Red Dead Redemption 2

The benchmark data for Red Dead Redemption 2, using the Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, provides a clear picture of a system where the graphics card is the dominant force. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the CPU maintains sufficient throughput to let the GPU operate near its potential. The measured frame rates show a consistent scaling pattern that points to the RTX 4070 SUPER as the primary determinant of performance, with the i3-12100F providing a stable foundation without introducing significant bottlenecks.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 168.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This figure demonstrates the system's ability to deliver very high refresh rates when graphical fidelity is reduced.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 291st out of 1687 tested combos for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 17% of all configurations in the database, indicating a strong overall performance tier.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, scores 13534, which is only 0.1% higher. This indicates the i3-12100F is statistically on par with that processor in general compute benchmarks.

Q: Is there a significant gap between the GPU and its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score is 42576. The NVIDIA RTX A6000, its closest rival, has an average score of 42653, a delta of -0.2%. This negligible difference shows the GPU is performing at the expected level relative to its peers in the database.

Q: What is the FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 105.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 51.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a performance reduction of approximately 51% when the resolution is quadrupled.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 94.2 FPS, while the High preset produces 81.9 FPS. The Medium preset offers a higher frame rate with a modest reduction in visual quality, making it a strong candidate for a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the optimal preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with a 1920x1080 display, the data suggests that the High preset, at 105.3 FPS, offers an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold and providing headroom for high refresh rates. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 77.6 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices a significant amount of speed for marginal visual gains. For those seeking maximum competitive fluidity, the Low preset at 168.9 FPS is an option, but the jump to Medium at 125 FPS is substantial for the quality increase.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. The High preset delivers 81.9 FPS, which is very good for this resolution. However, the Medium preset at 94.2 FPS provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, which can be crucial for maintaining consistent frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 57.7 FPS dips below the 60 FPS target, making it less ideal for a smooth experience. Therefore, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot at 1440p, offering a high frame rate while retaining a good level of detail. The data indicates that the jump from Medium to High at this resolution costs roughly 12 FPS, a trade-off some may find acceptable.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The High preset yields 51.4 FPS and Medium yields 60.3 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one tested that maintains an average above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Low preset at 85.9 FPS is also viable but represents a significant visual downgrade. Given that the Ultra preset falls to 35.9 FPS, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation for 4K, as it provides the best playable experience without resorting to Low settings. The benchmark results indicate that users should prioritize the Medium preset for a playable 4K experience, while High and Ultra are better suited for lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, which provides insight into the system's bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 105.3 to 81.9, a reduction of 23.4 FPS. The subsequent jump from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at High settings results in a larger drop from 81.9 to 51.4 FPS, a reduction of 30.5 FPS. This pattern, where the performance penalty per pixel increases at higher resolutions, is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data further confirms this by examining the scaling across all presets. At Low settings, the FPS goes from 168.9 at 1080p to 126.6 at 1440p, and then to 85.9 at 4K. Even at the lowest settings, the frame rate drops by over 30% when moving from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component, as the workload on the graphics card increases exponentially with pixel count, while the CPU's workload remains relatively static. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, appears to be providing frames fast enough to keep the GPU fed at all but the lowest resolutions.

The magnitude of the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K, regardless of the settings preset, is substantial. For instance, at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 94.2 to 60.3, a 36% reduction. This scaling behavior is a hallmark of a system where the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary factor limiting performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between 1440p and 4K, as the GPU would be waiting on the processor at lower resolutions. The data conclusively shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the determining factor in this configuration's gaming performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 291 out of 1687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the system in the 82.7th percentile of all configurations in the database, signifying a top-tier performance level. This ranking is particularly noteworthy because it is achieved with a relatively modest quad-core processor, highlighting the efficiency of the pairing. The high rank suggests that the combination is well-balanced for this specific title, delivering frame rates that are competitive with systems featuring more expensive CPUs.

Examining the CPU's general standing, the i3-12100F sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516. This is remarkably close to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-7700K, which scores 13280, a delta of 1.8%. This indicates that in raw compute performance, the i3-12100F competes with older, higher-tier processors. The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 42576. Its performance is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A6000, showing that it is a high-end graphics solution.

The combination of a high-percentile GPU with a mid-range CPU results in a system that ranks exceptionally well in this game. The 291st rank out of 1687 combos is a strong indicator that the system is not significantly held back by the processor. If the i3-12100F were a severe bottleneck, the combo's rank would likely be much lower, as the GPU's potential would be wasted. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is able to leverage its capabilities effectively, making this a high-performing pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2 despite the CPU's budget-oriented positioning.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is clearly the driving force behind this system's gaming performance. The benchmark results show a direct correlation between the GPU's workload and the measured frame rates. The card features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the demands of Red Dead Redemption 2, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling with resolution. The card's boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1980 MHz, and its performance in this game aligns with its high-end positioning.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB is a critical factor for the game's high-resolution textures. The data shows that the system can maintain playable frame rates at 4K with Medium settings, achieving 60.3 FPS. This suggests that the 12 GB VRAM is adequate for the game's assets at this resolution. If the VRAM were insufficient, we would expect to see severe frame rate hitches or texture pop-in, which is not reflected in the average FPS data. The 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth also plays a role in feeding the GPU's processing units, particularly at 4K where the data throughput demands are high.

The GPU's compute capabilities, as measured by its average benchmark score of 42576, place it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This score is notably high, and its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, is only 0.2% faster. This indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is performing exactly as expected for its class. The measured FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, especially at 1080p and 1440p, demonstrates that the GPU is not being limited by the CPU. The near-linear scaling of FPS with resolution changes points to the GPU as the primary execution unit, with the i3-12100F providing a sufficient amount of draw calls to keep it busy.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows its highest performance ceiling. The Low preset achieves an average of 168.9 FPS, while Medium and High deliver 125 FPS and 105.3 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset at this resolution is the most demanding, yielding 77.6 FPS. These figures indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rate gaming, with even the Ultra preset remaining comfortably above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset drops to 126.6 FPS, Medium to 94.2 FPS, and High to 81.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 57.7 FPS, which is the first instance in the data where the average frame rate falls below the 60 FPS mark. This highlights the increasing load on the GPU as pixel count grows. At 3840x2160, the performance is more constrained. The Low preset is the only one to provide a high refresh rate experience at 85.9 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 60.3 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold, while High drops to 51.4 FPS and Ultra falls to 35.9 FPS.

This breakdown shows a consistent performance hierarchy, with each increase in resolution or settings level resulting in a predictable average FPS reduction. The differences between presets are also notable; for example, at 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 43.9 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 19.7 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns on visual quality for the performance cost at higher settings. The data provides a clear roadmap for users to target their desired frame rate, with the RTX 4070 SUPER proving capable of handling high settings at 1080p and 1440p, but requiring Medium settings for a smooth 4K experience.