Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B580 pairing in Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a study in balance and limitation. The data shows a combo that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p with tuned settings, but struggles significantly as resolution and quality demands increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you set expectations and choose the right configuration.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from 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, featuring 12 MB of shared L3 cache. Its 65W TDP and LGA 1200 socket make it a mainstream desktop part, and its benchmark results place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, indicating solid mid-range performance.

In synthetic tests, the i5-11400F shows strong scaling from 2 to 8 threads, with 3DMark scores rising from 1691 (2-thread) to 4691 (8-thread), and then only marginally to 5652 at max threads. This pattern suggests that while the CPU has 12 threads, its performance gains taper off beyond 8 threads. For Red Dead Redemption 2, which is not a heavily threaded title, this means the CPU's single-core and moderate multi-core strength are what matter most. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and single-core score of 2029 confirm a capable processor for gaming workloads.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-11400F's average benchmark score is 17181, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17189, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (17212, -0.2% delta). This indicates that in general-purpose and gaming tasks, the i5-11400F provides performance on par with those mobile-oriented chips. However, the desktop i5's advantage lies in sustained power delivery and consistent clock speeds, which helps avoid frame drops in CPU-bound scenes. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, but at 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU has less work, the CPU's 6 cores and 4.4 GHz boost will help maintain the higher frame rates seen in the data.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B580 is the graphics engine here, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using TSMC's 5 nm process. It packs 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 20 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a fixed 2670 MHz base and boost clock, paired with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is generous, providing ample headroom for high-resolution textures in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The Arc B580's compute power is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. Its benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 3068 and a PassMark G3D score of 15748, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 is within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (23181), and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M (22999). This suggests the Arc B580 is a direct competitor to the RTX 4060 in raw compute terms.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance. The measured FPS data shows a clear trend: as settings increase from Low to Ultra at any given resolution, frame rates drop substantially. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 90.9 (Low) to 40.8 (Ultra). This indicates that the Arc B580's raw throughput is the limiting factor at higher quality presets, while its 12 GB VRAM is sufficient to avoid memory-related stuttering, even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is a low 19.5. The GPU's high clock speed and memory bandwidth allow it to perform well at Low and Medium settings, but the demands of Ultra quality in this game quickly outpace its capabilities.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 55.1 at 1080p to 39.4 at 1440p, and then to 26.1 at 4K. This represents a 29% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and another 34% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating that the Arc B580 is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The Low settings data shows a steeper relative drop: from 90.9 FPS at 1080p to 67.8 at 1440p (a 25% decrease) and then to 46 at 4K (a 32% decrease from 1440p). This suggests that even when the GPU load is reduced, the scaling to 4K still overwhelms the graphics card. The fact that the CPU's performance is constant across resolutions (as it isn't resolution-dependent) means that the FPS differences are entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering workload.

This resolution scaling data tells us that the Intel Core i5-11400F is not the limiting factor in this pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions, but the data shows a clear and consistent decline as resolution increases. Therefore, the Arc B580's performance ceiling is what dictates playability, and users should expect to adjust settings or resolution to hit their target frame rate.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 19.5 (Ultra) to 46 (Low). Only the Low preset approaches playability, with Medium at 30.6 FPS being borderline. Higher settings are not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS target?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 90.9. To get near 60 FPS at 1440p, you must use Low settings, which yield 67.8 FPS. The High preset at 1440p only achieves 39.4 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to the RTX 4060 based on this data?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 23021 for the Arc B580 and 23181 for the RTX 4060, a delta of -0.7%. In this game, the measured FPS results are what they are, but synthetic scores suggest they are close competitors.

Q: Is the i5-11400F holding back the Arc B580?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's performance percentile (75th) is above the GPU's (66th), further supporting this.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: For a playable experience above 30 FPS, the Low preset at 67.8 FPS is the only option. The Medium preset at 48.6 FPS might be acceptable for some, but High (39.4 FPS) and Ultra (28.9 FPS) are too demanding.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM matter at high settings?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for this game at all tested resolutions. The FPS drops from High to Ultra are due to compute load, not memory capacity, as the bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s provides ample data throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table presents the exact average FPS measurements for each tested configuration. These are the only measured data points available, and they form the basis for all analysis.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 26.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 46 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 30.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 19.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 39.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 67.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 48.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 28.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 55.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 90.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 68.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 40.8 |

At 1080p, the system shows a wide performance envelope. The Low preset delivers 90.9 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium at 68.2 FPS is also smooth, while High at 55.1 FPS is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Ultra drops to 40.8 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU's limits. Moving to 1440p, only Low (67.8 FPS) provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium (48.6 FPS) and High (39.4 FPS) are playable but require compromises, and Ultra (28.9 FPS) is not recommended. At 4K, the system is only viable on Low settings (46 FPS), with Medium (30.6 FPS) being borderline and High (26.1 FPS) and Ultra (19.5 FPS) being too slow for a good experience.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on your target resolution and frame rate preference.

For 1080p, the Medium preset (68.2 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. If you have a 144Hz monitor, the Low preset (90.9 FPS) is the only way to approach that refresh rate, but you sacrifice a lot of visual fidelity. The High preset (55.1 FPS) is acceptable for slower-paced exploration, but the drop from Medium to High is substantial for the modest visual gain.

At 1440p, the Low preset (67.8 FPS) is the clear recommendation. It is the only setting that clears the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so with a comfortable margin. The Medium preset (48.6 FPS) is a viable alternative if you prefer higher visual quality and can tolerate a frame rate in the 40-50 range, but it is not as smooth. The High (39.4 FPS) and Ultra (28.9 FPS) presets are not recommended for a good experience, as they fall below the standard for smooth gameplay.

For 4K, the Low preset (46 FPS) is the only playable option. The Medium preset (30.6 FPS) is technically playable but will feel sluggish, and High (26.1 FPS) and Ultra (19.5 FPS) are not viable. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p possible only at the lowest settings. The performance gap between Low and Medium is substantial at all resolutions, suggesting that the Arc B580's architecture favors the lighter load of the Low preset. Ultimately, the best experience is to prioritize resolution over settings: a smooth 1080p Medium experience is preferable to a stuttering 1440p High one.