Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The data indicates that this pairing is well-balanced, though the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides recommendations based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 194 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 145 FPS, and at 4K Low, the average falls to 96 FPS. This represents a substantial 50.5% reduction in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low. This scaling is typical for a high-end GPU, where the workload shifts from being CPU-bound at lower resolutions to increasingly GPU-bound at higher pixel counts.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p, and then to 60 at 4K. Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 145 FPS at 1080p, 108 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most significant impact, with averages of 87 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and a demanding 43 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops between resolutions indicate that the scaling is smooth and predictable, with no sudden bottlenecks or anomalies.

The data suggests that the limiting component changes depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 107 FPS (194 vs. 87), which is a large margin. This indicates that the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, allowing the graphics card to work harder as settings increase. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 53 FPS (96 vs. 43). This smaller delta suggests that at this resolution, the GPU is working near its maximum capacity, and the performance difference between settings is more pronounced relative to the overall lower frame rate. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased memory pressure at 4K, but the raw processing power becomes the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong single-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4394. This is crucial for gaming, as Red Dead Redemption 2 benefits from strong per-core performance to handle game logic and draw calls.

In this game, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p and lower settings, where the GPU is not as heavily taxed. The high average FPS at 1080p Low (194 FPS) demonstrates that the CPU can push frames well beyond typical display refresh rates. However, the data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. For instance, at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 87, which is still high but significantly lower than at Low settings. This is a direct result of the GPU having to render more complex scenes, not a CPU limitation.

The CPU's Passmark multithreaded score of 38706 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 show it has ample processing power for multi-threaded workloads. Its performance is closely matched with rivals, sitting just 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 in average benchmark scores. In the context of this game, the 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient to prevent any CPU-related frame drops, as evidenced by the consistent scaling between resolutions. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide adequate data throughput to keep the GPU fed, even at high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its characteristics directly shape the performance at each resolution. With 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, it is a high-end card designed for demanding workloads. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz and FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS provide substantial raw compute power. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth is a key asset, especially for 4K gaming where texture data and frame buffers are large.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution rises. At 4K, the average FPS at High settings is 60, which is exactly the target for many modern displays. The fact that the card can maintain this with headroom confirms its capability. The data shows that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 43. This is a demanding setting that requires maximum GPU effort, and the card is clearly at its limit. The performance delta between High and Ultra at 4K is 17 FPS (60 vs. 43), which is a 28.3% reduction, highlighting the significant cost of the Ultra preset.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, being just 0.1% ahead in average benchmark scores. It also sits ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%. This indicates that in this game, the RTX 4080's performance is at the top of its class. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs further cements its position as a high-performance part. The measured results confirm that it can handle 1440p and 4K gaming with ease, making it the ideal partner for the Ultra 5 245 in this title.

FAQ

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance impact the game's frame rate?

A: The CPU's strong single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4394, ensures that the game's main thread is rarely a bottleneck. This is reflected in the high average FPS at 1080p, such as 194 FPS at Low settings, where the CPU has headroom to process game logic without limiting the GPU.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on the RTX 4080 is sufficient. The measured data shows playable performance at 4K, with an average of 60 FPS at High settings and 72 FPS at Medium settings. The memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s also ensures that data can be transferred quickly enough to support these frame rates.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 4080 and its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The data shows that the RTX 4080 is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER in average benchmark scores. This indicates that in this game, the performance between the two cards is virtually identical, and the measured FPS for this combo would be representative of what one could expect from either card.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested combinations?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 260th out of 3714 tested combos for this game. This places it in the top 7% of all tested systems, indicating a very strong pairing for Red Dead Redemption 2.

Q: At which resolution does the GPU become the clear bottleneck?

A: The GPU becomes the clear bottleneck at 3840x2160 (4K). The evidence is the smaller gap in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 4K (96 vs. 43 FPS) compared to 1080p (194 vs. 87 FPS). This suggests that the GPU is working at near maximum capacity at 4K, and its processing power is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the expected performance at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 90 FPS. This indicates a very smooth and responsive experience, well-suited for high refresh rate monitors, as it is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 260 out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This means it performs better than 92.9% of all tested combinations, placing it firmly in the upper echelon of systems for this specific game. This high ranking is a direct result of the balanced pairing of a strong modern CPU and a top-tier GPU.

The CPU itself is ranked in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its closest rivals in average performance are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which is 0.5% faster. The GPU is ranked in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with its performance being nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER. When combined, these two components create a system that is well above average for this title. The ranking suggests that for users with a 1440p or 4K display, this combo will provide an excellent experience, as it is in the top 10% of all systems tested.

The data confirms that this is not a pairing with a significant weak link. The CPU is powerful enough to not hold back the GPU at lower resolutions, and the GPU is powerful enough to deliver high frame rates at higher resolutions. The 260th rank out of 3714 combos is a strong indicator of overall system balance and capability in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete list of measured average FPS values for this combination, broken down by resolution and settings preset. The data shows a clear and consistent trend of decreasing performance as both resolution and settings are increased.

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 194 FPS average.
• Medium: 145 FPS average (min 123, max 167).
• High: 121 FPS average.
• Ultra: 87 FPS average.

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 145 FPS average.
• Medium: 108 FPS average (min 92, max 125).
• High: 90 FPS average.
• Ultra: 65 FPS average.

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 96 FPS average.
• Medium: 72 FPS average (min 61, max 82).
• High: 60 FPS average.
• Ultra: 43 FPS average.

This breakdown highlights the playability across all tested configurations. At 1080p, every preset is well above 60 FPS, with even Ultra averaging 87 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra is still playable at 65 FPS, and High is very smooth at 90 FPS. At 4K, the Low, Medium, and High presets all maintain an average of 60 FPS or higher, while Ultra drops below the 60 FPS threshold to 43 FPS. This data implies that the RTX 4080 is capable of handling 4K gaming, but the Ultra preset may require some compromises for a locked 60 FPS experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset provides an excellent experience, with an average of 87 FPS. This is high enough to take full advantage of standard 60Hz monitors and will also be smooth on 144Hz displays, though not fully saturating them.

For 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 90 FPS. This provides a great balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring a very smooth experience on high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset is also viable, with an average of 65 FPS, but the High preset offers a significant performance boost (25 FPS more) for what is likely a minor visual difference.

At 4K, the High preset is the ideal target, achieving an average of 60 FPS. This is the standard for console-quality gaming and is perfectly playable. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 72 FPS, which could be preferable for those who want more headroom for frame time spikes. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended for a smooth experience, as its 43 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS threshold that is generally considered standard for comfortable gameplay. In summary, the data recommends High settings for 1440p and 4K, and Ultra settings for 1080p. The Medium preset serves as a good fallback for 4K if higher frame rates are prioritized over maximum visual detail.