Red Dead Redemption 2

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 580 in Red Dead Redemption 2 produces a benchmark profile dominated by the graphics card's limitations, with the CPU's six physical cores providing a stable foundation that never appears to be the primary constraint in the measured data. The i5-9400 operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, presenting a capable baseline for a game that is notoriously demanding on both processing and rendering resources. Its six threads and 9 MB of shared L3 cache are sufficient to feed the RX 580, as the FPS figures across all resolutions and settings suggest a system where the GPU is consistently the bottleneck, a conclusion reinforced by the fact that the CPU's synthetic benchmark scores place it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, a mid-range standing that aligns with its role as a supporting component rather than a performance leader.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400's architecture, based on the Coffee Lake design, provides six cores and six threads, a configuration that was considered mainstream for gaming during its release period. The absence of hyper-threading means the processor relies on its physical cores, clocked at a base of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz, to handle the game's logic, physics, and draw calls. In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its complex simulation of an open world, this CPU's performance is adequate but not exceptional.

The data shows that the i5-9400's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core i3-10305 and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, both of which have an average score within 0.2% of the i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2305. This indicates that the CPU sits in a performance tier where it is essentially interchangeable with these other processors in terms of raw compute power. For this game, the CPU's impact is most visible in the ability to maintain a consistent frame rate, but the measured FPS across resolutions shows that the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 53.1 FPS, a figure that is nearly double the 4K Low result of 21.7 FPS, suggesting that while the CPU can keep up with the game's demands, the RX 580 cannot scale its output to match higher resolutions without a significant drop in performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 580 pairing is positioned at rank 1570 out of 1687 total combos. This places the combo in the lower quartile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is functional, it does not deliver a high-performance experience relative to other configurations. The rank is a strong indicator that the RX 580, with its 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, is holding back the overall system performance, as the CPU alone would likely place higher if paired with a more powerful graphics card.

The combo's low ranking is not surprising given the GPU's average benchmark score of 13559, which places it in close competition with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (with a deltaPct of 0) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (with a deltaPct of 0.1). These rival GPUs are older or lower-tier cards, and their similar scores reinforce that the RX 580 is a mid-range component from its era, not a high-end performer. The data suggests that for a game as graphically intensive as Red Dead Redemption 2, this combo will struggle to provide a smooth experience at higher settings, and the rank of 1570 out of 1687 serves as a quantitative confirmation of this limitation.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 53.1 FPS, but this drops to 35.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 21.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 59% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a steep decline that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations, as the i5-9400's processing power is not resolution-dependent.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 34% drop (from 53.1 to 35.3 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K, there is an additional 39% drop (from 35.3 to 21.7 FPS). This consistent and significant decrease in FPS with each resolution step indicates that the RX 580's rendering capabilities, specifically its 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 32 ROPs, are being overwhelmed by the increased pixel count. The CPU, which has a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and a dual-channel DDR4 interface, is not the bottleneck here; rather, the data points to the GPU's fill rate and memory throughput as the limiting factors, making the resolution scaling behavior a direct reflection of the RX 580's architectural constraints.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the lowest resolution tested, the combo shows a wide range of performance depending on the quality preset. The Low setting achieves 53.1 FPS, which is a playable frame rate for most users, while the Medium setting drops to 34.7 FPS, a 35% reduction. High settings yield 31.8 FPS, and Ultra brings the system to its knees at 20.4 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 1440p, the performance degrades further. Low settings produce 35.3 FPS, which is still technically playable but noticeably less smooth than the 1080p result. Medium settings drop to 27.8 FPS, and High settings fall to 21.3 FPS. At Ultra, the combo manages only 18.7 FPS, which is a poor experience for an action-adventure game that requires responsiveness.

At 4K, the highest resolution tested, the system is unable to provide a playable experience at any setting. Low settings yield 21.7 FPS, Medium drops to 18.8 FPS, High falls to 16.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 12.1 FPS. These figures are all well below the 30 FPS threshold that is generally considered the minimum for a playable console-like experience, and the data clearly shows that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal setting for this combo is 1080p with the Low preset, which achieves 53.1 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a frame rate above 50 FPS, which is a significant milestone for smooth gameplay in a demanding title. The 1080p Low setting offers a 53% improvement over the next best option, 1440p Low at 35.3 FPS, and a 67% improvement over 1080p Medium at 34.7 FPS.

For users who prefer higher visual fidelity, the 1080p Medium setting at 34.7 FPS is the best compromise, as it provides a playable frame rate while improving graphical quality over Low. The High preset at 1080p yields 31.8 FPS, which is slightly lower than Medium, suggesting that the added visual effects have a minimal impact on performance but still result in a playable experience. The Ultra preset at 20.4 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the playable threshold and does not offer a worthwhile improvement in visuals for the significant performance cost. For 1440p gaming, the Low preset at 35.3 FPS is the only viable option, while 4K is not a practical choice for this combo at any setting.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p with Low settings achieves the highest average FPS at 53.1, making it the best choice for smooth gameplay. If you want better visuals, 1080p Medium at 34.7 FPS is the next best option.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, and 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134. It is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-8809G.

Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming?

A: No. At 4K, the highest average FPS is 21.7 on Low settings, and it drops to 12.1 on Ultra. These frame rates are well below the playable threshold of 30 FPS.

Q: What is the primary bottleneck for this system in this game?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the limiting component. The FPS drops significantly with each resolution increase, indicating a GPU-bound system, while the CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up with the game's processing demands.

Q: How does the RX 580's performance compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, which is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.1% delta). It is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 455 and 1.1% lower than the NVIDIA P106-090.

Q: What is the best FPS the combo can achieve at 1440p?

A: The best 1440p result is 35.3 FPS on Low settings. Higher settings at 1440p drop below 30 FPS, with Medium at 27.8 FPS and High at 21.3 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the dominant performance factor in this combo, and its specifications directly explain the measured FPS results. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory capacity is sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher pixel count requires more data to be transferred to and from the frame buffer.

The GPU's clocks are set at a base of 1257 MHz and a boost of 1340 MHz, with memory running at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). These clock speeds, combined with 2304 shading units and 32 ROPs, yield a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS places the RX 580 in a mid-range tier, which is consistent with its 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs. The GPU's TDP of 185 W and its 8-pin power connector indicate that it is a power-hungry component, but this does not directly affect the FPS results.

The benchmark data shows that the RX 580's average score of 13559 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564) and GTX 950 (13549), confirming that it is a comparable performer to these older cards. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's limitations are clear: at 1080p Low, it can achieve 53.1 FPS, but as settings increase, the frame rate drops proportionally, with Ultra at 20.4 FPS. This pattern is a direct result of the GPU's rendering capabilities and memory bandwidth, making it the clear bottleneck in this pairing.