Red Dead Redemption 2

The benchmark results for Red Dead Redemption 2, pairing the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, reveal a configuration where the GPU is the dominant constraint across most resolution and settings combinations. The data shows a wide performance envelope, from a highly playable 144.9 FPS at 1080p Low to a demanding 32.1 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that the system’s output is heavily dependent on the graphics workload. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the GPU’s role, and how this specific combination ranks against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, pointing directly at the GPU as the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 92.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 69.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 24%. Moving further to 3840x2160 yields 43.6 FPS, which is a 53% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where the rendering load, particularly pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth, scales almost linearly with resolution.

The trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the frame rate drops from 65.1 FPS at 1080p to 51.1 FPS at 1440p and then to 32.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents a 51% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score. This suggests that the RTX 3080’s compute and memory resources are being saturated at higher resolutions, leaving little headroom for the CPU to influence the outcome. In contrast, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe, indicating that the CPU can still feed the GPU adequately at these lower pixel counts.

The data indicates that the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 144.9 FPS, a figure that is likely near the practical limit for this CPU in this game. The gap between 1080p Low (144.9 FPS) and 1440p Low (107.5 FPS) is substantial, showing the GPU’s workload increasing. However, the fact that 1080p Low does not reach much higher frame rates suggests that the i3-12100F’s four cores and eight threads are starting to become a secondary bottleneck, preventing the RTX 3080 from fully tapping its potential in less demanding scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications align with the observed results. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This memory subsystem is crucial for Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its detailed textures and large draw distances; the ample bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame rates at higher resolutions. The GPU’s boost clock of 1710 MHz, based on the Ampere architecture, contributes to its raw compute power, which is evident in the substantial frame rate differences between settings.

The RTX 3080’s 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units (TMUs) are responsible for the pixel and texture processing that scales with resolution. The data supports this: at 4K High, the GPU produces 43.6 FPS, while at 4K Low, it produces 71.1 FPS. This 63% performance increase from High to Low settings demonstrates how the GPU’s workload is directly tied to the quality presets, which affect shader complexity and texture filtering. The GPU’s 96 ROPs (Raster Output Units) are also a factor, as they handle the final pixel output, and their performance is a key reason why 4K Ultra is limited to 32.1 FPS.

The GPU’s role is also highlighted by its benchmark scores, which place it in the 80th percentile versus all GPUs. While the CPU’s average benchmark score is 13516, the GPU’s average is 35787, indicating a significant performance differential. In this game, the RTX 3080 is clearly the workhorse, and the measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck until the resolution and settings are lowered to a point where the GPU has spare capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 511th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations, which is a notable achievement given the CPU’s budget-oriented design. The rank suggests that the RTX 3080 is able to compensate for the CPU’s limitations in most scenarios, but the pairing is not optimal for maximizing the GPU’s potential.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in overall benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 0.4), and the Intel Core i7-7700K (deltaPct 1.8). The i3-12100F’s average score of 13516 is nearly identical to these processors, indicating that its performance in general compute tasks is competitive. However, its 4-core, 8-thread configuration can be a limiting factor in games that are heavily multi-threaded, which may explain why this combo does not rank higher.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (deltaPct -0.9) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (deltaPct 1), have similar average scores. This indicates that the RTX 3080 is still a formidable GPU, but its age is showing against newer parts. The combo’s rank of 511 out of 1687 suggests that while the GPU provides a strong baseline, the CPU holds it back from reaching the top echelons of performance, particularly in scenarios where frame rates exceed 100 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system’s capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 92.1 FPS on High, 111.5 FPS on Medium, 144.9 FPS on Low, and 65.1 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Medium to Low is significant, representing a 30% increase, while the drop from High to Ultra is 29%, showing the steep cost of the highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly: 69.9 FPS on High, 83.4 FPS on Medium, 107.5 FPS on Low, and 51.1 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p High result is 24% lower than its 1080p counterpart, while 1440p Ultra is 21% lower. This resolution is a sweet spot for the RTX 3080, as it offers a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with all settings except Ultra remaining above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates: 43.6 FPS on High, 52.5 FPS on Medium, 71.1 FPS on Low, and 32.1 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium result of 52.5 FPS is the only one that approaches playability, while 4K Ultra is virtually unplayable at 32.1 FPS. The data shows that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, users would need to select Low settings, which is a significant compromise.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system to achieve 60 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, the system achieves 69.9 FPS on High and 83.4 FPS on Medium, both above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, all settings except Ultra (65.1 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, with Low hitting 144.9 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 4K?

A: The CPU’s impact is minimal at 3840x2160, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The FPS difference between 4K High (43.6 FPS) and 4K Low (71.1 FPS) is primarily due to GPU workload changes, not CPU limitations.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows it is well-suited for 1440p, where it maintains 69.9 FPS on High. At 1080p, the system is often limited by the CPU, as evidenced by the 144.9 FPS on Low, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum output.

Q: What is the performance hit from High to Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the drop is from 92.1 FPS to 65.1 FPS, a 29% reduction. At 1440p, it goes from 69.9 FPS to 51.1 FPS, a 27% reduction. At 4K, it falls from 43.6 FPS to 32.1 FPS, a 26% reduction.

Q: How does the RTX 3080’s memory bandwidth impact the results?

A: The 760.3 GB/s bandwidth provided by the 10 GB GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus is sufficient to handle the game’s texture data, allowing the GPU to maintain performance until the compute units become saturated at 4K Ultra.

Q: Is this a balanced pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The combo ranks 511th out of 1687, indicating it is above average but not top-tier. The CPU’s 4-core, 8-thread design can limit performance in CPU-intensive scenes, but the GPU’s strength ensures playable frame rates at most settings.