Red Dead Redemption 2

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This CPU sits in the 89th percentile of all processors, indicating strong general-purpose performance that comfortably exceeds the demands of most gaming workloads.

In synthetic testing, the i7-12700K scores 9,276 in 3DMark's 16-thread test and 9,979 at max threads, while single-thread performance registers 1,043 in 3DMark's single-thread test. Cinebench R23 results show 29,241 multi-core and 4,128 single-core scores. The CPU's nearest rivals help contextualize this performance: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 scores 35,802 average, just 0.3% ahead, while the Intel Core i7-13700T trails by 0.6% at 35,468. The Intel Core i5-14500HX leads by 0.7% at 35,940, and the Intel Core i7-13800H is 0.8% behind at 35,416.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the relationship between CPU capability and measured FPS becomes clear when examining resolution scaling. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 87.6 FPS, which represents the least GPU-bound scenario in the dataset. This is where the 12-core processor's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock are most relevant, as they ensure the GPU receives a consistent stream of draw calls. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core further support the game's open-world streaming demands, which benefit from data locality. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking versus all CPUs suggests headroom beyond what this GPU combination extracts, particularly at lower resolutions where frame rates approach the 87.6 FPS mark.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on TSMC's 12 nm process, featuring 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1365 MHz with a boost of 1680 MHz, and memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU contains 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 30 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores, delivering 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. It ranks in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint in Red Dead Redemption 2, a game known for its dense environments and high-resolution textures. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo drops to 21.9 FPS, and even at 1080p Ultra it only reaches 38.6 FPS. The GPU's nearest rivals show its competitive positioning: the AMD Radeon RX 7600S scores 15,996 average, 0.5% behind, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700 both score 16,351, leading by 1.7%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 1.8% at 15,786.

The 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 6 GB frame buffer becomes a limiting factor at 4K, particularly with High and Ultra settings that demand larger texture pools. The data shows 4K High at 25.8 FPS versus 4K Medium at 30.5 FPS, a difference attributable to both shading load and memory pressure. The RTX 2060's position in the 58th percentile of GPUs indicates it is a mid-range part, and the measured FPS figures align with that classification.

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 GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 87.6 FPS; at 1440p Low it falls to 61.1 FPS (a 30.2% drop); at 4K Low it reaches 43.1 FPS (a 50.8% drop from 1080p). This progressive decline indicates the RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck, as pixel throughput demands grow quadratically with resolution.

The same pattern appears at High settings: 1080p High yields 51.0 FPS, 1440p High drops to 41.2 FPS (19.2% decrease), and 4K High falls to 25.8 FPS (49.4% decrease from 1080p). Medium settings show 1080p at 61.8 FPS, 1440p at 44.6 FPS, and 4K at 30.5 FPS. Ultra settings demonstrate the steepest curve: 1080p Ultra at 38.6 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 26.4 FPS, and 4K Ultra at 21.9 FPS.

The scaling behavior suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, the GPU's limitations dominate at higher resolutions. The difference between 1080p Low (87.6 FPS) and 4K Low (43.1 FPS) is less than 50% of the original value, which is actually better scaling than High settings, where 4K retains only 50.6% of the 1080p frame rate. This is consistent with the 6 GB VRAM being stressed at 4K, causing the GPU to spend cycles managing memory rather than rendering. The data indicates that 1080p is the viable resolution for this combination, with 1440p possible at Low settings, while 4K remains an aspirational target.

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

The dataset provides average FPS across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 87.6 FPS, Medium drops to 61.8 FPS, High yields 51.0 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.6 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 56.0% reduction in frame rate, reflecting the substantial render cost of the game's highest quality assets and effects.

At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 61.1 FPS, Medium reaches 44.6 FPS, High manages 41.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26.4 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 1440p is narrower (3.4 FPS difference) than the gap between High and Ultra (14.8 FPS difference), suggesting that Ultra settings impose a disproportionately heavy load on the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 1,920 shading units.

At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 43.1 FPS, Medium achieves 30.5 FPS, High falls to 25.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 21.9 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure of 21.9 FPS is the lowest in the entire dataset, and even 4K Low at 43.1 FPS stays below the 1440p Medium result of 44.6 FPS. This indicates that resolution has a more significant impact on performance than settings quality, since 4K Low (43.1 FPS) nearly matches 1440p Medium (44.6 FPS) but represents a much lower visual quality. The data shows that 1080p Low is the only configuration achieving near-90 FPS, while 1080p High remains playable at 51.0 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1,397 out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the bottom 17.2% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position (58th percentile) combined with a CPU that is in the 89th percentile, creating a significant imbalance where the processor's potential is not fully utilized.

The rank of 1,397 out of 1,687 indicates that the majority of tested combinations achieve higher frame rates in this game. The data suggests that the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are the limiting factors, as the i7-12700K's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom. The CPU's nearest rivals — all scoring within 0.8% of each other — demonstrate that processor choice in this performance tier has minimal impact on the final ranking; the GPU determines the outcome.

When compared to other combos, this pairing sits in a region where many alternative GPUs with similar average benchmark scores (around 16,074 for the RTX 2060) would produce comparable results. The 58th GPU percentile and 89th CPU percentile create a gap: the CPU could support a more powerful GPU without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 87.6 FPS at 1080p Low, which is far below the CPU's theoretical ceiling. The ranking data implies that users seeking higher frame rates in Red Dead Redemption 2 would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than a CPU upgrade, since the i7-12700K already performs near the top of its class.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution, with Low settings achieving 87.6 FPS, Medium at 61.8 FPS, and High at 51.0 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS (61.1 FPS), while 4K remains below 43.1 FPS in all presets.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, frame rate drops from 87.6 FPS at 1080p to 43.1 FPS at 4K, a 50.8% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 51.0 FPS to 25.8 FPS, a 49.4% reduction. Ultra settings show the smallest absolute drop, from 38.6 FPS to 21.9 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile of GPUs, while the i7-12700K ranks in the 89th percentile of CPUs. The FPS scaling across resolutions shows a consistent GPU-bound pattern, with 1080p Low reaching 87.6 FPS but 4K Ultra dropping to 21.9 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16,074. The AMD Radeon RX 7600S trails by 0.5% at 15,996, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700 both lead by 1.7% at 16,351. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.8% behind at 15,786.

Q: What is the CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,684. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 leads by 0.3% at 35,802, the Intel Core i7-13700T trails by 0.6% at 35,468, the Intel Core i5-14500HX leads by 0.7% at 35,940, and the Intel Core i7-13800H trails by 0.8% at 35,416.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1,397 out of 1,687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the bottom 17.2% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range performance tier relative to the CPU's high-tier capability.