Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding open-world title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily. This combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER places in the 2154th position out of 3714 tested combos, putting it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data shows that while the GPU is capable of strong performance at lower resolutions, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, indicating a balance that leans heavily on the graphics card for most of the heavy lifting.

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and can boost up to 4.10 GHz, which provides a reasonable foundation for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 that benefits from multiple threads but does not necessarily require the highest core counts. The processor has a 9 MB shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is sufficient for feeding the GPU in most scenarios.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 scores 6629 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 points in single-core, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 2254, which puts it in direct competition with other mid-range processors. The nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with an average score of 2259 (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (delta 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (delta 0.4%), and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (delta -0.4%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the i5-9400 performs essentially identically to these alternatives in general compute tasks.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining a stable frame rate floor, especially in densely populated areas like towns or during dynamic weather effects. The 6-thread configuration is adequate for the game's engine, but it is not a top-tier performer. When looking at the measured FPS data, the impact of the CPU becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 102 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 4K Ultra the frame rate drops to 23 FPS, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher graphical loads. The CPU's performance is consistent across resolutions, but it does not provide enough headroom to push frame rates significantly higher when the GPU has spare capacity.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU with 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The core clock runs at 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and the memory is rated at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). This card also includes 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, although Red Dead Redemption 2 does not heavily utilize ray tracing, so these features have minimal impact on its performance.

In terms of raw compute, the RTX 2070 SUPER offers 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s. Its average benchmark score is 20282, placing it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M with a score of 20480 (delta -1%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (delta -1.2%), the Intel Arc B570 at 20556 (delta -1.3%), and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (delta -1.5%). The RTX 2070 SUPER is slightly behind all of these, but the differences are small, indicating it sits in a similar performance class.

The GPU's memory capacity of 8 GB is a key factor in Red Dead Redemption 2, as the game can be memory-hungry at high resolutions and texture settings. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 23 FPS, which is largely due to the GPU reaching its computational limits and possibly the memory bandwidth being saturated. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average is 48 FPS, and at 1920x1080 with High settings, it reaches 64 FPS. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: lower resolutions and settings yield much higher frame rates, with the GPU being the dominant factor in these results.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 57, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66. This represents a playable experience for most users, though there may be occasional dips in demanding scenes.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The i5-9400 has an average score of 2254, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248). The differences are negligible in real-world usage.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 High is 64, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. However, this is an average, and frame times may vary.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if the goal is 50+ FPS?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 50. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average is 76, and at 1920x1080 with Low settings, it is 102. The data indicates that lower resolutions provide more headroom.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance compare to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282, which is 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570's score of 20556. This places them in a similar performance tier.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 23, which is not playable. At 4K High, it is 31 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at this resolution, as the game's texture requirements can exceed that capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2154th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower half of all configurations, which is somewhat surprising given the individual components' performance. The CPU is at the 47th percentile of all processors, and the GPU is at the 65th percentile, but their combined ranking suggests that the system is not well-optimized for this particular game or that other combos with similar components perform better.

Looking at the measured data, the system delivers a maximum average of 102 FPS at 1080p Low, which is respectable, but it falls off sharply as resolution and settings increase. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 34 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is just 23 FPS. These results indicate that the combo is better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming with medium settings, rather than high-resolution, high-detail play. The rank of 2154 out of 3714 suggests that many other CPU/GPU pairings offer better performance, but the data does not specify which components are in those higher-ranked combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the results are the most favorable: Low settings yield an average of 102 FPS, Medium gives 77 FPS (with a min of 65 and max of 88), High delivers 64 FPS, and Ultra drops to 46 FPS. These numbers show that the system is capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p for most settings, with Ultra being the only preset that falls below a consistent 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases noticeably. Low settings average 76 FPS, Medium averages 57 FPS (min 49, max 66), High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset offers a playable experience, but High and Ultra require compromises on frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings average 50 FPS, Medium averages 38 FPS (min 32, max 43), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, and even then, it may not be ideal for all users. The data clearly shows that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming, as the GPU is overwhelmed by the resolution and the CPU cannot compensate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset delivers an average of 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 88, providing a smooth and consistent frame rate that is suitable for most players. The High preset at 1080p also works well at 64 FPS, but the Medium preset offers more headroom for demanding scenes without sacrificing too much visual quality.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Medium settings preset is the recommended choice, as it averages 57 FPS with a min of 49. This is just below the 60 FPS target, but it is still playable, and the visual upgrade from 1080p may be worth the trade-off. The Low preset at 1440p yields 76 FPS, but the graphical fidelity is significantly reduced, which may detract from the game's atmosphere.

At 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable, with an average of 50 FPS. However, even this setting may not provide a consistent experience, as the minimum FPS is not recorded for this preset. The Medium preset at 4K has a min of 32 FPS, which is too low for comfortable gameplay. For the best overall experience, sticking to 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium is advised, as these settings balance visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it yields 46 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K, all of which are below acceptable playability thresholds.