Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding title, and the Intel Core i5-14400F with Intel Arc B570 combo shows clear performance limits, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it achieves playable frame rates across most settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 1440p and is largely unsuitable for 4K. The Arc B570 becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the i5-14400F provides sufficient processing power to avoid holding the system back in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, revealing a GPU-bound system at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 49 at 1920x1080 to 37 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 12 FPS (24.5%). Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 24 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical of a graphics card that lacks the raw throughput to feed a 4K display with modern game assets.

The drop from Medium settings at 1080p to Medium at 1440p is also significant. The average FPS goes from 59 down to 44, a 15 FPS decline (25.4%). At 4K Medium, the average falls to 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34. This indicates that even the Medium preset, which is generally less demanding than High or Ultra, cannot maintain a stable experience at 4K.

Low settings show a similar trend, though the starting point is higher. At 1080p Low, the average is 79 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 59 FPS, and at 4K Low, it reaches 39 FPS. The 4K Low result is barely above the threshold for playable frame rates and would likely feel stuttery in fast-paced scenes. The data suggests that the Arc B570’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s and its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory are insufficient to handle the texture and shader workloads at 4K, regardless of the preset.

The pattern is consistent: each resolution step up costs roughly 20-25% performance at the same settings. This is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is not the limiting factor here; the Arc B570’s 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 80 ROPs simply cannot keep up with the pixel count at 4K. For users targeting 1440p, the data shows that only Low settings provide a playable average of 59 FPS, while High and Medium fall to 37 and 44 FPS respectively, which are borderline for action-heavy gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, this pairing ranks 2335 out of 2902 combos. This places it in the lower 20% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific game. The rank of 2335 reflects the collective impact of the CPU and GPU, but given the resolution scaling data, it is clear that the GPU is dragging the overall score down.

The Arc B570’s percentile versus all GPUs is 65, meaning it outperforms 65% of all graphics cards in the database. However, this is a general benchmark percentile, not specific to Red Dead Redemption 2. In this game, the combo’s rank suggests that the pairing is less effective than its raw GPU percentile might imply, likely due to the game’s particular demands on memory bandwidth and rasterization. The i5-14400F, with a percentile of 83 versus all CPUs, is a relatively strong processor, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

The nearest rivals for the Arc B570 include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, with an average score of 20534 and a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 with a delta of -0.1%. This means the Arc B570 is nearly identical in raw benchmark performance to these cards. Yet, in Red Dead Redemption 2, the measured FPS suggests that the Arc B570’s drivers or architecture may not be fully optimized for this title, as the rank is lower than what the raw scores would suggest. The combo’s position at 2335 out of 2902 indicates that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver better frame rates, reinforcing the conclusion that this is not a high-performance configuration for this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The base and boost clocks are both listed at 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed for a modern GPU. The memory subsystem consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. These specifications place the Arc B570 in the mid-range segment, and the measured game performance reflects that.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU’s role is dominant. At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 49, which is acceptable but not stellar. The data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 36 FPS, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the highest preset even at the lowest resolution. The Ultra preset likely increases draw distances, shadow quality, and texture detail, all of which tax the GPU’s 80 ROPs and 11.52 TFLOPS of compute. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck, as seen in the 24 FPS average at High settings.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide context. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and its average benchmark score is 20556, with a percentile of 65. In comparison, the nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, has an average score of 20534, almost identical. However, the RTX 3070 Mobile is a laptop part with different power characteristics, so direct comparisons in this desktop-focused analysis should be cautious. The Arc B570’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2649 suggests it can handle DirectX 12 titles, but Red Dead Redemption 2’s specific engine may not leverage the GPU’s full potential, as evidenced by the low FPS at 4K.

The GPU’s clock speed is fixed at 2500 MHz for both base and boost, meaning there is no dynamic overclocking headroom. This could explain why the performance does not scale well with resolution; the GPU is already running at its maximum clock speed, and the only way to improve performance would be to reduce the workload, which is exactly what lowering settings does. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry card, but the power draw is not the issue; it is the raw compute and memory bandwidth that limit the game’s performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide range of performance depending on settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 79, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS target. Medium settings yield an average of 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68, providing a playable experience with some headroom for dips. High settings drop the average to 49 FPS, which is still playable but may show stutters in intense scenes. Ultra settings bring the average down to 36 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience, suggesting that the highest preset is too demanding for this GPU at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings produce an average of 59 FPS, which matches the 1080p Medium result, indicating that users must drop to Low to maintain similar frame rates. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 51, making it marginal for gameplay. High settings fall to 37 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS, both of which are below the playable threshold for most users. The step from 1080p to 1440p at High settings costs 12 FPS, and the step from Medium to High at 1440p costs only 7 FPS, showing that the GPU is already saturated.

At 3840x2160, the results are disappointing. Low settings average 39 FPS, which is just above the 30 FPS minimum for playability, but it will feel choppy. Medium settings average 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34, which is inconsistent. High settings average 24 FPS, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS, both of which are unplayable. The 4K data clearly shows that the Arc B570 is not designed for this resolution in Red Dead Redemption 2. The 10 GB VRAM may be sufficient for textures, but the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient to feed the GPU’s shaders at 4K, resulting in these low frame rates.

The minimum FPS values, where available, highlight the instability. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 50 FPS, which is acceptable, but at 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 38 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 25 FPS. These minimums indicate that the game will experience noticeable hitches, especially in scenes with lots of foliage or NPCs. The data suggests that the only reliable way to achieve a stable 60 FPS is to use 1080p Low, which averages 79 FPS and likely has a high minimum.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU has a percentile of 83 versus all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range to upper-mid-range processor. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 21645, and its single-core score is 3055, showing strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, but it is still important. The game is known to be CPU-intensive in certain areas, particularly in towns with many NPCs. However, the measured FPS data shows that the bottleneck is almost always the GPU. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the average FPS is 79, which suggests the CPU can handle frame generation at that level. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions, but the data shows a clear drop from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the constraint.

The i5-14400F’s 10 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate for this game. Red Dead Redemption 2 typically utilizes multiple cores, and the CPU’s Passmark multithread score of 25470 and Geekbench multicore score of 11268 confirm its capability. The boost clock of 4.70 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as game logic and physics, are handled efficiently. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with an average score of 32233 and a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-11900 with a score of 32226 and a delta of 0.2%, showing that the i5-14400F is competitive with older high-end parts.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache is beneficial for gaming, as it reduces the need to access slower system memory. The DDR4 and DDR5 memory support means users can choose a platform that suits their budget, though the dual-channel memory bus may limit bandwidth in some scenarios. However, in this game, the data does not indicate any CPU-related stutters or frame drops that would suggest a bottleneck. The CPU’s release date of 2024-01-07 and its active production status indicate it is a current part, and its performance in this game is adequate for the GPU’s capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset for this combo is 1080p Medium, which delivers an average of 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68. This provides a smooth experience that is close to the 60 FPS target, with enough headroom to avoid most stutters. The Medium preset balances visual quality and performance, making it the best choice for users who want a playable frame rate without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity.

For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low is the recommended setting, yielding an average of 79 FPS. This is well above 60 FPS and ensures a highly responsive experience, though the visual downgrade is noticeable. The Low preset removes many ambient effects and reduces texture quality, but for competitive play or users sensitive to frame drops, it is the safest option.

At 1440p, the data suggests that only Low settings provide a playable experience, with an average of 59 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p average 44 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users, but the minimum of 38 FPS indicates potential stutters in demanding scenes. High and Ultra settings at 1440p are not recommended, as they average 37 and 27 FPS respectively, which fall below the playable threshold. For 4K, the data shows that no preset provides a consistently playable frame rate, with the best being Low at 39 FPS, which is still too low for a smooth experience. Users should avoid 4K with this combo unless they are willing to accept significant compromises in visual quality and frame rate.

The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 36 FPS, but this is below the 40 FPS minimum for a comfortable experience. The data indicates that the Ultra preset is too demanding for the Arc B570, likely due to its 80 ROPs and 11.52 TFLOPS of compute. Therefore, the recommendation is to stick with Medium at 1080p for the best balance, or Low at 1080p for maximum frame rate. At higher resolutions, users should lower settings to Low to maintain any semblance of playability, but even then, 4K is not recommended. The combo’s rank of 2335 out of 2902 confirms that it is not a high-performance pairing for this game, and settings must be adjusted accordingly to achieve a playable experience.