Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1673rd out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the 55th percentile of all configurations. This is a solidly mid-pack result that shows a system capable of running the game, but with clear compromises required at higher resolutions. The data indicates a pairing where the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions to push frame rates to very playable levels.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1673 out of 3714 tested combinations places it almost exactly in the middle of the database. This positioning suggests that while the RTX 5060 is a modern graphics card, its performance tier in this specific title is matched by a large number of alternative configurations. The CPU's individual standing is notably higher; the Core Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a well-above-average processor. The GPU, by contrast, is in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, which is still respectable but lower than the CPU's standing. This discrepancy hints that the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's relative position, not the CPU's.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks reinforce this view. The Core Ultra 5 235 scores 46,062 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX. It also edges out the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 by 0.2% each. These are negligible differences, showing that the Ultra 5 235 is competitive with a range of high-end desktop and mobile parts. However, in game-specific performance, the GPU's 72nd percentile is the more relevant metric, as Red Dead Redemption 2's demands are heavily graphics-dependent.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card's base clock is 2280 MHz, with a boost clock of 2497 MHz. These specifications are directly relevant to the game's performance scaling. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions; the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 26 FPS, which is likely a result of both the GPU's raw compute limits and potential VRAM pressure.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 20,891 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 113,321, but its DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 passes are low, at 200 and 77 respectively. These low DirectX scores are unusual for a modern card and may indicate that the benchmark methodologies are not fully aligned with the card's architectural strengths. In contrast, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,628 is a more modern and relevant metric, suggesting the card performs better in contemporary APIs. The RTX 5060's nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark list are the AMD Radeon 860M, NVIDIA GeForce MX550, and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, all within 0.8% of its score, though the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT sits 1.2% higher. This places the RTX 5060 in a peculiar spot, performing near integrated graphics in some synthetic tests but far better in actual gaming workloads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. For a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known to favor higher clock speeds and moderate core counts, this CPU is well-suited. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,769 and single-core score of 2,085 demonstrate strong performance that should not bottleneck the RTX 5060 at most settings.

The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 37,816 is high, placing it in the 89th percentile. This headroom is evident in the measured FPS data. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS on average, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough frames to hit high refresh rates. The CPU's performance is competitive with its nearest rivals, as mentioned earlier, all within 0.2% of each other. The Core Ultra 5 235's TDP of 65 W is also modest, but the data does not include power consumption during gameplay, so no further claims can be made about efficiency in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1080p, the system is generally smooth: Low settings yield an average of 117 FPS, Medium drops to 88 FPS, High to 73 FPS, and Ultra to 53 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p has recorded min and max values of 75 and 101 FPS, respectively, showing a stable frame delivery without major dips. The step from Medium to High at 1080p is a 15 FPS loss, while moving from High to Ultra costs another 20 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding.

Moving to 1440p, the averages decline predictably. Low settings produce 87 FPS, Medium 65 FPS, High 55 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution has min and max values of 56 and 75 FPS, respectively. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at High settings is 18 FPS (73 to 55), which is a significant drop of approximately 25%. At 4K, the system struggles. Low settings average 58 FPS, Medium 43 FPS, High 36 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a min of 37 FPS and a max of 50 FPS, which means even the average frame rate of 43 FPS will feel inconsistent on a 60 Hz display. The 4K Low preset is the only one that approaches playable levels, but it sacrifices visual fidelity substantially.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 117, and at Medium it is 88. Even at High settings, the average of 73 FPS exceeds 60 FPS, so a 60 FPS experience is achievable at 1080p with most settings.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The data indicates that at 1440p, the Medium preset provides an average of 65 FPS with a min of 56 FPS, which is a playable experience. The High preset drops to 55 FPS, which is borderline. For a smoother experience, Medium is the recommended preset at this resolution.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution?

A: The system is not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title. The average FPS at 4K is 26 for Ultra, 36 for High, 43 for Medium, and 58 for Low. Only the Low preset provides an average above 60 FPS, but it comes with significant visual compromises.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 117 FPS, but as resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly, indicating that the GPU's rendering capacity is the bottleneck rather than the CPU's processing speed.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Medium and High presets?

A: The difference varies by resolution. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 88 to 73, a 15 FPS decrease. At 1440p, it drops from 65 to 55, a 10 FPS decrease. At 4K, it drops from 43 to 36, a 7 FPS decrease. The relative cost of the High preset decreases as resolution increases.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062. It performs within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, the Intel Core i9-13900HX, the AMD EPYC 4364P, and the AMD EPYC 7303, showing that it is highly competitive with these parts in general processing tasks.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best balance, delivering an average of 73 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium, which only gains 15 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 53 FPS, which is not worth the visual gain for most users, as the 20 FPS loss from High is substantial.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 65 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate stays within a playable range even during demanding scenes. The High preset at 55 FPS is playable but risks dips below 60 FPS, which can feel less smooth. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for a good experience.

At 4K, the system is limited. The Low preset at 58 FPS is the only one that approaches 60 FPS, but it requires the lowest visual settings. The Medium preset at 43 FPS is a more balanced choice for those who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but it is not ideal for fast-paced action. The High and Ultra presets at 36 and 26 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a consistently playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear trend of performance degradation as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 25% across all settings. For example, at High settings, the average goes from 73 to 55 FPS, a drop of 18 FPS. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even more severe. At High settings, the average goes from 55 to 36 FPS, a decrease of 19 FPS, which represents a 35% reduction. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component as resolution increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear with the pixel count increase, but the 1440p to 4K transition shows a steeper than expected drop. This suggests that at 4K, the RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are struggling to keep up with the increased data demands. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for the high-texture detail required at 4K, leading to a disproportionate performance penalty. The CPU, with its high single-thread and multi-thread scores, shows no signs of bottlenecking at any resolution, as the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior. For users targeting higher resolutions, the data suggests that reducing settings is more effective than relying on the CPU to maintain frame rates.