Red Dead Redemption 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a combo rank of 648 out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the pairing in the top 22.3% of all tested configs, a strong showing for a mid-range desktop CPU paired with a previous-generation enthusiast GPU. The percentile data for the individual components supports this positioning: the CPU sits at the 89th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at the 81st percentile among all graphics cards.

What makes this rank notable is the balance between the two components. The CPU's average benchmark score of 46062 places it within 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 7303 and within 0.1% of both the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX. The GPU's average score of 37648 is within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and 1.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. Neither component dramatically outperforms its nearest rivals, yet the combined result in this specific title still lands in the upper quintile of all combos tested.

The rank of 648 suggests that while this pairing is capable, there are 647 other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in this game. That is not a criticism of the hardware itself; instead, it reflects the competitive field of higher-tier GPUs and CPUs that occupy the top ranks. The data indicates that this combo is positioned squarely in the upper-middle tier of tested systems, where small percentage differences in component scores translate into meaningful rank separation.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 brings 12 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, while memory operates at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). These specifications position the card as a capable 1440p performer with enough memory bandwidth to handle 4K at reduced settings.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the GPU's role is dominant across all tested resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 152 FPS, which drops to 68 FPS at 1080p Ultra — a 55.3% reduction from Low to Ultra. At 1440p, the spread is similar: 113 FPS at Low versus 51 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, the range narrows in absolute terms: 75 FPS at Low down to 34 FPS at Ultra. These numbers show that the RTX 4070's performance headroom is substantial at lower settings but becomes the limiting factor as resolution and quality increase.

The GPU's 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units provide the raw throughput needed for this game's demanding draw calls and post-processing effects. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores are present but Red Dead Redemption 2 does not heavily leverage these features, so their impact on the measured results is minimal. The 12 GB frame buffer proves sufficient across all tested configurations, as no memory-related stutters or crashes are indicated in the data.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows 1440p High delivers 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 95 FPS, making 1080p the safest choice for high refresh rate monitors. 4K is playable only at Low settings (75 FPS) or Medium (56 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 scores 46062 on average, which is 0.1% above the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030), 0.1% below the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098), and 0.2% above both the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960). These differences are within measurement noise.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 scores 37648 on average, which is 0.1% above the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628), 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), 1.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135), and 1.3% above the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157).

Q: Is the 12 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K in this game?

A: The measured 4K results show playable frame rates at Low (75 FPS) and Medium (56 FPS), indicating that 12 GB is adequate for these settings. At 4K High (47 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS), the frame rates drop below 60 FPS, suggesting the GPU's compute limits rather than VRAM capacity are the bottleneck.

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

A: The combo ranks 648th out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 22.3% of all systems tested.

Q: Does the CPU's 14-core configuration help in this game?

A: Red Dead Redemption 2 is primarily GPU-bound at higher settings, but the CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads with a 5.00 GHz boost clock ensure no CPU-related frame drops are evident in the measured data, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the combo delivers 152 FPS at Low, 114 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 131), 95 FPS at High, and 68 FPS at Ultra. The 1080p Medium preset shows the tightest frame time consistency, with a 34 FPS spread between min and max.

At 1440p, the results are 113 FPS at Low, 85 FPS at Medium (min 72, max 97), 71 FPS at High, and 51 FPS at Ultra. The 1440p Medium preset maintains a 25 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating stable performance. At 4K, the numbers drop to 75 FPS at Low, 56 FPS at Medium (min 48, max 64), 47 FPS at High, and 34 FPS at Ultra. The 4K Medium preset shows a 16 FPS spread, which is the narrowest range recorded across all presets and resolutions.

The only preset with min/max data is Medium across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the min of 97 FPS ensures no drops below 60 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min of 72 FPS remains above 60. At 4K Medium, the min of 48 FPS dips below 60, indicating occasional frame hitches. The absence of min/max data for other presets means only average frame rates can be compared for those configurations.

# Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings. At Low, the combo produces 152 FPS at 1080p, 113 FPS at 1440p, and 75 FPS at 4K — a 50.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Medium, the figures are 114, 85, and 56 FPS respectively, representing a 50.9% drop. At High, the numbers are 95, 71, and 47 FPS, a 50.5% reduction. At Ultra, the values are 68, 51, and 34 FPS, a 50.0% drop.

The uniformity of these percentage drops — all within 0.9 points of 50% — indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor. If the CPU were bottlenecking, the 1080p to 1440p drop would be smaller than the 1440p to 4K drop, as the GPU would have more headroom at lower resolutions. Instead, the linear scaling suggests the RTX 4070 is consistently the limiting component across all tested configurations.

The 1440p to 4K transition shows the most significant absolute loss. At 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by 25.7% across all settings. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops by 33.9%. This acceleration in performance loss at higher resolutions confirms that pixel throughput, not geometry or CPU-bound logic, is the dominant factor. The 4K Low result of 75 FPS versus 1440p Low at 113 FPS represents a 33.6% reduction, while 4K Ultra at 34 FPS versus 1440p Ultra at 51 FPS is a 33.3% reduction.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 features 14 cores and 14 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. The base clock of 3.40 GHz boosts to 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (102.4 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample bandwidth for feeding the RTX 4070.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is secondary but not negligible. The game's open world requires significant draw call processing and NPC simulation, which the 14 cores handle without issue. The PassMark multithread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 indicate balanced performance. The Cinebench R23 scores of 14769 (multi-core) and 2085 (single-core) further confirm the CPU's capability.

The fact that frame rates scale almost perfectly with resolution (as shown in the resolution scaling section) indicates the CPU is never the bottleneck at any tested setting. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the CPU maintains 152 FPS without evident stalling. The 14 threads, rather than 14 cores with hyperthreading, are sufficient for this title's threading model, which typically uses 4-8 threads for game logic and rendering tasks.

The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all processors, combined with its proximity to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% delta) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% delta), suggests that any CPU upgrade would yield negligible gains in this game at these settings. The data indicates the RTX 4070 is the component to upgrade for higher frame rates.

# Settings Recommendations

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 71 FPS is the recommended configuration. It provides a 39.4% improvement over Ultra's 51 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity close to the highest settings. The Medium preset at 85 FPS is the best choice for players prioritizing frame rate consistency, as the measured minimum of 72 FPS ensures smooth gameplay without drops below 60 FPS.

For 1080p displays, the High preset at 95 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is playable but represents a 28.4% reduction from High. The Medium preset at 114 FPS (min 97) is ideal for high refresh rate monitors, providing a 20% uplift over High while maintaining a minimum frame rate above 90.

For 4K displays, the Low preset at 75 FPS is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 56 FPS (min 48) is borderline, with occasional drops below 60. The High preset at 47 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay. Players with 4K displays should either accept Low settings or reduce resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The data suggests that the Medium preset across all resolutions provides the most predictable frame pacing, as it is the only preset with min/max measurements that show reasonable spreads (34 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, 16 FPS at 4K). For a consistent experience, Medium is the safest choice, while High is the best visual compromise at 1080p and 1440p.