Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the integrated Intel Arc B370 presents a highly constrained gaming experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. The measured frame rates are uniformly low across all tested configurations, placing this combo in the 2670th position out of 2902 tested combinations. The data reveals a system where the graphical processor is the overwhelming bottleneck, struggling to maintain playable frame rates even at the lowest settings and resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a steep and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the lowest settings, the average frame rate drops from 47 FPS at 1920x1080 to 35 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 23 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 26% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 51% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating that the rendering pipeline is saturated at every resolution tested.

The High preset shows a similar trend, with average frame rates of 29 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K. This equates to a 24% performance loss moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52% loss from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset follows the same trajectory, achieving 35 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K, with corresponding drops of 26% and 51% respectively.

The Ultra preset delivers the lowest results, with 21 FPS at 1080p, 16 FPS at 1440p, and 10 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are slightly less severe at 24% for the 1080p to 1440p transition and 52% for the 1080p to 4K transition, but the absolute numbers are already so low that the reductions are marginal in practical terms. The consistency of these percentage drops across all four presets strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU itself, as the scaling behavior is uniform regardless of the graphical workload being applied.

The frame rate deltas between resolutions reveal a GPU that is operating at its absolute limit. When the pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p, the performance drops by roughly a quarter, and when it increases by 225% from 1080p to 4K, performance falls by half. This sub-linear scaling relative to pixel count indicates that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound; other factors such as memory bandwidth and shader throughput are also acting as constraints. The integrated nature of the Arc B370, which uses system shared memory, likely contributes to these limitations, as the memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" rather than a fixed dedicated figure.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that approaches a playable experience, with an average of 47 FPS. This is the sole setting that breaches the 30 FPS threshold that is commonly considered the minimum for acceptable gameplay in a title like Red Dead Redemption 2. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 35 FPS on average, with a minimum of 30 FPS, which is also technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

The data indicates that dropping from Medium to Low at 1080p provides a 34% performance uplift, from 35 FPS to 47 FPS. This is a significant gain for a single preset level reduction. In contrast, moving from Low to High at 1080p results in a 38% performance penalty, from 47 FPS down to 29 FPS, which pushes the experience into unplayable territory. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers only 21 FPS, which is a 55% reduction from the Low setting.

At higher resolutions, no setting produces acceptable results. Even the Low preset at 1440p only manages 35 FPS, which is identical to the Medium preset at 1080p. The 4K resolution is entirely unviable, with the best case being 23 FPS on Low settings. The measured minimum frame rates, where available, paint a bleaker picture: the Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 30 FPS, but the same preset at 1440p drops to a 22 FPS minimum, and at 4K it falls to 15 FPS. These minimums indicate that even the average frame rates are not stable, and the experience will include noticeable stutters and drops.

For users who prioritize frame rate stability, the Low preset at 1080p is the only recommendation supported by the data. The Medium preset at 1080p could be considered if visual fidelity is paramount, but the minimum frame rate of 30 FPS suggests it will be borderline. Any other combination of resolution and settings in the measured data results in average frame rates below 30 FPS, which will likely be a frustrating experience for most players.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2670th out of 2902 tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the combo in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, indicating that it is among the least capable configurations for this specific game. The rank is a direct result of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a relatively strong performer in general benchmarks.

Looking at the individual component data, the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which scores 46030 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which scores 46098 (a -0.1% difference). This suggests the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics. In contrast, the GPU is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 (a -0.2% difference), and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 (a -0.5% difference). These are legacy parts from a bygone era, confirming the Arc B370's extremely low position in the graphics hierarchy.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile is stark. The data implies that the CPU is severely underutilized in this configuration, as it is likely waiting on the GPU to complete rendering tasks. The combo rank of 2670 reflects the weakest link in the chain, which is unambiguously the GPU. This is a classic case of a balanced system being undermined by a single, severely underpowered component. The measured frame rates, which never exceed 47 FPS even at the lowest settings and resolution, are consistent with a GPU that is operating at its absolute ceiling.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 47 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is 4K resolution playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate measured is 23 FPS on the Low preset, with the High preset at 14 FPS and Ultra at 10 FPS. These are all well below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the CPU's general performance rank compared to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile. It scores 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 47 FPS while the High preset achieves 29 FPS. This represents a 38% performance reduction when moving from Low to High.

Q: Does the GPU have a high benchmark percentile?

A: No. The Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. It scores 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570.

Q: Are there any settings where the minimum frame rate is at least 30 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. The only measured configuration at 2560x1440 with a minimum frame rate above 20 FPS is the Medium preset, which has a minimum of 22 FPS. The Low preset has no reported minimum, but its average is 35 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process. Its role in this game is defined by severe limitations. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent."

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 5 is reflected in the game's measured performance. The data shows that the GPU is the clear bottleneck in every scenario. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p shows a decline from 47 FPS to 21 FPS, a 55% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's shading units and texture units are overwhelmed by the increased graphical load. The 20 ROPs are likely a significant constraint, as the fill rate of 48.00 GPixel/s is insufficient for modern game rendering at higher resolutions.

The shared memory architecture is also a probable factor in the poor performance. With no dedicated VRAM, the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and the bandwidth is dependent on the system's configuration. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is reasonable for an integrated part, but it cannot compensate for the fundamental lack of raw compute and memory bandwidth. The GPU's TDP is 25 W, which limits its sustained performance. The combination of low percentile ranking, shared memory, and limited ROPs results in the consistently low frame rates observed across all measured configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. It uses the Intel Socket 1851 and has a TDP of 65 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 14769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2085 in single-core. It achieves 6202 in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 875 in single-core. In Passmark tests, it scores 37816 in multi-thread and 4516 in single-thread. These scores place the CPU in the 89th percentile, making it a strong performer for general tasks. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, scores 0.1% higher in average benchmark score, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 0.1% lower.

Despite the CPU's capability, the game performance is uniformly low. The measured frame rates do not scale with CPU performance, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, which is sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2's multi-threaded workload. The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often critical for game logic and draw call processing. The L3 cache of 24 MB is adequate for holding game assets. The data implies that the CPU is effectively idle or underutilized, waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. The bottleneck is the GPU, and the CPU's role is to feed it with data, which it does without becoming a constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low preset 47 FPS, Medium preset 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and maximum of 40 FPS, High preset 29 FPS, and Ultra preset 21 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with a 26% drop from Low to Medium, a 17% drop from Medium to High, and a 28% drop from High to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low preset 35 FPS, Medium preset 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS and maximum of 30 FPS, High preset 22 FPS, and Ultra preset 16 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the Low preset drops by 26%, the Medium by 26%, the High by 24%, and the Ultra by 24%.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low preset 23 FPS, Medium preset 17 FPS with a minimum of 15 FPS and maximum of 20 FPS, High preset 14 FPS, and Ultra preset 10 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the Low preset drops by 51%, the Medium by 51%, the High by 52%, and the Ultra by 52%.

The only configurations with a reported minimum frame rate are the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the minimum is 30 FPS, at 1440p it is 22 FPS, and at 4K it is 15 FPS. The maximum frame rates for these settings are 40 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most stable frame pacing, with a 10 FPS difference between minimum and maximum at 1080p, narrowing to an 8 FPS difference at 1440p and a 5 FPS difference at 4K. However, the absolute values are too low for a satisfactory experience at 1440p and 4K. The Low preset at 1080p, with 47 FPS, is the only configuration that offers a frame rate approaching a standard 60 FPS target, though it still falls short.