Red Dead Redemption 2

Resolution Scaling

Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a clear scaling pattern for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination, with frame rates dropping sharply as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 152 FPS, which falls to 113 FPS at 1440p and 75 FPS at 4K — a 51% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload shifts overwhelmingly to the graphics card.

The scaling trend is consistent across all settings presets. With High settings, the drop from 95 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 1440p to 47 FPS at 4K represents a 50.5% loss from the lowest to highest resolution. Medium settings show similar behavior: 114 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K, a 50.9% reduction. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 68 FPS at 1080p dropping to 51 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K — exactly half the 1080p performance.

The data reveals that the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 152 FPS, which is high enough to suggest the i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads are keeping pace. However, the consistent roughly 50% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 4K across all presets points to the RTX 4070's rendering limits at 3840x2160. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 192-bit bus width are sufficient, but the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is taxed heavily at 4K.

The most telling indicator of GPU limitation is the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread from 152 FPS (Low) to 68 FPS (Ultra) is 84 FPS, showing headroom for settings adjustments. At 4K, the same spread narrows to 41 FPS (75 FPS Low vs 34 FPS Ultra), meaning the GPU is already near its ceiling even at Low settings. The 4K Low result of 75 FPS is the only 4K configuration that approaches playable smoothness, while 4K Ultra at 34 FPS is clearly below the threshold for responsive gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, is the dominant component in this pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2. Its 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs are complemented by 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, giving it substantial raw throughput. The card's FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s explain why it handles 1080p and 1440p so effectively, but the 4K results reveal its limitations.

The GPU's memory subsystem is a key factor. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the RTX 4070 offers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is adequate for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, but at 4K Ultra, the memory bandwidth and 64 ROPs become constrained, resulting in the 34 FPS average. The pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s is a limiting factor at 3840x2160, where the card must fill over 8.3 million pixels per frame.

Clock speeds play a supporting role. The base clock of 1920 MHz boosts to 2475 MHz, and the memory runs at an effective 21 Gbps. These figures are consistent with the card's performance class, which sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 4070's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% faster), placing it in a tight performance cluster.

The 4K results show the RTX 4070's architectural efficiency. At 4K Medium, the card produces 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 64, indicating reasonable frame pacing. The jump from Low (75 FPS) to Medium (56 FPS) is a 25.3% drop, while Medium to High (47 FPS) is a 16.1% drop. The transition to Ultra (34 FPS) is a 27.7% reduction from High. This non-linear scaling suggests that Ultra settings engage additional rendering features that disproportionately impact the GPU's 64 ROPs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides ample processing power for Red Dead Redemption 2, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low where the CPU would be most likely to bottleneck. With 10 cores (6 performance and 4 efficiency) and 16 threads, the processor leverages its Raptor Lake architecture to maintain a 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core help feed the GPU efficiently.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% slower), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% slower). The i5-14400F's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, both of which matter for game logic and draw call processing.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient. The 1080p Low result of 152 FPS demonstrates that the processor can feed the RTX 4070 well beyond typical display refresh rates. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 68 FPS result suggests the CPU is not holding back the GPU, as the frame rate is still respectable. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 25470 and single-thread score of 3701 confirm its capability for gaming workloads.

The absence of integrated graphics (N/A) means the i5-14400F relies entirely on the discrete GPU, which is the correct configuration for this game. The processor's 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory (dual-channel) give system builders flexibility without compromising game performance. The 4.70 GHz boost clock is particularly beneficial for Red Dead Redemption 2's single-threaded game logic, ensuring that NPC AI and physics calculations do not create frame hitches.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination span three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of performance.

At 1920x1080, the system is clearly GPU-bound at higher settings but still delivers strong results. Low settings produce 152 FPS average, which is exceptional for open-world action-adventure games. Medium settings yield 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131, indicating smooth frame delivery. High settings drop to 95 FPS, still well above 60 FPS. Ultra settings produce 68 FPS, which is playable but shows the performance cost of maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, performance remains solid but begins to strain at Ultra. Low settings deliver 113 FPS, a 25.7% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings produce 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 97, maintaining good consistency. High settings drop to 71 FPS, which is above 60 FPS but approaching the threshold. Ultra settings produce 51 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and indicates the RTX 4070's limits at 1440p with maximum settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. Low settings produce 75 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that maintains smooth performance. Medium settings drop to 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 64, showing noticeable frame dips. High settings produce 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings produce 34 FPS, which is marginal for gameplay. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 4070 is not a native 4K card for this game at high quality presets.

The combo's overall rank in Red Dead Redemption 2 is 889 out of 3714 combinations, placing it in the top 24% of tested configurations. This ranking reflects the balance between the i5-14400F's strong CPU performance and the RTX 4070's capable but not top-tier GPU performance for this demanding title.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K Low settings, the system achieves 75 FPS, which is smooth. However, at 4K Medium, the average drops to 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 47 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, Low settings are required.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: At 1440p, the system delivers 71 FPS on High settings and 85 FPS on Medium, providing a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1080p, High settings produce 95 FPS, while Ultra yields 68 FPS. The 1440p High configuration offers the best combination of image quality and frame rate.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 152 FPS, showing the CPU can handle the workload. The steep drop to 75 FPS at 4K Low indicates the RTX 4070's rendering limits are the primary constraint.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37648 is 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628), 0.4% faster than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), and 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135). These are tight margins, indicating comparable performance.

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

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 152 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 68 FPS. This is a 55.3% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra, showing the significant cost of maximum settings on the RTX 4070.

Q: Does the i5-14400F hold back the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: The data suggests no significant CPU bottleneck. The i5-14400F's benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multicore: 21645, single-core: 3055) place it in the 83rd percentile, and the 1080p Low result of 152 FPS demonstrates the CPU can feed the GPU effectively.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination, the Medium settings preset at 1440p offers the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 2560x1440 Medium, the system produces 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality. This configuration avoids the 60 FPS dips seen at 1440p High (71 FPS) and provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

For players prioritizing maximum smoothness, 1080p High is the recommended choice. At 1920x1080 High, the system delivers 95 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and provides headroom for demanding scenes. The 1080p Medium preset at 114 FPS offers even more headroom, with a minimum of 97 FPS ensuring no noticeable stuttering. However, the visual difference between High and Medium at 1080p is worth the 19 FPS cost.

At 4K, the only viable preset is Low, which produces 75 FPS. While 4K Medium at 56 FPS might be playable for some, the minimum of 48 FPS could cause noticeable frame drops. The 4K Low setting at 75 FPS is the only 4K configuration that maintains consistent smoothness. Players who prefer 4K should accept the visual compromises of Low settings.

The High preset at 1440p (71 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visual quality over a strict 60 FPS target. The 71 FPS average is above 60 FPS, though minimums may dip in heavy scenes. Ultra settings are only recommended at 1080p, where 68 FPS is achievable, but the performance cost from High to Ultra (95 to 68 FPS) may not justify the visual improvements for most players.

The data clearly indicates that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are well-matched to these resolutions, and the i5-14400F's processing power ensures no CPU-related frame drops. For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium is the recommended configuration, offering high frame rates with good visual quality.