Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced at 1080p, but which begins to show its limits as resolution and graphical demands increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you understand exactly where this combo excels and where you will need to make compromises.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration provides a strong foundation for gaming, ensuring that the system has ample processing headroom to feed the GPU. In Red Dead Redemption 2, a title known for its dense open world and complex AI, having this level of multi-threaded performance is beneficial. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain high frame rates by keeping frequently accessed data close at hand.

The benchmark data shows that this CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 110.9 FPS, which is a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of pushing well beyond the needs of most displays. The processor’s performance is further contextualized by its 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating it outperforms the majority of processors on the market. When looking at its nearest rivals, the data shows it trades blows with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, with a negligible performance delta of -0.5%. It also edges out the Intel Core i7-13620H by a mere 0.1%. This shows that the 13400F sits in a highly competitive performance tier where tiny margins separate it from its peers.

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

Choosing the right settings preset is crucial for optimizing your experience with this hardware combination. The measured frames per second (FPS) data provides a clear picture of the performance cost associated with each preset. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium settings results in a significant drop from 110.9 FPS to 80.3 FPS, a decrease of over 30 FPS. The jump from Medium to High brings the average down further to 67.2 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p, the High preset is the clear choice, offering a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a playable 67.2 FPS average.

Pushing to the Ultra preset at 1080p yields an average of 48.9 FPS. While this is a noticeable drop below the 60 FPS target, it is still playable on many monitors. However, the performance cost is steep for the marginal visual gains Ultra typically provides over High. At 1440p, the situation becomes more demanding. The High preset produces an average of 54 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. Given this data, the High preset at 1440p is the recommended starting point, as it provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 63.1 FPS, which offers a more comfortable performance margin if you prioritize frame rate stability. The data clearly suggests that the Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution for this combo, as it drops to 36.1 FPS at 1440p and 25 FPS at 4K.

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

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals the shifting balance of load between the CPU and GPU. At High settings, the system averages 67.2 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 33.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 19.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.6% drop from 1080p to 4K. This pattern is typical for a system where the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as the workload grows.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is doing a substantial amount of work to keep up with the GPU. The relatively smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p suggests that the RTX 4060 is still able to maintain a significant frame rate, but the load is shifting. However, the massive drop to 4K at High settings (33.9 FPS) points directly to the GPU as the limiting factor. The RTX 4060, with its 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, simply does not have the raw pixel-pushing power to handle 4K in this demanding title. The frame rate at 4K with High settings is less than half of what is achievable at 1080p, clearly showing that the RTX 4060 is the component that holds the system back at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a rank of 958 out of 1687. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems. It is important to contextualize this rank; it means that while this combo is capable of running the game well, there are a significant number of other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates.

This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. While the CPU is quite capable, as evidenced by its high percentile ranking, the overall system performance is capped by the RTX 4060. The rank of 958 out of 1687 indicates that this is a mainstream gaming setup. It is not a top-tier, high-refresh-rate monster, but it is also far from a low-end system. For a user targeting 1080p or 1440p gaming with reasonable settings, this rank is perfectly acceptable and reflects a system that will handle the game without major issues. The data suggests that this combo is a practical choice for a balanced build, rather than one aimed at extreme performance.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2460 MHz. The 8 GB of VRAM is a crucial factor in this game's performance. At 4K resolution with High settings, the game is likely consuming a significant amount of VRAM, and the 8 GB capacity can become a limiting factor.

The GPU's performance is the primary driver behind the frame rates seen in the measured data. The RTX 4060's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, which it trails by a negligible 0.6%, and the Intel Arc B580, which it leads by 0.7%. This shows that the RTX 4060 is a competent performer in its class. However, the data from Red Dead Redemption 2 shows that at 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed. The difference between Low (52.3 FPS) and High (33.9 FPS) at 4K demonstrates how sensitive the card is to the increased shader and texture work. The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but it is not enough to overcome the memory bandwidth and capacity limitations at 4K resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows that the High preset at 1080p yields an average of 67.2 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset offers a higher 80.3 FPS, but the High preset provides a better visual experience while still being comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Not at playable settings. The measured performance at 4K shows 33.9 FPS on High and 25 FPS on Ultra. Even on Low settings, the 52.3 FPS average is inconsistent. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this GPU in this title.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings (67.2 to 54 FPS) suggests the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor. The CPU is still providing enough performance, but the RTX 4060 is starting to struggle with the increased pixel count.

Q: How does the Core i5-13400F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The average benchmark score for the 13400F is 25236. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, has an average score of 25365, which is a -0.5% delta. It effectively performs on par with the Intel Core i7-13620H, which has a delta of 0.1%.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 110.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 48.9 FPS. This represents a significant drop of 62 FPS, or roughly 56%, for the visual improvements that the Ultra preset provides.

Q: Where does this specific combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination of the Core i5-13400F and RTX 4060 ranks 958th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the upper-middle tier, indicating it is a solid mainstream performer but not a top-tier system.