Red Dead Redemption 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER sits at rank 1225 out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the combination in the lower-middle tier of the database, with roughly 73% of tested configurations delivering higher average frame rates. The ranking reflects the significant bottleneck created by the GPU, which performs at the 63rd percentile among all graphics cards, while the CPU ranks at the 96th percentile among all processors. The data indicates a substantial imbalance: the i7-14700K is a top-tier compute component, but the RTX 2060 SUPER is a mid-range graphics solution from the Turing generation. Consequently, the combo's overall standing is dragged down by the GPU's limited throughput in this demanding open-world title. Compared to the nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is essentially level with the GeForce GTX TITAN (0.3% higher average score), the RTX 2070 (0.5% higher), and the Quadro K5200 (0.8% higher), meaning the combo's rank would barely shift if paired with those alternatives. The CPU, meanwhile, is statistically tied with the Core i7-14700KF (0% delta), the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3% ahead), and the Ryzen 9 9950X (0.5% behind), confirming that processor choice is not the limiting factor here.

# FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K strong enough for Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Yes. The CPU sits at the 96th percentile among all processors, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,534 and a single-core score of 6,287. Its 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample headroom for the game's simulation and AI workloads, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale almost entirely with GPU settings rather than CPU capability.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low if the CPU is top-tier?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck. It holds only the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 16,462. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces just 20.9 FPS, which is below playable thresholds, while the CPU remains underutilized. The GPU's Turing architecture, with 2,176 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, cannot keep pace with the CPU's output.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score (19,774) is within 1.3% of four rivals: the GTX TITAN (0.3% higher), RTX 2070 (0.5% higher), Quadro K5200 (0.8% higher), and Tesla K40m (1.3% higher). This means performance in Red Dead Redemption 2 would be nearly identical with any of those cards, reinforcing that the combo's rank is typical for this GPU class.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: At 1080p, the combo achieves playable frame rates across all settings, ranging from 43.1 FPS at Ultra to 95.1 FPS at Low. At 1440p, only Low (70 FPS) and Medium (51.8 FPS) remain comfortable, while 4K is only viable at Low (45.6 FPS) or Medium (32.5 FPS) for less demanding play.

Q: Does the CPU's integrated graphics matter here?

A: No. The i7-14700K includes UHD Graphics 770, but the discrete RTX 2060 SUPER handles all rendering. The integrated GPU is irrelevant for gaming performance, as the benchmark data uses the dedicated card exclusively.

Q: How memory bandwidth affects the GPU's performance?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth from its 256-bit GDDR6 bus, which is adequate for 1080p but strained at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the 4K Ultra preset drops to 20.9 FPS, indicating the card is both bandwidth- and capacity-constrained.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling across resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces average frame rate from 56.7 FPS to 43.1 FPS, a drop of 24%. Scaling further to 4K at High yields 28.2 FPS, another 34.6% reduction from 1440p. This progressive degradation is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario: the CPU's 20 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient to feed the graphics pipeline, so every resolution increase translates directly into lower frame rates.

At Low settings, the pattern is more pronounced. The 1080p Low result of 95.1 FPS falls to 70 FPS at 1440p (a 26.4% drop) and then to 45.6 FPS at 4K (a 34.9% drop). The consistent ~25-35% reductions across settings indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER's raw pixel throughput, not any CPU limitation, dictates performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to plateau at lower resolutions; instead, the data shows steady scaling with resolution, confirming the GPU as the limiting component.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, Ultra (43.1 FPS) is 54.7% slower than Low (95.1 FPS). At 4K, Ultra (20.9 FPS) is 54.2% slower than Low (45.6 FPS). This near-constant percentage gap suggests that the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem are equally stressed across all settings, with no hidden CPU overhead appearing at higher resolutions.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 95.1 FPS average, Medium yields 71.7 FPS, High reaches 56.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43.1 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where all presets are playable, with even Ultra exceeding 40 FPS. The 51.8% difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the GPU's performance headroom when pixel count is low.

At 2560x1440, frame rates drop noticeably. Low settings average 70 FPS, Medium drops to 51.8 FPS, High falls to 43.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 29.6 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is identical to the 1080p High result (43.1 FPS), which suggests that the GPU is delivering roughly the same workload at those two configurations. The 1440p Medium result of 51.8 FPS is just 8.6% below the 1080p High result, indicating that resolution scaling and quality scaling interact in a predictable, GPU-bound manner.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER struggles. Low settings average 45.6 FPS, Medium drops to 32.5 FPS, High falls to 28.2 FPS, and Ultra produces only 20.9 FPS. The 4K results show that even Low settings barely maintain 45 FPS, while Ultra is effectively unplayable. The gap between 1440p Low (70 FPS) and 4K Low (45.6 FPS) is 34.9%, which is larger than the gap between 1080p Low (95.1 FPS) and 1440p Low (70 FPS) at 26.4%, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a more severe constraint as pixel count grows.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional: Cinebench R23 multi-core of 44,534, single-core of 6,287, and Geekbench multi-core of 18,896. The CPU ranks at the 96th percentile among all processors, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of desktop and server chips. In Red Dead Redemption 2, however, this compute power is largely irrelevant to the measured frame rates.

The game's rendering workload is dominated by the GPU, as shown by the resolution scaling analysis. The CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which the i7-14700K does with massive headroom. The fact that frame rates drop by 24-35% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and again from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the CPU is never the limiting factor. If the CPU were struggling, we would see frame rate plateaus at lower resolutions, but the data shows continuous GPU-bound scaling.

The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to game data, while the dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support ensures sufficient bandwidth for the CPU's 28 threads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 52,392 and single-thread score of 4,472 confirm that this processor can handle any CPU-bound scenario, but Red Dead Redemption 2 simply does not present such a scenario at these GPU performance levels. The CPU's nearest rivals — the i7-14700KF (0% delta), EPYC 9115 (0.3% ahead), and Ryzen 9 9950X (0.5% behind) — would all produce identical frame rates in this game, reinforcing that the combo's performance is entirely GPU-determined.

# Settings Recommendations

For this combo, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the data supports High settings as the best balance: 56.7 FPS average is comfortably playable, and High provides significantly better visual quality than Medium (71.7 FPS) or Low (95.1 FPS). The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 43.1 FPS, which is acceptable but offers diminishing returns over High given the 24% frame rate penalty.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice. The 51.8 FPS average is smooth, while High (43.1 FPS) dips into less comfortable territory and Low (70 FPS) sacrifices too much visual fidelity. The 1440p Ultra preset (29.6 FPS) is not recommended for consistent play, as it falls below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER is out of its depth. Low settings produce 45.6 FPS, which is playable but visually sparse. Medium (32.5 FPS) is borderline, while High (28.2 FPS) and Ultra (20.9 FPS) are not viable for smooth gameplay. For 4K, the data suggests using Low settings if playability is the priority, or accepting that this GPU class is better suited to 1440p and below.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers roughly 2x the frame rate at Low compared to Ultra, regardless of resolution. This means players who prioritize frame rate should select Low or Medium, while those who prioritize visuals should stick to 1080p High or 1440p Medium. The measured data shows no configuration that achieves 60 FPS at 4K, and only the 1080p Low preset (95.1 FPS) approaches the 100 FPS mark. For the best overall experience, 1080p High at 56.7 FPS or 1440p Medium at 51.8 FPS are the recommended presets, as they balance visual quality with playable performance.