Red Dead Redemption 2

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a thermal design power of 65 W. This configuration places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating solid mainstream performance. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only).

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400F shows a clear scaling pattern from single to multi-threaded workloads. Its single-thread score in 3DMark is 909, while the 2-thread score is 1699, nearly doubling. The 4-thread score reaches 3067, and the 8-thread score climbs to 4779. The 16-thread score is 5895, with a max-threads score of 5912. This plateau between 8 and 16 threads suggests that the processor's 12 threads are fully utilized by the 16-thread test, but additional scaling is limited. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score is 16518, while the single-core score is 2332, a ratio of roughly 7:1, which is typical for a 6-core/12-thread part.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The 12 threads provide enough parallelism for the game's engine, which is known to scale reasonably well across multiple cores. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as physics and AI, do not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The benchmark data supports this: at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 111.1 FPS, which is the highest measured average across all configurations. This indicates that the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily burdened. However, at 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 46.7 FPS, suggesting that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase.

The nearest rivals for the i5-12400F include the Intel Core i7-8700K, which has an average score of 19210 and a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-1335U, with an average score of 19167 and a delta of 0.3%. These are essentially performance equals. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS trails by 0.7%, while the AMD EPYC 7773X leads by 1.3%. This tight clustering means that the i5-12400F is not a standout in raw CPU benchmarks, but its gaming performance is competitive. The data shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this game combo; rather, it provides a stable platform that allows the GPU to express its capabilities.

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FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 111.1 FPS. This is the highest average across all tested configurations, indicating that the CPU can push frame rates well above 100 when the GPU load is minimal.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 984 out of 1687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, suggesting that while it is capable, many other combos achieve higher performance.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and memory type?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus width, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but may be a limiting factor at 4K with higher settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc B580?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, while the Intel Arc B580 has an average score of 23021, a delta of 0.7%. This indicates the RTX 4060 is slightly faster, though the difference is marginal.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F had a launch MSRP of $174. This is the only pricing information provided for the components in this combo.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This high single-core frequency helps maintain performance in games that rely on fewer threads.

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Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 111.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 83.3 FPS, a reduction of approximately 25%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 51.9 FPS, a further 38% decrease from 1440p. This scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to maintain higher frame rates if the GPU could render faster.

When settings are increased to High, the same pattern holds, but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p High, the average is 66.8 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 50.2 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K High, the average is 35 FPS, a 30% reduction from 1440p. The percentage drops are consistent across resolutions, indicating that the GPU's workload scales linearly with pixel count. This is expected, as rendering resolution directly affects the number of pixels the GPU must process.

At Ultra settings, the performance becomes more constrained. The 1080p Ultra average is 46.7 FPS, while 1440p Ultra drops to 34.8 FPS, a 25% reduction. The 4K Ultra average is 26.9 FPS, a 23% reduction from 1440p. The smaller percentage drop at 4K Ultra suggests that the GPU is nearing its limits, and the frame rate is becoming more sensitive to the specific demands of the scene rather than pure resolution scaling. Overall, the data shows that the RTX 4060 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring lower settings to achieve playable frame rates.

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How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 984 out of 1687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 58th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of tested systems but falls short of the top performers. The rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU, but the GPU's percentile ranking of 66 versus the CPU's 77 suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-8700K and Intel Core i5-1335U, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with deltas of 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively. This indicates that swapping the CPU for a similar-performing part would not significantly change the combo's rank. Conversely, the GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, have deltas of -0.6% and -0.7%, meaning the RTX 4060 is slightly slower than those parts. The Intel Arc B580 is 0.7% slower, while the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% slower.

Given these comparisons, the combo's rank is primarily determined by the GPU's performance class. The CPU is a capable mid-range part, but the RTX 4060 is positioned in the lower-middle tier of GPUs. This results in a combo that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well, but it will not compete with high-end systems featuring faster GPUs. The rank of 984 out of 1687 reflects this reality, placing the combo in the middle of the pack for this game.

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GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is based on the AD107 chip, built on TSMC's 5 nm process, and belongs to the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with a memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU's pixel rate is 118.1 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 236.2 GTexel/s, with a FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4060 achieves a Passmark G3D score of 19545, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 23181, which is close to its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M has an average score of 23321, a delta of -0.6%, meaning the RTX 4060 is slightly slower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti also beats it by 0.7%, while the Intel Arc B580 is 0.7% behind, and the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% behind.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The 8 GB VRAM is a potential constraint at 4K with higher settings, where the average FPS drops to 26.9 at Ultra. The 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate bandwidth for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's compute capabilities become the limiting factor. The boost clock of 2460 MHz helps maintain performance, but the GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest compared to higher-tier cards. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is a solid 1080p and 1440p GPU, but it struggles at 4K, especially with high or ultra settings.

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Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), providing a comprehensive view of the combo's performance.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 46.7 at Ultra to 111.1 at Low. The Medium setting yields 79.8 FPS, while High produces 66.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 64.4 FPS, indicating that settings have a significant impact on performance. At 1080p, the combo is playable at all settings, with even Ultra maintaining a stable average above 45 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. Low settings produce 83.3 FPS, Medium yields 63.3 FPS, High delivers 50.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 48.5 FPS. While Low and Medium are smooth, High is borderline, and Ultra drops below the 35 FPS threshold, which may be noticeable in fast-paced scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more constrained. Low settings average 51.9 FPS, Medium averages 39.3 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 25 FPS. Only Low settings provide a consistently smooth experience, while Medium and High are playable but not ideal. Ultra dips below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience in action-adventure games.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the combo performs best at 1080p, with diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and users must lower settings to achieve acceptable frame rates. The 26.9 FPS at 4K Ultra is the lowest measured average, highlighting the GPU's limitations at the highest resolution and settings.