Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 produces a clear scaling pattern in Red Dead Redemption 2, where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combination delivers a broad range of performance, with the Low preset hitting 145 FPS and Ultra dropping to 65 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the average frame rates at each setting fall by roughly 25-30 percent, with High dropping from 91 FPS to 68 FPS and Low from 145 FPS to 108 FPS. At 4K, the drop is more severe: High slides to 45 FPS, Medium to 54 FPS, and Ultra to just 32 FPS.

The scaling between 1440p and 4K is notably steeper than between 1080p and 1440p, indicating that the RTX 3080's rendering throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. For example, the Medium preset at 1440p averages 81 FPS, but at 4K that number falls to 54 FPS, a reduction of roughly one-third. This pattern suggests the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth begin to cap performance as pixel count increases. The largest relative drop occurs at Ultra, where the 1440p average of 49 FPS collapses to 32 FPS at 4K, a 35 percent decline that underscores the extreme demand of the game's highest settings on this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals that Red Dead Redemption 2 scales predictably with resolution, but the degree of the drop varies by preset. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 145 FPS, which is more than double the 65 FPS seen at Ultra. This wide gap indicates that at 1080p, the RTX 3080 is not fully saturated at lower settings, allowing the i7-12700KF to push frame rates higher. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS, showing stable performance with minor variance.

At 1440p, the Low preset still manages 108 FPS, which is a 25 percent reduction from 1080p, while High falls to 68 FPS and Ultra to 49 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows an average of 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93, suggesting consistent frame pacing despite the higher resolution. This resolution tier appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, as High and Medium remain comfortably above 60 FPS.

The 4K results tell a different story. Low drops to 72 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium falls to 54 FPS, High to 45 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 40 FPS, compared to 80 FPS at 1080p, implying that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K regardless of settings. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 62 FPS, indicating that even mid-range settings produce noticeable frame dips. Resolution scaling here confirms that the RTX 3080, while capable, cannot maintain high refresh rates at 4K with this game's heavier presets.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 1066 out of 3714 tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 29 percent of all combos. This percentile position reflects a strong but not elite standing, consistent with the measured frame rates that favor 1080p and 1440p gaming over 4K. The rank indicates that many other pairings, likely with more recent GPUs, achieve higher average FPS, but this combo still outperforms the majority of tested systems.

The individual components show contrasting positions relative to their peers. The i7-12700KF holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, scores 35403, a mere 0.1 percent difference, while the i5-13600T trails by 0.2 percent at 35305. The 12700K is essentially identical at 35287, a 0.2 percent gap. This tight clustering implies the CPU is not a limiting factor in this game, as its performance is on par with close competitors.

The RTX 3080, however, sits at just the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 23172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23250, both within 0.3 percent, but these are older or lower-tier cards. The RX 6600M and R9 M290X also fall within 0.4 percent. The GPU's lower percentile relative to the CPU suggests that in this game, the RTX 3080 is the component holding back the combo's overall rank, especially at 4K where its 10 GB memory and 320-bit bus face heavy demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset for this combo depends on the target resolution and frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset at 91 FPS offers a strong balance between visual fidelity and smoothness, while Medium at 109 FPS provides a faster experience with only a minor quality reduction. The Ultra preset at 65 FPS is playable but does not fully utilize high refresh rate displays, making it a less attractive choice unless visual quality is paramount.

For 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the best option, delivering 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, which keeps gameplay fluid even during demanding scenes. High at 68 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing sharper textures, but it dips closer to the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 108 FPS is excessive for most players, and Ultra at 49 FPS falls below the ideal smoothness threshold, making Medium the clear recommendation for 1440p.

At 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset at 72 FPS offers a consistently smooth experience. Medium at 54 FPS and High at 45 FPS are below the standard 60 FPS target, and Ultra at 32 FPS is too sluggish for action-oriented gameplay. Players seeking 4K should accept reduced settings, as even Medium shows a minimum of 46 FPS, which can cause noticeable stutter. The measured rows indicate that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p, where High and Medium presets respectively provide the best experience per the data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frame rates provides a detailed picture of this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 145 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 125, High averages 91 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. The 1080p results show a steady decline as settings increase, with each tier costing roughly 20-25 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93, High averages 68 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The 1440p numbers represent a consistent reduction from 1080p, with the gap between Low and Ultra narrowing to 59 FPS, compared to 80 FPS at 1080p. The Medium preset's minimum of 69 FPS indicates that even under load, the combo maintains playable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 72 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 4K results show a dramatic drop, especially at High and Ultra, where the average falls below 50 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 46 FPS is the only 4K data point with a recorded floor, and it suggests that frame timing can become inconsistent at this resolution. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one with both minimum and maximum values recorded, indicating that it is the most stable setting for this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 plays a central role in shaping these results, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the measured FPS remains high, but at 4K, the 10 GB capacity can become a limiting factor with Ultra textures, which may explain the steep drop to 32 FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1440 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost, with memory running at 19 Gbps effective. These clocks are moderate for the 30-series, and the 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, yet the 4K results show that this raw compute is not enough to sustain high frame rates on the Ultra preset. The RTX 3080's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores do not directly factor into the measured FPS, but they indicate the card's architectural capability for future titles.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 68 places it below the CPU's 85th percentile, reinforcing that the RTX 3080 is the weaker link in this pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2. Its average benchmark score of 23172 is close to several rivals, but none of those rivals are modern high-end cards, suggesting that the RTX 3080 is aging relative to newer GPUs. The 320 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with a high-performance card, but the measured data shows that its 10 GB memory and 320-bit bus are the primary constraints at 4K, rather than raw processing power.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p with the Medium preset is the best balance, averaging 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS. At 1080p, the High preset at 91 FPS is also excellent, while 4K only achieves 72 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 perform at 4K with this game?

A: At 4K, the RTX 3080 delivers 72 FPS on Low, 54 FPS on Medium, 45 FPS on High, and 32 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset remains above 60 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming requires significant compromises.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bigger bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. The i7-12700KF ranks in the 85th percentile among CPUs, while the RTX 3080 ranks in the 68th percentile among GPUs. The severe FPS drops at 4K, especially at Ultra, point to the GPU's memory and bandwidth constraints.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested systems for this game?

A: This combination ranks 1066 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 29 percent, which is strong but not exceptional for high-end hardware.

Q: Are the frame rates stable on the Medium preset?

A: Yes, the Medium preset is the only one with both min and max FPS recorded across all resolutions. At 1080p, it ranges from 92 to 125 FPS; at 1440p, from 69 to 93 FPS; and at 4K, from 46 to 62 FPS, showing consistent performance.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score is 23172, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23250, both within 0.3 percent. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is within 0.4 percent at 23273.