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 desktop processor built on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It carries 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, alongside 80 KB of L1 cache per core. This combination of high boost clocks and substantial cache makes it well-suited for Red Dead Redemption 2’s demanding open-world workloads, which rely on both strong single-thread performance for game logic and multi-thread scaling for background simulation.

Benchmark data for the CPU shows a 3DMark max-thread score of 9979 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043, indicating that the processor excels in lightly threaded tasks. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score reaches 19784, while the single-core score is 1850.5. These numbers reflect a balanced design—12 physical cores with Hyper-Threading provide ample parallel throughput, while the 5.00 GHz boost ensures that the game’s main thread is not starved. The processor ranks in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287, placing it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-13600T and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-12700KF in aggregate performance.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role becomes apparent when examining frame rates across settings. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 220 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU without bottlenecking—the 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and PassMark multithread score of 34404 both point to strong sustained throughput. However, as resolution increases and graphical load rises, the GPU begins to dominate, and the CPU’s influence on FPS diminishes. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 49, a figure that is far more dependent on the GPU’s rasterization limits than on CPU compute.

The CPU’s memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with a dual-channel memory bus, means that it can adapt to various platform configurations. In this specific pairing with the RTX 5090, the i7-12700K’s PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 CPU lanes provides sufficient bandwidth for the GPU, which uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The measured results indicate that the CPU does not become a limiting factor until frame rates exceed roughly 220 FPS, which only occurs at 1080p Low. Beyond that point, the GPU’s workload scaling takes precedence, making the CPU’s high single-thread performance more of a safety net than a primary driver.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 220, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 164 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 108 FPS at 3840x2160 Low.

Q: How does the i7-12700K compare to its nearest rival in CPU performance?

A: The i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13600T’s score of 35305. It also trails the Intel Core i7-12700KF by 0.2% (35365) and the Intel Core i7-13700T by 0.3% (35403). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 164 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and a maximum of 189 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is still capable of keeping up, but the GPU is starting to take on more load. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 indicate it can handle the game’s main thread at these rates.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested system combinations?

A: The combo ranks 88th out of 3714 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 2.4% of all systems. This rank reflects the overall performance of the i7-12700K paired with the RTX 5090.

Q: How much FPS is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 137, while at 4K High it drops to 68. This represents a 50.4% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU, and how does it relate to its performance tier?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a launch MSRP of $409. The data shows it sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287, which is competitive with newer mid-range parts like the Core i5-13600T.

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 resolution-dependent scaling that highlights the shift from CPU-bound to GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 220 FPS, which is the ceiling for this pairing—no other settings or resolution combination exceeds this figure. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 164 FPS, a 25.5% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 108 FPS, representing a 50.9% drop from 1080p. This scaling is steep but expected, as the GPU must render four times the pixels at 4K compared to 1080p.

At Medium settings, the same trend holds but with slightly different magnitudes. The 1080p Medium average is 164 FPS, which matches the 1440p Low result exactly. At 1440p Medium, the average is 123 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it drops to 81 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 50.6%, nearly identical to the Low setting’s drop. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and shading capacity are the dominant factors, not the CPU.

High settings show a similar pattern: 137 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 50.4%, again matching the other presets. Ultra settings, however, show a different dynamic. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 99 FPS; at 1440p Ultra, it falls to 74 FPS; and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 49 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 50.5%, but the absolute values are much lower, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the highest preset.

The key insight from this data is that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution above 1080p Low. The i7-12700K’s high single-thread performance and 12-core layout provide enough headroom to drive the GPU at frame rates up to 220 FPS. Once the resolution increases, the RTX 5090’s workload scales with pixel count, and the FPS drops proportionally. This is a classic sign of a balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions—the CPU’s role is to ensure that it never becomes the primary constraint, which the data confirms.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 88th out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 2.4% of all systems in the database, a position that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The RTX 5090 alone ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79842, while the CPU ranks in the 84th percentile. The combination of a top-tier GPU and a strong mid-to-high-tier CPU yields a system that is competitive with the best available hardware.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the database includes 3714 unique CPU-GPU pairings. A rank of 88 means that only 87 other combinations deliver higher average FPS in this game. Given that the RTX 5090 is one of the fastest GPUs available—with a PassMark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355—the rank is likely limited by the CPU’s performance tier rather than the GPU. The i7-12700K’s nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks are all within 0.4% of its average score, so any rank difference between similar CPUs would be minimal. This suggests that the rank is driven by the GPU’s raw power, and the CPU is sufficient to avoid major bottlenecks.

The combo’s rank also benefits from the game’s release date in 2018, which means it was designed for hardware that is now several generations old. The RTX 5090, released in 2025, has a transistor count of 92,200 million and a die size of 750 mm², giving it massive compute resources. The fact that this combo only reaches 49 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates that Red Dead Redemption 2 is still very demanding at maximum settings, even for the latest hardware. The rank of 88 among 3714 combos is a strong result, but it is not the top, suggesting that other pairings with even faster CPUs (e.g., newer Core i9 or Ryzen 9 parts) might edge out this system in CPU-bound scenarios.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 220 FPS, Medium produces 164 FPS with a minimum of 140 and maximum of 189, High produces 137 FPS, and Ultra produces 99 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 121 FPS, indicating that the GPU scales well with reduced quality settings, but the CPU can still push high frame rates even at Ultra (99 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the averages are 164 FPS for Low, 123 FPS for Medium (with a minimum of 104 and maximum of 141), 102 FPS for High, and 74 FPS for Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets: Low loses 56 FPS, Medium loses 41 FPS, High loses 35 FPS, and Ultra loses 25 FPS. This shows that the GPU’s workload increases with resolution, but the relative performance gap between presets narrows—at 1440p, Ultra is 55% slower than Low, whereas at 1080p, Ultra is 55% slower than Low as well. The consistency suggests that the GPU’s scaling is linear with pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 108 FPS for Low, 81 FPS for Medium (with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93), 68 FPS for High, and 49 FPS for Ultra. The drop from 1440p to 4K is substantial: Low loses 56 FPS, Medium loses 42 FPS, High loses 34 FPS, and Ultra loses 25 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 69, which is higher than the average at 4K Ultra, indicating that even at Medium settings, the GPU maintains playable frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is the lowest in the dataset, but it is still above 30 FPS, making it playable for most users.

The data also reveals that the difference between High and Ultra is consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the gap is 38 FPS (137 vs 99); at 1440p, the gap is 28 FPS (102 vs 74); and at 4K, the gap is 19 FPS (68 vs 49). This narrowing gap indicates that Ultra settings impose a relatively fixed additional cost, which becomes less significant as the GPU is already heavily loaded at higher resolutions. The measured values are all averages, with only Medium settings having recorded min/max figures, so the variability at other presets is unknown.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s resolution and target frame rate. At 1920x1080, High settings provide a strong balance, with an average FPS of 137. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium (164 FPS) without the substantial performance cost of Ultra (99 FPS). For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, Low settings at 220 FPS might be preferable, but the visual quality trade-off is steep. Medium at 164 FPS is also viable, but High offers a better visual-to-performance ratio.

At 2560x1440, High settings average 102 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and provides good visual fidelity. Medium averages 123 FPS, which is smoother but with reduced quality; Ultra drops to 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot at this resolution, as it maintains over 100 FPS while delivering most of the graphical features. For those prioritizing frame rate, Medium at 123 FPS is the better choice, but the 21 FPS gain over High may not justify the visual downgrade.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations shift. High settings average 68 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, making it the best preset for a smooth 4K experience. Medium averages 81 FPS and provides more headroom, but at a noticeable quality loss. Ultra averages 49 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and may result in noticeable stutter on some displays. Low at 108 FPS is the smoothest, but the visual quality is severely reduced. For 4K, High is the recommended preset, as it balances visual fidelity with a playable frame rate. Medium is a good alternative for users who want higher FPS, while Ultra is only suitable for those who prioritize visuals over smoothness.

Overall, the data indicates that High is the most consistent preset across all resolutions, providing at least 68 FPS at 4K and up to 137 FPS at 1080p. The only scenario where High is not optimal is at 1080p on a 240 Hz monitor, where Low’s 220 FPS would be necessary to fully utilize the display. For the majority of users, High offers the best experience, with Medium as a fallback for higher FPS and Ultra for those who accept lower frame rates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a massive GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its memory clock is 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, and the GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The chip, named GB202, is built on a 5 nm process with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². These specifications give it a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU’s role is dominant at all settings above 1080p Low. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any resolution, as the game’s highest texture demands are far below this capacity. The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not cause stuttering, which is reflected in the minimum FPS values at Medium settings—69 FPS at 4K and 140 FPS at 1080p. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz allows for high sustained performance, but the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 49, indicating that the GPU’s raw compute is the limiting factor.

The RTX 5090’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which has an average score of 79605 (0.3% higher), and the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB with a score of 79396 (0.6% higher). The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (1.1% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959 (1.4% lower). These comparisons are based on aggregate benchmarks, and in gaming, the RTX 5090’s architectural advantages—such as 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores—are not directly captured by these scores. The GPU ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, confirming its high-end status.

The GPU’s role in this combo is to provide the raw rendering power that the CPU cannot. At 1080p Low, the CPU pushes 220 FPS, but the GPU is still capable of higher frame rates—the CPU is the bottleneck. As resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the FPS drops proportionally. The fact that 4K Ultra only achieves 49 FPS despite the GPU’s massive specifications suggests that Red Dead Redemption 2 is particularly demanding on GPU compute, likely due to its advanced lighting and shadow effects. The GPU’s 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs are tasked with rendering the game’s detailed environments, and the results show that even the fastest consumer GPU cannot hit 60 FPS at max settings in 4K. This highlights the game’s age and the need for compromise in settings, as the measured data clearly demonstrates.