Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2 with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The pairing of Intel's Core i5-12600KF with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 D produces the top-ranked combination in this database for Red Dead Redemption 2, sitting at rank 1 out of 2,902 tested combos. This is a measured dataset, not an estimate, covering four settings presets across three resolutions. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising CPU sensitivity at 1080p, where frame rates climb to levels that challenge even this 10-core processor.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies in this configuration. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 146 at 1920x1080 to 109 at 2560x1440, then falls further to 72 at 3840x2160. That represents a 50.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial scaling penalty that points directly at the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 234 FPS average, which drops to 175 FPS at 1440p and then to 115 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p transition costs 59 FPS, while the 1440p-to-4K transition costs another 60 FPS. This near-linear decline in performance as pixel count increases is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, especially given that the RTX 5090 D is already an exceptionally powerful card with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Medium settings show a similar trend, with averages of 175 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 86 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, drops from 105 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p and finally to 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is the lowest figure in the entire dataset, yet it remains playable, which speaks to the raw capability of this combination.

What is particularly notable is the scaling between 1440p and 4K. Across all settings, the average FPS loss from 1440p to 4K ranges from 27 FPS at Ultra to 60 FPS at Low. The percentage drop is steepest at Low settings, where the 175 FPS at 1440p becomes 115 FPS at 4K, a 34.3% reduction. This suggests that even at Low settings, the game is demanding enough to saturate the GPU's capabilities at 4K, and the CPU is not the limiting factor in these scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain why it can produce such high frame rates in Red Dead Redemption 2. The card features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a massive amount of VRAM for a game released in 2018, and it means the RTX 5090 D is unlikely to ever hit memory capacity limits in this title, even at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant to the observed performance. The base clock runs at 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and the memory operates at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective throughput. These clocks, combined with 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is extraordinary, and it is this raw compute power that drives the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The RTX 5090 D's benchmark scores reinforce its position as a top-tier GPU. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326. Its average benchmark score of 77,712 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (which is 1.6% behind) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (2.4% behind). These comparisons show that the RTX 5090 D is not just fast; it is at the very edge of what is available.

At 4K Ultra, the 52 FPS average suggests that even this GPU is being pushed hard by Red Dead Redemption 2's most demanding settings. The fact that it drops from 105 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 52 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates a 50.5% performance loss, which is a significant cost for the increased resolution. However, the GPU's 32 GB of VRAM ensures that texture quality and memory-heavy effects do not cause stuttering or asset streaming issues, which can be a problem on cards with less memory.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds the number one position in the database for Red Dead Redemption 2, ranking 1 out of 2,902 tested combos. This is a remarkable achievement, placing it above every other CPU-GPU pairing that has been tested for this game. The data indicates that no other combination in the database produces higher average frame rates across the tested resolutions and settings.

The CPU itself is a strong performer in its own right, with an average benchmark score of 27,799 and a 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K (which is 0.3% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (0.3% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (0.3% behind). The i5-12600KF essentially matches these processors in overall benchmark performance, which is impressive given its position in Intel's lineup.

The GPU's contribution to this top ranking cannot be overstated. With an average benchmark score of 77,712 and a 92nd percentile ranking, the RTX 5090 D is one of the most powerful GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the GPU rankings are all significantly behind, with the closest being the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 1.1% behind. This GPU advantage, combined with the capable CPU, creates a combination that no other tested system can match in this game.

The rank of 1 out of 2,902 is particularly notable because it represents the entire field of tested combinations, not just those with similar hardware. This means that even systems with more expensive CPUs or more specialized gaming hardware do not outperform this specific pairing in Red Dead Redemption 2. The data suggests that the RTX 5090 D is so powerful that it can compensate for any CPU limitations, and the i5-12600KF is strong enough to keep up with the GPU's demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 234, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This drops to 175 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 115 FPS at 3840x2160 Low.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904), 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940), and 2.1% behind the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396).

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 105 at 1920x1080 to 79 at 2560x1440, and finally to 52 at 3840x2160. This represents a 50.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27,799, which is 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D's score of 27,896. The two processors are essentially tied in overall performance.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 52, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only result below 60 FPS in the entire dataset.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 D have, and what type is it?

A: The RTX 5090 D features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at any resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform with PCIe Gen 4 connectivity.

The CPU's cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration is important for gaming performance, as Red Dead Redemption 2's open-world environments require frequent data access. The 20 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with multi-threaded workloads.

In terms of benchmark performance, the i5-12600KF achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23,391 and a single-core score of 3,302. Its Geekbench scores are 12,137 for multi-core and 2,157 for single-core. The Passmark multi-thread score is 27,575 with a single-thread score of 3,925. These scores place the CPU in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,799.

The CPU's role in this gaming combination becomes apparent when examining the frame rate data. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 234 FPS average, which is a very high frame rate that requires significant CPU processing power to feed the GPU. The fact that the CPU can maintain these frame rates without bottlenecking the RTX 5090 D confirms its single-thread performance. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz is particularly important for gaming, as many game engines, including Red Dead Redemption 2's, rely heavily on single-threaded performance.

However, the CPU does show signs of becoming a limiting factor at the highest frame rates. The jump from 1080p Low (234 FPS) to 1080p Medium (175 FPS) is a 59 FPS difference, which is largely due to increased GPU load. But the fact that 1080p Low produces 234 FPS while 1440p Low produces 175 FPS suggests that the CPU is still capable of delivering high frame rates, and the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's priority between visual quality and frame rate. At 4K resolution, the High preset delivers 72 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 52 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players but is below the ideal threshold. The Medium preset at 4K offers 86 FPS, providing a balance between visual quality and performance.

For users with high refresh rate monitors at 1440p, the High preset delivers 109 FPS, which is suitable for 100 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 131 FPS, which would support a 120 Hz monitor. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 175 FPS, which is excellent for 165 Hz or 175 Hz displays, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the performance gain.

At 1080p, all settings presets deliver frame rates above 100 FPS, with the Low preset achieving 234 FPS and the High preset at 146 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 105 FPS, which is still very playable. For competitive players seeking maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice. For players prioritizing visual quality, the Ultra preset at 1080p offers a good experience at 105 FPS.

The data suggests that the High preset is the best overall choice for most users. It provides 72 FPS at 4K, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 146 FPS at 1080p. This preset balances visual fidelity with performance across all resolutions. The Medium preset is a good alternative for those who want higher frame rates, offering 86 FPS at 4K, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 175 FPS at 1080p. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users who prioritize visual quality above all else and are willing to accept 52 FPS at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 234 FPS, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 175 FPS average, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS. The High preset at 1080p delivers 146 FPS average, and the Ultra preset reaches 105 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces 175 FPS average. The Medium preset at 1440p achieves 131 FPS average, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 150 FPS. The High preset at 1440p delivers 109 FPS average, and the Ultra preset drops to 79 FPS average. The 1440p results show a clear progression, with each settings increase costing approximately 30-40 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 115 FPS average. The Medium preset at 4K produces 86 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. The High preset at 4K delivers 72 FPS average, and the Ultra preset drops to 52 FPS average. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 5090 D can handle this game at playable frame rates even at the highest settings, though Ultra settings dip below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Medium preset is the only settings level with complete min/max data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 149 to 202 FPS. At 1440p, the range narrows to 111-150 FPS. At 4K, the range is 74-99 FPS. This data indicates that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios where the GPU is fully utilized. The narrower range at 4K suggests more consistent frame pacing, which can result in a smoother experience even if the average FPS is lower.