Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER in Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a compelling study of bottleneck dynamics. This 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake processor, with its 2.60 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock, drives a GPU that sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs based on benchmark scores. The data reveals a system where the graphics card's raw power is consistently mediated by the CPU's capabilities, particularly as resolutions and settings change. The measured FPS rows show a clear narrative of where this combo excels and where it struggles to maintain high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a significant load shift. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 107.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 77.6 FPS, a 27.8% reduction. The jump to 4K High yields 54.7 FPS, another 29.5% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is not purely GPU-bound; the CPU is likely holding back the RTX 4070 SUPER from reaching its full potential. The i5-11400F's 12 threads and 12 MB of shared L3 cache are adequate for the game's logic, but the data implies a ceiling.

At Low settings, the effect is more pronounced. The 1080p Low result is 167.7 FPS, which is remarkably high. When scaling to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 125 FPS, a 25.5% decline. The 4K Low setting still manages 83.3 FPS, which is a 33.4% drop from 1440p. The fact that 1080p Low does not push into the 180+ FPS range, despite the GPU's capability, indicates a CPU limitation at this extreme. The GPU's 2475 MHz boost clock and 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are more than sufficient for this task; the processor's single-thread performance, measured at 868 in the 3dmark_single_thread test, becomes the limiting factor.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset scaling. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 7168 shading units are heavily taxed here. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 78.1 FPS. Scaling to 1440p Ultra drops it to 59.1 FPS, and 4K Ultra yields just 38.1 FPS. The performance curve is steep, indicating that the game's Ultra preset introduces effects that are exponentially more demanding on the GPU's 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1440p or 1080p gaming, as the 4K Ultra target of 60 FPS is not met, falling short by 21.9 FPS.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 12 GB VRAM capacity and 192-bit bus width provide a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth that is critical for Red Dead Redemption 2's open-world textures. The measured results show that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between presets. At 4K, the gap between Low (83.3 FPS) and Ultra (38.1 FPS) is 45.2 FPS, a massive swing that underscores the GPU's workload. The card's base clock of 1980 MHz and boost clock of 2475 MHz are consistent with the Ada Lovelace architecture, and the data suggests they are being utilized fully at higher settings.

The GPU's 84th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576, places it in a strong position. However, its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the NVIDIA RTX A6000 with a deltaPct of -0.2, show similar raw compute potential. This is where the game-specific data becomes crucial. The GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is impressive, but the game's engine seems to rely heavily on the memory subsystem. The 4K High result of 54.7 FPS is respectable but not stellar, suggesting that the 12 GB frame buffer is adequate but not overflowing for this title.

The GPU's VRAM is a critical factor at 4K Ultra. The 38.1 FPS result indicates that the card is likely hitting memory bandwidth limits or fill-rate limits, given its 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate. The data implies that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a capable 4K card for this game, but only at Medium or High settings. The 64.9 FPS at 4K Medium is the only 4K preset that approaches the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU's 80 ROPs are the bottleneck for the Ultra preset's advanced lighting and shadow effects.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate with visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 107.4 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. The Medium preset at 128.5 FPS offers a higher refresh rate but sacrifices some graphical detail. The Ultra preset at 78.1 FPS is still playable on a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display, but the drop from High is significant. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1080p, providing a 29.3 FPS advantage over Ultra while maintaining most of the visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. The High preset at 77.6 FPS is the best option, as it is above the 60 FPS target and offers substantial visual improvements over Medium (95 FPS) or Low (125 FPS). The Ultra preset at 59.1 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, which could cause minor stutters on a standard display. For a 144 Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 95 FPS would be more appropriate, as it provides a higher frame rate while still looking better than Low.

For 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The Medium preset at 64.9 FPS is the only option that meets the 60 FPS target, making it the recommended preset for 4K gaming. The High preset at 54.7 FPS is playable but requires a VRR display to avoid tearing. The Low preset at 83.3 FPS is the highest frame rate at 4K, but the visual downgrade is severe. The data clearly indicates that 4K Ultra is not viable with this combo, as the 38.1 FPS result is below playable standards for most users.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 279th out of 1687 combos, placing it in the top 16.5% of all systems tested for Red Dead Redemption 2. This is a strong showing, indicating that the i5-11400F and RTX 4070 SUPER work well together for this title. The rank reflects the GPU's high percentile (84th) and the CPU's moderate percentile (75th). The CPU's average benchmark score of 17181 is close to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, which has a deltaPct of 0.

The rank of 279 suggests that while the GPU is top-tier, the CPU is not holding the system back as much as one might expect. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for this game's multi-threaded workload, as evidenced by the 3dmark_max_threads score of 5652. The combo rank is likely limited by the CPU's single-thread performance, which is critical for the game's physics and AI calculations. The data shows that this combo is better suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming or solid 1440p gaming, rather than pushing 4K Ultra settings.

The rank also indicates that there are 279 other combos that perform better, likely featuring newer CPUs with higher boost clocks or more cores. The i5-11400F's 4.40 GHz boost clock is respectable, but it is not a top-tier gaming processor. The data implies that upgrading the CPU would yield better frame rates at 1080p, where the GPU is less of a bottleneck. However, for most users, this combo provides an excellent balance of performance and capability for Red Dead Redemption 2.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS consistently?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the system averages 77.6 FPS. For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is required, yielding 64.9 FPS. The 1080p High setting provides 107.4 FPS for higher refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM affect performance?

A: The 12 GB frame buffer, paired with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is sufficient for High settings at 4K, as shown by the 54.7 FPS result. The Ultra preset's 38.1 FPS indicates that the VRAM capacity is not the primary limit; the GPU's compute and fill rate are more significant.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 SUPER?

A: The data suggests a partial bottleneck at 1080p. The 167.7 FPS at Low settings is lower than what a stronger CPU might achieve, given the GPU's capabilities. At 4K, the GPU is the clear limiting factor, as the CPU has less impact on frame rates.

Q: What is the framerate difference between Ultra and High settings at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset averages 59.1 FPS, while High averages 77.6 FPS. This is a difference of 18.5 FPS, making High the preferred choice for smoother gameplay with minimal visual compromise.

Q: How does this combo's rank of 279 out of 1687 compare to the average?

A: The rank places it in the top 16.5% of all tested combos, indicating above-average performance. This is consistent with the GPU's 84th percentile ranking and the CPU's 75th percentile ranking.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: No, the measured 38.1 FPS at 4K Ultra is below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Medium preset at 64.9 FPS is the highest settings level that achieves a playable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a clear matrix of results. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 167.7 FPS, Medium reaches 128.5 FPS, High hits 107.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 78.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, the results are 125 FPS (Low), 95 FPS (Medium), 77.6 FPS (High), and 59.1 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, the spread is narrower: 83.3 FPS (Low), 64.9 FPS (Medium), 54.7 FPS (High), and 38.1 FPS (Ultra).

These numbers show a consistent pattern. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is largest at Ultra settings, where the 78.1 FPS at 1080p falls to 38.1 FPS at 4K, a 51.2% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is smaller, from 167.7 FPS to 83.3 FPS, a 50.3% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's workload scales nearly linearly with resolution at all settings, but the absolute frame rates are higher at lower settings, making the relative impact of the CPU more visible at 1080p.

The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is substantial. At 1080p, the gap is 89.6 FPS (167.7 vs 78.1). At 4K, the gap narrows to 45.2 FPS (83.3 vs 38.1). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU's raw throughput is the primary determinant of performance, and the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes less critical. The 4K Low result of 83.3 FPS is notable, as it demonstrates the GPU's capability to handle the game's core rendering tasks without the overhead of advanced effects.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a supporting role in this pairing, but its influence is measurable. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the processor leverages its 12 MB of shared L3 cache to manage the game's streaming and AI workloads. The benchmark data shows a 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average score of 17181. The CPU's 3dmark_16_threads score of 5619 and 3dmark_max_threads score of 5652 indicate that multi-threaded performance is solid, but not exceptional.

The CPU's single-thread performance is a potential bottleneck. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 868 is modest, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029 confirms this. In Red Dead Redemption 2, which relies heavily on a single main thread for game logic, the 4.40 GHz boost clock is often the limiting factor. The 1080p Low result of 167.7 FPS suggests that the GPU is waiting for the CPU to process frames, as a more powerful processor could potentially push this number higher.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is adequate, but not as fast as newer platforms. This could affect the GPU's ability to access textures quickly, though the RTX 4070 SUPER's large L3 cache on the GPU side mitigates this. The data indicates that the i5-11400F is a competent partner for the RTX 4070 SUPER, but it is not the ideal match for maximizing the GPU's potential at lower resolutions. The 279th rank out of 1687 combos reflects this, as many higher-ranked systems likely pair this GPU with a newer, faster CPU. For 1440p and 4K gaming, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU's 84th percentile performance takes over, making this a well-balanced system for most gaming scenarios.