Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-12400 pairs a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake design with a 2.50 GHz base clock and a 4.40 GHz boost clock. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 position it as a versatile mid-range desktop part, and its benchmark profile confirms solid multi-threaded capability: the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and PassMark multithread score of 18747 place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role becomes clear when examining the FPS deltas across settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, dropping from High (119 FPS) to Medium (144 FPS) yields a 25 FPS gain, and further dropping to Low (195.1 FPS) adds another 51.1 FPS. This scaling suggests that at lower presets, the CPU is comfortably feeding frames without becoming a bottleneck, as the GPU is not yet saturated. The i5-12400’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% faster average score) and the Intel Core i5-11600K (0.4% slower), meaning the chip sits in a tight performance cluster; its 3dmark_16_threads score of 5873 and 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 indicate balanced single- and multi-threaded strength, which matters for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 that leverages both AI, physics, and draw-call processing. The data implies that this CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, but at 1080p Low, the 195.1 FPS result hints that the GPU is still doing the heavy lifting, as the CPU would need to sustain extremely high frame rates to push beyond that figure. The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a straightforward pairing for this GPU, and the 3dmark_max_threads score of 5890 versus the 3dmark_2_threads score of 1692 shows that scaling efficiency is high up to 8 threads (4745), then plateaus, which aligns with a 6-core/12-thread design that handles this game’s workload without excess headroom.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth and a boost clock of 2550 MHz. Its 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores are backed by 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, and it sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 53610. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU’s dominance is evident in the resolution scaling: at 1440p High, the combo hits 90.4 FPS, while at 4K High, it drops to 57.7 FPS — a 32.7 FPS loss that reflects the increased pixel count demanding more from the 736.3 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB VRAM. The 4K Ultra preset yields 43.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU’s raw compute (52.22 TFLOPS) is challenged by the game’s most demanding settings. Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER is 0.2% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, but 2.9% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, showing it holds a competitive edge in this segment. The VRAM capacity of 16 GB proves sufficient for 4K textures, as the FPS drops from High to Ultra at 4K (57.7 to 43.5) are more attributable to shading and effects load than memory capacity—the game does not show sudden stutters or crashes in the measured data, only a linear performance decline. The GPU’s 320 W TDP and triple-slot design indicate it is a power-hungry part, but the benchmark results show it delivers the expected high-end performance, with a PassMark G3D score of 34245 and a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 confirming its DirectX 12 capability, which is relevant since Red Dead Redemption 2 uses DX12 for its advanced rendering features.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data reveals a clear sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 144 FPS, which is 25 FPS higher than High (119 FPS) and only 51.1 FPS lower than Low (195.1 FPS), making Medium the optimal balance for high-refresh-rate monitors without sacrificing visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium again stands out with 106.8 FPS, compared to High’s 90.4 FPS and Low’s 142.5 FPS—the 16.4 FPS gain from High to Medium is significant for smoothness, while the jump to Low (35.7 FPS more) is not worth the visual downgrade for most users. For 4K, the recommendation shifts: High (57.7 FPS) is the playable option, as Medium (72 FPS) offers a 14.3 FPS improvement but still falls short of 60 FPS only on High, and Ultra (43.5 FPS) drops too low for comfortable gameplay. The data suggests that Medium at 1080p and 1440p is the "best experience" because it maintains frame rates well above 100 FPS while preserving enough graphical details—Low at 1080p (195.1 FPS) is overkill for most displays and sacrifices too much visual quality. At 4K, High is the recommended preset because it stays close to 60 FPS (57.7), and the gap to Medium (72 FPS) is not large enough to justify the detail loss, while Ultra’s 43.5 FPS is for screenshots or non-competitive play. The absence of min FPS data means we cannot assess frame-time consistency, but the average FPS figures indicate that Medium across all resolutions provides the most balanced experience, with 144 FPS at 1080p, 106.8 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 129th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 7.6% of all configurations. This ranking is notable because it combines a mid-range CPU (77th percentile) with a high-end GPU (88th percentile), and the resulting game performance is disproportionately strong relative to the CPU’s overall standing. The combo’s rank suggests that Red Dead Redemption 2 is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound, as the i5-12400’s 6 cores are sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER in most scenarios. Comparing to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i5-12400 is within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (a workstation chip) and 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-8700, meaning the game’s performance would be nearly identical with those CPUs, confirming that the GPU is the primary driver of this rank. On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 0.2% lead over the RX 6900 XT and 2.9% lead over the RTX 5070 Ti means that swapping to those GPUs would likely shift the combo rank by a handful of positions, but not dramatically. The rank of 129 out of 1687 is impressive given the CPU’s modest price point, and the data implies that users with this CPU can achieve top-tier game performance by investing in a high-end GPU, as the bottleneck rarely falls on the processor. The 4K results (57.7 FPS on High) are particularly strong for a combo ranked this high, showing that the 16 GB VRAM and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are well-utilized, and the 1440p results (106.8 FPS on Medium) demonstrate smooth high-refresh gameplay. This combo outperforms many combinations with more expensive CPUs, underscoring that in this specific game, the GPU choice matters more for the final rank.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. At High settings, the combo delivers 119 FPS at 1080p, 90.4 FPS at 1440p, and 57.7 FPS at 4K—a 51.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 144 FPS to 106.8 FPS to 72 FPS, a 50% drop, while Low settings show 195.1 FPS to 142.5 FPS to 95.8 FPS, a 50.9% drop. This consistent ~50% reduction across all presets indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU’s workload (draw calls, AI, physics) does not scale with resolution, and the FPS decline tracks almost perfectly with the increase in pixel count (1080p to 4K is 4x the pixels, but the FPS does not quarter—it halves, showing the GPU still has headroom in its memory bandwidth and compute). The Ultra preset shows the steepest drop: 88.8 FPS at 1080p, 64.2 FPS at 1440p, and 43.5 FPS at 4K, a 51% reduction, which again points to GPU saturation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain flat from 1080p to 1440p, but the data shows a consistent 25-30% drop between those resolutions (e.g., High: 119 to 90.4, a 24% drop), confirming that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver. The 4K results are particularly telling: at 4K High, the combo achieves 57.7 FPS, which is above the 43.5 FPS of 4K Ultra, and the 32.7 FPS gap between High and Ultra at 4K (57.7 to 43.5) is larger than the 30.2 FPS gap at 1080p (119 to 88.8), indicating that the GPU’s shading units (10240) are overwhelmed by Ultra settings at high resolutions. The memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s is sufficient for 4K, as evidenced by the fact that Low settings at 4K still hit 95.8 FPS, meaning the 16 GB VRAM is not a constraint—the limiting factor is the GPU’s compute throughput on the game’s advanced effects.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: At 1440p, all presets except Ultra (64.2 FPS) exceed 90 FPS, with High at 90.4 FPS and Medium at 106.8 FPS. At 4K, only Low (95.8 FPS) and Medium (72 FPS) sustain 60+ FPS, while High (57.7 FPS) falls just short.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.2% lower than the i7-8700’s 19894, meaning they perform nearly identically in synthetic tests, and game performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 would be indistinguishable.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, the data shows no VRAM-related stutters or crashes. At 4K Low, the combo hits 95.8 FPS, and at 4K Medium, 72 FPS, indicating that the 16 GB GDDR6X with 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is not a limiting factor; the FPS drops are due to compute load, not memory capacity.

Q: Why does the Ultra preset at 4K only achieve 43.5 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset at 4K demands the most from the GPU’s 10240 shading units and 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The 43.5 FPS result is 14.2 FPS lower than High (57.7 FPS), showing that the game’s ultra settings (likely including advanced shadows, reflections, and draw distances) overwhelm the RTX 4080 SUPER at 4K.

Q: What does the combo rank of 129 out of 1687 imply about the CPU’s role?

A: The rank in the top 7.6% suggests that the i5-12400 is not a bottleneck for this GPU. Since the CPU is in the 77th percentile but the combo ranks in the top 7.6% of all tested configurations, the GPU dominates performance, and the 6-core CPU provides sufficient throughput for this game.

Q: How much FPS can be gained by switching from High to Medium at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, switching from High (119 FPS) to Medium (144 FPS) yields a 25 FPS gain, which is a 21% improvement, making Medium the recommended preset for users prioritizing frame rate over visual detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings deliver 195.1 FPS, Medium settings deliver 144 FPS, High settings deliver 119 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 88.8 FPS. This shows a clear 76.3 FPS spread between the lowest and highest presets, with Low being 36% faster than Medium and Medium being 21% faster than High. The 1080p results indicate that the GPU is not stressed at this resolution, as even Ultra maintains nearly 90 FPS, leaving headroom for the CPU’s 6 cores to process game logic.

At 2560x1440, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 142.5 FPS, Medium at 106.8 FPS, High at 90.4 FPS, and Ultra at 64.2 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by 27% on Low (195.1 to 142.5), 26% on Medium (144 to 106.8), 24% on High (119 to 90.4), and 28% on Ultra (88.8 to 64.2). This consistency confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the percentage drop is uniform across presets. At 1440p, Ultra falls below 65 FPS, while Medium and High remain above 90 FPS, making Medium the best choice for 1440p gaming.

At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 95.8 FPS, Medium at 72 FPS, High at 57.7 FPS, and Ultra at 43.5 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is substantial: Low loses 46.7 FPS (142.5 to 95.8), Medium loses 34.8 FPS (106.8 to 72), High loses 32.7 FPS (90.4 to 57.7), and Ultra loses 20.7 FPS (64.2 to 43.5). The absolute FPS loss decreases as settings increase, but the percentage loss remains around 50%, indicating that the GPU’s compute resources are being scaled proportionally. At 4K, only Low and Medium presets achieve playable frame rates above 60 FPS, while High is marginally below (57.7) and Ultra is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 4K Ultra result of 43.5 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, showing that this preset is too demanding for the RTX 4080 SUPER at this resolution.