Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable but demanding experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance heavily dictated by graphics settings. At 1080p, the combo achieves a smooth 63.5 FPS on High, but Ultra settings cut that down to 45.8 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the i7-14700KF provides ample headroom. This configuration ranks 1037th out of 1687 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a consistent 60+ FPS?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo can consistently hit 60 FPS on Medium (78.7 FPS) and High (63.5 FPS) settings. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (79 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS, while High drops to 49.3 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance gap exists between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 99.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 45.8 FPS. This represents a 54 FPS drop, meaning the Ultra preset costs roughly half the frame rate of Low.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: The measured data suggests the GPU struggles at 3840x2160. Even on Low settings, the average FPS is only 48, and High drops to 32.7 FPS. While the VRAM capacity is not directly measured here, the overall frame rates indicate the card is overwhelmed at this resolution.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rival in raw processing power?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K’s 70074 (0% delta). It also sits within 1.3% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 and 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X in the data.

Q: What is the most balanced preset for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that Medium (56.3 FPS) is the most balanced choice at 2560x1440. It delivers a frame rate close to High (49.3 FPS) but with a noticeable improvement, while Low (79 FPS) sacrifices visual quality for a much higher frame rate.

Q: Does the CPU’s high multi-threaded performance translate into a high FPS in this game?

A: Not directly. While the CPU scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and ranks in the 96th percentile, the measured FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2 is largely capped by the GPU. For instance, at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 45.8 FPS, indicating the graphics card is the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. For a 60 FPS target, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, delivering 63.5 FPS. This provides a smooth experience without sacrificing the visual fidelity that the High preset offers. The Low preset at 1080p yields 99.8 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual downgrade is significant.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, averaging 56.3 FPS. This is a compromise, as High drops to 49.3 FPS, which can feel less fluid. The Low preset at 1440p (79 FPS) is viable for competitive play, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of image quality and performance. For 4K, the data shows that no preset achieves a playable 60 FPS; the Low preset’s 48 FPS is the highest measured, but this is below the standard for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, as it yields 45.8 FPS at 1080p and 26.1 FPS at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it has a 33 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6290 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 70104 is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-14700K (0% delta), and it is 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115, yet 1.3% behind the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270.

Despite this massive processing power, the CPU’s role in Red Dead Redemption 2 is secondary to the GPU. The benchmark results show that frame rates scale almost entirely with graphics settings and resolution. For example, moving from 1080p High (63.5 FPS) to 1440p High (49.3 FPS) drops performance by 14.2 FPS, a clear sign of GPU limitation. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (6290 in Cinebench R23) is sufficient to feed the GPU, but the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot utilize the full potential of the i7-14700KF in this title. The data indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck, as even at 1080p Low (99.8 FPS), the frame rate is still limited by the graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1037th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 61st percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly 61% of tested combos perform better in this game. The ranking reflects the significant mismatch between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU. The CPU is a top-tier performer, but the RTX 2070 SUPER, which sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, holds back the overall experience.

The combo’s rank is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows strong performance at 1080p Low (99.8 FPS) but poor performance at 4K Ultra (26.1 FPS). For context, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 22206 is close to the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307, -0.5% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670, 2.5% delta). This indicates that the GPU is a mid-tier component, and the combo ranking reflects that reality. A user with this setup would see better results with a more powerful GPU to match the CPU’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process node and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1770 MHz, and it has 2560 shading units. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 18169 in Passmark G3D and 98316 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 22206 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307, -0.5% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670, 2.5% delta).

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU is the dominant factor in performance. The data shows that at 1080p, the difference between Low (99.8 FPS) and Ultra (45.8 FPS) is 54 FPS, a massive swing that highlights how sensitive this card is to settings. At 1440p, the Ultra preset (34.3 FPS) is nearly half the frame rate of the Low preset (79 FPS). The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but the card’s raw compute power (9.062 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient for 4K gaming, where even Low settings only achieve 48 FPS. The RTX 2070 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset averages 99.8 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. Medium drops to 78.7 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS. High averages 63.5 FPS, maintaining a playable frame rate. Ultra is the most demanding, with an average of 45.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less fluid.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is excellent for this resolution. Medium averages 56.3 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. High drops to 49.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.3 FPS, making it difficult to enjoy. The data shows that 1440p is only viable with the Low or Medium presets for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2070 SUPER is clearly out of its depth. The Low preset averages 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium drops to 35.8 FPS, High to 32.7 FPS, and Ultra to 26.1 FPS. None of these are playable for a smooth experience, and the data indicates that 4K is not a realistic option for this combo.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At the High preset, performance falls from 63.5 FPS at 1080p to 49.3 FPS at 1440p (a 22.4% drop) and then to 32.7 FPS at 4K (a 48.5% drop from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is being overwhelmed by the increased pixel count. The CPU’s performance is constant across resolutions, so the frame rate decline is entirely attributable to the RTX 2070 SUPER.

For the Low preset, the drop is even more pronounced: 99.8 FPS at 1080p drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and then to 48 FPS at 4K. This represents a 51.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The data indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and compute throughput are insufficient for 4K rendering. The limiting component is unambiguously the graphics card; the i7-14700KF’s high core count and clock speeds are never stressed, as even at the lowest settings, the GPU cannot reach frame rates that would challenge the CPU.