Red Dead Redemption 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 places 16th out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This top-1% standing puts it in elite territory, though it does not claim the absolute top spot. The ranking reflects a combination that excels in raw throughput but is occasionally held back by the game's engine limits and the CPU's position relative to higher-core-count processors.

The i7-13700K's average benchmark score of 47,282 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i7-13700KF at 47,334 (a mere 0.1% difference). This effectively means the K and KF variants are interchangeable in practice for this game. The AMD EPYC 4364P sits 0.3% behind, while the Intel Core i9-12900F trails by 0.4%. On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's average score of 84,306 puts it in the 94th percentile, with the RTX 5090 D just 0.1% ahead and the RTX 5050 Mobile 0.2% behind — a quirk of the benchmark database rather than a real-world performance statement.

What the data shows is that this combo is positioned for high-refresh-rate play at lower resolutions and solid 4K capability, but the game's demands at Ultra settings will challenge even this hardware.

# GPU Role

The RTX 5090 brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is critical for Red Dead Redemption 2, a game that is notoriously hungry for VRAM at high resolutions and detail levels. The GPU's base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz provide substantial computational headroom, with 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate ensuring that texture-heavy scenes in the game's open world are handled without bottlenecking.

The 5090's 176 ROPs and 21,760 shading units are the key drivers of pixel throughput, which shows in the measured results. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 221.4 FPS, indicating the GPU is far from saturated. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 50.2 FPS, revealing that the game's most demanding settings — likely volumetric lighting, shadows, and draw distance — are pushing the GPU to its limits despite its massive memory pool.

Benchmark results indicate the RTX 5090 outperforms the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 by 1.3% in average score, though this is a synthetic comparison rather than a game-specific one. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking among all GPUs underscores that this is one of the fastest cards available, yet Red Dead Redemption 2's engine still manages to create scenarios where frame rates dip below 60 FPS at maximum settings.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 221.4 FPS, which drops to 165.2 FPS at 1440p and 111.3 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.7% drop from 1080p to 4K — a scaling curve that indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The High preset tells a similar story: 138.5 FPS at 1080p, 101.9 FPS at 1440p, and 70.8 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 26.4% and 48.9% respectively. This consistent ~50% reduction from 1080p to 4K across settings suggests the RTX 5090's rendering pipeline is being taxed proportionally to pixel count, with the CPU providing adequate headroom even at 1080p.

Notably, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller in percentage terms than the gap between 1440p and 4K. For instance, at Medium settings, the drop from 1080p (164.9 FPS) to 1440p (125.2 FPS) is 24.1%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K (84.5 FPS) is 32.5%. This non-linear scaling points to memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate becoming more significant constraints at 4K, despite the 5090's substantial 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 221.4 FPS, Medium yields 164.9 FPS, High reaches 138.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 98 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 123.4 FPS, indicating that settings have a profound impact on performance at this resolution. Even at Ultra, the frame rate exceeds 90 FPS, making 1080p a comfortable zone for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results show a predictable step down. Low settings average 165.2 FPS, Medium 125.2 FPS, High 101.9 FPS, and Ultra 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first configuration to dip below 75 FPS, suggesting that 1440p Ultra is playable but not ideal for competitive or high-refresh gameplay. The drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 27.2%, a moderate penalty.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings yield 111.3 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K. Medium produces 84.5 FPS, High 70.8 FPS, and Ultra 50.2 FPS. The Ultra result is the only configuration tested that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay without additional optimization. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 61.1 FPS, showing that settings scaling remains significant even at the highest resolution.

# FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank overall in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: It ranks 16th out of 1,687 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K play?

A: At 4K, Medium settings provide an average of 84.5 FPS, which is the highest preset to maintain above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 70.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50.2 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 221.4 FPS, indicating the GPU is not saturated. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads provide sufficient headroom, but the game's engine likely caps performance below the CPU's theoretical maximum.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700KF scores 0.1% higher on average, effectively making them identical in performance. The AMD EPYC 4364P is 0.3% behind, and the Intel Core i9-12900F trails by 0.4%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 165.2 FPS while Ultra averages 71.3 FPS, a difference of 93.9 FPS. This shows that settings have a dramatic impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: Does the RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM make a difference in this game?

A: The 32 GB VRAM capacity ensures that memory is never a constraint, even at 4K Ultra. The game's VRAM usage is well below this limit, allowing the GPU to focus on compute rather than memory management.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide substantial on-die storage for game assets, while the 10 nm process node (Intel's naming) keeps power draw at a 125 W TDP.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 221.4 FPS, which is likely near the engine's upper limit for frame pacing. The CPU's 3DMark scores — 12,412 with max threads and 1,136 single-thread — indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, both of which matter for this game's mixed workload.

The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39,000 and single-core score of 5,505 demonstrate that the i7-13700K is well-balanced for gaming. Its PassMark multithread score of 45,887 places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, confirming it can handle the game's background simulation tasks without bottlenecking the RTX 5090. However, the data also shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 50.2 FPS result — the CPU is not the constraint at higher resolutions.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the High preset at 138.5 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance, while Ultra at 98 FPS is still highly playable for those prioritizing image quality. For competitive play, Low at 221.4 FPS is the clear choice, though it sacrifices most graphical enhancements.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 125.2 FPS is the sweet spot, providing smooth gameplay with noticeably better visuals than Low. High at 101.9 FPS is also viable for those with 100 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, while Ultra at 71.3 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced exploration. Low at 165.2 FPS is recommended for players who prioritize frame rate above all else.

At 4K, the situation changes. Medium at 84.5 FPS is the recommended preset for a smooth experience, as it stays well above 60 FPS while offering decent visual quality. High at 70.8 FPS is acceptable for players who can tolerate occasional dips, but Ultra at 50.2 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for consistent gameplay. Low at 111.3 FPS is the only preset at 4K that provides a high-refresh experience, though it significantly reduces graphical fidelity.

The data suggests that the best overall experience for most players is 1440p High at 101.9 FPS, which balances resolution, settings, and frame rate. For 4K enthusiasts, 4K Medium at 84.5 FPS is the most practical choice, as it maximizes visual quality without compromising smoothness.