Red Dead Redemption 2

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: This combo ranks 2670 out of 2902 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom portion of the tested pool, just above the lowest-performing setups.

Q: How does the Intel Core i9-14900K compare to its closest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i9-14900K scores 79097 on average, sitting 0.3% below the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371) and 0.6% below the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574). It is 1.2% behind the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041), but 1.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77740).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all tested graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs, meaning 95% of tested graphics cards deliver higher benchmark scores. Its average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 47, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The lowest average is 10 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does this combo ever reach 60 FPS in any tested configuration?

A: No. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the maximum average frame rate is 47 FPS, and the highest recorded maximum frame rate is 40 FPS (at 1080p Medium). The combo never reaches 60 FPS in any measured row.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration, and how does it affect performance?

A: The GPU uses System Shared memory, with a System Shared bus width and system-dependent bandwidth. This means the GPU relies on the host system's memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which likely contributes to the low performance levels observed across all settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and it includes Intel UHD Graphics 770 as integrated graphics.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 39399.5, and single-core is 2262.5. Geekbench scores are 21697 multi-core and 2655 single-core. PassMark multithread and single-thread scores are 58674 and 4697, respectively. The CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 95, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database.

Despite this CPU's high compute potential, the measured FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2 shows severe bottlenecks elsewhere in the system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 47 FPS, and at High settings it drops to 29 FPS. These numbers are far below what the CPU alone could support in terms of physics, AI, and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game; even at lower resolutions where CPU load is typically highest, the frame rates remain low. The CPU's high single-thread score of 2262.5 in Cinebench R23 and 4697 in PassMark single-thread would normally be sufficient for high-FPS gaming, but the measured results indicate the GPU becomes the performance ceiling immediately.

The Core i9-14900K's nearest rival, the Core i9-14900KF, scores only 0.3% higher on average, and the Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% higher. These deltas are negligible for gaming purposes, meaning any of these CPUs would perform nearly identically in this title if paired with the same GPU. The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and streaming, but in Red Dead Redemption 2, the frame rate is constrained long before CPU resources are exhausted. The measured data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where CPU load is minimal relative to GPU load, the combo only manages 10 FPS, confirming the CPU is not the binding constraint.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. The GPU has a TDP of just 25 W and uses no power connectors, consistent with its integrated design.

The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM size, type, or bus width. Memory bandwidth is listed as system-dependent, which means performance scales with the host system's memory speed and architecture. This is a critical limitation for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which requires substantial texture bandwidth and memory capacity at higher resolutions. The GPU's average benchmark score is 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher), all of which are older discrete parts that still slightly outperform this integrated solution.

The gaming data reflects this GPU's limitations. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 14 FPS on High, 17 FPS on Medium, 23 FPS on Low, and 10 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium at 4K represents a 26% drop in performance, while Ultra is 57% slower than Low. At 2560x1440, results are 22 FPS on High, 26 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on Low, and 16 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 54%. At 1920x1080, the best case scenario, the combo reaches 47 FPS on Low, 35 FPS on Medium, 29 FPS on High, and 21 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 55% performance loss.

The GPU's 25 W TDP and integrated design mean it shares power and thermal budget with the CPU, but the frame rate data indicates it is fundamentally underpowered for this title. Even at 1080p Low, the 47 FPS average falls short of smooth gameplay, and the GPU's 5th percentile ranking confirms it is among the weakest graphics solutions in the database. The system-shared memory further compounds the problem, as the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, causing stutter and low minimums in the Medium settings rows (min FPS of 15 at 4K, 22 at 1440p, and 30 at 1080p).

How This Combo Ranks

This CPU and GPU combination ranks 2670 out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. That places it in the 92nd percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms only about 8% of setups in this game. The rank is heavily skewed by the GPU, which sits in the 5th percentile, while the CPU sits in the 95th percentile. This massive mismatch between CPU capability and GPU capability is the defining characteristic of this combo.

The data shows that the CPU's high performance does not translate into gaming results because the GPU is the bottleneck in every measured scenario. The combo's rank of 2670 is consistent with the GPU's low benchmark scores; the GPU's average score of 1184 is only 0.2% to 0.7% lower than its nearest rivals, and those rivals also represent ancient, low-end hardware. Meanwhile, the CPU's nearest rivals (14900KF, Ultra 9 290HX Plus, EPYC 7413, Ryzen AI Max+ 395) all have scores within 1.7% of the 14900K, but none of that matters when the GPU cannot render frames above 47 FPS even at the lowest settings.

Compared to other combos, this setup is firmly in the bottom 10% of tested configurations for Red Dead Redemption 2. The rank of 2670 out of 2902 means there are 232 combos that perform worse, likely those with even older or more integrated graphics solutions. However, the presence of the Core i9-14900K means this combo has enormous untapped potential; swapping the GPU for even a mid-range discrete card would dramatically change the rank, as the CPU would no longer be waiting on the integrated graphics.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo delivers an average of 14 FPS on High settings, 17 FPS on Medium, 23 FPS on Low, and 10 FPS on Ultra. The Medium settings row includes a minimum FPS of 15 and a maximum of 20, showing some frame time variance. The spread between Low and Ultra is 13 FPS, representing a 57% performance drop from the best to worst settings. None of these frame rates are playable for an action-adventure game.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), average FPS improves to 22 on High, 26 on Medium, 35 on Low, and 16 on Ultra. The Medium row shows a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 19 FPS, a 54% reduction. While 35 FPS on Low is closer to playable, it still falls short of the 40-60 FPS range typically needed for smooth gameplay in this genre.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best results are achieved. The combo averages 29 FPS on High, 35 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on Low, and 21 FPS on Ultra. The Medium row records a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 26 FPS, a 55% performance loss. The 47 FPS on Low is the only configuration that approaches playability, but it still lacks the headroom to prevent drops below 30 FPS during intense scenes.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent: Low settings provide roughly double the frame rate of Ultra settings at every resolution. For example, at 1080p, Low is 47 FPS versus Ultra's 21 FPS; at 1440p, Low is 35 FPS versus Ultra's 16 FPS; at 4K, Low is 23 FPS versus Ultra's 10 FPS. The resolution scaling shows that dropping from 4K to 1080p at the same settings yields roughly a 2x improvement (e.g., 23 to 47 FPS on Low, 14 to 29 FPS on High). This indicates the GPU is heavily resolution-bound, with system-shared memory bandwidth becoming a greater constraint at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only configuration that provides a semi-playable experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers an average of 47 FPS. This is the highest average frame rate across all tested rows, and it is the only setting that keeps the average above 40 FPS. However, even this configuration lacks minimum FPS data, so frame dips could be significant during busy scenes.

If the user absolutely must play at 1080p, Low settings are the clear choice over Medium, which averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 12 FPS on average (a 26% drop), while the visual improvement is unlikely to justify the frame rate loss given the GPU's limitations. High settings at 1080p drop to 29 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

At 1440p, the best option is Low settings at 35 FPS, but this is already a significant downgrade from 1080p Low. The minimum FPS is not reported for 1440p Low, so there is uncertainty about frame consistency. Medium at 1440p averages 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS, which is borderline unplayable. High and Ultra at 1440p (22 and 16 FPS) are not recommended under any circumstances.

At 4K, all settings produce average frame rates below 24 FPS, with Ultra at 10 FPS being the worst. Even Low at 4K only reaches 23 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth motion in an action-adventure game. The data clearly indicates that 4K is not a viable option for this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The overall recommendation is to run the game at 1920x1080 with Low settings, as this is the only measured configuration that approaches playable frame rates. Users seeking a more stable experience may consider reducing the resolution below 1080p, though no data is available for lower resolutions. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a minimum of 30 FPS, which might be acceptable for users who prioritize visuals over frame rate, but the average of 35 FPS leaves little margin for demanding scenes. Given that the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile, expectations should be set accordingly: this combo is not designed for high-fidelity gaming, and the measured data confirms that Low settings at the lowest resolution is the only sensible choice.