Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a fascinating stress test for the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER pairing. This combination of a 10th-generation mainstream CPU with a top-tier 40-series GPU creates a significant performance bottleneck dynamic that shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings. The measured data reveals a system where the GPU is often left waiting for the CPU at lower resolutions, but the tables turn as pixel count increases, making this an excellent case study in component balance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 123.7 FPS, but this only drops to 91.6 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further to 61.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern is telling: the percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 26%, which is less than the pure pixel count increase would suggest. This indicates that at 1080p, the Intel Core i5-10400F is limiting performance, preventing the RTX 4080 SUPER from reaching its full potential. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the system becomes more balanced until the GPU becomes the primary constraint at 4K.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (149.2 FPS) and Ultra (88.7 FPS) is 60.5 FPS, but at 4K, the same comparison shows a difference of 53 FPS (95.1 FPS on Low vs 42.1 FPS on Ultra). This suggests that at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw compute power is being taxed heavily by Ultra settings, while at 1080p, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are the limiting factor. The data implies that players targeting 4K Ultra will see the GPU working as intended, but those at 1080p will be leaving significant performance on the table.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, shows its age in this modern title. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz place it in the mid-range tier of 2020-era processors. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 10,297 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,453 points in single-core, placing it in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs. This percentile ranking shows it outperforms roughly a quarter of all processors, but its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% faster) and Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% slower), indicating it sits in a crowded mid-pack.

The CPU's performance ceiling becomes evident when examining the 1080p results. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 149.2 FPS, but this is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. The fact that dropping from Medium (135.1 FPS) to Low only gains 14.1 FPS suggests diminishing returns as the CPU becomes the primary limiter. The L3 cache of 12 MB shared across 6 cores, combined with dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, may struggle to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER's demands for draw calls and geometry data in Red Dead Redemption 2's open world.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly the dominant component in this pairing, and its performance characteristics define the high-resolution experience. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for 4K textures. Its 10,240 shading units and 112 ROPs are supported by a boost clock of 2550 MHz, producing 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The GPU sits in the 88th percentile against all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (0.2% slower) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (2.9% slower).

The GPU's role becomes dominant at 4K, where Ultra settings produce 42.1 FPS, indicating the card is being fully utilized. The scaling from Medium (68.4 FPS) to High (61.4 FPS) to Ultra (42.1 FPS) at 3840x2160 shows a 38.5% performance hit from High to Ultra, which is significant. This suggests that Ultra settings in Red Dead Redemption 2 include effects that heavily tax the GPU's RT cores and tensor cores, even though the game is not typically considered a ray tracing showcase. The 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores may be engaged for advanced lighting and DLSS-related processing, though the measured data does not specify which features are enabled.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 171st out of 1,687 tested combos, placing it in the top 10% of all configurations. This rank reflects the strength of the RTX 4080 SUPER, but the relatively modest CPU holds the combo back from elite status. The rank is particularly interesting given that the CPU alone sits in the 73rd percentile and the GPU in the 88th percentile, suggesting that the pairing is somewhat imbalanced. A stronger CPU would likely push this combo significantly higher, as the 1080p results indicate the i5-10400F is leaving performance on the table.

The data suggests that this combo is better suited for high-resolution gaming where the GPU can stretch its legs. At 4K, the rank would likely be much higher relative to other combos, as the CPU bottleneck diminishes. The fact that the RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rival is the RX 6900 XT, which is a previous-generation card, further emphasizes the GPU's current standing. However, the CPU's position between the EPYC 7552 and Ryzen 3 7320C in average benchmark scores shows it is not a top-tier processor, which creates this interesting dynamic where the combo's rank is better than the CPU's percentile but worse than the GPU's percentile.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a balance of quality and performance?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with High settings (91.6 FPS) provides a strong balance, while 4K High (61.4 FPS) is still playable. The 1440p resolution avoids the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p while keeping the GPU well-utilized.

Q: How much performance is lost by using Ultra settings instead of High at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra produces 42.1 FPS while High produces 61.4 FPS, representing a 31.4% performance drop. This is a substantial decrease that may not justify the visual improvements.

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

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary limiter at 1920x1080. The small FPS gain from Medium (135.1 FPS) to Low (149.2 FPS) suggests the Intel Core i5-10400F cannot push much beyond this range regardless of GPU headroom.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER's closest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in average benchmarks, making them nearly identical in raw performance. The 16 GB VRAM and newer architecture may provide advantages in specific scenarios.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured result is 149.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the CPU's practical ceiling, as even lowering resolution further would not yield significantly higher frame rates.

Q: Is this combo more suited for 1440p or 4K gaming?

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, with High settings achieving 91.6 FPS. At 4K, the combo drops to 61.4 FPS on High, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combo, the measured data points to 2560x1440 with High settings as the optimal experience. This configuration delivers 91.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while High settings preserve the game's visual fidelity. The alternative of 4K High (61.4 FPS) is viable for players prioritizing resolution over frame rate, but the 1440p option provides better headroom for open-world traversal where frame times can spike.

At 1080p, the data shows that Medium settings (135.1 FPS) are preferable to High (123.7 FPS) if players want to maximize smoothness, as the difference between High and Ultra (88.7 FPS) is more pronounced. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the 149.2 FPS at 1080p Low is the only configuration that approaches 144Hz territory, but this sacrifices significant visual quality. The 4K Ultra setting (42.1 FPS) should be avoided unless players have VRR displays, as the frame rate dips into the 30s in demanding scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces 149.2 FPS on Low, 135.1 FPS on Medium, 123.7 FPS on High, and 88.7 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Medium shows a 9.5% drop, while Medium to High shows an 8.4% drop, and High to Ultra shows a 28.3% drop. This last jump is the most significant, suggesting Ultra enables expensive effects that disproportionately impact the CPU-limited system.

At 2560x1440, the results are 135.1 FPS on Low, 105.9 FPS on Medium, 91.6 FPS on High, and 66.3 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 21.6%, which is larger than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming more involved. The High to Ultra drop of 27.6% is similar to 1080p, but the absolute frame rates are lower across the board.

At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 95.1 FPS on Low, 68.4 FPS on Medium, 61.4 FPS on High, and 42.1 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Medium is the most severe at 28.1%, reflecting the GPU's struggle with 4K resolution. The Medium to High drop is 10.2%, and High to Ultra is 31.4%, showing that Ultra settings at 4K are particularly demanding. Notably, the 4K Low result (95.1 FPS) is higher than the 1080p Ultra result (88.7 FPS), highlighting how settings impact performance more than resolution in this configuration.