Red Dead Redemption 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 lands at position 401 out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. That places this configuration in the top 24% of all tested systems, which is a solid showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The data suggests this combo is not chasing the absolute top tier but sits comfortably in the upper-middle echelon, where most gamers would find the performance more than adequate for this title.

What makes this ranking particularly interesting is the imbalance between the two components. The RTX 4070 alone sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-11400F rests at the 75th percentile among CPUs. The combo's overall rank of 401 out of 1,687 suggests that the CPU is not holding the GPU back to a significant degree in this particular game, but there is room for interpretation. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing delivers a coherent experience, though the GPU is clearly the more dominant partner in the relationship.

The measured FPS data reinforces this assessment. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 94.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. The ranking also implies that many other combinations in the database either use faster CPUs or more balanced pairings, but for this specific game, the i5-11400F and RTX 4070 combination proves capable of delivering a strong experience without major bottlenecks.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Rocket Lake architecture chip, built on Intel's 14 nm process, has a 12 MB shared L3 cache. For a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which was released in 2018 and is known for its demanding open-world environments, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities matter significantly.

Looking at the benchmark data, the i5-11400F scores 5,652 in 3DMark's max threads test and 5,619 in the 16-thread test, showing that it scales reasonably well when all cores are utilized. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,372 and single-core score of 2,029 indicate that this CPU has decent single-thread performance for older game engines, but its real strength lies in its ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. The Geekbench multicore score of 7,579 versus a single-core score of 1,979 reinforces this pattern.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, particularly at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 155.1 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to avoid a significant bottleneck. However, the drop from 155.1 FPS at 1080p Low to 113.9 FPS at 1440p Low indicates that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 4K Low, the average drops to 74 FPS, further confirming that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

The i5-11400F's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this game, and the 12 MB L3 cache helps with the large open-world data streaming that Red Dead Redemption 2 requires. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it has enough headroom to avoid being a major bottleneck in most scenarios, though the data does not show any direct CPU-bound testing in this game.

# FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 94.9 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates smooth gameplay for most users.

Q: What is the biggest FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 94.9 at 1080p to 46.6 at 4K, a decline of 48.3 FPS. This is a substantial reduction that shows the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 155.1 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 74 FPS. This large drop indicates the GPU is the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU maintains its performance.

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

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17,181, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U at 17,189 (0% difference). It also matches the Intel Core i7-1260P at 17,212 (-0.2%) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U at 17,215 (-0.2%).

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings deliver 87.7 FPS, while High settings deliver 72.3 FPS. Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance for most players.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 30.3 FPS. This is technically playable but below the 60 FPS standard, so most users would prefer lower settings for a smoother experience.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 155.1 FPS on Low settings, 116.7 FPS on Medium, 94.9 FPS on High, and 69.5 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear scaling pattern where each preset step up reduces performance by roughly 20-25%, which is typical for this game's demanding graphics options.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 113.9 FPS on Low, 87.7 FPS on Medium, 72.3 FPS on High, and 51 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 62.9 FPS, which is slightly larger than the 85.6 FPS gap at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed at the higher resolution, as expected.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 74 FPS, Medium delivers 54.2 FPS, High produces 46.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30.3 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 4K at any given setting represents a substantial reduction in frame rate, with the Low preset dropping from 155.1 to 74 FPS, a 52.3% decrease. This pattern clearly shows that the RTX 4070, while powerful, is not designed to handle 4K Ultra settings in this game at high frame rates.

The data also reveals that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient across all settings, as there are no anomalies in the FPS numbers that would suggest memory-related stuttering or crashes. The memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s appears adequate for this game's textures and geometry at all tested resolutions.

# Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data tells a compelling story about where the bottleneck lies in this combo. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 94.9 to 72.3, a reduction of 22.6 FPS or roughly 23.8%. From 1440p to 4K at High, the average drops further to 46.6 FPS, a reduction of 25.7 FPS or about 35.5%. The increasing percentage drop at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The combo goes from 155.1 FPS at 1080p to 113.9 FPS at 1440p (a 26.6% reduction) and then to 74 FPS at 4K (a 35% reduction from 1440p). The fact that Low settings show similar scaling patterns to High settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor across all settings, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions at lower settings.

The data implies that the i5-11400F has sufficient headroom to keep up with the RTX 4070 even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest. The 155.1 FPS figure at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is capable of delivering frames well above what the GPU can render at higher resolutions. This is a healthy balance for a gaming system, as it means the GPU is being fully utilized rather than being starved by the CPU.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset at 94.9 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, while Ultra at 69.5 FPS is still playable for those who prioritize graphics over frame rate. The Medium preset at 116.7 FPS is the best choice for competitive or fast-paced play where higher frame rates matter more than visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 87.7 FPS emerges as the recommended choice. It provides a smooth experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while the High preset at 72.3 FPS is still viable for those who want better visuals. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is borderline, as it dips below the 60 FPS standard but remains playable for less demanding users.

For 4K, the Low preset at 74 FPS is the only setting that delivers a consistently smooth experience. Medium at 54.2 FPS and High at 46.6 FPS are both below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra at 30.3 FPS is only suitable for cinematic or screenshot purposes. The data clearly indicates that this combo is not ideal for 4K gaming with high visual settings, but it can handle 4K with lowered expectations.

The overall recommendation is to use High settings at 1080p or Medium settings at 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and performance. Players who prioritize frame rate above all else should consider Low settings, which deliver over 100 FPS at both 1080p and 1440p.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this combo, and the data reflects its capabilities. With 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, this Ada Lovelace architecture GPU is built for high-performance gaming. The boost clock of 2,475 MHz and base clock of 1,920 MHz, combined with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, provide a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s.

The GPU's benchmark scores confirm its strong position. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,854 and the PassMark G3D score of 26,927 place it at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 168,006 and Vulkan score of 157,352 indicate excellent compute performance, which is relevant for games that use advanced rendering techniques.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's role is clearly the primary driver of performance. The FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the CPU can keep up with the GPU's demands at lower resolutions. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, as evidenced by the consistent FPS numbers across all settings without any signs of memory-related performance drops.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 at 37,507 (0.6% lower) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile at 38,135 (2.2% higher). These comparisons show that the RTX 4070 is closely matched with other high-end GPUs, though its 5 nm process node and 35,800 million transistors give it efficiency advantages that are not fully captured in raw score comparisons. The GPU's 200 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a reasonable fit for most desktop systems.