Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a demanding open-world environment that stresses both processor and graphics hardware. The data for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward GPU performance, yet exhibits clear scaling patterns that point to specific bottlenecks at different resolutions. The measured frame rates across the three primary resolutions and four quality presets offer a detailed look at how this hardware combination behaves under varying loads.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K shows a dramatic decline that is characteristic of a system where the graphics card is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 214 FPS, but this drops to 160 FPS at 1440p and further to 106 FPS at 4K. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the RTX 4090's rendering workload is scaling almost linearly with pixel count. The pattern is consistent across all settings, though the percentage drops become more pronounced at higher quality presets.

Examining the High preset, the frame rate falls from 134 FPS at 1080p to 100 FPS at 1440p, then to 66 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is less than half of the 1080p result, which suggests that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at the highest resolution. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with 96 FPS at 1080p dropping to 72 FPS at 1440p and finally to 48 FPS at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the system is producing only 50% of the frame rate seen at 1080p Ultra, which strongly indicates that the RTX 4090 is the component determining performance.

The scaling between 1080p and 1440p is less severe than between 1440p and 4K for most presets. For Medium settings, the drop is from 161 FPS to 120 FPS (a 25% reduction) when moving to 1440p, but then to 79 FPS at 4K (a 34% reduction from 1440p). This non-linear scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the pixel throughput requirements at 4K become exponentially harder to satisfy. The data suggests that the i5-14600K has sufficient headroom at lower resolutions, but the RTX 4090 becomes the absolute bottleneck as resolution increases.

At 1080p Low, the 214 FPS figure is remarkably high and hints that the CPU might be nearing its limit, though the i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads provide enough processing power to keep feeding the GPU. The fact that 4K Low (106 FPS) still delivers a playable experience while 4K Ultra (48 FPS) falls below 60 FPS emphasizes that resolution scaling in this title is heavily dependent on the graphics settings applied.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications clearly explain the performance ceiling observed in Red Dead Redemption 2. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, the card offers 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth, which is essential for handling the high-resolution textures and detailed environments that this game presents. The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate are substantial, yet the game still manages to push the card to its limits at 4K Ultra.

The RTX 4090's clock speeds are notable, with a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with 16,384 shading units and 176 ROPs, allow the card to maintain strong performance even under heavy load. However, the measured FPS data reveals that Red Dead Redemption 2 is particularly demanding, as even this flagship GPU cannot sustain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, producing only 48 FPS on average. This suggests that the game's engine is leveraging advanced rendering techniques that heavily tax the GPU's resources.

The VRAM capacity of 24 GB is likely not a limiting factor in this title, as even at 4K Ultra, the game typically requires less than 24 GB of video memory. The memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s is more relevant, as it directly impacts how quickly textures and geometry can be streamed to the GPU cores. The frame rate differences between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution illustrate the GPU's role: at 4K, the jump from 106 FPS (Low) to 48 FPS (Ultra) demonstrates how much additional work the GPU must perform for enhanced visual fidelity.

The GPU's performance percentile of 88 among all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, though the measured results in this game show that even top-tier hardware can struggle with the most demanding settings. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 indicates strong synthetic performance, but real-world results in this open-world title are more moderate due to the game's complex rendering pipeline. The RTX 4090's role here is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rate, and its capabilities determine whether the game can run smoothly at higher resolutions and settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K serves as the supporting component in this pairing, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 4090 in most scenarios. With 14 cores (likely a mix of performance and efficiency cores) and 20 threads, the processor offers substantial multi-threading capability that benefits from Red Dead Redemption 2's use of multiple CPU threads for game logic, physics, and streaming. The CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for the game's main simulation thread.

The i5-14600K's cache hierarchy, including 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 per core, helps reduce memory latency and improve data access patterns. This is particularly important for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which features large, detailed environments that require constant data streaming. The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, combined with dual-channel memory architecture, allows for flexible system configuration, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used.

Looking at the CPU's benchmark results, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and single-core score of 2064 demonstrate strong processing power. The Geekbench multi-core score of 16673 and single-core score of 2491 further confirm the CPU's capability. These numbers suggest that the i5-14600K is not likely to be a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, and the measured FPS data supports this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the 214 FPS result indicates that the CPU can handle high frame rates, though it may be approaching its limit at this extreme performance level.

The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it well above average, and its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and AMD EPYC 4345P, with performance deltas of -0.2% and +0.3% respectively. This indicates that the i5-14600K is competitively positioned in the CPU market. In the context of this game, the CPU appears to provide adequate headroom, as the frame rate scaling with resolution is consistent with GPU-bound behavior rather than CPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 134th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations. This ranking is impressive, though it may seem lower than expected given the RTX 4090's status as a flagship GPU. The high rank number (134) relative to the total (3714) indicates that there are many other combos that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game, likely due to more powerful CPUs or alternative GPU configurations.

The combo's rank suggests that while the RTX 4090 is exceptionally powerful, the i5-14600K, despite its strong performance, may not be the absolute best partner for this GPU in this particular title. The CPU's percentile of 90 and the GPU's percentile of 88 are both high, but the combination's rank of 134 out of 3714 (approximately 96.4th percentile) shows that a small percentage of combos outperform this pairing. This could be due to CPUs with higher single-thread performance or better memory configurations that provide a slight edge in this game's CPU-intensive scenes.

The data shows that this combo delivers playable performance at most settings, with the exception of 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 48. The rank reflects that many other combos likely achieve higher frame rates at 4K Ultra, possibly using CPUs with higher boost clocks or more cache. However, the i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache are substantial, so the performance gap is likely small. The combo's ranking confirms the RTX 4090's raw power, but it also highlights that this game benefits from pairing the GPU with the absolute fastest CPU available.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium delivers a strong balance with 120 FPS average, while 1440p High achieves 100 FPS. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience with high visual quality, 1440p High is recommended, as 4K High only reaches 66 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, the combo achieves 106 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 79 FPS. However, 4K High drops to 66 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM affect performance in this game?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is likely sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at all settings, as the game typically uses less than 24 GB. The memory bandwidth is more critical for maintaining frame rates at high resolutions and settings.

Q: Is the i5-14600K a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The data suggests minimal CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 214 FPS, and the frame rate scaling with resolution follows a GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 14 cores provide enough performance to support the GPU effectively.

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

A: The measured FPS for 1080p Medium is 161 average, with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185. This provides a smooth experience on high refresh rate monitors, with the minimum FPS still well above 60.

Q: How does the combo's rank of 134 out of 3714 compare to other configurations?

A: This places the combo in the top 4% of all tested configurations. While there are 133 combos that perform better, this pairing is still among the elite setups for this game, offering excellent performance across most settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 214 FPS on Low settings, 161 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185), 134 FPS on High, and 96 FPS on Ultra. These figures demonstrate that at 1080p, the combo is more than capable of driving high refresh rate displays, with even the most demanding Ultra preset staying above 90 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain highly playable. Low settings produce 160 FPS, Medium achieves 120 FPS (minimum 102, maximum 138), High reaches 100 FPS, and Ultra drops to 72 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo can handle this resolution with ease, with all settings except Ultra maintaining at least 100 FPS. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this configuration, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the impact of higher resolution becomes evident. Low settings yield 106 FPS, Medium produces 79 FPS (minimum 67, maximum 91), High drops to 66 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The 4K results indicate that while the combo can handle 4K gaming, it requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth frame rates. The Medium preset at 4K offers a good compromise with 79 FPS, while High settings at 66 FPS are still playable but approach the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at 4K are the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, which may be a concern for players seeking the highest visual quality.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance priorities. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 96 FPS provides the best visual experience while maintaining high frame rates, making it the recommended choice for players with 100Hz or higher refresh rate monitors. The High preset at 134 FPS is also excellent for competitive play or those who prefer maximum smoothness, while the Medium preset at 161 FPS offers near-esports level performance.

At 1440p, the High preset at 100 FPS is the best balance between visual quality and performance, providing a smooth experience on 100Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 120 FPS is ideal for players with 120Hz displays who want to ensure frame rates stay well above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 72 FPS is still playable and offers the best graphics, but it may not be ideal for fast-paced action due to the lower frame rate. The Low preset at 160 FPS is only recommended for players who prioritize maximum performance over visuals.

For 4K resolution, the Medium preset at 79 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 66 FPS is acceptable for players who prefer better graphics and have G-Sync or VRR displays to eliminate screen tearing. The Low preset at 106 FPS offers the most headroom for high refresh rate 4K monitors, though the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS is not recommended for most players, as the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less responsive experience, especially in fast-moving scenes. For players who insist on 4K Ultra, the data suggests that this combo, while powerful, cannot maintain 60 FPS in this demanding title.