Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a demanding title that scales heavily with resolution, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 shows a clear trajectory from a smooth high-refresh experience at 1080p to a playable-but-limited one at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises, while the CPU holds its ground even at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, the role of the processor, and the optimal settings for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and highlights the GPU-bound nature of the workload. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 162 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 121 FPS, a 25% reduction, and then to 4K Low it falls to 80 FPS, which is a 51% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is characteristic of a scenario where the RTX 5070 is being pushed progressively harder, while the Core Ultra 5 235 has ample headroom to feed it frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern persists across all settings presets. For High settings, the averages are 101 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. This shows a consistent ~25% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another ~33% hit when moving from 1440p to 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K High is a 51 FPS difference, or roughly half the performance, which is a typical result for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 that relies heavily on fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The Medium preset tells a similar story, with 121 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. Notably, this is the only preset where min and max FPS data is available. At 4K Medium, the range is 51 to 69 FPS, indicating some frame pacing variance but maintaining playability. At 1440p Medium, the range is 77 to 104 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 103 to 139 FPS. This data suggests that the frame time consistency improves as resolution drops, which is expected when the GPU is less saturated.

The Ultra preset illustrates the most severe scaling, starting at 73 FPS in 1080p, dropping to 54 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 36 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 40 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience, making it unplayable for most. The data indicates that the RTX 5070 is the limiting component at 4K, as the performance degradation from 1440p to 4K is dramatic across all presets, suggesting the GPU's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 192-bit bus are being overwhelmed by the pixel throughput requirements.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. This puts it in a tight cluster with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (score 46030, delta 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (score 46098, delta -0.1%). The data shows this CPU is not a bottleneck in this game, as evidenced by the FPS scaling pattern.

At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085) is sufficient to drive high frame rates. The jump from 121 FPS at Medium to 162 FPS at Low indicates that the CPU can push well beyond 160 FPS when the GPU is not the constraint. The multi-threaded capability, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, is also robust, but Red Dead Redemption 2 typically does not scale perfectly with many cores. The 14 cores and 14 threads (no hyperthreading) provide enough parallelism for the game’s background tasks, but the primary workload remains on the GPU.

The fact that FPS drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K across all presets is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU's workload (draw calls, physics, game logic) stays constant. The data clearly shows a linear degradation with pixel count, which points to the RTX 5070’s rendering capabilities being the ceiling. The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals—being within 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 in average score—suggests it has ample headroom for this game, and the bottleneck will always be the graphics card at standard gaming resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this CPU/GPU combo for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates. At High settings, the combo averages 75 FPS, and at Medium settings, it averages 90 FPS. Both are comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. At 4K High, the average FPS is 50, which is playable but not ideal. At 4K Medium, it averages 60 FPS, which is the minimum for a standard 60 Hz monitor, but the min FPS of 51 suggests occasional dips.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 (0.1% faster), the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 (0.2% slower), and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960 (0.2% slower). It is essentially performance-equivalent to these parts.

Q: Is there a big difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the difference is significant. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 162, while at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 73 FPS. That is a 89 FPS difference, or a 55% performance penalty for the highest visual fidelity.

Q: What is the performance penalty for using the Ultra preset?

A: Compared to the High preset at the same resolution, Ultra is notably heavier. At 1080p, Ultra is 28% slower than High (73 vs 101 FPS). At 1440p, it is 28% slower (54 vs 75 FPS), and at 4K, it is 28% slower (36 vs 50 FPS). The relative penalty is consistent across resolutions.

Q: Does the RTX 5070's performance in this game align with its general benchmark standing?

A: The RTX 5070 has a percentile rank of 82 among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (score 40318, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (score 40063, delta 0.8%). The FPS results in Red Dead Redemption 2, such as 75 FPS at 1440p High, are consistent with a mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users. At 1440p Medium, the combo produces an average of 90 FPS, which is smooth and responsive for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2. The measured min FPS of 77 at this setting ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes it the recommended setting for a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor.

For those targeting 4K, Medium is the highest playable preset. The average of 60 FPS at 4K Medium is the minimum acceptable for a standard display, but the min FPS of 51 indicates potential stutter in heavy scenes. Dropping to Low at 4K raises the average to 80 FPS, providing a much larger safety margin and a more consistent experience. Therefore, for 4K, Low settings are recommended for a stable frame rate, while Medium is viable for those who prioritize visuals over absolute smoothness.

At 1080p, the High preset is the best choice for most users, as it delivers 101 FPS on average. This is well above the 60 FPS target and allows for high refresh rate gaming. The Ultra preset at 1080p, which averages 73 FPS, is also playable and offers the maximum visual fidelity, but the 28% performance drop from High may not be worth the marginal visual improvement for competitive or fast-paced play. The Low preset at 1080p, with 162 FPS, is only useful for players with a 144 Hz or higher monitor who prioritize frame rate above all else.

The data suggests that the High preset is the most efficient choice across all resolutions when considering the balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 4K, it averages 50 FPS, which is borderline. For a strictly 60 FPS target, Medium at 4K is the ceiling, but for a smoother experience, Low at 4K or Medium at 1440p are superior options. The Medium preset appears to be the safest recommendation for a "best experience" since it provides 60+ FPS at both 1080p and 1440p, and it is the only 4K preset that reaches the 60 FPS mark on average.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination is ranked 563rd out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 20% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a new-generation GPU. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing, where the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at typical resolutions, and the GPU provides solid performance for the game's requirements.

This ranking is particularly notable given the CPU's 89th percentile standing and the GPU's 82nd percentile standing. The combo's rank of 563 out of 2902 suggests that it outperforms many systems with more expensive or higher-tier parts, likely due to the efficient architecture of both components. The Core Ultra 5 235's performance, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-13900HX (delta -0.1%), ensures that the system is not held back by the processor, allowing the RTX 5070 to operate near its full potential.

The position within the database indicates that this combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming, which is confirmed by the FPS data. The 90 FPS average at 1440p Medium is a strong result, and the 75 FPS at 1440p High is also respectable. The ranking suggests that users with this setup can expect a high-quality experience without needing to upgrade either component for this specific title. The fact that it sits in the 563rd position out of 2902 means there are many slower combinations, but also a few faster ones, typically featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 5080 or 5090.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for Red Dead Redemption 2 with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 162 FPS average
• Medium: 121 FPS average (min 103, max 139)
• High: 101 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 121 FPS average
• Medium: 90 FPS average (min 77, max 104)
• High: 75 FPS average
• Ultra: 54 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 80 FPS average
• Medium: 60 FPS average (min 51, max 69)
• High: 50 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: lower settings always yield higher FPS, and lower resolutions always yield higher FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with full min/max data, showing a tighter frame time distribution at lower resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 103-139 FPS, which is a 36 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 77-104 FPS, a 27 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 51-69 FPS, an 18 FPS spread. This indicates that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, which is a typical behavior for this game.

The most significant performance cliff is between the High and Ultra presets at 4K, where the average FPS drops from 50 to 36, a 28% reduction. This is the only instance where the average FPS falls below 40, making it the only unplayable configuration in the dataset. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 41 FPS (162 vs 121), while the difference between High and Ultra is 28 FPS (101 vs 73). This suggests that the Ultra preset is disproportionately demanding, likely due to advanced lighting and shadow effects that heavily tax the GPU. In summary, the combo is versatile, capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and playable 4K at Medium settings, with the 1440p Medium preset offering the best all-around experience.