Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a compelling 4K experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the data reveals that the graphics card is the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average FPS drops by 52%, from 134.4 to 64.4. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the RTX 4090's rendering workload scales directly with pixel count. At 1080p High, the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU, but the frame rate plummets as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 4090 is the limiting component in this configuration for 4K gaming.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 214.7 FPS at 1080p to 103.8 FPS at 4K, a 51.6% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is 50.6%, from 163.5 to 80.8 FPS. Even at Ultra, which starts at 99.9 FPS in 1080p, the 4K result is 47 FPS, a 53% decrease. This uniformity suggests that the RTX 4090's performance is scaling predictably with resolution, and the i5-14400F is not introducing any unexpected frame time spikes that would otherwise flatten the curve. The 1080p results, particularly the 214.7 FPS at Low, indicate the CPU can achieve very high frame rates, but the GPU's limits are reached well before the CPU's.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Core i5-14400F and RTX 4090 ranks 35th out of 1687 total combos for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 2% of all tested systems, a strong indicator of its overall capability. The high ranking is primarily driven by the RTX 4090's immense rasterization power, as the GPU's own benchmark scores are in the 91st percentile among all tested GPUs. The CPU, while not the top performer, is still strong, sitting in the 88th percentile for all CPUs.

The combination's rank reflects the synergy of a high-end GPU with a capable mid-range processor. The i5-14400F is not holding the RTX 4090 back to the point of diminishing returns in this game, as evidenced by the high 1080p frame rates. However, the data shows that the GPU is the star of the show. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12800H and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, with a negligible performance delta of 0% and 0.2%, respectively, in CPU benchmark scores. This means that swapping the CPU to a comparable model would likely have a minimal impact on the overall frame rates in this game, reinforcing the notion that the GPU is the primary driver of this combo's high rank.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 47 FPS.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1080p High sufficient for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 134.4, which is well above the 120 FPS threshold for smooth high-refresh-rate gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 66473 is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla T4's score of 66733, but 0.5% higher than the Tesla P40's score of 66127.

Q: What is the most demanding settings preset based on the measured data?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing the lowest average FPS at every resolution tested, including 47 FPS at 4K and 99.9 FPS at 1080p.

Q: At what resolution and settings does the combo exceed 100 FPS?

A: The combo exceeds 100 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings (101.4 FPS), 2560x1440 with Low (160.7 FPS), 1920x1080 with High (134.4 FPS), 1920x1080 with Low (214.7 FPS), and 1920x1080 with Medium (163.5 FPS).

Q: Does the CPU's performance fall behind its direct competitors?

A: The i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 is essentially identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513), and it is only 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of very high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 214.7 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 163.5 FPS, while High is at 134.4 FPS. The Ultra preset remains above the 60 FPS threshold at 99.9 FPS, showing that even at the highest settings, the combo is more than capable for 1080p gaming.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected decline. The Low preset achieves 160.7 FPS, Medium drops to 122.3 FPS, and High hits 101.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 73.6 FPS, which is still a playable and smooth experience for most users.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090's workload becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low preset achieves 103.8 FPS, providing a high-refresh-rate 4K option. The Medium preset delivers 80.8 FPS, and High drops to 64.4 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only setting that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 47 FPS. This final data point is crucial, as it indicates that for 4K Ultra, users will need to rely on upscaling technologies or accept a lower frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 384-bit memory bus delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for Red Dead Redemption 2's large textures and open-world data streaming. The high memory capacity ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the game is unlikely to hit VRAM limits, which is a likely reason why the frame rate scales predictably with resolution rather than collapsing due to memory pressure.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a factor. The base clock is 2235 MHz, and the boost clock is 2520 MHz. These high frequencies allow the 16,384 shading units to process the game's geometry and lighting effects efficiently. The RTX 4090's benchmark results place it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 66473. This is a massive score, but the nearest rivals are interesting: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 is 0.4% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 0.9% slower. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, but in gaming, the RTX 4090's architecture is specifically optimized for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan, which Red Dead Redemption 2 supports.

The data suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. The fact that the 4K High setting (64.4 FPS) is so close to the 1440p Ultra setting (73.6 FPS) indicates that the GPU is scaling its output based on pixel count. The RTX 4090's transistor count of 76,300 million and die size of 609 mm² on the 5 nm process from TSMC give it the raw compute power to dominate, but even this flagship card is challenged by the demands of 4K Ultra in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience prioritizing high frame rates, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. The measured average of 101.4 FPS is above the 100 FPS target, offering a fluid experience without the need to compromise on visual quality. If the user has a 1440p 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 122.3 FPS is an even better option for maximizing the display's refresh rate.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset at 64.4 FPS is playable, but the Medium preset at 80.8 FPS provides a substantial 25.5% performance boost with only a modest reduction in visual fidelity. For users who prioritize a stable 60 FPS, the High preset is the safest choice. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for general play, as the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS standard.

The Low preset at 4K achieves 103.8 FPS, but this comes at a significant visual cost. The data shows that the Medium preset is the optimal balance point at 4K, delivering 80.8 FPS and a smoother experience than High, while maintaining a much better visual presentation than Low. At 1080p, the High preset at 134.4 FPS is the recommended setting, as it offers a great balance of visual quality and performance, with the Ultra preset at 99.9 FPS still being a viable option for those who want maximum fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It features 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In Red Dead Redemption 2, this CPU is more than sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 214.7 FPS demonstrates that the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck.

However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering speed. The i5-14400F's benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and single-core score of 3093, indicate strong processing power, but this power is not the limiting factor in this game at 4K. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508, puts it on par with the Intel Core i7-13705H and AMD Ryzen 7 250, with a delta of -0.2% in both cases.

The CPU's performance is therefore a non-issue for this combo in this title. The 10 cores and 16 threads are sufficient for the game's multi-threaded tasks, and the high boost clock of 4.70 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance for game logic and draw call processing. The data indicates that users could potentially pair this CPU with an even faster GPU without seeing a significant CPU-related frame rate drop at 4K, but with the RTX 4090, the pairing is well-balanced. The processor's 65W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide flexibility for system builders, but in terms of gaming performance, the i5-14400F is a quiet, capable partner that does not detract from the GPU's impressive results.