Red Dead Redemption 2

# FAQ

Q: What is the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14600K + Intel Arc B390 combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The combo achieves an average of 51 FPS at 1080p Low settings, 39 FPS at 1080p Medium, and 32 FPS at 1080p High. At 1440p, averages drop to 38 FPS (Low), 29 FPS (Medium), and 24 FPS (High). At 4K, the averages fall to 25 FPS (Low), 19 FPS (Medium), and 16 FPS (High).

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2568 out of 2902 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This indicates that while the CPU is strong, the GPU component substantially limits overall gaming performance in this title.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile and how does it compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, placing the Arc B390 1.3% ahead. It also leads the GeForce 800M by 1.5%, the GT 625 OEM by 2.5%, and the GT 710 by 2.7%.

Q: What are the CPU's key specifications that matter for this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache. The CPU sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

Q: Is the GPU memory dedicated or shared?

A: The Intel Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all system-dependent rather than fixed components. The memory clock is also listed as "System Shared," and bandwidth is described as "System Dependent."

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-14600K has an unlocked multiplier, which is indicated by the multiplierUnlocked field being true. This allows for manual overclocking, though the data does not include any overclocked performance measurements for this game.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary performance bottleneck in this configuration for Red Dead Redemption 2. Based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the GPU scores 1482, which places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This is an extremely low position, and the nearest rival comparisons confirm the modest performance envelope: the Arc B390 is only 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all legacy or entry-level parts, which contextualizes the GPU's capabilities.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The large delta between base and boost suggests that the chip can ramp up significantly under load, but the actual measured frame rates indicate that sustained performance is limited. The architecture is Xe3-LPG on Intel's 3 nm process, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS. These compute metrics are modest by modern standards, and the 80 W TDP reflects a power-efficient but low-throughput design.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's role is decisive. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 51, which is the only setting/resolution combination that approaches playable territory. Moving to Medium reduces the average to 39 FPS, and High drops it further to 32 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 23 FPS. These numbers reveal that the GPU is the limiting component at every tested configuration, as the CPU is far more capable (90th percentile) than the GPU (9th percentile). The GPU's system-shared memory means there is no dedicated VRAM pool; instead, it relies on the host system's memory, which can introduce additional latency and bandwidth constraints depending on the platform configuration. The "System Dependent" bandwidth figure underscores this variability.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-end desktop processor that provides ample computational headroom for this game, but that headroom goes largely unused because the GPU cannot keep pace. The CPU has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache, along with 80 KB per-core L1 cache. The architecture is Raptor Lake-R, built on Intel's 10 nm process, with a die size of 257 mm². It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it has 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only). The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present, but it is not used for gaming in this configuration.

Benchmark data shows the CPU's strength. In Cinebench R23, it scores 24491 multi-core and 2064 single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 16673 multi-core and 2491 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 38682, with a single-thread score of 4270. The CPU's average benchmark score is 48618, placing it at the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, -0.2% delta), the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470, +0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287, +0.7% delta), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995, -0.8% delta). These are all strong server or high-end desktop processors, confirming the i5-14600K's position as a top-tier CPU.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and AI processing. Given that the CPU is at the 90th percentile and the GPU is at the 9th percentile, the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side. This is evident in the FPS scaling: when settings are reduced from High to Low at a fixed resolution, the frame rate improves significantly. At 1080p, dropping from High (32 FPS) to Low (51 FPS) yields a 59% improvement, which is a GPU-bound behavior pattern. If the CPU were the limiting factor, settings changes would have a much smaller impact on frame rates. The CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.30 GHz are more than sufficient for this game's single-threaded and multi-threaded demands, but they cannot compensate for the GPU's throughput limitations.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with Low settings, which delivers an average of 51 FPS. This is the only configuration that achieves a frame rate above 50 FPS, and it is the only one that approaches a smooth gaming experience. The 1080p Medium preset averages 39 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players, but it represents a 24% drop from Low. The 1080p High preset averages 32 FPS, which is borderline playable but likely to feel stuttery in action-heavy scenes. The 1080p Ultra preset averages only 23 FPS, which is not recommended for any gameplay scenario.

At 1440p, the situation worsens. The Low preset averages 38 FPS, which is a 25% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 29 FPS, and the High preset averages 24 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 17 FPS. At 4K, the Low preset averages 25 FPS, Medium averages 19 FPS, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. None of the 4K configurations are playable, and even the 1440p Medium and High options fall below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider a minimum for playable action games.

The data suggests that the only viable path to a playable experience is 1080p Low. If visual fidelity is a priority, 1080p Medium at 39 FPS is the next best option, though it requires accepting reduced smoothness. The Ultra preset at any resolution is effectively a slideshow and should be avoided. Given that the GPU is the bottleneck, lowering settings has a direct and substantial impact on frame rates, as evidenced by the 59% improvement from High to Low at 1080p. Players who prioritize frame rate over visuals should stick to Low settings; those who want a balance might accept Medium at 1080p, but the data does not support any higher settings as providing a good experience.

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K + Intel Arc B390 combo ranks 2568 out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects the severe imbalance between the CPU and GPU: the i5-14600K is a top-tier processor (90th percentile), while the Arc B390 is an entry-level GPU (9th percentile). When paired together, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, dragging the overall gaming performance down to levels comparable to much older or weaker hardware.

The combo's rank is consistent with the GPU's position among its rivals. The Arc B390's nearest rivals—GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710—are all legacy parts from over a decade ago. The fact that this combo ranks 2568th out of 2902 means that the vast majority of tested configurations deliver better frame rates in this game. Even combos with mid-range CPUs and slightly better GPUs would likely outperform this pairing because the GPU is so far below the average performance curve.

The CPU's high percentile (90th) does not help the rank, as the game's performance is not CPU-bound in this configuration. The data shows that the combo's ranking is almost entirely determined by the GPU's low throughput. For context, the CPU's average benchmark score of 48618 places it above many server-class Xeon and EPYC processors, but this computing power cannot translate into higher frame rates when the GPU cannot render frames quickly enough. The combo rank of 2568/2902 is a clear signal that this pairing is poorly matched for Red Dead Redemption 2, and users would need a significantly more powerful GPU to achieve a better ranking.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the results are as follows: Low averages 51 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 44, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only one with min/max data, showing a 33-44 FPS range, which indicates noticeable frame pacing variability.

At 1440p, the averages are: Low at 38 FPS, Medium at 29 FPS (min 24, max 33), High at 24 FPS, and Ultra at 17 FPS. The Medium preset's min/max range of 24-33 FPS shows a 9 FPS spread, which is proportionally larger than at 1080p. At 4K, the averages are: Low at 25 FPS, Medium at 19 FPS (min 16, max 22), High at 16 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a min/max range of 16-22 FPS, a 6 FPS spread.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent: at 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 55% (51 to 23 FPS); at 1440p, it is 55% (38 to 17 FPS); at 4K, it is 56% (25 to 11 FPS). This uniform percentage reduction indicates that the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings, and the relative cost of each preset is similar regardless of resolution. The absolute FPS numbers, however, are low across the board, with the highest recorded average being 51 FPS at 1080p Low and the lowest being 11 FPS at 4K Ultra.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a purely GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 51 at 1080p to 38 at 1440p to 25 at 4K. This represents a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 34% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 39, 29, and 19 FPS respectively, showing similar proportional decreases. At High settings, the averages are 32, 24, and 16 FPS, and at Ultra, they are 23, 17, and 11 FPS.

The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that has limited fillrate and shading capacity. The Arc B390 has only 24 ROPs and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, which means that increasing resolution directly stresses the pixel throughput. At 4K, the number of pixels is four times that of 1080p, but the FPS does not drop to exactly one-quarter; instead, it drops to roughly half. This is because the workload is not purely pixel-bound—there are also vertex and texture processing components—but the trend clearly shows that resolution scaling has a severe impact.

At 1080p Low, the 51 FPS result suggests that the GPU can handle the game's basic rendering requirements at a modest resolution. However, at 4K Low, the 25 FPS average is exactly half of the 1080p Low figure. This halving is a strong indicator that the GPU is hitting its memory bandwidth or fillrate limits at higher resolutions. The system-shared memory configuration means that the GPU relies on the host's memory bandwidth, which is described as "System Dependent" and cannot be quantified from the data. This dependency likely exacerbates the resolution scaling penalty, as higher resolutions require more memory traffic.

The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU's performance is far above what is needed for this game, and the FPS scaling with both settings and resolution follows GPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were the limit, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case. The data shows that every resolution increase produces a significant FPS drop, and every settings increase produces a similar drop, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the sole constraint on performance in Red Dead Redemption 2.