Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B370 combination represents a pairing of a mainstream 11th Gen desktop processor with a low-power integrated-class GPU solution. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the benchmark data reveals a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics component, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom across all tested configurations. The measured FPS figures across the board indicate that this combo is positioned for lower-resolution and lower-detail gameplay, with performance degrading sharply as both resolution and settings are increased.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The chip communicates with the rest of the system via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes.

In terms of raw processing capability, the i5-11400F holds a percentile rank of 71 among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17177. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which scores 17239 (0.4% higher). The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278 (0.6% higher), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074 (0.6% lower). These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating that the i5-11400F sits in a tightly contested performance band.

For Red Dead Redemption 2 specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. Looking at the measured FPS data, the system achieves 47 FPS at 1080p Low settings, which is the highest average recorded for this combo. As settings increase at the same resolution, FPS drops to 35 at Medium, 29 at High, and 21 at Ultra. The pattern of performance loss with increasing settings, at a fixed resolution, suggests that the graphics workload dominates the frame rate. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU in this scenario, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS scales predictably with settings rather than hitting a hard CPU-imposed ceiling.

The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by benchmarks like Cinebench R23 single-core at 2024 points and Geekbench single-core at 1777 points, indicates capable per-core throughput. However, the game's engine does not appear to be limited by this processor. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the system only reaches 47 FPS, which is far below what the CPU could theoretically support. This implies that the i5-11400F is not the bottleneck; it is the graphics subsystem that holds back performance. The processor's multi-threaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multi-core at 14340 points and Passmark multithread at 16908 points, further confirm that it has ample headroom for the game's threading demands.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1). The GPU has a TDP of 25 W and uses system-shared memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system-dependent.

The Arc B370's benchmark presence is limited, with a single recorded score in the database: 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This places the GPU in the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs, indicating very low overall performance. Its nearest rivals are all older discrete parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower). The Arc B370 is essentially at parity with these legacy cards, which gives context to its performance in Red Dead Redemption 2.

In the game, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. At 1080p Low settings, the system produces 47 FPS, but this is the only configuration that approaches playable territory. Moving to 1080p Medium drops the average to 35 FPS, and High settings further reduce it to 29 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 21 FPS. The GPU's 25 W TDP and integrated nature mean it lacks the dedicated memory bandwidth and raw throughput of even entry-level discrete cards, which is reflected in these numbers. The system-shared memory architecture is particularly problematic for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which demands significant VRAM for textures and geometry at higher settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 47, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only tested configuration that exceeds 40 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is within 0.6% of its nearest rivals. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17120 (0.3% lower), the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239 (0.4% higher), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278 (0.6% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074 (0.6% lower).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its closest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, a difference of 0.2%.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 10 FPS. This is the lowest recorded performance in the entire set of measurements.

Q: Does increasing resolution from 1080p to 1440p significantly impact FPS?

A: Yes. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 47 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, a reduction of 12 FPS. At Medium settings, it drops from 35 to 26, and at High settings, from 29 to 22.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested system combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2670 out of 2902 tested combinations, placing it in the lower tier of systems tested with Red Dead Redemption 2.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across four resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 47, which is the highest figure recorded for this combo. Medium settings at 1080p produce an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40. High settings yield an average of 29 FPS. Ultra settings at 1080p drop the average to 21 FPS, making even this resolution challenging for high-detail play.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance falls off noticeably. Low settings produce an average of 35 FPS, which is still acceptable for some users but represents a 25.5% drop from the 1080p Low figure. Medium settings at 1440p average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. High settings average 22 FPS, and Ultra settings average 16 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset maintains an average above 30 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings produce an average of 23 FPS, which is barely playable in a best-case scenario. Medium settings average 17 FPS, with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20. High settings average 14 FPS, and Ultra settings average 10 FPS. The 4K Ultra configuration is effectively unplayable, as the frame rate falls into single digits on average.

The data shows a clear pattern: FPS scales almost linearly with settings at each resolution. From Low to Medium, the drop is consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop (47 to 35). At 1440p, the same settings change results in a 9 FPS drop (35 to 26). At 4K, it is a 6 FPS drop (23 to 17). This consistent scaling suggests the GPU is fully utilized at all times, with no other component intervening.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling reveals the extent to which the GPU is the limiting component. Comparing 1080p to 4K at each settings preset shows a dramatic decline in performance. At Low settings, FPS drops from 47 at 1080p to 23 at 4K, a reduction of 51.1%. At Medium settings, the drop is from 35 to 17, a 51.4% reduction. High settings fall from 29 to 14, a 51.7% reduction. Ultra settings drop from 21 to 10, a 52.4% reduction.

The near-consistent percentage drop across all settings presets is a strong indicator that the GPU is the sole bottleneck. In a system where the CPU was limiting, the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K would be smaller at higher settings, as the GPU would have more work to do relative to the CPU. Here, the uniform scaling suggests that the GPU's workload is the primary factor at every resolution and settings combination.

Looking at the 1440p to 4K transition specifically, the data shows further confirmation. At Low settings, FPS drops from 35 at 1440p to 23 at 4K, a 34.3% reduction. Medium settings fall from 26 to 17, a 34.6% reduction. High settings drop from 22 to 14, a 36.4% reduction. Ultra settings fall from 16 to 10, a 37.5% reduction. Again, the percentage drops are tightly clustered, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU's pixel and texture processing capabilities dictate performance.

The resolution scaling analysis also implies that the CPU is not a factor in any of these configurations. If the i5-11400F were struggling to keep up at lower resolutions, we would expect to see a smaller FPS gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would be waiting on the CPU. Instead, the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is substantial at every settings level, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the recommended settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and playability threshold. The only configuration that achieves an average above 40 FPS is 1080p Low, which delivers 47 FPS. This is the only preset that provides a comfortable margin above the 30 FPS baseline for action games like Red Dead Redemption 2.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Medium offers a compromise. The average of 35 FPS is playable, though the minimum of 30 FPS indicates that the system will occasionally dip to the edge of acceptable performance. The 1080p High preset, at 29 FPS average, is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 21 FPS is not recommended for gameplay.

At 1440p, the options are more limited. The Low preset at 35 FPS is the only configuration that maintains a playable average. The Medium preset at 26 FPS is marginal, and High at 22 FPS and Ultra at 16 FPS are both below acceptable thresholds for a game that requires quick reactions. At 4K, none of the presets achieve playable frame rates. Even the Low preset at 23 FPS would be a poor experience, and the Ultra preset at 10 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with reduced settings. The 1080p Low preset provides the best experience in terms of frame rate stability, while 1080p Medium offers a reasonable balance if the user can tolerate occasional drops. For any resolution above 1080p, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, performance is below ideal levels.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2670 out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the system in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, highlighting its severe performance limitations in this game. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is stark. The i5-11400F is a mid-range processor that holds its own against rivals within a single percentage point of its average score. In contrast, the Arc B370 is positioned at the very bottom of the GPU performance hierarchy, competing with GPUs from over a decade ago. The ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 in the same benchmark, is a 0.5% difference from the Arc B370's 1184, underscoring the GPU's legacy-level performance.

In the context of this game, the combo's rank means that it will struggle with most modern titles at standard resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms this: even at the lowest settings and resolution, the system only manages 47 FPS, and it fails to reach 30 FPS at 4K on any preset. For a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which has demanding rendering requirements, this combo is not a viable option for a smooth experience at high resolutions. The data indicates that users would need to substantially lower their expectations, targeting 1080p with minimal settings, to achieve any semblance of playability.