Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but demanding experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance heavily dictated by graphics settings rather than resolution. The data shows this combination is best suited for 1080p Medium to High settings, where it maintains smooth frame rates, while 4K Ultra remains out of reach. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, ranking, and specific performance metrics to guide settings choices.

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

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, featuring a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 and a single-core score of 3309, indicating strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. Its percentile ranking of 84 against all CPUs places it in the upper tier of processors.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The benchmark data reveals that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 92.2 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 40.6 FPS. This 51.6 FPS gap is primarily due to GPU load, but the CPU must keep up with increased object counts and physics at higher settings. The i5-12600KF’s 16 threads ensure that the game’s multi-threaded workloads are handled without bottlenecking the GPU, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom. Compared to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, the i5-12600KF performs nearly identically with a deltaPct of 0, meaning the CPU is not a limiting factor in this pairing.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 7.181 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for modern game features. Its percentile ranking of 63 against all GPUs shows it is a mid-range performer.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling with settings: at 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 92.2 on Low to 40.6 on Ultra, a 51.6 FPS difference. At 4K, the same settings spread yields 46.4 FPS on Low down to 19.8 FPS on Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for most settings, but at 4K Ultra, the combination of high-resolution textures and heavy effects likely taxes the memory subsystem, contributing to the low 19.8 FPS result. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s performance is close to the RTX 2070, which has a deltaPct of 0.5, indicating that this GPU is slightly below its higher-tier sibling but still capable of delivering playable frame rates at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1239 out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings, meaning that while it is not among the top performers, it is also not at the bottom. The rank indicates that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average FPS, likely due to more powerful GPUs.

Given that the CPU is not a bottleneck, the ranking is almost entirely determined by the GPU’s performance. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s percentile of 63 against all GPUs suggests that roughly 37% of GPUs are faster, which aligns with the combo’s rank. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Core i9-10900K, would not change the outcome because the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p High, the combo achieves 56 FPS, which is playable, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 19.8 FPS, which is not. This rank underscores that the pairing is a balanced mid-range solution, capable of handling the game at lower resolutions and settings but not at the highest demands.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves the following average FPS: Low at 92.2, Medium at 71.8, High at 56, and Ultra at 40.6. This shows a steady decline as settings increase, with a 51.6 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The 1080p results are the most playable, with even Ultra staying above 40 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly: Low at 71.2, Medium at 53.6, High at 44, and Ultra at 30. The pattern persists, but the overall numbers are lower, with Ultra barely reaching 30 FPS. At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal: Low at 46.4, Medium at 31.9, High at 29.7, and Ultra at 19.8. The 4K results show that only Low settings are playable, while High and Ultra are below 30 FPS. Across all resolutions, the settings scaling is consistent, with Low being roughly 2.3 times faster than Ultra at 1080p and 2.3 times faster at 4K.

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

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS decreases from 92.2 at 1080p to 46.4 at 4K, a 45.8 FPS reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 40.6 at 1080p to 19.8 at 4K, a 20.8 FPS reduction. The percentage drop is larger at Low settings, where the GPU is more stressed by the increased pixel count, while at Ultra settings, the GPU is already saturated, so the relative drop is smaller.

This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to handle the game’s logic at any resolution, as evidenced by its high synthetic scores. However, the GPU’s rendering capabilities are outpaced by the resolution increase. At 1080p, the GPU can process frames quickly, but at 4K, the 8.3 million pixels overwhelm the 7.181 TFLOPS of compute power. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K only viable at Low settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with average FPS ranging from 40.6 on Ultra to 92.2 on Low, all of which are playable. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings exceed 50 FPS, while at 3840x2160, even Low drops to 46.4 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: At 4K, the combo achieves 46.4 FPS on Low, 31.9 FPS on Medium, 29.7 FPS on High, and 19.8 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings are playable, and the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 7.181 TFLOPS are insufficient for higher settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K’s 27829, with a deltaPct of 0. This means the CPU performance is effectively equivalent.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance relative to its rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070’s 19680. This indicates the GPU is slightly faster than its direct competitor.

Q: Which settings preset gives the best balance of FPS and quality?

A: At 1080p, Medium settings at 71.8 FPS offer a good balance, providing a 15.8 FPS improvement over High while maintaining visual quality. At 1440p, Medium at 53.6 FPS is the highest playable option.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s strong performance, with a 84th percentile ranking, is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution, which stresses the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Medium preset at 71.8 FPS provides a smooth experience with a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. High settings at 56 FPS are also viable, but Medium offers a 15.8 FPS advantage, which is more noticeable in fast-paced action scenes. Ultra at 40.6 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 53.6 FPS is the best choice, as it stays above 50 FPS and maintains acceptable quality. Low settings at 71.2 FPS are smoother but sacrifice visual detail, while High at 44 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are less ideal for consistent gameplay. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset at 46.4 FPS is recommended, as it is the only setting that exceeds 30 FPS. Medium at 31.9 FPS is borderline, and High and Ultra are not playable. The data strongly suggests that users prioritize 1080p Medium or High for the best overall experience, with 1440p Medium as a secondary option for those with higher-resolution displays.