Red Dead Redemption 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Red Dead Redemption 2 with the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER reveal a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop tells a clear story about where the bottleneck sits. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 195.4 FPS, which drops to 146.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 96.2 FPS at 4K. That is a 50.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is being progressively loaded as pixel count rises.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra, the 1080p result of 88.1 FPS falls to 68.1 FPS at 1440p and then to 42 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 52.3%, which is remarkably consistent with the Low setting drop. This consistency suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary limiter across all settings, with the CPU providing enough headroom to avoid becoming the bottleneck even at 1080p.

However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is worth examining. The 195.4 FPS at Low versus 88.1 FPS at Ultra shows a 55% performance penalty for maxing out settings at 1080p. This is a larger relative penalty than the one seen at 4K, where Low delivers 96.2 FPS and Ultra delivers 42 FPS, a 56.3% drop. The similarity in these percentages indicates that the game's Ultra preset imposes a consistent computational load regardless of resolution, and the GPU scales accordingly.

What the data does not show is any sign of CPU limitation. The i5-13400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears to keep pace even at 1080p Low where the frame rate exceeds 195 FPS. If the CPU were struggling, we would expect to see diminishing returns when lowering resolution at 1080p, but the jump from 122.5 FPS at High to 195.4 FPS at Low shows the GPU is still the limiting factor. The conclusion is straightforward: this is a GPU-bound pairing in RDR2, and the 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is the only configuration that feels unplayable for smooth action.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data points to 4K High as the sweet spot, delivering 61.7 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so with a comfortable margin over the 42 FPS at Ultra and the 70.4 FPS at Medium. The jump from High to Ultra at 4K costs 19.7 FPS, which is a 31.9% penalty for what is typically a marginal visual gain in this title.

At 1440p, the options expand considerably. High settings produce 90.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. Medium hits 111 FPS, and even Ultra manages 68.1 FPS, making 1440p Ultra the highest visual quality that still maintains a playable frame rate. For high-refresh-rate monitors, 1440p Low at 146.7 FPS or Medium at 111 FPS are the viable choices, though the visual compromise at Low is significant.

At 1080p, the RTX 4080 SUPER is almost overkill. Ultra delivers 88.1 FPS, which is already above the standard 60 FPS target, while High reaches 122.5 FPS. For 144Hz displays, Medium at 143 FPS is the best balance of visual fidelity and speed, while Low at 195.4 FPS is only useful for competitive play where every frame counts. The measured data suggests that 1080p Ultra is a waste of GPU headroom, as the visual difference between High and Ultra is rarely worth a 28% performance hit.

The practical recommendation is to prioritize resolution over settings. The 4K High result of 61.7 FPS is playable and visually rich, making it a better experience than 1440p Ultra at 68.1 FPS on a 4K display. Conversely, on a 1440p monitor, Ultra at 68.1 FPS is the clear choice over High at 90.2 FPS if you value image quality over frame rate headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at High settings, which produce 61.7 FPS. At Medium, the frame rate drops to 70.4 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 42 FPS, so High is the only 4K preset that consistently clears 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra at 68.1 FPS is the highest visual quality that remains playable, while High at 90.2 FPS offers a better frame rate with minimal visual compromise. For high-refresh displays, Medium at 111 FPS is the strongest option.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 195.4 FPS without any CPU-induced plateau, and the consistent scaling across resolutions points to the RTX 4080 SUPER as the constraining component.

Q: How much performance is lost when switching from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the drop is from 195.4 FPS to 96.2 FPS, a 50.8% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 88.1 FPS to 42 FPS, a 52.3% reduction. The consistency suggests resolution scaling is uniform across presets.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a worthwhile frame rate at any resolution?

A: At 1440p, Ultra delivers 68.1 FPS, which is playable. At 1080p, Ultra hits 88.1 FPS, but High at 122.5 FPS offers a better experience for most players. At 4K, Ultra at 42 FPS is below the playable threshold.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 122.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and suitable for 120Hz displays. This makes 1080p High a strong choice for those prioritizing frame rate over resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 108th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the pairing in the top 6.4% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the GPU's dominance in this title, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's 88th percentile standing among all GPUs is the primary driver of the combo's overall position.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is less pronounced. The i5-13400F sits in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25236. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13620H with an average score of 25201 and a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the i5-13400F is effectively tied with that mobile chip. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D is 0.5% ahead with a score of 25365, while the AMD EPYC 9474F and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 are each 0.5% behind. These negligible deltas indicate that the CPU's raw compute performance is not a differentiator in this game.

The GPU tells a different story. The RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score of 53610 places it in the 88th percentile, with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT trailing by just 0.2% at 53489. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 0.4% behind, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S is 2.1% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is 2.9% behind with a score of 52086. This tight clustering at the top of the GPU hierarchy explains why the combo ranks so highly in RDR2, as the game appears to scale strongly with GPU throughput.

Given that the combo rank of 108 out of 1687 is based on measured data, this system is clearly capable of delivering high frame rates in most scenarios. The only caveat is the 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS, which drags down the average and prevents an even higher ranking. For users who prioritize 4K gaming, this pairing is best suited to High or Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F brings 10 cores and 16 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-S chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER with enough draw calls and game logic updates to keep the GPU saturated.

The benchmark data for the i5-13400F shows strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21279 and a Geekbench multicore score of 10971. The single-thread scores are also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3004 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2301. These figures suggest the CPU can handle the game's simulation thread without becoming a bottleneck, even at high frame rates.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the system produces 195.4 FPS, which is well above what most games require from a CPU. If the i5-13400F were struggling, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower values regardless of GPU headroom. Instead, the frame rate scales smoothly from 4K to 1080p, indicating the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier (though locked in this specific model) make it an efficient choice for gaming builds. Its 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25236, places it in the upper tier of processors. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13620H, is essentially identical in performance with a deltaPct of 0.1, showing that the i5-13400F punches above its class.

In RDR2 specifically, the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient. The game is known to be GPU-intensive, and the data supports this, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance dictates the frame rates across all resolutions and settings. The CPU's role is to stay out of the way, and the measured results show it does so effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 195.4 FPS, Medium drops to 143 FPS, High reaches 122.5 FPS, and Ultra settles at 88.1 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 107.3 FPS, showing the significant impact of settings at this resolution. The 1080p results are all well above 60 FPS, making this resolution suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected decline. Low delivers 146.7 FPS, Medium hits 111 FPS, High produces 90.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 68.1 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low is 48.7 FPS, while at Ultra it is 20 FPS. The 1440p results are all above 60 FPS, with Ultra being the only preset that approaches the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low produces 96.2 FPS, Medium delivers 70.4 FPS, High reaches 61.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. The 4K results show a clear break point: High is the only preset that maintains 60 FPS, while Ultra falls 18 FPS short. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 54.2 FPS, which is the largest absolute spread across all resolutions.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Medium provides a significant boost over Ultra, while High offers a modest improvement over Medium. At 1080p, the jump from Ultra to High is 34.4 FPS, while at 4K it is 19.7 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load that scales with resolution, and the RTX 4080 SUPER handles it best at lower resolutions.

For users seeking a specific target, the data provides clear guidance. A 60 FPS target is achievable at 4K High, 1440p Ultra, and 1080p Ultra. A 120 FPS target is achievable at 1080p High and 1440p Medium. A 144 FPS target is only achievable at 1080p Medium and 1440p Low. The 195.4 FPS result at 1080p Low shows the ceiling of this combo, which is more than enough for competitive play.