Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a varied performance profile in Red Dead Redemption 2, with results that shift dramatically based on resolution and settings. This combination ranks in the 71st percentile among all tested CPU-GPU pairings for this specific title, a strong showing that nonetheless reveals a system constrained primarily by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The data provides a clear picture of how these two components interact, where bottlenecks emerge, and what frame rates are realistically achievable across the games visual presets.

Resolution Scaling

Frame rates in Red Dead Redemption 2 scale predictably with resolution, but the pattern of losses reveals a system transitioning from CPU-bound at 1080p to GPU-bound at 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 109 at 1920x1080 to 81 at 2560x1440, a loss of 28 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 54, representing another 27 FPS reduction. This linear progression suggests the graphics card becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The Low settings preset produces even more dramatic scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 145 FPS, but this drops to 108 FPS at 1440p and 72 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p gap of 37 FPS indicates the CPU is doing heavy lifting. When the GPU is not stressed by high visual fidelity, the i7-14700F can push frames aggressively, but the load becomes too much for the RTX 3080 at higher resolutions.

Ultra settings show the most severe resolution penalty, with 1080p producing 65 FPS, 1440p dropping to 49 FPS, and 4K falling to 32 FPS. These numbers show that at Ultra, the GPUs 10 GB VRAM and 320-bit bus are being pushed to their limits, particularly at 4K where the difference between 1440p and 2160p is 17 FPS. The scaling factor from 1440p to 4K at High settings is 68 to 45 FPS, a 23 FPS drop. The data overall shows that the RTX 3080 is the dominant constraint at 4K, regardless of preset.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the combined performance rankings for Red Dead Redemption 2, this pairing sits at rank 1066 out of 3714 tested configurations. This places the system in the top 70% of all tested combos, which is a strong result for a mid-range to high-end GPU paired with a high-end CPU. The percentile ranking of 91 for the i7-14700F against all CPUs indicates the processor is a top-tier component in this test suite, while the RTX 3080 sits at the 68th percentile for all GPUs.

The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals show the processors score in a narrow band. The i7-14700F is only 0.3% ahead of the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon 6505P. This indicates that in the synthetic CPU benchmarks, the i7-14700F is performing at the same level as these server-class processors. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% behind the i7-14700F, while the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% behind. These are all close scores, but the i7-14700F comes out on top, making it a competitive processor for this game.

The GPU side is notably different. The RTX 3080 is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X. These deltaPct values are all negative, meaning the RTX 3080 is trailing in the synthetic benchmarks. This is surprising given the RTX 3080s 68th percentile ranking, but the data shows that the closest rivals are not the expected high-end competitors. The combo rank, however, is what matters for the game, and it is a solid mid-pack result.

GPU Role

The RTX 3080s performance is defined by its 10 GB of GDDR6X VRAM, a 320-bit bus, and a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. These specifications are essential for Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its massive open world and high-resolution textures. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 32, which indicates the VRAM capacity or bandwidth is being saturated. The 10 GB VRAM likely fills up at 4K with Ultra settings, causing the GPU to swap textures from system memory, which severely impacts performance.

The GPU clock speeds are 1440 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost. The boost clock is the maximum speed the GPU achieves under load. In this game, the boost clock will be used during intense scenes, but the resolution scaling shows that the GPU is likely to be at full load at 4K, holding the boost clock for long periods. The 320 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-hungry card, and the data suggests it is being fully utilized at 4K.

The minimun and maximum FPS data for Medium settings shows the frame time variance. At 4K Medium, the average is 54 FPS, but the min is 46 FPS and max is 62 FPS, a variance of 16 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the variance is 24 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 33 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is creating a bottleneck at 4K, but the CPU has more room to work at lower resolutions, leading to larger frame time spikes. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS average, with no min or max stated, but the high-end rate shows how the GPU struggles.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for the RTX 3080 and i7-14700F in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: At Medium settings, 2560x1440 provides a substantial 81 FPS average, which is a good balance of fidelity and performance. 4K at Medium is playable at 54 FPS, but the 1440p resolution offers a higher frame rate with a more consistent experience than 4K.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p Low, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, achieving 145 FPS. The i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads, making it capable of high frame rates, but the RTX 3080 is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: Why does the RTX 3080 struggle at 3840x2160?

A: The 10 GB of GDDR6X VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Ultra, resulting in a 32 FPS average. Even at 4K High, the 45 FPS average indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the i7-14700F benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: In the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, the i7-14700F scores 35122, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290's 53469 average. The Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% behind, and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% behind.

Q: What is the average FPS at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: The averages are 109 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. These numbers show a clear GPU-bound trend as resolution increases.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 a high-tier GPU for this game?

A: The RTX 3080 has a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, but in the nearestRivals data, it is 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon R9 M290X, indicating it is not the fastest in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers high performance across all presets. The Low preset hits 145 FPS, which is the highest average recorded in the entire dataset. Medium drops to 109 FPS, High to 91, and Ultra to 65. The minimum and maximum frame rates for Medium are 92 and 125, showing a 33 FPS variance, indicating a dynamic frame time.

Moving to 2560x1440, the resolution scaling begins to take a toll. Low delivers 108 FPS, a 37 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium produces 81 FPS, with a min of 69 and max of 93. High falls to 68 FPS, and Ultra to 49 FPS. This shows that the GPU is the primary constraint at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates become noticeably lower. Low posts 72 FPS, which is a 36 FPS drop from 1440p Low. Medium achieves 54 FPS, with a min of 46 and max of 62. High drops to 45 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS. The variance in Medium is 16 FPS, showing the GPU is struggling to maintain a consistent frame time at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which allows it to handle high frame rates at lower resolutions. The benchmark results show a strong multi-core performance, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scoring 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. These scores are above the average all-CPU benchmark of 53620, placing it in the 91st percentile.

In the game, the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p Low, allowing 145 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the CPU is still able to feed the GPU with a 109 FPS average. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU has headroom that is not utilized. The 20 cores and 28 threads are more than enough for the game, but the frame rate is capped by the GPU at higher resolutions.

The cache hierarchy is also relevant. The i7-14700F has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These caches help reduce memory latency, which is important for a game that streams textures. The high L3 cache capacity helps keep game data close to the cores, and the system does not show CPU-related stutters in the measured frame times.

Settings Recommendations

For the best combination of visual fidelity and frame rate, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice. This setting produces an average of 81 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the min of 69 FPS ensures that most of the time stays above 60. The 1440p resolution offers a sharp image, and the Medium settings provide a good level of detail for the game.

If a higher resolution is required, 3840x2160 at Medium is the most playable 4K option, with an average of 54 FPS. The min of 46 FPS means that the game can dip below 60, but it is still a smooth experience. The 4K High preset at 45 FPS is not recommended, as it drops below the fluid threshold and is only 9 FPS faster than Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best option, with 109 FPS average and a min of 92 FPS. This is a significant jump from the Low preset, and it offers a 36 FPS improvement over High. The Ultra preset at 1080p is playable at 65 FPS, but the gains from Medium to Ultra are not worth the 44 FPS cost.

For players with a 144Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only setting that achieves a high refresh rate, posting 145 FPS. However, the Low preset is not the best visual experience, so it is recommended to use Medium at 1080p for a balance. The data shows that the RTX 3080 is a solid GPU for 1440p, and the i7-14700F is a powerful CPU that can handle high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck.