Red Dead Redemption 2

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings 16 cores and 24 threads to Red Dead Redemption 2, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This Raptor Lake-S part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, pairs a 30 MB shared L3 cache with 2 MB per-core L2 and 80 KB per-core L1. The architecture's single-thread performance is strong—3DMark single-thread scores 1136, while Cinebench R23 single-core hits 5505—which matters for a game like RDR2 that relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and draw call submission.

However, the data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor here. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 216.3 FPS, a figure far beyond what most displays can show. The i7-13700K's multi-threaded headroom is substantial: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 39000, Geekbench multicore 17731, and Passmark multithread 45887. The 16-core design means background tasks, streaming, and the game's various simulation systems (weather, NPC schedules, physics) won't contend for resources. The Core i7-13700K sits in the 93rd percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the i7-13700KF trails by just -0.1%, the AMD EPYC 4364P leads by 0.3%, the Intel Core i9-12900F is 0.4% behind, and the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 trails by -0.5%. This clustering indicates that at the top end, CPU differences translate to negligible FPS changes in RDR2.

The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest this is a chip designed for sustained performance, not brief boosts. In RDR2's open world, where draw distances stretch across plains and towns, the L3 cache's 30 MB capacity likely helps keep frequently accessed game assets close to the cores. The question the data raises: if the CPU is this capable, why do frame rates vary so much across settings? The answer points directly to the GPU, which carries the rendering weight as settings climb.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a 5 nm Ada Lovelace part with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), while the GPU boosts to 2520 MHz from a 2235 MHz base. With 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, the RTX 4090 is built for extreme throughput—82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s.

In RDR2, the GPU's role becomes evident through the measured FPS scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 99.9 FPS; at 4K Ultra, it drops to 46 FPS. That 4K figure is just 46% of the 1080p number, indicating the GPU is being pushed hard by the game's highest preset. The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any resolution here—RDR2 at 4K Ultra typically uses far less—so memory capacity is not the bottleneck. Instead, the raw shader and texture throughput dictates performance. The RTX 4090's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are present but less relevant for this title's rasterization-focused rendering.

The GPU's percentile rank is 91 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its nearest rivals in the database are unusual: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 trails by -0.4%, the Tesla P40 leads by 0.5%, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 trails by -0.9%, and the Quadro P6000 trails by -1.3%. These are professional and datacenter cards, not gaming GPUs, which suggests the benchmark database's comparison pool is skewed for this particular GPU. The RTX 4090's Passmark G3D score of 38194 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 place it firmly in enthusiast territory.

The GPU's 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler indicate a power-hungry design, but the measured FPS shows the payoff. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 216.3 FPS—a number that would be CPU-limited on lesser processors, but the i7-13700K's 24 threads keep feeding the GPU without stalling.

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

The resolution scaling pattern reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra, FPS drops from 99.9 to 70.3—a 29.6% reduction. From 1440p to 4K Ultra, it falls to 46, another 34.6% drop. The cumulative 1080p-to-4K reduction at Ultra is 54%, meaning the RTX 4090's pixel throughput is the dominant constraint. At Low settings, the pattern shifts: 1080p Low delivers 216.3 FPS, 1440p Low drops to 159.2 (-26.4%), and 4K Low reaches 106.1 (-33.4% from 1440p). The Low preset's lighter shading load allows the CPU to stay more relevant, but even then, the GPU remains the primary limiter—the relative drops are consistent with a GPU that's increasingly burdened by pixel count.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 1080p Medium hits 162 FPS, 1440p Medium 117.9 (-27.2%), and 4K Medium 77.1 (-34.6%). The High preset shows the same trend: 131.8 at 1080p, 97.5 at 1440p (-26%), and 65.4 at 4K (-32.9%). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings—roughly 26-35% per resolution step—strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the drops would compress at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work, but they don't. The i7-13700K's 5.40 GHz boost clock and 24 threads provide ample headroom, so the data suggests that upgrading the CPU would yield minimal gains, while the GPU's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized as resolution climbs.

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

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, producing twelve data points. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 216.3 FPS on Low, 162 FPS on Medium, 131.8 FPS on High, and 99.9 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 54.3 FPS, while Medium to High drops 30.2 FPS, and High to Ultra falls 31.9 FPS. The scaling is non-linear—Low to Medium penalties are steep, but the step from High to Ultra is nearly identical to Medium to High, suggesting each preset tier adds a similar workload.

At 2560x1440, the numbers shift: Low produces 159.2 FPS, Medium 117.9 FPS, High 97.5 FPS, and Ultra 70.3 FPS. The Low-to-Medium gap shrinks to 41.3 FPS, while Medium-to-High drops 20.4 FPS, and High-to-Ultra falls 27.2 FPS. Notably, the High-to-Ultra penalty grows relative to 1080p, indicating that the Ultra preset's extra effects (likely shadows, reflections, and draw distance) become more expensive at higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 106.1 FPS, Medium 77.1 FPS, High 65.4 FPS, and Ultra 46 FPS. The Low-to-Medium gap is 29 FPS, Medium-to-High 11.7 FPS, and High-to-Ultra 19.4 FPS. The Medium-to-High penalty at 4K is notably smaller than at lower resolutions, but the High-to-Ultra drop remains significant. The 4K Ultra figure of 46 FPS is the only measured point below 60 FPS, making it the sole scenario where the combo fails to hit a standard smooth-playability threshold.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 55th out of 1687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 3.3% of all tested systems, which is impressive but not the absolute top. The ranking suggests that while this pairing is exceptionally fast, there are 54 combos that achieve higher average FPS in this game. Given that the RTX 4090 is near the top of GPU benchmarks (91st percentile) and the i7-13700K is in the 93rd CPU percentile, the rank of 55 indicates that RDR2's performance is heavily GPU-bound—otherwise, the combo might rank higher given the CPU's strength.

The gap between the combo's rank and the individual component percentiles hints that other factors, such as memory bandwidth or driver optimization, may play a role. The RTX 4090's nearest rivals in the database are professional cards (Tesla T4, Tesla P40, Radeon Pro Vega 56, Quadro P6000), none of which are gaming-focused, so the gaming-specific performance of this combo is likely better than the raw benchmark scores suggest. In the context of 1687 combos, ranking 55th means the system is faster than 1632 other configurations, but the data does not specify which combos outrank it or by how much.

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

Based strictly on the measured FPS, the High preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440 High, the combo delivers 97.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to 100 FPS for smoother motion. The step down to Medium at 1440p yields 117.9 FPS—a 20.9% improvement—but sacrifices visual fidelity that RDR2's detailed world benefits from. The step up to Ultra at 1440p drops to 70.3 FPS, which is still playable but a 27.9% reduction from High, making the extra visual features a steep cost.

For 4K users, the High preset at 65.4 FPS is the best option, as it maintains playability while offering substantial visual quality over Medium (77.1 FPS) and Low (106.1 FPS). The 4K Ultra preset at 46 FPS is below the smoothness threshold and should be avoided unless the user prioritizes maximum visuals over frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset at 131.8 FPS is optimal for high-refresh-rate displays, though users with 144Hz or higher monitors might prefer Medium at 162 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p (99.9 FPS) is acceptable but offers diminishing returns over High.

The data indicates that the High preset consistently provides the best FPS-per-visual-quality tradeoff across all resolutions, with 1440p High being the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The combo produces an average of 46 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is the lowest measured figure across all tested configurations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF?

A: The i7-13700K scores an average benchmark of 47282, while the i7-13700KF scores 47334, a difference of -0.1%. This is within the margin of error, making them effectively identical in performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at any resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows no evidence of VRAM limitations. The GPU's 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is more than enough for the game's highest settings at 4K, where the bottleneck is compute throughput, not memory capacity.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 97.5 FPS, which is the recommended balance. Ultra drops to 70.3 FPS, while Medium offers 117.9 FPS but with reduced visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: It ranks 55th out of 1687 tested combinations, placing it in the top 3.3% of systems tested for Red Dead Redemption 2.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data shows that FPS drops consistently by 26-35% when moving from 1080p to 1440p and again to 4K, regardless of settings. This pattern indicates the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom.