Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2, released on 2018-10-25, is a demanding open-world action-adventure title. This test pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 39th out of 1,687 tested combos, placing it in the top tier of systems measured for this game. The CPU, a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake Refresh part with a 5.60 GHz boost clock, sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 2,520 MHz boost, sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. Measured frame rates span from 49.4 FPS at 4K Ultra to 217.9 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrating a wide performance envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 39 out of 1,687 means it outperforms the overwhelming majority of tested systems. The CPU's 96th percentile and GPU's 91st percentile both contribute to this high placement. The CPU's average benchmark score of 70,104 is essentially tied with the i7-14700K (70,074, delta 0%), 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115, 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and 1.3% behind the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270. The GPU's average score of 66,473 is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Tesla T4, 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40, 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P6000. These rival GPUs are workstation-class parts, so the gaming performance of the RTX 4090 is better contextualized by the measured FPS data than by these synthetic averages. The gap between the CPU's 96th percentile and the GPU's 91st percentile suggests the GPU is the more likely bottleneck in this pairing, which is typical for a high-end CPU paired with a top-tier GPU.

CPU Role

The i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost of 5.60 GHz. It has 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,557 and single-core score of 6,290 indicate strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The Geekbench multi-core score of 19,287 and single-core score of 2,972 reinforce this. For Red Dead Redemption 2, which was released in 2018, the single-thread performance is often more critical than the core count, and the 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,480 and multithread score of 52,425 further confirm the CPU's capability. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking means it outperforms 96% of all CPUs in the database. The launch MSRP of the i7-14700KF is $384. The nearest rival data shows the i7-14700KF is effectively identical to the i7-14700K (delta 0%) and within 1.3% of the Xeon Platinum 8270, so the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock is 2,520 MHz, and the base clock is 2,235 MHz. The GPU has 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 9,223, and its PassMark G3D score is 38,194. The GPU sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for RDR2 at any resolution, even 4K Ultra, and the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The GPU's nearest rivals are workstation cards, with the 4090 being 0.4% behind the Tesla T4, 0.5% ahead of the Tesla P40, 0.9% behind the Radeon Pro Vega 56, and 1.3% behind the Quadro P6000 in average benchmark score. The launch MSRP of the RTX 4090 is 1,599 USD. The GPU's high memory capacity and bandwidth are particularly beneficial for RDR2's large open world, which streams textures and geometry continuously.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 4K (3840x2160), the Low preset averages 105.2 FPS, Medium 82.1 FPS, High 68.5 FPS, and Ultra 49.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 55.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily stressed by the Ultra preset at 4K. At 1440p (2560x1440), Low averages 162.4 FPS, Medium 117.4 FPS, High 102.1 FPS, and Ultra 71.2 FPS. At 1080p (1920x1080), Low averages 217.9 FPS, Medium 159.7 FPS, High 132.4 FPS, and Ultra 94.9 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 217.9 FPS is the highest measured, while the 4K Ultra result of 49.4 FPS is the lowest. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same settings shows a roughly 50% reduction in frame rate, which is consistent with the pixel count increase. The High preset at 4K (68.5 FPS) is the only 4K setting that exceeds 60 FPS, while at 1440p, Ultra (71.2 FPS) and High (102.1 FPS) both exceed 60 FPS. At 1080p, all settings exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 94.9 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at 4K with the High preset, the average frame rate is 68.5 FPS, which is above 60. The Ultra preset drops to 49.4 FPS, so High is the highest preset that maintains 60+ FPS at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 217.9 FPS, Medium 159.7 FPS, and High 132.4 FPS. All three exceed 144 FPS, so 1080p High is a good choice for 144 Hz. At 1440p, only Low (162.4 FPS) exceeds 144 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF compare to the i7-14700K?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,104, while the i7-14700K scores 70,074, a delta of 0%. They are effectively identical in performance.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4090 have, and is it enough for RDR2?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for RDR2 at any resolution and preset.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 39th out of 1,687 tested combinations, placing it in the top tier of systems tested for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 49.4 FPS, while at 4K Low it is 105.2 FPS. The large drop from Low to Ultra indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, as the CPU's single-thread score of 6,290 in Cinebench R23 is strong enough to keep up.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K, the High preset at 68.5 FPS is the best balance, as Ultra drops to 49.4 FPS. For 1440p, the Ultra preset at 71.2 FPS is playable, but High at 102.1 FPS is smoother for high-refresh displays. For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 94.9 FPS is the best visual experience while still staying above 60 FPS; if a 144 Hz display is used, High at 132.4 FPS is a better choice. The data shows that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1440p and 1080p, while 4K users should stick to High. The Low preset at 1080p produces the highest measured frame rate of 217.9 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced; for most users, the Medium or High presets offer a better balance of image quality and performance.