Red Dead Redemption 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Red Dead Redemption 2 with the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 49.9 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low drops that to 35.9 FPS, a reduction of 28%. The step to 3840x2160 at Low yields just 22.6 FPS, which is 55% lower than the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited configuration: the RX 580's 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput are saturated long before the CPU becomes the bottleneck.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low (49.9 FPS) to Ultra (19.8 FPS) is 30.1 FPS. At 1440p, the same spread narrows to 21.5 FPS (35.9 Low vs. 14.4 Ultra). At 4K, the spread compresses further to 10.7 FPS (22.6 Low vs. 11.9 Ultra). This compression indicates that at 4K, even the Low preset overwhelms the GPU's pixel throughput and texture rate (42.88 GPixel/s and 193.0 GTexel/s respectively), leaving little headroom for settings-driven differentiation. The data suggests the RX 580 is the limiting component across all resolutions, but most severely at 4K where even the lowest settings cannot approach playable frame rates.

Notably, the 4K High result (12.3 FPS) is nearly identical to the 4K Ultra result (11.9 FPS), differing by only 0.4 FPS. This near-parity implies that beyond a certain settings threshold at 4K, the GPU is so thoroughly saturated that additional quality toggles produce negligible performance penalties. Conversely, at 1080p the jump from High (34.2 FPS) to Ultra (19.8 FPS) costs 14.4 FPS, showing that Ultra settings impose a substantial rendering load that the Polaris 20 chip cannot sustain.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy (64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, 12 MB shared L3) supports its 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and multithread score of 12,115 in PassMark. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling pattern. If the CPU were the primary constraint, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolution changes; instead, they drop by 55% from 1080p Low to 4K Low.

The processor's 12 threads are sufficient for this game's engine, which is an Action Adventure title from 2018. Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10,297 and single-core score of 1,453 suggest balanced throughput that does not create a glaring bottleneck at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 49.9 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. This figure is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this title, as the GPU still has some headroom at that resolution and settings level, but the 4.30 GHz boost clock helps maintain consistent frame delivery.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the i5-10400F sits within 1.2% of the AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct 0.4), AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (deltaPct -0.8), Intel Core i5-8500 (deltaPct -1.1), and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (deltaPct -1.2) in average benchmark score. This clustering indicates that the i5-10400F is not an outlier in CPU-bound scenarios, but rather a mid-pack performer whose 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects adequate, not exceptional, processing power. For this game, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are likely sufficient to feed the RX 580 without major frame pacing issues, but they do not rescue performance at higher resolutions where the GPU is overwhelmed.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. With 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, the 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is a critical resource for Red Dead Redemption 2's open-world textures. The GPU's 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs produce a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s. These figures are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark data confirms that the RX 580 struggles beyond 1080p.

The GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 53, placing it in the middle of the distribution. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon Pro 455 (deltaPct 1.1), and NVIDIA P106-090 (deltaPct -1.1). This tight clustering (within 1.1%) shows that the RX 580's compute capability is well-known and consistent with older mid-range parts. In this game, the RX 580's 8 GB VRAM is not the limiting factor at 1080p or 1440p, as even the 4K Ultra preset (11.9 FPS) does not suggest VRAM exhaustion causing stutter; rather, raw throughput is insufficient.

The GPU's memory clock of 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) and boost clock of 1340 MHz are fixed parameters that cannot compensate for the resolution demands. At 1440p High, the combo produces 25 FPS, which is below the typically accepted 30 FPS minimum for action games. At 1080p Medium, the 38 FPS result is playable but not smooth. The RX 580's 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while respectable in 2017, is simply outmatched by Red Dead Redemption 2's rendering complexity at higher resolutions. The GPU's DirectX 12 support (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 API compatibility do not provide any performance escape hatch from the fundamental hardware limits.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1572 out of 1687 combos, placing it in the 7th percentile of all tested configurations. This low rank is consistent with the measured frame rates, which never exceed 49.9 FPS at any resolution or settings preset. The combo's position reflects the GPU's mid-tier standing (53rd percentile) combined with the CPU's mid-range performance (73rd percentile), but the overall result is dragged down by the GPU's inability to handle the game's demands at higher resolutions.

The rank of 1572 out of 1687 means that 93% of tested combos outperform this one in Red Dead Redemption 2. This is not surprising given that the RX 580's closest rivals include the GTX 570 and GTX 950, both of which are older architectures with lower feature sets. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at Low to Medium settings, where it achieves 49.9 FPS and 38 FPS respectively. At 1440p, the best case is 35.9 FPS at Low settings, which is marginal. At 4K, no settings preset yields more than 22.6 FPS, rendering that resolution effectively unplayable.

The deltaPct values for both CPU and GPU rivals show that this combo's components are closely matched to their respective peers, but the combination does not synergize to overcome the GPU's limitations. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking suggests it could drive a more powerful GPU, but paired with the RX 580, the system is firmly in entry-level territory for this demanding title. The 4K Ultra result of 11.9 FPS is the lowest measured, confirming that this combo should not be considered for high-resolution gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields 49.9 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches a fluid 50 FPS, and it provides the best balance between visual quality and playability. The 1080p Medium preset produces 38 FPS, which is a 24% reduction from Low but offers improved textures and shadows. For players who prioritize frame rate consistency over visual fidelity, Low is the clear choice.

At 1080p High, the average drops to 34.2 FPS, which is still playable but begins to feel less responsive. The 1080p Ultra preset at 19.8 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in an action-adventure title. The data shows diminishing returns: moving from Low to Medium costs 11.9 FPS, while moving from Medium to High costs 3.8 FPS, but High to Ultra costs 14.4 FPS. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features (likely volumetric effects and long-distance shadows) that disproportionately tax the RX 580.

For 1440p displays, the best option is Low settings at 35.9 FPS, but this is borderline playable. The 1440p Medium preset (28.7 FPS) and High preset (25 FPS) are marginal, while Ultra (14.4 FPS) is not viable. At 4K, none of the presets are playable, with the highest being Low at 22.6 FPS. Therefore, the recommendation is to run this combo at 1080p Low for the smoothest experience, accepting reduced visual details. If visual quality is paramount, 1080p Medium at 38 FPS offers a compromise, but users should be prepared for occasional frame drops in busy scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 49.9 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

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

A: No. The best 4K result is 22.6 FPS at Low settings, with High at 12.3 FPS and Ultra at 11.9 FPS, all well below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F is within 1.2% of the AMD EPYC 7552, AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, Intel Core i5-8500, and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 in average benchmark score, with deltaPct values ranging from 0.4 to -1.2.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 sits in the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with its closest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at a deltaPct of 0.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 49.9 at 1080p Low to 22.6 at 4K Low, a reduction of 27.3 FPS or 55%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limit, as frame rates scale strongly with resolution (from 49.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 35.9 FPS at 1440p Low), while the CPU's 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock are sufficient to maintain frame delivery at 1080p.