Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti produces results that are heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The data shows a system that can deliver high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p with the right settings, but which struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions, while the quad-core i3-12100F proves sufficient to keep up at lower settings where frame rates are highest.

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and a 58 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 11,860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,674 in single-core, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 14,015 and a single-thread score of 3,444. This places the CPU in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13,494.

The nearest rivals in the data set show a tight grouping around this performance level. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13,492, which is a 0% delta, making the i3-12100F virtually identical in average score. The Intel Core i5-9500 is 0.3% ahead at 13,452, while the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% ahead at 13,594. The Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% ahead at 13,351. These deltas are minimal, meaning the i3-12100F sits in a competitive performance tier for its class.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is most apparent when frame rates are high and the GPU is not saturated. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 131 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested settings. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 98 FPS, and at 1080p High it is 82 FPS. The scaling from Low to High shows a 49 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as settings increase. The CPU's 4.30 GHz boost clock and strong single-core performance help maintain these high frame rates at lower settings, but the quad-core design means it cannot compensate for the GPU's workload at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1,335 out of 3,714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 36% of all tested systems, which is a solid position given the CPU's budget-oriented specifications. The rank reflects the overall performance across all measured settings and resolutions, and the data shows that the combo is capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings below 4K Ultra.

The RTX 3070 Ti itself is a strong performer, sitting in the 75th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 29,945. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile at a 0.1% delta (29,928), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 at -0.5% delta (30,095), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti at 0.5% delta (29,783). The AMD Radeon RX 6700 is 1.6% ahead at 30,433. These close deltas indicate that the RTX 3070 Ti is performance-wise in the same league as these other high-end cards.

The combo rank of 1,335 suggests that while the GPU is capable of high-end performance, the i3-12100F may be holding back the system in certain scenarios. However, the measured FPS data shows that the combo is not severely bottlenecked, as it achieves 131 FPS at 1080p Low and 61 FPS at 1440p High. The rank is a composite measure, and the data indicates that the system performs best at lower resolutions where the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend across resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 82 at 1080p to 61 at 1440p, and then to 40 at 4K. This represents a 21 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p (a 25.6% decrease) and a 21 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K (a 34.4% decrease). The scaling is not linear, with the 4K drop being more severe in percentage terms, indicating that the GPU is becoming increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

At Low settings, the drops are steeper in absolute terms. The average FPS goes from 131 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p, and then to 65 at 4K. This is a 33 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p (25.2% decrease) and a 33 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K (33.7% decrease). The fact that the 4K Low score of 65 FPS is still playable suggests that the GPU has enough headroom at lower settings, but the CPU is less of a factor here.

The Medium settings show a similar pattern: 98 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. The min FPS at 1080p Medium is 83, and at 1440p Medium it is 62, while at 4K Medium it is 41. These min FPS values indicate that even at Medium settings, the system can maintain a playable experience at 1440p, but at 4K the frame rate dips below 60 FPS. The scaling suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is less relevant when the GPU is rendering nearly four times as many pixels as 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p High settings deliver 61 FPS on average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1080p High, the average is 82 FPS, and at 4K High it drops to 40 FPS. The 1440p High setting provides a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 65, and at 4K Medium it is 48. At 4K High and Ultra, the averages drop to 40 and 29 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Medium setting with a min FPS of 41 is the highest playable option at this resolution.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in overall benchmarks?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13,494, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core 3 N355 at 0% delta. The Intel Core i5-9500 is 0.3% ahead, the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% ahead, and the Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% ahead. These deltas are all within 1.1%, indicating very similar performance levels.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 131, achieved at 1080p Low settings. This is the only setting where the combo exceeds 120 FPS, and it indicates that the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily loaded.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti a high-end GPU in this benchmark database?

A: Yes, the RTX 3070 Ti sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 29,945 is close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (-0.5% delta), placing it in the upper tier of graphics cards.

Q: How does the combo's rank compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1,335 out of 3,714 tested combos, which places it in the top 36% of all systems. This is a strong result, given that the CPU is a budget quad-core part, and it suggests the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting in this game.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the dominant component in this combination. It features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with a memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It is based on the Ampere architecture with 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The GPU's performance is strong, with a PassMark G3D score of 23,356 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 139,541. Its average benchmark score of 29,945 places it in the 75th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all within 1.6% of its performance. The RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at most settings, as the game does not appear to exceed this amount in the measured data. The GPU's high memory bandwidth is crucial for maintaining frame rates at higher resolutions, and the data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

At 4K Ultra, the combo only achieves 29 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is fully saturated. The RTX 3070 Ti's boost clock of 1770 MHz is relatively modest compared to some high-end cards, but its 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial. The data shows that the GPU can handle 1080p and 1440p well, but it struggles at 4K with higher settings, confirming that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the primary constraints at that resolution.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings to use for the best experience. At 1080p, the High preset offers 82 FPS on average, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides good visual quality. The Medium preset delivers 98 FPS, and the Low preset hits 131 FPS, but the High preset is the best balance between frame rate and fidelity. The Ultra preset drops to 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 61 FPS, which is just at the 60 FPS threshold. This is the recommended setting for 1440p, as it provides a playable experience with good visual quality. The Medium preset delivers 73 FPS, which is smoother, but the visual quality is lower. The Low preset hits 98 FPS, but the graphical compromises are significant. The Ultra preset drops to 44 FPS, which is not recommended.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset achieves 65 FPS, which is playable, but the visual quality is poor. The Medium preset delivers 48 FPS, which is below 60 FPS but still playable, with a min FPS of 41. The High preset drops to 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 29 FPS, both of which are not smooth enough for a good experience. The data suggests that 4K Medium is the highest setting that still provides a reasonably playable frame rate, though 4K Low is the only option that consistently stays above 60 FPS.

Overall, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p High or 1440p High, depending on the user's preference for resolution versus frame rate. At 1080p High, the 82 FPS average provides a smooth, high-fidelity experience. At 1440p High, the 61 FPS average is still playable, but users may prefer the higher frame rates of 1080p Medium or Low. For 4K, users should stick to Low or Medium settings, as the higher presets do not provide acceptable performance.