Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2: Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid but resolution-dependent experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with the data showing a clear transition from CPU-friendly 1080p performance to GPU-limited 4K results. The combo sits at rank 782 out of 1687 tested configurations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested combos for this game. The CPU's 77th percentile standing among all processors and the GPU's 72nd percentile among all graphics cards suggest a balanced pairing, though the measured frame rates reveal that settings choice matters more at higher resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, the role of each component, and how the combination scales across resolutions and presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 127.7 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The same resolution with Medium settings delivers 94.3 FPS, while High settings produce 77.3 FPS and Ultra drops to 55.9 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 782 out of 1687 total tested combos, placing it in the 46th percentile of all configurations tested for Red Dead Redemption 2. This indicates a mid-pack position, with roughly half of tested combos performing better and half performing worse.

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

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 77.3 at 1920x1080 to 36.3 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 41 FPS. At Low settings, the drop is from 127.7 to 61.8 FPS, a reduction of 65.9 FPS. The proportional drop is steepest at Low settings, where 4K delivers only 48.4% of the 1080p frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 28238, which is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985) and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956). It trails the AMD FirePro S7150 by 0.6% (28409) and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X by 1.1% (28541).

Q: What is the CPU's multithreaded benchmark performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-12400 scores 19850 on average, which is 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831) and 0.4% above the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771). It sits 0.2% below the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894) and 0.4% below the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928).

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this configuration?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average of 26.4 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for acceptable playability. The 4K High preset at 36.3 FPS is more viable, while 4K Medium reaches 43.4 FPS and 4K Low achieves 61.8 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. It houses 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which becomes a critical factor at higher resolutions in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The GPU's role shifts dramatically across the resolution range tested. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the card achieves 127.7 FPS, indicating headroom remains. However, the data shows that the RTX 3070 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset yields only 61.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26.4 FPS. This pattern suggests that the 8 GB VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are being taxed at 4K, particularly with higher quality settings that increase texture and geometry loads.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 72 among all graphics cards, combined with an average benchmark score of 28238, places it competitively. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 0.9% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 1% lower. This positioning indicates that the RTX 3070 holds its own against similarly aged hardware, though the measured in-game results show that Red Dead Redemption 2's demands at 4K exceed what this GPU can comfortably deliver at higher presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 127.7 FPS on Low, 94.3 FPS on Medium, 77.3 FPS on High, and 55.9 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, these figures drop to 92.8, 70.3, 58.3, and 42.7 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the numbers fall further to 61.8, 43.4, 36.3, and 26.4 FPS.

The scaling behavior indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the FPS drops from 127.7 to 92.8, a 27.3% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the drop is from 92.8 to 61.8, a 33.4% reduction. The increasing percentage drop as resolution rises suggests the GPU becomes progressively more limiting. This is consistent with the i5-12400's strong single-threaded performance, which scores 910 in 3dmark single-thread and 3456 in Passmark single-thread, providing ample headroom at lower resolutions.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The 1080p Ultra result of 55.9 FPS drops to 42.7 FPS at 1440p (a 23.6% reduction) and then to 26.4 FPS at 4K (a 38.2% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K Ultra suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are saturated, with the 8 GB VRAM likely becoming a limiting factor for texture-heavy scenes at this resolution and quality level.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 782 out of 1687 tested configurations places it slightly below the median for Red Dead Redemption 2. This mid-pack position reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is exceptionally strong nor weak relative to the overall test pool. The CPU's 77th percentile among all processors indicates it performs well above average, while the GPU's 72nd percentile shows similar relative strength.

However, the in-game rank suggests that other factors beyond raw component benchmarks influence performance in this specific title. The i5-12400's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% higher average score) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% lower), show that the CPU sits in a tightly contested performance band. Similarly, the RTX 3070's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (0.9% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (1% higher), indicating close competition at this performance level.

The rank of 782 out of 1687 means this combo outperforms approximately 46% of all tested configurations in this game. This suggests that while the individual components are solid, other combos in the database achieve better frame rates, likely through higher-end GPUs or CPUs with stronger multi-threaded performance for this specific workload. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide capable performance, but the data shows this is not enough to push the combo into the upper quartile of tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates strong performance across all presets. Low settings yield 127.7 FPS, providing a highly fluid experience. Medium settings deliver 94.3 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS target. High settings produce 77.3 FPS, offering good visual quality with smooth gameplay. Ultra settings drop to 55.9 FPS, which remains playable but begins to show the GPU's limitations at this resolution with maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but show clear degradation. Low settings achieve 92.8 FPS, Medium reaches 70.3 FPS, and High delivers 58.3 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 42.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for many users. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution represents a 15.6 FPS drop, highlighting the significant cost of maximum quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings produce 61.8 FPS, which is playable but represents a 51.6% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings deliver 43.4 FPS, High settings yield 36.3 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 26.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 30 FPS minimum typically considered acceptable for smooth gameplay, making this preset impractical for most users. Even 4K High at 36.3 FPS requires a tolerance for reduced frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, High settings at 77.3 FPS offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, providing a smooth experience while maintaining substantial detail. The jump to Ultra costs 21.4 FPS (27.7% reduction) for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in most scenes. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness, Medium at 94.3 FPS is an excellent choice.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 58.3 FPS represent the recommended preset for most users, staying close to the 60 FPS target while providing good visual quality. Medium at 70.3 FPS offers a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is recommended for those who prioritize frame rate stability. Ultra at 42.7 FPS is only advisable for users who strongly prefer maximum quality over smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that Low settings at 61.8 FPS provide the only preset that consistently maintains playable frame rates above 60 FPS. Medium at 43.4 FPS is the highest quality preset that remains consistently playable, while High at 36.3 FPS and Ultra at 26.4 FPS fall below ideal thresholds. For 4K users, Medium settings offer the best compromise, delivering a playable experience while retaining more visual detail than Low. The significant FPS drops at higher presets indicate that the RTX 3070's 8 GB memory capacity is a limiting factor at this resolution, making quality reductions necessary for acceptable performance.