Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding action-adventure title, and the pairing of an Intel Core i5-11400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and quality preset. Measured data shows that at 1080p Low the system averages 105.1 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 22.3 FPS. This range reveals how the combination scales across four presets and three resolutions, and where the performance ceiling lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p, the average frame rate spans from 105.1 on Low to 47.3 on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, the range narrows to 77.8 on Low and 36.4 on Ultra. At 4K, the numbers compress further: Low yields 51.0, Medium 37.4, High 29.8, and Ultra 22.3. The drop from 1080p to 4K is steepest on the Ultra preset, where the 4K average is less than half of the 1080p value. Even on Low, 4K only reaches 51.0 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly used for smooth gameplay.

This scaling suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU can feed the GPU sufficiently to exceed 100 FPS on Low, but as pixel count rises, the GPU's workload grows disproportionately. The 4K results, where even Low settings cannot reach 60 FPS, indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER's compute and memory resources are stretched. The gap between Low and Ultra also widens with resolution: at 1080p the difference is 57.8 FPS (105.1 vs 47.3), while at 4K it is 28.7 FPS (51.0 vs 22.3). This widening gap implies that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached earlier at higher resolutions, and the CPU's role diminishes.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1605 MHz and boost clock is 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, along with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. These specifications contribute to a Passmark G3D score of 18169 and an average benchmark score of 22206, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's capabilities are directly reflected in the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average of 22.3 FPS is the lowest of all tested configurations, indicating that the game's highest settings demand more than this GPU can deliver. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is present, and while the data does not isolate VRAM usage, the combination of high resolution and Ultra textures likely stresses memory bandwidth. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is substantial, yet the 4K results show that even with Low settings, the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS. This suggests that the GPU's raw compute power, rather than memory alone, is the bottleneck at 4K.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA RTX A400 with an average score of 22307 (deltaPct -0.5), the GTX TITAN Z at 22006 (deltaPct 0.9), and the RTX 4060 Mobile at 22729 (deltaPct -2.3). The RTX 2070 SUPER's score of 22206 sits between these, indicating it is a mid-range performer. In this game, the measured FPS aligns with that positioning: it can handle 1080p and 1440p at medium-to-high settings, but struggles at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's benchmark scores include a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 14372 and a single-core score of 2029, along with a Passmark multithread score of 16908. Its average benchmark score is 17181, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p. On Low settings, the system reaches 105.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. This indicates that the CPU can keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is less relevant. At 4K, even the highest CPU performance would not raise the frame rate because the GPU is already saturated. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient for the game's logic and draw calls, as evidenced by the 1080p results.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.2% of its average benchmark score: the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U at 17189 (deltaPct 0), the Intel Core i7-1260P at 17212 (deltaPct -0.2), the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U at 17215 (deltaPct -0.2), and the Intel Core i5-1240U at 17141 (deltaPct 0.2). This tight grouping suggests that the i5-11400F is a typical mid-range processor, and its performance in this game is consistent with that standing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for 60 FPS with this combo?

A: At 1080p, Medium (78.7 FPS) and High (65.2 FPS) both exceed 60 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (77.8 FPS) reaches above 60. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the highest is Low at 51.0 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1024th out of 1687 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the field.

Q: What is the impact of the Ultra preset on frame rate?

A: Ultra significantly reduces FPS: at 1080p it yields 47.3, at 1440p 36.4, and at 4K 22.3. Compared to Low, the difference is substantial at every resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: At 1080p Low, the CPU can push 105.1 FPS, but at 4K even Low is 51.0 FPS, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

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

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181, with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U at 17189 (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i7-1260P at 17212 (deltaPct -0.2), all within 0.2%.

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

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, with the NVIDIA RTX A400 at 22307 (deltaPct -0.5) and the GTX TITAN Z at 22006 (deltaPct 0.9).

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1024th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower half of the field, despite the CPU and GPU each having above-average percentiles (75th and 65th, respectively). The discrepancy suggests that the pairing may not be optimal for this specific game, or that other combos with similar hardware achieve higher frame rates due to other factors. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17181 and the GPU's 22206 are both respectable, but the in-game rank indicates that the combination underperforms relative to the individual components' standings. This could be due to the game's engine characteristics, which may favor certain hardware configurations, or the fact that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, capping the overall performance.

Settings Recommendations

For a 60 FPS target, the data shows that 1080p Medium (78.7 FPS) and High (65.2 FPS) are viable options. At 1440p, only Low (77.8 FPS) reaches above 60, while Medium (54.9) and High (49.3) fall short. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the highest is Low at 51.0. If visual quality is prioritized over frame rate, 1080p Ultra at 47.3 FPS is the highest quality preset that stays above 30 FPS. At 1440p, Medium (54.9) is close to 60 but slightly below, while High (49.3) and Ultra (36.4) are lower. The data suggests that 1080p High provides a good balance, with 65.2 FPS and high visual fidelity, while 1440p Low offers the only 60+ FPS experience at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 29.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 51.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 37.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 22.3 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 49.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 77.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 54.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 36.4 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 65.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 105.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 78.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 47.3 |