Red Dead Redemption 2

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip carries 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The processor includes integrated UHD Graphics 730, though the benchmark results here rely on the discrete GPU.

In synthetic testing, the i5-12400 posts a multithreaded score of 15,935 in Cinebench R23 and 6,692 in Cinebench R20, while single-thread results reach 2,249 in R23 and 944 in R20. PassMark multithread performance is 18,747, and single-thread performance is 3,456. The processor's average benchmark score is 19,850, placing it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance include the Intel Core i7-9700 (avg score 19,831, delta 0.1%), the Intel Core i7-8700 (avg score 19,894, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-11600K (avg score 19,771, delta 0.4%). The deltas are minimal, meaning the i5-12400 sits within a tightly clustered performance band around its peers.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads provide sufficient parallel throughput for the game's simulation and AI workloads. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz helps maintain responsiveness in scenes with heavy scripting, though the measured FPS data indicates that at higher resolutions and settings, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The 3DMark scores illustrate scaling: 1,692 with 2 threads, 3,012 with 4 threads, 4,745 with 8 threads, and 5,873 with 16 threads, showing near-linear gains as thread count increases. This suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively without becoming a bottleneck in most tested configurations, particularly at 1080p where frame rates are highest.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture using the TU106 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 12 nm process with 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. It features 1,920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, 48 raster operation units, 30 ray tracing cores, and 240 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory sits on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Pixel rate is 80.64 GPixel/s, texture rate is 201.6 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 6.451 TFLOPS.

In benchmark results, the RTX 2060 achieves a PassMark G3D score of 14,111 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 71,278. Its average benchmark score is 16,074, placing it in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. Nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (avg score 15,996, delta 0.5%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (avg score 16,351, delta -1.7%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (avg score 15,786, delta 1.8%). The RTX 2060 sits nearly level with the RX 7600S and slightly below the Pro 5600M, indicating it occupies a mid-tier position in the current GPU landscape.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the 6 GB VRAM capacity is a key factor. At 4K Ultra, the game demands more memory than the card can comfortably provide, contributing to the low average FPS of 19.0. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth and 192-bit bus are adequate for 1080p and 1440p workloads, but at 4K the memory subsystem struggles to keep up with the render requirements. The boost clock of 1680 MHz helps maintain consistent throughput across scenes, but the data shows that the GPU's performance degrades significantly as resolution and settings increase, particularly at the Ultra preset where the card is pushed beyond its optimal operating range.

FAQ

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its closest CPU rivals in aggregate performance?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19,850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700 (19,831), 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700 (19,894), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-11600K (19,771). The differences are marginal, placing these processors in the same performance tier.

Q: What is the best FPS achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination reaches an average of 83.3 FPS, the highest measured value across all tested configurations. Medium settings yield 62.4 FPS, High settings yield 55.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40.5 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: Yes, the 6 GB GDDR6 memory appears to be a limiting factor at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset averages only 19.0 FPS, and even Low settings at 4K reach just 40.6 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and 192-bit bus cannot sustain the data throughput required at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 rank relative to the RX 7600S?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16,074, which is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S at 15,996. This puts the two cards at nearly identical performance levels in synthetic testing.

Q: What is the FPS drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo averages 65.9 FPS on Low settings, 46.8 FPS on Medium, 37.1 FPS on High, and 25.6 FPS on Ultra. The transition from Low to Ultra represents a decrease of 40.3 FPS, or roughly 61% lower performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations?

A: This CPU-GPU pair ranks 1,387 out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the lower portion of the database's measured configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy of playable settings across resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver an average of 83.3 FPS, which is the only configuration exceeding 80 FPS in this dataset. Medium settings at 1080p produce 62.4 FPS, and High settings yield 55.4 FPS, both of which are smooth for most gameplay. Ultra at 1080p drops to 40.5 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less fluid than the lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. Low settings average 65.9 FPS, which is solid, while Medium drops to 46.8 FPS and High falls to 37.1 FPS. Ultra at 1440p averages 25.6 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The data suggests that 1440p users should stick with Low or Medium presets to maintain frame rates above 45 FPS.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings achieve a fully smooth experience. Low averages 40.6 FPS, Medium 34.0 FPS, High 25.9 FPS, and Ultra 19.0 FPS. Even the lowest preset at 4K is marginal, and higher settings become increasingly unplayable. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data supports using 1080p Medium or High, or 1440p Low or Medium. The 1080p Medium preset at 62.4 FPS offers a strong compromise, while 1080p High at 55.4 FPS provides better visuals with only a modest FPS reduction. Users prioritizing frame rate should choose 1080p Low, and those with 1440p displays should accept Medium settings to stay above 45 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1,387 out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the bottom 18% of the database, indicating that the overall performance is below average for this title. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier position (58th percentile among all GPUs) combined with the CPU's solid but unexceptional standing (77th percentile among all CPUs). The weak link is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's synthetic scores are competitive with peers like the i7-9700 and i7-8700, yet the measured FPS at higher resolutions shows the RTX 2060 struggling to maintain playable rates.

The rank of 1,387 out of 1,687 means there are 1,386 configurations that deliver better performance in this game. This is consistent with the GPU's position relative to modern rivals; the RTX 2060 is only 0.5% ahead of the RX 7600S and 1.7% behind the Radeon Pro 5600M, all of which are mid-range or older workstation parts. The combination's performance is sufficient for 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings, but it does not stand out in the broader context of tested hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset includes 12 measured configurations spanning three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly low: Low settings average 40.6 FPS, Medium 34.0 FPS, High 25.9 FPS, and Ultra 19.0 FPS. The progression shows a steady decline of roughly 5-7 FPS per settings tier, with Ultra delivering less than half the frame rate of Low.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low settings reach 65.9 FPS, Medium drops to 46.8 FPS, High to 37.1 FPS, and Ultra to 25.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 19.1 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 9.7 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 11.5 FPS. This suggests that the step from Low to Medium carries the largest performance penalty at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. Low averages 83.3 FPS, Medium 62.4 FPS, High 55.4 FPS, and Ultra 40.5 FPS. The differences between presets are 20.9 FPS (Low to Medium), 7.0 FPS (Medium to High), and 14.9 FPS (High to Ultra). The 1080p Low result is the only configuration in the entire dataset to exceed 80 FPS, while 1080p Ultra matches the 4K Low result at 40.5-40.6 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the data shows that the RTX 2060's performance degrades predictably as both resolution and settings increase. The most efficient configuration is 1080p Low, delivering 83.3 FPS, while the least efficient is 4K Ultra at 19.0 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 46.8 FPS represents a reasonable middle ground, and the 1080p High result of 55.4 FPS offers better visuals without a severe frame rate penalty.