Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 pairs the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, a combination that sits at the very top of the database’s tested hierarchy. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets show a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings, yet the CPU’s architecture still defines the ceiling at lower presets and lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured data to explain where each component’s workload begins and ends, and what that means for the player.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, and it carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB of L2 per core. The CPU’s percentile ranking against all processors is 91, with an average benchmark score of 53,620. In the database’s nearest-rival comparison, it trades blows with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 53,288 (a 0.6% delta in favor of the Intel chip), and sits just behind the Intel Xeon 6505P at 53,701 (-0.2% delta). This puts the i7-14700F in a performance class where it is unlikely to bottleneck a flagship GPU in most gaming scenarios, but the data from Red Dead Redemption 2 reveals subtle nuances.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 234 FPS average. That is a massive frame rate, but it also represents the point where the CPU’s single-thread performance—measured at 4,958 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,257 in Passmark single-thread—becomes a relevant factor. The jump from 1080p Low at 234 FPS to 1440p Low at 175 FPS is a 59 FPS drop, which is a 25% reduction. That drop is far larger than the pixel-count increase (1.78x more pixels), indicating that the CPU is no longer the sole limiting factor at 1440p; the GPU is starting to take over. However, at 1080p Medium, the average is 175 FPS, which is identical to the 1440p Low result. This suggests that the CPU can still push a high frame rate at 1080p even when settings increase, but the GPU’s rendering load at Medium settings begins to cap performance.

The 20-core configuration is overkill for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which typically scales well with a handful of threads rather than 28. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU’s multi-threaded muscle (35,122 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) is fully utilized; instead, the high boost clock of 5.40 GHz is what drives the top-end frame rates at low settings. The Passmark physics score of 2,455 is modest, but the game’s engine does not appear to be physics-heavy in a way that stresses this processor. The takeaway is that the CPU provides a very high ceiling, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as soon as resolution or graphical fidelity increases past the Low preset.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with a massive 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The GPU’s percentile ranking against all GPUs is 92, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rivals in the database are notably lower-tier parts: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, +1.1% delta) and the RX 6850M XT (78,940, -1.6% delta), which are mobile GPUs, not desktop flagships. This is a strange comparison group, but it underscores that the RTX 5090 D’s raw compute is in a league of its own, even if the benchmark averages suggest parity with parts that are far less powerful in practice.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU’s role dominates the measured results. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 52 FPS, while at 4K High it averages 72 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 86 FPS (with a min of 74 and max of 99). These numbers show that even a GPU with 32 GB of VRAM and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is taxed heavily by the game’s Ultra preset at 4K. The VRAM capacity is not the issue—Red Dead Redemption 2 is from 2018 and does not need anywhere near 32 GB—but the shading units (21,760) and texture rate (1,636.8 GTexel/s) are what drive the frame rates. The GPU’s DirectX 12 benchmark score of 219 is low relative to its other scores, but the game’s API usage appears to be efficient, as the 4K High result of 72 FPS is still playable.

The RTX 5090 D’s 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs handle the game’s draw calls and texture filtering without issue. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution above 1080p Low. The 1440p Ultra result of 79 FPS versus 1080p Ultra at 105 FPS is a 26 FPS drop, which is exactly the kind of scaling you expect from a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz is high, but the game’s engine seems to push the card to its limits at higher presets, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result dipping below 60 FPS. The 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth is more than sufficient for this game’s textures, so the bottleneck is purely in the compute and rasterization throughput.

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

The measured FPS data across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveals a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. Looking at the Low preset, the average FPS goes from 234 at 1080p, to 175 at 1440p, to 115 at 4K. That is a 50.8% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is less than the 4x pixel count increase, but still significant. This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is still contributing to the frame rate at 1080p, but by 4K, the GPU is fully saturated. The fact that 4K Low (115 FPS) is still higher than 1440p Ultra (79 FPS) shows that the settings preset has a larger impact than resolution alone.

For the High preset, the scaling is 146 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 25.3%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33.9%. The increasing percentage drops as resolution rises confirm that the GPU is the limiting component. This is textbook GPU-bound behavior: the higher the resolution, the more the GPU’s pixel and texture throughput matters, and the less the CPU’s clock speed or core count matters.

The Medium preset is particularly telling. At 1080p, it averages 175 FPS (min 149, max 202), at 1440p it averages 131 FPS (min 111, max 150), and at 4K it averages 86 FPS (min 74, max 99). The min and max values show consistent frame pacing, with the 4K result having a 25 FPS spread between min and max, suggesting that the GPU is working hard but not stuttering. The fact that 1080p Medium matches 1440p Low at 175 FPS is a coincidence of the data, but it highlights that the GPU’s workload is the primary driver of performance once you move past the absolute lowest settings.

The Ultra preset shows the least scaling: 105 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 50.5%, which is nearly identical to the Low preset’s drop. This is interesting because it suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is so heavily loaded at every resolution that the relative scaling is consistent. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical data point for anyone considering this combo for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-14700F bottleneck the RTX 5090 D in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data indicates no meaningful bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 234 FPS, which is a CPU-bound result, but the CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock and 91st percentile ranking allow it to feed the GPU effectively. The bottleneck shifts to the GPU as soon as settings or resolution increase, as shown by the 4K Low result of 115 FPS versus 1080p Ultra at 105 FPS.

Q: Why does the RTX 5090 D only achieve 52 FPS at 4K Ultra, despite its high benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has a 92nd percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 77,712, but Red Dead Redemption 2’s Ultra preset is extremely demanding. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is consistent with the GPU’s raw compute limits (104.8 TFLOPS FP32) when rendering at 8.3 million pixels with maxed-out settings. The GPU’s 32 GB VRAM is not the issue; the shading units and ROPs are fully saturated.

Q: Is there a significant difference between 1080p and 1440p performance for this combo?

A: Yes, but it depends on the preset. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 59 FPS (234 to 175), which is a 25% reduction. At High settings, the drop is 37 FPS (146 to 109), a 25.3% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is 26 FPS (105 to 79), a 24.8% reduction. The consistent percentage drop across presets indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at 1440p.

Q: How does the Medium preset’s min FPS compare to the average FPS at different resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 149 against an average of 175, which is a 15% variance. At 1440p Medium, the min is 111 against an average of 131, a 15.3% variance. At 4K Medium, the min is 74 against an average of 86, a 14% variance. The min FPS scales consistently with the average, indicating stable frame pacing without sudden drops.

Q: What does the combo’s rank of 1 out of 2902 combos mean for real-world gaming?

A: The rank of 1 out of 2,902 tested combos means this is the highest-performing CPU-GPU pairing in the database for Red Dead Redemption 2. It does not guarantee 60 FPS at 4K Ultra (the measured 52 FPS falls short), but it does mean no other tested combination achieves higher frame rates in this game.

Q: Should players trust the 4K High average of 72 FPS for a smooth experience?

A: The 4K High average of 72 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the data does not include a min FPS for this preset. Based on the Medium preset’s min-to-average ratio (14-15% variance), players could expect dips into the low 60s, but the average is solidly playable.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 234 FPS, which is the fastest measured result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 175 FPS, with a min of 149 FPS and a max of 202 FPS, showing a 53 FPS spread. The High preset averages 146 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 105 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra is a 129 FPS drop, which is a 55% reduction in performance from the lowest to the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still high but begin to show the GPU’s workload. The Low preset averages 175 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p Medium result. The Medium preset averages 131 FPS, with a min of 111 and a max of 150, a 39 FPS spread. The High preset averages 109 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 79 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 96 FPS, a 55% reduction, which mirrors the 1080p percentage drop.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The Low preset averages 115 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset averages 86 FPS, with a min of 74 and a max of 99, a 25 FPS spread. The High preset averages 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 63 FPS, a 55% reduction, which is the same percentage as the other resolutions. This consistency across resolutions is a key finding: the relative impact of settings is identical regardless of resolution, confirming that the GPU’s scaling is linear.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, the data shows that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p (105 FPS) and 1440p (79 FPS), but it falls short at 4K with 52 FPS. The High preset is the sweet spot for 4K gaming, delivering 72 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, the High preset at 109 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while the Ultra preset at 79 FPS still clears 60 FPS with headroom.

The Medium preset is the most balanced option if you want to maximize visual quality while keeping frame rates high. At 4K, it averages 86 FPS with a min of 74 FPS, which is a 12 FPS improvement over High and a 34 FPS improvement over Ultra. The min FPS of 74 at 4K Medium is higher than the average of 72 at 4K High, meaning the Medium preset offers better frame pacing in demanding scenes. At 1440p, the Medium preset’s 131 FPS average (min 111) is a strong choice for 144Hz displays, though the High preset’s 109 FPS is also viable.

The Low preset is only recommended for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, such as competitive play or when using high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the 234 FPS average is far beyond what most displays can show, so the extra performance is wasted unless the monitor supports it. At 4K, the Low preset’s 115 FPS is still high, but the visual compromise is significant. For the best balance of image quality and performance, the data suggests using the High preset at 4K or the Medium preset at 1440p, with the Ultra preset reserved for 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 1st out of 2,902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This is the top spot, meaning no other CPU-GPU pairing in the database achieves higher measured frame rates in this game. The rank is a direct result of the RTX 5090 D’s 92nd percentile GPU ranking and the i7-14700F’s 91st percentile CPU ranking, both of which are near the top of their respective charts.

The CPU’s nearest rivals—the Intel Xeon 6505P (-0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (+0.6% delta)—are within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark scores, but the i7-14700F’s high boost clock of 5.40 GHz gives it an edge in gaming workloads that are sensitive to single-thread performance. The GPU’s nearest rivals, which include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (+1.1% delta) and RX 6850M XT (-1.6% delta), are not in the same performance class, yet the benchmark averages show they are close; this is a quirk of the database’s averaging methodology, not a reflection of real-world gaming performance.

The rank of 1 out of 2,902 is a definitive statement: this combo is the best-tested configuration for Red Dead Redemption 2. However, the data also shows that even the best combo cannot hit 60 FPS at 4K Ultra (52 FPS), which confirms the game’s demanding Ultra preset rather than a flaw in the hardware. In practical terms, this rank means players with this combo have the highest possible headroom for enabling additional settings or using higher resolutions, but the game’s engine still imposes a hard limit at the highest settings. The 4K High result of 72 FPS is the pragmatic ceiling for a smooth experience, and the combo’s top rank ensures that no other system will do better.