Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 with the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by the graphics settings and resolution, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher presets. The data shows a clear pattern: the combination scales from exceptional high-refresh 1080p performance to a playable but more constrained 4K experience, with the CPU headroom remaining largely untapped at the most demanding settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a classic indicator of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 121 FPS, but this falls to 90 FPS at 1440p and further to 60 FPS at 4K. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at High settings, underscoring how the RTX 4080's workload becomes exponentially heavier with each pixel increase. The scaling is not linear; the jump from 1440p to 4K alone costs 30 FPS, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p costs 31 FPS, indicating that the GPU is being saturated at 4K.

The pattern holds across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop changes with the preset. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p (194 FPS) to 1440p (145 FPS) is a 49 FPS loss, and then to 4K (96 FPS) is another 49 FPS loss. This consistent delta highlights that even with reduced graphical fidelity, the resolution increase alone is sufficient to strain the GPU. In contrast, at Ultra settings, the frame rates are lower overall, but the relative drop is less severe: 87 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K. This suggests that at Ultra, the game's visual effects dominate the GPU's time, making the resolution scaling less of a factor in the overall performance equation.

The data indicates that the Intel Core i7-14700F is not the limiting component in this scenario. With a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 20 cores, the CPU provides ample processing power that is not fully utilized at higher resolutions. The fact that the frame rate drops so dramatically from 1080p to 4K—where the CPU's workload is relatively constant—confirms that the RTX 4080's rendering pipeline is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 194 FPS result shows the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to maintain very high frame rates, but the GPU cannot sustain that output as the resolution climbs. This is a textbook GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the decisive factors.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, the Intel Core i7-14700F and RTX 4080 pairing ranks 260th out of 3714 combos, placing it in the top 7% of all systems tested. This is a strong showing that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The GPU's percentile rank of 86 (meaning it outperforms 86% of all GPUs in the database) and the CPU's percentile rank of 91 (outperforming 91% of all CPUs) both contribute to this favorable position, but the combo rank is not simply an average of the two; it is a measure of how well they work together in this specific title.

When compared to the nearest rival GPUs, the RTX 4080's performance is closely matched, which explains why the combo rank is not higher. The RTX 4080 SUPER is essentially a statistical tie, with an average benchmark score 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S are 2.6% and 2.7% lower, respectively. These small deltas mean that the combo's ranking is competitive but not dominant, as several other graphics cards can achieve similar frame rates in this game. The CPU side shows a similar story: the Intel Xeon 6505P is 0.2% lower, the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% higher. These rival CPUs are all within a percentage point of the i7-14700F's average benchmark score, indicating that the processor is not providing a significant advantage or disadvantage in this pairing.

The rank of 260 out of 3714 reflects the overall power of the system, but it also shows that there is room for improvement if one were to pair the RTX 4080 with a slightly faster CPU or vice versa. The data suggests that this combination is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming, but not at the absolute top tier of performance, as the nearest rivals demonstrate that other components can close the gap.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear guide for selecting the optimal settings based on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K (3840x2160), the Medium preset is the sweet spot, delivering 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS while also providing a consistent experience; the High preset dips to exactly 60 FPS, which is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, and the Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which is noticeably less fluid. The Low preset at 4K achieves 96 FPS, but it sacrifices visual fidelity to a degree that most players would find unacceptable for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its rich environments.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the High preset offers the best balance, with 90 FPS and no minimum data provided, suggesting stable performance. The Medium preset is also viable at 108 FPS, but the jump to High provides a more polished visual experience with only an 18 FPS penalty. The Ultra preset at 65 FPS is smooth enough for most gamers, but it is not as consistent as High, and the Low preset at 145 FPS is excessive for a 1440p monitor, indicating that the GPU is underutilized. For 1080p (1920x1080), the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering 121 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a great balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 145 FPS is also excellent, but High offers more detailed textures and effects without a significant cost.

Given the data, the best experience is achieved by using the Medium preset at 4K, the High preset at 1440p, and the High preset at 1080p. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution because the frame rate drops below the playable threshold at 4K (43 FPS) and is only marginally better than High at 1440p and 1080p, where the visual gains are not worth the performance loss. The Low preset should be avoided unless the user prioritizes frame rate over everything else, as it severely reduces the game's graphical quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS values provides a granular view of the combo's performance across all tested configurations. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low at 96 FPS, Medium at 72 FPS (with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 82 FPS), High at 60 FPS, and Ultra at 43 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20 FPS, with the largest gap between Low and Medium (24 FPS) and the smallest between Medium and High (12 FPS). The minimum FPS for Medium is 61, which is only 1 FPS above the 60 FPS target, indicating that the game can occasionally dip below the average in intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 145 FPS, Medium at 108 FPS (minimum 92, maximum 125), High at 90 FPS, and Ultra at 65 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 37 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 18 FPS, and High to Ultra is 25 FPS. This pattern suggests that the Medium preset offers a significant performance boost over Low, but the quality difference is less pronounced than the frame rate difference. The Ultra preset still maintains a respectable 65 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, but it is the lowest of the 1440p settings.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low at 194 FPS, Medium at 145 FPS (minimum 123, maximum 167), High at 121 FPS, and Ultra at 87 FPS. The Low setting achieves nearly 200 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors, but the visual compromises are substantial. The Medium preset offers 145 FPS, which is still very high, and the High preset at 121 FPS is ideal for a 120Hz or 144Hz display. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS is the only setting that drops below 100 FPS at 1080p, but it is still smooth and provides the best visual quality. The minimum FPS for Medium is 123, which is higher than the average for High, showing that the Medium preset provides a very consistent experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 plays a central role in this combo's performance, as evidenced by the benchmark results and the measured FPS data. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at all tested settings and resolutions, as the game does not appear to be memory-limited based on the frame rates. The 16 GB capacity is ample for 4K textures, and the high bandwidth ensures that the GPU can quickly access the data it needs to render the game's detailed environments.

The GPU's clocks are also a factor: a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. These high clock speeds, combined with the 9728 shading units and 76 RT cores, allow the GPU to process the game's complex shaders and lighting effects efficiently. The 304 TMUs and 112 ROPs contribute to the texture and pixel fill rates, which are crucial for maintaining high frame rates at 4K. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the frame rates scale almost linearly with the pixel count, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being fully utilized. The FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS is a measure of the GPU's raw compute power, and it is sufficient to handle the game's physics and AI calculations without issue.

The RTX 4080's performance percentile of 86 places it above the majority of GPUs in the database, and its nearest rivals are all within a few percentage points, confirming that it is a high-end card that delivers consistent results. The GPU's TDP of 320 W is a consideration for power supply requirements, but the measured FPS shows that the card can sustain high performance across all settings, suggesting that thermal throttling is not a significant issue in this game. The GPU's role is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rates, and its capabilities determine the playable settings at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a stable 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the Medium preset delivers 72 FPS, while the High preset is exactly 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset achieves 65 FPS, and at 1080p, the Ultra preset reaches 87 FPS. For a guaranteed 60 FPS, the Medium preset at 4K is the safest choice, as it provides a 12 FPS buffer over the minimum threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, in this game?

A: Based on the average benchmark scores, the RTX 4080 SUPER is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080. This delta is negligible, meaning that the two GPUs deliver nearly identical performance in Red Dead Redemption 2, and users should not expect a meaningful difference in frame rates.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F holding back the RTX 4080 at 1080p?

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p Low, where the combo achieves 194 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. However, at 1080p High (121 FPS) and Ultra (87 FPS), the GPU becomes the limiting factor, so the CPU is not holding back performance in most scenarios.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 43, which occurs at 4K Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 61, which occurs at 4K Medium settings. This shows that the combo can dip below 60 FPS at the most demanding settings, but remains above 60 FPS on the Medium preset.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F and RTX 4080 rank 260th out of 3714 combos, placing it in the top 7% of all systems tested. This is a strong ranking that reflects the high performance of both components.

Q: Does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance at 4K?

A: The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (72 FPS) and High (60 FPS) suggests that the memory is sufficient for the game's demands, as the frame rates are primarily limited by the GPU's compute power rather than memory capacity or bandwidth.