of frame rates, and its VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are crucial for rendering the game’s detailed textures at high resolutions. The 20 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game’s asset demands, and the 800.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The GPU’s percentile ranking of 55th is lower than its raw performance suggests, but this is due to the inclusion of many integrated and mobile parts in the database. The benchmark results indicate that the card’s performance is competitive with its immediate rivals, with delta percentages under 1.5%, meaning that the RX 7900 XT is not a class leader but is firmly within the expected performance envelope for a card of its specifications. The GPU’s role in this pairing is to provide the majority of the rendering power, and the data shows that it does so effectively, though its performance ceiling is tested at the highest settings and resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 744th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. This ranking is noteworthy because it pairs a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU, and the result shows that the system is capable of delivering playable frame rates in most scenarios. The rank of 744 is not a top-tier position, but it is respectable given the CPU’s limitations. The data suggests that the combo performs better than a system with a similarly-ranked CPU but a weaker GPU, and it also outperforms a system with a stronger CPU but a slower graphics card. The combination’s position in the database is a reflection of the GPU’s strong performance, which boosts the overall result despite the CPU’s lower percentile ranking. The i3-12100F’s 68th percentile and the RX 7900 XT’s 55th percentile would suggest a lower ranking, but the game’s engine is heavily GPU-bound, allowing the graphics card to carry the system. The 744th rank out of 3714 combos indicates that this pairing is more capable than the sum of its parts might suggest, and it demonstrates that a high-end GPU can compensate for a less powerful CPU in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p resolution, the RX 7900 XT delivers excellent frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 163, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce an average of 122 FPS with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 141. High settings achieve an average of 102 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to an average of 73 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of pushing well beyond 60 FPS even at the highest preset, and the jump from High to Ultra costs 29 FPS, which is a significant reduction for a single tier increase.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates scale down as expected. Low settings average 122 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 105. High settings produce an average of 76 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to an average of 55 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings is 26 FPS, from 102 to 76, and at Ultra, the drop is 18 FPS, from 73 to 55. The data shows that 1440p High remains highly playable, while Ultra settings dip below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure of higher pixel counts.

At 4K resolution, the system’s limits become apparent. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is still a respectable number for 4K gaming. Medium settings average 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69, placing it right at the edge of smoothness. High settings average 50 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 36 FPS. The 4K results show that the RX 7900 XT can handle the game at lower presets, but High and Ultra settings are not viable for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45 FPS, a substantial gap that highlights the GPU’s workload. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is effortless, 1440p is the sweet spot for high fidelity, and 4K requires significant settings compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 163 at 1080p to 122 at 1440p and 81 at 4K. This represents a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 34% drop from 1440p to 4K. The absolute reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 82 FPS, which is a 50% decrease in performance. At Medium settings, the averages are 122, 91, and 60 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31 FPS (25%), and from 1440p to 4K is another 31 FPS (34%), resulting in a 51% reduction from 1080p to 4K. For High settings, the averages are 102, 76, and 50 FPS, with drops of 26 FPS (25%) and 26 FPS (34%) respectively, leading to a 51% total decrease. At Ultra settings, the averages are 73, 55, and 36 FPS, with drops of 18 FPS (25%) and 19 FPS (35%), resulting in a 51% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is striking. Every preset shows approximately a 25% loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 34% loss when moving from 1440p to 4K. This uniform scaling is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario, where the CPU is not impeding the frame rate. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not drop as significantly with resolution increases, because the processor’s workload remains constant regardless of pixel count. The fact that the frame rates decrease proportionally with the number of pixels rendered indicates that the RX 7900 XT is the limiting component at all settings. The i3-12100F is able to keep up with the GPU’s demands even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest. The data strongly suggests that upgrading the CPU would yield minimal gains in this game, while upgrading the GPU would provide a direct performance increase, especially at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this pairing depend on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This makes Ultra the best choice for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability. The High preset offers a higher average of 102 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often worth the 29 FPS hit, especially since 73 FPS is still a very playable frame rate.

At 1440p, the choice is more nuanced. The High preset averages 76 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS and offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering on some displays. Therefore, High is the recommended preset for 1440p, as it provides a stable and smooth experience while still looking impressive. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 91 FPS, which is excellent, but the drop in visual quality from High to Medium is more apparent than the gain in frame rate.

For 4K, the data shows that High and Ultra are not viable options, with averages of 50 and 36 FPS, respectively. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS exactly, with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is borderline. For a consistent experience, the Low preset at 4K, with an average of 81 FPS, is the safest recommendation, as it ensures a smooth frame rate with a minimum that is unlikely to dip below 60 FPS. However, the visual quality at Low settings is significantly reduced. A better approach for 4K would be to use the Medium preset and accept the occasional frame rate drop, or to consider lowering the resolution to 1440p with High settings, which offers a superior visual experience at a higher frame rate. In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Ultra for maximum quality, 1440p High for the best balance, and 4K Low for a smooth but visually compromised experience.