Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a playable but constrained experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and settings. The benchmark data reveals a system that excels at 1080p Medium, struggles to maintain fluidity at 4K, and exhibits a clear GPU-bound profile across most tested configurations. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and scaling characteristics to provide a precise picture of what this combo offers.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 position it as a solid mid-range desktop part. In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, this CPU's 12 threads are more than sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the performance scaling patterns observed in the measured FPS data.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong single-threaded and multi-threaded capabilities. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 place it in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. This places it in close competition with the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (deltaPct -0.7), while slightly ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F (deltaPct 0.9). These scores suggest the i5-12400 has ample headroom for game logic, physics, and draw calls in Red Dead Redemption 2.

However, the game's performance data shows that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 93 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 42 FPS—a 51 FPS swing that is far too large to be attributed to CPU workload. Similarly, at 1440p, the gap between Low (69 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) is 38 FPS, and at 4K, the spread from Low (46 FPS) to Ultra (21 FPS) is 25 FPS. This consistent pattern across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, with the CPU maintaining enough throughput to avoid creating a ceiling at any tested setting.

The CPU's 12 threads are particularly relevant because Red Dead Redemption 2 is known to utilize multiple cores efficiently for NPC AI, world streaming, and physics. The i5-12400's 3DMark max-threads score of 5890 and Passmark multithread score of 18747 suggest it can handle these tasks without stuttering. The fact that 1080p Low (93 FPS) is nearly double 1080p Ultra (42 FPS) reinforces that the CPU is not the constraint—if it were, the FPS would remain flat regardless of graphics settings.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the clear performance driver in this combo. Built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 33 chip, it features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2655 MHz and game clock of 2250 MHz enable a FP32 throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS, which is substantial for a card in this class. The GPU's 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs provide the raw compute necessary for Red Dead Redemption 2's demanding rendering.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 57th percentile against all GPUs, with an average score of 15171. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Radeon Pro 560X (deltaPct 0.6), AMD Radeon 680M (deltaPct -0.7), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (deltaPct 0.7). These comparisons show the RX 7600 is competitive with entry-level RTX offerings but far from high-end territory, which aligns with its measured performance in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 21 FPS, and at 4K High, 29 FPS. While VRAM alone doesn't dictate these numbers, the 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly stressed as resolution increases. The GPU's pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s are respectable, but at 4K, the sheer number of pixels to fill overwhelms the card's capabilities, resulting in sub-30 FPS averages at High and above.

The GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the FPS drops from 93 to 42 (a 54.8% reduction); at 1440p, from 69 to 31 (a 55.1% reduction); and at 4K, from 46 to 21 (a 54.3% reduction). This nearly identical percentage drop across all resolutions strongly suggests the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as the relative performance penalty of increasing settings remains constant regardless of pixel count.

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

The measured FPS data shows a consistent and predictable degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 70 to 52, a 25.7% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at Medium, the average falls from 52 to 34, a 34.6% reduction. The cumulative drop from 1080p Medium (70 FPS) to 4K Medium (34 FPS) represents a 51.4% loss in performance.

This scaling pattern is revealing. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain roughly constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not significantly change with pixel count. Instead, the data shows that each doubling of resolution (approximately) results in a substantial FPS penalty, confirming the GPU is the primary constraint. At Low settings, the resolution scaling is even more pronounced: 1080p Low (93 FPS) drops to 1440p Low (69 FPS), a 25.8% reduction, and then to 4K Low (46 FPS), a 33.3% reduction from 1440p. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K performance is under 50 FPS indicates that the RX 7600 simply lacks the fill rate and memory bandwidth for 4K gaming in this title.

The 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS is particularly telling. This is below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimally playable, and it represents a 77.4% drop from 1080p Low (93 FPS). The 25 FPS gap between 4K Low and 4K Ultra (46 vs. 21 FPS) shows that the GPU's compute resources are exhausted when both resolution and settings are maximized. In contrast, the 1080p results show a healthier range: 93 FPS at Low, 70 at Medium, 58 at High, and 42 at Ultra, indicating that the GPU can maintain playable framerates at 1080p across all settings, though Ultra dips below 60 FPS.

The min FPS data further illustrates the GPU's strain. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 59, which is just at the edge of smooth gameplay. At 1440p Medium, the min drops to 44, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 29. These minimums suggest that even when the average FPS is acceptable, frame pacing can suffer at higher resolutions, leading to noticeable hitches. The max FPS values (80 at 1080p Medium, 60 at 1440p Medium, 40 at 4K Medium) show that the GPU never has significant headroom at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves playable framerates across all settings. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 93 (Low) to 42 (Ultra), with Medium and High both above 58 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (69 FPS) and Medium (52 FPS) exceed 50 FPS, while at 4K, no setting reaches 50 FPS—the highest is Low at 46 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which places it in the 72nd percentile. It is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, deltaPct -0.3). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, deltaPct -0.7) by a small margin and leads the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519, deltaPct 0.9) by nearly 1%.

Q: Is the RX 7600 capable of 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data indicates no. At 4K, the best average FPS is 46 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. At Medium, the average drops to 34 FPS, and at High it falls to 29 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting produces an average of 21 FPS, which is not a playable experience. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K in this demanding game.

Q: What settings should be avoided with this combo?

A: Ultra settings should be avoided at all resolutions. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 31 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 21 FPS. These results suggest that Ultra settings impose a performance penalty that this GPU cannot absorb, likely due to its 8 GB VRAM and compute limitations.

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

A: The RX 7600 has an average benchmark score of 15171, placing it in the 57th percentile. It is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15199, deltaPct -0.2) and slightly behind the AMD Radeon 680M (15270, deltaPct -0.7). It outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (15082, deltaPct 0.6) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (15063, deltaPct 0.7) by less than 1%.

Q: Does increasing resolution from 1080p to 1440p have a significant impact on FPS?

A: Yes, the impact is substantial. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 70 at 1080p to 52 at 1440p, a 25.7% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 58 to 43, a 25.9% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 93 to 69, a 25.8% reduction. This consistent ~26% penalty across settings confirms the GPU is the limiting component.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combo, the data points to 1080p Medium as the optimal configuration. At this setting, the combo achieves an average FPS of 70, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80. The 59 FPS minimum is just at the edge of smooth gameplay, but the average provides enough headroom for most scenes. This represents a 17.1% improvement over 1080p High (58 FPS) while maintaining a 40% improvement over 1080p Ultra (42 FPS).

If a higher resolution is desired, 1440p Medium is the maximum viable option. The average of 52 FPS is playable, but the minimum of 44 FPS indicates occasional dips below the 50 FPS mark, which could cause noticeable stutters in busy scenes. The 1440p High setting (43 FPS) falls below the 45 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for an acceptable experience, and 1440p Ultra (31 FPS) is not recommended.

At 4K, the data strongly advises against this resolution. Even at Low settings, the average is only 46 FPS, with no min/max data provided, suggesting inconsistent performance. The Medium setting averages 34 FPS with a min of 29, which is below the 30 FPS playability floor. For players prioritizing resolution over smoothness, 4K Low is the only option, but it sacrifices visual quality significantly.

The settings ladder shows diminishing returns beyond Medium. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 23 FPS (93 to 70) but likely provides substantial visual improvements. The jump from Medium to High costs 12 FPS (70 to 58), and from High to Ultra costs 16 FPS (58 to 42). Given that the Ultra setting at 1080p dips to 42 FPS, the Medium preset strikes the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, especially considering the min FPS of 59 ensures relatively stable frame delivery.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 93 FPS, which is the highest measured in any configuration. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80, providing a smooth experience with some headroom. The High preset averages 58 FPS, which is playable but lacks the margin of Medium. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS target and indicating that this setting is too demanding for the RX 7600 at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably across all settings. The Low preset averages 69 FPS, which is still above 60 but represents a 25.8% reduction from 1080p Low. The Medium preset averages 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 60, making it the highest resolution at which Medium can maintain an average above 50 FPS. The High preset averages 43 FPS, which is below the 45 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 31 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth play.

At 3840x2160, the combo is clearly out of its depth. The Low preset averages 46 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 40 FPS but still below 60. The Medium preset averages 34 FPS, with a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 40, indicating that frame rates can dip below the playability floor. The High preset averages 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS, both of which are unplayable for most users. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 7600's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K in Red Dead Redemption 2, regardless of settings.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is consistent: a 54.8% drop at 1080p, a 55.1% drop at 1440p, and a 54.3% drop at 4K. This uniformity confirms that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, as the relative performance penalty of increasing settings is independent of resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 7600 combo ranks 2595 out of 3714 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 30th percentile of all tested combos, meaning approximately 70% of configurations outperform it. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier status (57th percentile) and the CPU's above-average position (72nd percentile), with the overall combo performance being dragged down by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

The ranking suggests that this combo is positioned for 1080p gaming rather than higher resolutions. The 2595th rank out of 3714 indicates that while it's not at the bottom of the list, it's firmly in the lower-middle range. The CPU's strong benchmark scores (18683 average, 72nd percentile) are somewhat wasted in this pairing, as the RX 7600 cannot fully utilize the i5-12400's capabilities at resolutions above 1080p in this demanding title.

The GPU's nearest rivals—the RTX 3050 OEM, Radeon Pro 560X, Radeon 680M, and GTX 660 Ti—all fall within 0.7% of its average score, suggesting that this combo would perform similarly to systems using those GPUs with the same CPU. However, the i5-12400's CPU performance is notably better than the i3-14100F (deltaPct 0.9), which would likely result in fewer CPU-bound scenarios in less demanding games or at lower resolutions.

The measured FPS data aligns with the combo's rank. At 1080p Medium, the 70 FPS average is respectable for a mid-range system, but the 4K results (21-46 FPS) are clearly below what higher-ranked combos would achieve. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p or lighter 1440p gaming, and that users seeking 4K performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 would need to look at higher-tier GPU configurations to improve the rank.