Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves the top spot for Red Dead Redemption 2, ranking 1st out of 1,687 tested combos. This combination delivers consistently high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions, positioning it as the definitive benchmark for this title. The data shows a system that is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but still capable of exceptional performance at 1080p, making it a versatile choice for any display configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo sits at the absolute pinnacle of the performance hierarchy for Red Dead Redemption 2, securing the number one rank among 1,687 tested combinations. This top-tier position is a direct result of the synergy between the high-end GPU and the powerful CPU. The RTX 5090 alone is a formidable component, with an average benchmark score of 84,306 and a percentile ranking of 94 against all GPUs. Its closest rivals, such as the RTX 5090 D and RTX 5050 Mobile, are within a 0.2% delta, showing the 5090 is at the very top of its class. However, it is the CPU pairing that solidifies this combo's dominance. The i7-14700F, with its average benchmark score of 54,097 and a 94th percentile ranking, ensures the GPU is consistently fed with data, preventing any bottlenecking that could hinder frame rates. The CPU's nearest rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, are extremely close in average score, with a delta of only -0.6%, indicating that the i7-14700F is not holding back the system. The result is a combo that consistently outperforms the vast majority of other systems in this specific game, as evidenced by its #1 rank.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that the "Ultra" preset, while visually demanding, is not always the optimal choice for this hardware configuration. At 4K, the Ultra preset yields an average of 49.1 FPS, which is playable but falls short of the higher refresh rate targets that this hardware is capable of achieving. The data shows that the "High" preset provides a superior balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 4K, High settings deliver an average of 69.7 FPS, a significant 42% improvement over Ultra. This makes High the recommended preset for a 4K display, as it offers a smoother experience with only a minor visual compromise. For gamers using 1440p or 1080p monitors, the "High" preset is also the best choice, delivering 105.6 and 139.8 FPS respectively. While "Medium" offers a further performance boost, the jump from High to Medium is less critical than the jump from Ultra to High, making High the sweet spot for this powerful combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling as resolution increases, highlighting the changing role of each component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 139.8 FPS. This drops to 105.6 FPS at 1440p, a 24.5% decrease, and further to 69.7 FPS at 4K, a 50.2% decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely limited by the CPU's single-thread performance, as the GPU has ample headroom. The i7-14700F's strong single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,003, ensures high frame rates at this resolution. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the rendering load on the GPU intensifies, and the system becomes progressively more GPU-limited. This is confirmed by the RTX 5090's massive memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, which are crucial for handling the higher pixel counts and texture data at 4K. The data shows that while the CPU is strong, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at the highest settings?

A: At 4K with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 49.1 FPS. While playable, this is the lowest result in the measured data. At 1440p Ultra, the average rises to 75.9 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 97.7 FPS.

Q: Is the Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck. Its average benchmark score is only 0.6% lower than its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X. In game, the combo still ranks #1, indicating the CPU provides enough performance to feed the GPU effectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The best resolution depends on the user's display. For 4K, High settings provide a smooth 69.7 FPS. For higher refresh rate monitors, 1440p with High settings delivers 105.6 FPS, while 1080p with High settings reaches 139.8 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance gain is there from Low to High settings?

A: The gain is substantial. At 4K, Low settings average 107.9 FPS, while High settings average 69.7 FPS. This represents a 54.8% performance increase when using Low settings, but with a significant loss in visual quality.

Q: Does the RTX 5090's large VRAM capacity matter for this game?

A: While Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding title, the RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory provides a substantial buffer. This capacity ensures that even at 4K with High settings, the game has ample memory for textures and assets, as evidenced by the consistent performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant force in this combo, and its specifications directly correlate with the measured performance. With a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the GPU offers a staggering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This is critical for Red Dead Redemption 2, a game with expansive environments and high-resolution textures, as it allows the GPU to quickly access and process the large amounts of graphical data required at 4K. The card's high core count of 21,760 shading units and 176 ROPs are designed for high fill rates, which is reflected in its 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate. The boost clock of 2407 MHz helps maintain high throughput, and the GPU's raw compute power of 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 is more than sufficient to handle the game's rendering demands. The data shows that as resolution increases, the workload shifts to the GPU, and the 5090's impressive specifications ensure it remains the primary performance driver, maintaining playable frame rates even at the demanding 4K resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F plays a crucial supporting role, ensuring the RTX 5090 can operate at its full potential. Its 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, provide ample processing power for game logic, AI, and physics calculations. The CPU's strong single-core performance, as highlighted by its Geekbench single-core score of 2,711, is essential for maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions like 1080p, where the CPU can become the limiting factor. The benchmark data shows that the i7-14700F is not a bottleneck, as its average score is nearly identical to its top rivals. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for gaming, as it reduces the latency of accessing frequently used data, helping to keep the GPU fed with a steady stream of instructions and geometry. While the GPU handles the heavy lifting of rendering, the i7-14700F's robust multi-threaded and single-threaded performance creates a solid foundation for the entire system, contributing to its #1 ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average FPS data for this combo across all tested resolutions and settings:

1920x1080

• Low: 223.1 FPS
• Medium: 168.4 FPS
• High: 139.8 FPS
• Ultra: 97.7 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 166.3 FPS
• Medium: 126.3 FPS
• High: 105.6 FPS
• Ultra: 75.9 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 107.9 FPS
• Medium: 83.7 FPS
• High: 69.7 FPS
• Ultra: 49.1 FPS

This data reveals a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional performance, with even Ultra settings surpassing 90 FPS. The most significant drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the average FPS across all settings decreases by roughly 34%, underscoring the demanding nature of 4K resolution on the GPU. The High preset provides a consistent and balanced experience across all resolutions, making it the most versatile choice for this hardware.