Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2: Intel Core i7-14700K + Intel Arc B390

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2568 out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This is a stark result for a CPU that otherwise sits in the 94th percentile among all processors, but the integrated graphics solution drags the overall gaming experience down to entry-level territory. The combo's position reflects a massive imbalance: a high-end 20-core desktop CPU driving a GPU that benchmarks in the 9th percentile of all graphics cards.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2568 out of 2902 means this configuration outperforms only 334 other tested pairings in Red Dead Redemption 2. That places it firmly in the lower tier of playable systems, despite the CPU's strength. The data indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor; its average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is a fraction of what modern discrete GPUs achieve. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 9 confirms this is a bottom-decile performer, and the measured FPS results in this game align with that assessment — every resolution and settings combination falls below 60 FPS, with most sitting far below 30 FPS.

Comparatively, the CPU's nearestRivals show the i7-14700K is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 9115, which scores 69288 with a deltaPct of 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.2% behind, the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% behind, and the Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9% behind. These sub-1% differences mean the i7-14700K's processing power is not the differentiator here — it's the GPU that decides the combo's fate. In a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is notoriously demanding on both CPU and GPU, this pairing produces playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolutions, and even then with significant compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K brings substantial compute resources to the table: 20 cores, 28 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, has a 33 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache, which helps with the game's open-world streaming and physics calculations. The CPU's avgBenchmarkScore of 69355 and its 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate it can handle Red Dead Redemption 2's CPU-bound scenarios — such as NPC AI, world simulation, and draw-call processing — without breaking a sweat.

Benchmark results reinforce this: the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 show strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The Geekbench multicore score of 20767 and single-core score of 2569 further confirm the CPU's capability. PassMark tests show robust results across the board, including a multithread score of 52392 and a single-thread score of 4472. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU should theoretically maintain high frame rates in CPU-limited scenes, but the GPU bottleneck prevents this from materializing.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus means bandwidth is adequate, though the GPU's system-shared memory architecture will compete for that same bandwidth. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility are standard for this class. With a launch MSRP of $409, the i7-14700K is a premium desktop part, but its role in this combo is essentially wasted potential — the GPU cannot translate the CPU's processing headroom into visible frame rate gains.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS. The GPU's TDP is 80 W, and it operates as an IGP with no dedicated memory — instead, it uses system shared memory, making bandwidth system-dependent.

This memory arrangement is critical in Red Dead Redemption 2, a game that can consume several gigabytes of VRAM at higher settings. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with nearestRivals including the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% ahead), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% ahead), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% ahead), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% ahead). These are all entry-level or legacy parts, confirming the B390's position at the very bottom of the GPU hierarchy.

The GPU's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it can technically run modern titles, but the raw performance is not there. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable for an integrated part, but the shared memory bandwidth bottleneck and the limited ROP count (24) severely constrain fill-rate-dependent tasks like those in Red Dead Redemption 2's rendering pipeline. The RT cores (12) provide ray tracing capability, but at these performance levels, enabling RT would be impractical.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured results are consistently low. With High settings, the average FPS is 16. Low settings yield 25 FPS, Medium settings produce 19 FPS (with a min of 16 and max of 22), and Ultra settings drop to 11 FPS. None of these are playable for a smooth experience — even the best 4K result (25 FPS at Low) is below the generally accepted 30 FPS threshold for playability, and far from the 60 FPS target most gamers expect.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves slightly but remains marginal. High settings average 24 FPS, Low settings reach 38 FPS, Medium settings hit 29 FPS (min 24, max 33), and Ultra settings manage 17 FPS. The Low setting at 1440p is the first configuration to cross the 30 FPS mark, but it's still not smooth. The Medium result of 29 FPS is close but inconsistent, as the min FPS of 24 indicates frame drops that would be noticeable in gameplay.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best results appear. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is approaching playable territory but still not a locked 60. Medium settings average 39 FPS (min 33, max 44), High settings average 32 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 23 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 51 FPS is the only configuration in the entire dataset that exceeds 50 FPS, and even that would struggle in busy scenes given the lack of min/max data for that setting.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent: dropping from 4K to 1440p improves FPS by roughly 50% (e.g., High: 16 to 24 FPS, a 50% increase), and dropping from 1440p to 1080p improves FPS by another ~33% (e.g., High: 24 to 32 FPS). This suggests the GPU is primarily fill-rate and bandwidth limited, as resolution scaling has a proportionally larger impact than settings scaling.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Red Dead Redemption 2 at 60 FPS?

A: No. The highest measured average FPS across all resolution and settings combinations is 51 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Every other configuration falls below 40 FPS, with 4K Ultra being the lowest at 11 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates. At this resolution, Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. No other resolution comes close to these figures.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710 (1443). These are all entry-level parts, indicating the B390 is at the bottom of the GPU performance spectrum.

Q: Does the CPU help or hurt gaming performance in this title?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K is not the bottleneck. Its 20 cores, 28 threads, and 5.60 GHz boost clock provide ample processing power, and its benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multicore 33440.5, single-core 2160) are strong. The GPU's low performance is the limiting factor.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame times?

A: The Medium settings at 1920x1080 show a min FPS of 33 and max of 44, giving a range of 11 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the range is 9 FPS (24 min, 33 max), and at 3840x2160 Medium, the range is 6 FPS (16 min, 22 max). Lower resolutions show larger ranges, suggesting less consistency.

Q: Is this configuration better suited for other tasks than gaming?

A: The CPU is a high-end part (94th percentile among all CPUs), so compute-heavy workloads would benefit. However, the GPU's 9th percentile ranking means any graphics-accelerated task will be severely limited. The data only covers Red Dead Redemption 2 performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable option for a semi-playable experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 51 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS target, and even it falls short. For users willing to accept lower frame rates, 2560x1440 at Low settings (38 FPS) is the next best option, offering a higher resolution at the cost of some smoothness.

Medium settings at 1920x1080 (39 FPS average, 33 min) provide a modest visual upgrade over Low, but the frame rate dips below 35 FPS in demanding scenes, which may cause perceptible stutter. The Medium preset at 2560x1440 (29 FPS average) is borderline playable for slower-paced exploration but will struggle during action sequences.

High and Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution. At 1920x1080, High averages 32 FPS and Ultra drops to 23 FPS; at 2560x1440, High is 24 FPS and Ultra is 17 FPS; at 3840x2160, High is 16 FPS and Ultra is 11 FPS. These are all well below playable thresholds for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which features fast-paced gunfights and horse riding.

The data shows a clear trade-off: prioritize resolution or visual fidelity, but not both. The best measured experience is 1920x1080 at Low settings, which balances the highest frame rate (51 FPS) with acceptable visual clarity. If the user values resolution over smoothness, 2560x1440 at Low (38 FPS) is the alternative. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a middle ground for users who can tolerate occasional frame dips. For any other configuration, the frame rates are too low for a satisfying experience in this title.