Red Dead Redemption 2

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on the Comet Lake architecture using Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip accesses 12 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel interface, delivering 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. This CPU sits in the 68th percentile of all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232 (0.3% higher), the AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277 (0.6% higher). In essence, the 10400F is positioned almost exactly at the midpoint of a four-way statistical tie among very different processor types.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's 12 threads provide sufficient parallelism for the game's simulation and AI workloads. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 152 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter even at lower resolution where GPU load is lighter. The single-thread performance, measured at 688 in 3DMark single-thread and 1451 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is adequate for the game's main-thread demands. The transition from 6 cores to 12 threads matters here because the game can distribute tasks across multiple cores, though the data does not show a direct scaling curve. The 10400F's 4.30 GHz boost clock helps maintain consistent frame pacing in demanding scenes, but the benchmark rows do not isolate CPU-bound scenarios. The measured FPS at 1080p Ultra (73 FPS) versus 1080p Low (152 FPS) shows a 79 FPS spread, which is driven primarily by GPU settings rather than CPU capabilities. The CPU's percentile ranking indicates it is a mid-range performer, and the game's results reflect that this processor can keep pace with the RTX 5070 at most settings without becoming a bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions where GPU load dominates.

# FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 90 FPS, with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core 7 160UL?

A: The Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core 7 160UL's score of 14232. This difference is negligible in practical terms.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved across all tested configurations?

A: The highest average FPS is 152, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is 31 FPS higher than the next highest configuration (121 FPS at both 1080p Medium and 1440p Low).

Q: Does the RTX 5070's benchmark score place it above or below the average GPU?

A: The RTX 5070 is in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. This places it well above the median GPU.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 73, while at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 36. This represents a 37 FPS reduction when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5070 have, and what type is it?

A: The RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution-driven performance scaling. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 152 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 121 FPS, a 31 FPS reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 80 FPS. This scaling shows that even at the lowest settings, resolution has a substantial impact, with the 4K Low result being roughly half of the 1080p Low figure. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 20.4%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K at Low is 33.9%. This nonlinear relationship suggests that the GPU begins to saturate as pixel count increases, even at modest settings.

At Medium settings, the pattern continues but with compressed absolute values. The 1080p Medium average is 121 FPS, 1440p Medium is 90 FPS, and 4K Medium is 60 FPS. The relative drops are 25.6% from 1080p to 1440p, and 33.3% from 1440p to 4K. For High settings, 1080p yields 101 FPS, 1440p yields 75 FPS, and 4K yields 50 FPS. The drops are 25.7% and 33.3% respectively. Ultra settings show 73 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops here are 26.0% from 1080p to 1440p, and 33.3% from 1440p to 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings presets is striking. Regardless of whether the game runs at Low or Ultra, the transition from 1440p to 4K always results in a one-third reduction in average FPS. This uniformity indicates that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution in the same way. The RTX 5070's rendering throughput is the primary constraint as pixel count grows. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS is the lowest measured value, confirming that the GPU is heavily taxed at this configuration. The data does not include any 8K results, so the scaling trend beyond 4K cannot be assessed. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 152 FPS while 4K Ultra stays at 36 FPS shows a 4.2x performance range across the tested matrix, which aligns with the GPU's compute capabilities rather than any CPU limitation.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 819th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 22% of all configurations in the database for this game. The rank of 819 indicates that while this combo is not at the absolute top tier, it outperforms the vast majority of tested systems. The percentile positioning suggests that the pairing of a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU yields strong results in this title. The CPU's 68th percentile and the GPU's 82nd percentile combine to produce a system that sits above what either component would suggest individually, indicating that the game benefits from the GPU's strengths without being held back by the CPU.

The 3714 total combos represent a wide range of hardware configurations, from entry-level to extreme enthusiast systems. Ranking 819th means this combo beats roughly 2,895 other tested setups. The gap between the combo rank and the individual component percentiles is notable: the CPU is at 68th percentile, the GPU at 82nd, but the combo achieves roughly the 78th percentile (819/3714). This suggests the game is more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance, which is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis. The RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely contributing factors to the strong ranking, as Red Dead Redemption 2's open-world environments demand substantial texture memory and bandwidth.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 152 FPS. Medium settings yield 121 FPS average, with a minimum of 103 FPS and maximum of 139 FPS. High settings achieve 101 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 73 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 79 FPS, with each settings tier costing roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 121 FPS. Medium settings average 90 FPS, with a minimum of 77 FPS and maximum of 104 FPS. High settings achieve 75 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 54 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 67 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p due to the GPU becoming more constrained.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the most limited. Low settings average 80 FPS. Medium settings average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS. High settings achieve 50 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 36 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 44 FPS, the narrowest of all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at this pixel count.

The only configurations with min/max data are Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 103-139 FPS (36 FPS variance). At 1440p Medium, the range is 77-104 FPS (27 FPS variance). At 4K Medium, the range is 51-69 FPS (18 FPS variance). This shrinking variance with higher resolution indicates that frame time consistency improves as the GPU becomes the primary limiter, reducing CPU-induced stutter.

# Settings Recommendations

The data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. At 1080p, High settings at 101 FPS average is the recommended choice for most users, as it delivers over 100 FPS while maintaining substantial visual fidelity over Low settings. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 28 FPS (from 101 to 73), which is a 27.7% performance penalty for the highest preset. This trade-off is steep, and the 73 FPS result at Ultra is still playable but represents a significant sacrifice.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 90 FPS average is the optimal choice. This configuration provides smooth gameplay while maintaining a reasonable visual quality level. High settings at 1440p drop to 75 FPS, which is still acceptable but closer to the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable. Ultra at 1440p (54 FPS) is not recommended, as the 36 FPS drop from Medium to Ultra represents a 40% performance reduction.

At 4K, High settings at 50 FPS average is the best option for those prioritizing visual quality. Medium settings at 60 FPS average offer a smoother experience, and the 10 FPS difference between Medium and High at 4K is modest. Ultra at 4K (36 FPS) is below the standard 60 FPS target and should be avoided for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. Low settings at 4K (80 FPS) are viable for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but Medium provides a better balance at 60 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience with the best frame pacing data, as evidenced by the min/max measurements. The 1080p Medium result of 121 FPS average with a 103 FPS minimum ensures no noticeable stutter. The 1440p Medium result of 90 FPS with a 77 FPS minimum maintains smoothness. The 4K Medium result of 60 FPS with a 51 FPS minimum is the most stable 4K option. For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium at 90 FPS is the recommended configuration, as it balances resolution, visual quality, and frame rate without dipping below 77 FPS.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. The GPU has 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 APIs. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Red Dead Redemption 2's large open-world textures. The GPU's base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and memory operates at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The GPU is placed in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318, 0.1% lower), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063, 0.8% lower), AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, 1.2% higher), and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39568, 2.0% higher).

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's texture requirements at all tested settings, as the measured FPS data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering. The 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports the high-resolution texture streaming that the game demands, particularly at 4K where the 50 FPS High setting result shows no significant penalty over 1440p. The GPU's 30.87 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 482.3 GTexel/s texture rate are the key drivers of the measured FPS figures. The pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s directly impacts the resolution scaling observed, with the 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS reflecting the GPU's fill rate limits. The ray tracing cores do not appear to influence the benchmark results, as no ray tracing-specific settings were measured. The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as the 29137 Passmark G3D score and 5077 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score, correlates with the in-game results, positioning the RTX 5070 as a strong performer for this title without being the absolute fastest option available.