Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. The data indicates this combo ranks in the 29th percentile of tested configurations, with performance that scales predictably from strong 1080p results to marginal 4K output. The primary constraint shifts from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and compute limits as resolution increases, creating a system that is best suited for 1440p gaming with adjusted settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 58 FPS average. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops this to 43 FPS, a 25.9% reduction. The jump to 4K at High settings further collapses performance to 29 FPS, representing a 50% loss compared to the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s rendering throughput—not the CPU—becomes the limiting factor beyond 1080p.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Low yields 93 FPS while Ultra yields 42 FPS, a 51 FPS spread. At 1440p, the same settings range from 69 FPS down to 31 FPS, a 38 FPS spread. At 4K, the range compresses to 25 FPS (from 46 on Low to 21 on Ultra), suggesting that even the lowest settings cannot fully relieve the GPU pressure at 4K. This compression indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is saturated at 4K regardless of quality preset, with the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth becoming the dominant bottlenecks.

The scaling between Medium and High settings is relatively modest across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 69 FPS versus 58 FPS on High, an 11 FPS difference. At 1440p, the same comparison shows 52 FPS versus 43 FPS, a 9 FPS gap. At 4K, Medium averages 34 FPS versus 29 FPS on High, a 5 FPS difference. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU’s compute units are the limiting resource; the incremental cost of High over Medium settings becomes less impactful when the render target is already straining the hardware.

The data also shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint at any resolution tested. The i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p Low, where 93 FPS is achieved. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see diminishing returns when lowering resolution, but the 1080p to 1440p drop from Low settings shows a 24 FPS reduction (93 to 69), which is a substantial scaling loss that points to GPU limitations. The 4K Low result of 46 FPS further confirms GPU-bound behavior, as even the lightest settings cannot push frame rates into the 60 FPS territory that the CPU could theoretically support.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a constraint at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS average suggests that the game’s highest settings exceed what the memory subsystem and the TU106 chip’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute can handle. The GPU’s 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units are tasked heavily by the game’s open-world rendering, and the data shows that the 1650 MHz boost clock is not enough to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 62 among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093, places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (deltaPct -0.5), indicating that the desktop RTX 2060 SUPER performs nearly identically to these mobile and workstation parts. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s predecessor status as end-of-life and its 12 nm process node from TSMC, with 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die, mean it lacks the efficiency of newer architectures, but the measured FPS data shows it still holds its own at 1440p.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is adequate for the tested settings, as evidenced by the 1440p Medium result of 52 FPS with minimums of 44 FPS and maximums of 60 FPS. However, the 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS suggests that texture data and geometry at that resolution may be pushing against the memory ceiling. The GPU’s memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and 256-bit bus provide 448.0 GB/s, which is a respectable figure, but the data indicates that at 4K, the combination of compute and memory throughput is insufficient for a smooth experience. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 34 ray tracing cores are present, but Red Dead Redemption 2’s traditional rasterization workload means these features are not the primary performance drivers.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2635 out of 3714 total combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested configurations, specifically at the 29th percentile. This ranking is reflective of the mid-range nature of both components: the CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. The combo’s ranking is lower than both individual component percentiles, suggesting that the pairing does not synergize optimally for this particular game.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), indicating that the i3-12100F’s 4-core/8-thread configuration performs similarly to these parts in multi-threaded tests. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct -0.4) and the Radeon Pro 5700 (deltaPct -0.5), showing that the RTX 2060 SUPER is competitive with these parts in raw compute. However, the combo’s 29th percentile rank in this game suggests that other pairings, likely with more powerful GPUs or higher-core-count CPUs, achieve significantly better frame rates.

The measured FPS data shows that this combo is firmly in the mid-range for Red Dead Redemption 2. At 1440p High, it achieves 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many gamers consider ideal. The 1080p High result of 58 FPS is closer to that target but still falls short. The combo’s rank of 2635 out of 3714 means that 1079 combinations performed worse, but 2634 performed better, placing it in a crowded field of mid-range hardware. This ranking is consistent with the GPU’s 62nd percentile and the CPU’s 68th percentile, indicating that neither component is a standout performer in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 93 FPS, which is highly playable and indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution. Medium settings yield 69 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS, providing a smooth experience with some headroom for dips. High settings reduce the average to 58 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less fluid. Ultra settings drop to 42 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and would require V-Sync or adaptive sync to avoid tearing.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant step down. Low settings average 69 FPS, which is still playable, but the gap from 1080p Low’s 93 FPS shows the GPU is working harder. Medium settings average 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS, indicating that frame pacing may be inconsistent in demanding scenes. High settings drop to 43 FPS average, which is on the edge of playability for most users. Ultra settings average 31 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 46 FPS, which is technically playable but with noticeable stutter in busy scenes. Medium settings average 34 FPS with a minimum of 29 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for many players. High settings drop to 29 FPS average, which is borderline unplayable for action sequences. Ultra settings average 21 FPS, which is not viable for gameplay. The 4K data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for that resolution, regardless of settings.

The Medium settings rows provide the most detailed data, with minimum and maximum FPS values that reveal frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the 59-80 FPS range indicates relatively stable performance. At 1440p Medium, the 44-60 FPS range shows more variance, suggesting that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent frame times. At 4K Medium, the 29-39 FPS range is narrow but low, indicating a consistent but slow experience. This data suggests that Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability at 1080p and 1440p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F plays a supporting role in this pairing, and the data shows it is rarely the bottleneck in Red Dead Redemption 2. The CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, are sufficient to drive the RTX 2060 SUPER to its limits at 1080p. The 1080p Low result of 93 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can feed the GPU with frames well above the 60 FPS target. The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate data locality for the game’s open-world streaming.

The i3-12100F’s synthetic benchmarks indicate strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for Red Dead Redemption 2’s game logic and physics. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674 and the Geekbench single-core score of 1932 show that this CPU is competitive with older i5 parts in single-threaded workloads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 893 further confirms this. However, the multi-threaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multi-core of 11860 and Passmark multi-thread of 14015, reveal that the 4-core design limits parallel performance, though this game does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded based on the FPS scaling.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 68 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494, places it above the midpoint of the database. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3) and the Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct -0.7), indicating that the i3-12100F performs comparably to a 6-core older-generation part in aggregate benchmarks. For this game, the CPU’s 4 cores are not a limiting factor at the tested settings, as evidenced by the 1440p Low result of 69 FPS, which is only 24 FPS lower than 1080p Low. If the CPU were the bottleneck, this gap would be larger.

The CPU’s 58 W TDP and 10 nm process node from Intel, with a 163 mm² die size, indicate an efficient design that does not generate excessive heat. The absence of integrated graphics means the RTX 2060 SUPER handles all rendering duties, which is expected. The CPU’s support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility, though the measured FPS data does not indicate memory bandwidth as a limiting factor. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes ensures the GPU has ample bandwidth for data transfer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, Medium settings provide the best balance, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS, ensuring that the experience rarely drops below 60 FPS. High settings at 1080p, averaging 58 FPS, are also viable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over a locked 60 FPS, but the Medium preset offers more headroom for demanding scenes. Low settings at 1080p, averaging 93 FPS, are excessive for most displays unless the user has a high refresh rate monitor and prefers maximum frame rates.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the only preset that maintains an average above 50 FPS, with 52 FPS and a minimum of 44 FPS. This is the recommended choice for a smooth experience at this resolution. High settings at 1440p, averaging 43 FPS, are playable but will require a display with adaptive sync to mitigate frame time variance. Low settings at 1440p, averaging 69 FPS, are also viable, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. Ultra settings at 1440p, averaging 31 FPS, are not recommended for gameplay.

At 4K, no settings preset delivers a consistently smooth experience. Low settings average 46 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 34 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for many players. High and Ultra settings, averaging 29 and 21 FPS respectively, are not recommended. For this combo, 4K should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept significant compromises in both visual quality and frame rate.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, where the combo delivers an average of 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS. This provides a balance of visual fidelity and performance that is suitable for most players. For users with 1080p displays, Medium settings at 69 FPS offer the most consistent frame rate, while High settings at 58 FPS provide a slight visual upgrade at the cost of some smoothness. The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1080p for users who prioritize visuals over frame rate and are willing to accept an average of 42 FPS.