Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a revealing picture of how Red Dead Redemption 2 scales across resolutions and settings. This combination, ranked 1673 out of 3714 tested combos, shows a system that is clearly capable of smooth gameplay at lower resolutions but begins to strain as pixel counts climb. The measured data offers a clear narrative: the RTX 5060 is the dominant factor at 4K, while the i5-11400F’s six cores and 12 threads hold their own at 1080p, where frame rates are high enough to expose any CPU limitation. What follows is a detailed breakdown of the measured FPS rows, focusing on what the numbers imply about the balance between processor and graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured data is how frame rates collapse as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 73 FPS on average. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 55 FPS, a reduction of 18 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 36 FPS. That progression from 1080p to 4K represents a 50.7% decrease in average FPS at High settings, which strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, appear to be the bottleneck when the render target expands.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more telling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 117 FPS, which drops to 87 FPS at 1440p and then to 58 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is nearly half the 1080p Low figure, indicating that even at the lowest quality preset, the sheer pixel count overwhelms the GPU. The RTX 5060’s 3840 shading units and 48 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s, are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of settings. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases.

Medium settings offer a middle ground, with 1080p at 88 FPS, 1440p at 65 FPS, and 4K at 43 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 51.1%, very similar to the High preset’s decline. Ultra settings, however, show the steepest cliff: 53 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and just 26 FPS at 4K. That 4K Ultra figure is barely playable, and the 50.9% reduction from 1080p Ultra reinforces that the GPU is working at its absolute limit. The data implies that for this game, the RTX 5060 is a 1080p-class card with some 1440p capability, but 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, 58 FPS is marginal.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets is noteworthy. Whether Low or Ultra, the frame rate penalty from 1080p to 4K hovers around 50%. This uniformity suggests that the limiting factor is not any particular graphics feature but the raw fillrate and memory bandwidth required to address 8.3 million pixels. The RTX 5060’s memory clock of 1750 MHz, running at 28 Gbps effective, provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a 128-bit bus but still insufficient for 4K in a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, is the clear performance driver in this pairing. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is a critical specification, especially at 4K where texture data and frame buffers can exceed this capacity. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra (26 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (53 FPS) demonstrates that memory pressure, combined with the 128-bit bus width, creates a hard ceiling. The GPU’s boost clock of 2497 MHz, up from a base of 2280 MHz, helps at lower resolutions where the processor can feed it frames more quickly, but that headroom vanishes at 4K.

The RTX 5060’s compute capabilities, including 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 120 tensor cores, do not translate into proportional gains in this game. Red Dead Redemption 2’s engine appears to favor raw pixel throughput, and the GPU’s texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s are the specs that matter most. The PassMark G3D score of 20891 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 place this GPU in the 72nd percentile of all tested GPUs, but those aggregate benchmarks do not reflect the specific demands of this title’s open world.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores, such as the AMD Radeon 860M with a deltaPct of -0.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at -0.3%, suggest that the RTX 5060 sits in a competitive midrange tier. However, in this game, the measured FPS tells a more nuanced story. At 1080p High, 73 FPS is respectable, but at 4K High, 36 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 8 GB memory capacity is the most likely culprit, as Red Dead Redemption 2 is known for its detailed environments. The data indicates that lowering settings from High to Medium at 4K only recovers 7 FPS (from 36 to 43), which is a modest gain, implying that memory bandwidth, not just compute, is the constraining factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with 73 FPS at High settings and 117 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, High settings drop to 55 FPS, which is still playable, but 3840x2160 only achieves 36 FPS at High, indicating the GPU struggles at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 5060’s 8 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 58 at Low settings, falling to 26 at Ultra. The 8 GB GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears to limit texture loading and frame buffer capacity at 4K, as even Medium settings only reach 43 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The measured 1080p results show high frame rates, with 117 FPS at Low and 88 FPS at Medium, which suggests the CPU is not severely limiting. However, the i5-11400F’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, may cap frame rates in CPU-intensive scenes, but the data does not include a scenario where the GPU is idle.

Q: What settings preset offers the best balance between visual quality and frame rate?

A: At 1080p, Medium settings provide 88 FPS, which is 15 FPS higher than High (73 FPS) and only 29 FPS lower than Low (117 FPS). At 1440p, Medium at 65 FPS is the best compromise, as High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra falls to 39 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo holds rank 1673 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the 45th percentile of all combos. This indicates a mid-tier performance level, with the GPU’s 72nd percentile ranking (vs all GPUs) being higher than the CPU’s 71st percentile (vs all CPUs), suggesting the graphics card is the stronger component.

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS is 58, which is playable, but Medium (43 FPS), High (36 FPS), and Ultra (26 FPS) all fall below 60 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate may dip in demanding scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 117 FPS, which is the highest measured for any resolution and settings combination. Medium settings yield 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, indicating consistent performance. High settings drop to 73 FPS, while Ultra falls to 53 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 64 FPS, showing that the RTX 5060 has substantial headroom when pixel count is low.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures show a clear step down. Low settings achieve 87 FPS, which remains smooth, but Medium drops to 65 FPS (with a min of 56 FPS and max of 75 FPS). High settings at 1440p produce 55 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced action, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. The data shows that 1440p Ultra is the first preset where the system struggles to maintain a consistent 40 FPS, suggesting that this resolution is the practical ceiling for high-quality visuals.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become more critical. Low settings average 58 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that approaches playability. Medium settings drop to 43 FPS (min 37 FPS, max 50 FPS), High falls to 36 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 26 FPS. The progression from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 50.4% reduction in FPS, while the same comparison at Ultra shows a 50.9% reduction. This consistency across presets highlights that resolution scaling, not settings, is the primary lever for performance in this game.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that 1080p maintains a floor of 75 FPS, 1440p drops to 56 FPS, and 4K falls to 37 FPS. These minimums, which represent the worst-case frame times, suggest that even at Medium settings, 4K can experience stutter below 40 FPS. The maximum FPS values follow a similar pattern, with 101 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. This data point underscores that the GPU’s performance envelope narrows as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F, with 6 cores and 12 threads, operates at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boosts to 4.40 GHz. Its Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process, provides a 12 MB shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth via dual-channel DDR4. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where frame rates are high enough to expose any processing bottleneck. The 117 FPS at Low settings and 88 FPS at Medium suggest that the i5-11400F can feed the GPU adequately, but the 3DMark max-thread score of 5652 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 indicate a midrange processor that may limit peak frame rates in CPU-heavy scenes.

The CPU’s percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs places it slightly below the GPU’s 72nd percentile, meaning the processor is nearly as capable relative to its peers. However, the nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD EPYC 7H12 (deltaPct 0.3%) and Intel Core i5-12450H (deltaPct -0.4%), show that the i5-11400F sits in a tightly contested performance band. For this game, the measured data shows that at 1080p Ultra (53 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (39 FPS), the CPU is likely not the primary constraint, as the GPU is clearly struggling at higher resolutions. But at 1080p Low (117 FPS), the CPU’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024, becomes more relevant, as the GPU is not fully saturated.

The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2’s threading model, which typically scales well with multi-core processors. The Geekbench multicore score of 7737 and PassMark multithread score of 16908 support this, but the game’s engine also depends on single-thread performance for draw call submission and physics. The i5-11400F’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides a solid foundation, but the lack of a higher core count, compared to 8-core rivals, may become a factor in crowded scenes with many NPCs. The data does not include a CPU-only benchmark for this game, so the exact bottleneck point is not measurable, but the FPS trends across resolutions point to the GPU being the dominant limiter.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p, Medium settings deliver 88 FPS, which is a strong balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. High settings at 73 FPS are also acceptable, but Medium’s 15 FPS advantage makes it the better choice for maintaining a high refresh rate. Low settings at 117 FPS are ideal for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is significant, and the 29 FPS gain over Medium may not justify the loss in image quality.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 65 FPS are the recommended starting point, as High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. The 65 FPS average, with a minimum of 56 FPS, is close to the 60 FPS target, and the visual improvements over Low (87 FPS) are substantial. Users with G-Sync or FreeSync displays may prefer High settings at 55 FPS, but those without adaptive sync should stick to Medium to avoid noticeable frame time spikes. Ultra at 1440p is not recommended, as 39 FPS approaches the stutter threshold.

At 4K, the data is clear: only Low settings, with an average of 58 FPS, are viable for a playable experience. Medium at 43 FPS and High at 36 FPS are below the smoothness threshold, and Ultra at 26 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The 4K Low preset still delivers a playable frame rate, but the visual quality is noticeably reduced. For users prioritizing 4K, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are the limiting factors, and lowering settings further would require dropping below Low, which is not possible in this data set.

The best experience per the measured rows is arguably 1080p Medium, which offers 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS. This preset provides a high level of detail while ensuring consistent frame pacing. For 1440p users, Medium at 65 FPS is the closest to a locked 60 FPS experience. The data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1080p for high refresh rates or 1440p for a balanced experience, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1673 out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the 45th percentile. This ranking reflects a mid-tier system that is neither at the top nor the bottom of the performance spectrum. The GPU’s individual percentile of 72 (vs all GPUs) and the CPU’s percentile of 71 (vs all CPUs) suggest that both components are evenly matched, but the combo’s rank is lower than either component’s individual standing, indicating that the game’s specific demands may not favor this pairing.

The combo’s rank of 1673 implies that roughly 2041 other combinations perform better in this title. Given that the RTX 5060’s nearest GPU rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (deltaPct -0.3%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (deltaPct 1.2%), it is clear that the GPU is competitive with similar midrange cards. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-12450H (deltaPct -0.4%) and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (deltaPct -0.6%), show that the processor is also well-positioned. However, the game’s measured FPS at 4K Ultra (26 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (39 FPS) suggest that this combo is not optimized for high-resolution, high-detail play, which may explain its mid-pack ranking.

The data indicates that the combo’s strengths lie in 1080p performance, where it achieves frame rates above 70 FPS at High settings. This is likely where it outperforms many other combos that may have stronger CPUs but weaker GPUs. Conversely, at 4K, the 8 GB VRAM limitation of the RTX 5060 likely causes it to fall behind combos with GPUs that have larger memory pools. The rank of 1673 out of 3714 means that 45% of tested combos perform worse, which suggests that this pairing is a reasonable midrange choice, but not a standout performer for this specific game. The measured data, rather than aggregate benchmarks, provides the clearest picture: this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at Low settings.