Red Dead Redemption 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support contribute to its overall compute capability. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a multi-core score of 15,028 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 1,743 in the same test, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32,697 puts it in a tight race with rivals like the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32,707 (a 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, which scores 32,662 (a 0.1% delta). The data indicates this is a competent mobile chip, but for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, the role of the processor is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The measured FPS in this game shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the game hits 149 FPS, which is the highest recorded result in the entire dataset, suggesting the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GeForce RTX 5080 at lower resolutions. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p (149 FPS vs. 67 FPS) is substantial, but this delta is more indicative of the GPU workload scaling than a CPU bottleneck. The CPU’s passmark physics score of 1,727 and multithread score of 24,873 suggest adequate processing for the game’s simulation layer, though the game’s engine is not particularly known for heavy multi-threading. In practice, the Core Ultra 7 155H does not appear to be the limiting factor in this configuration. The benchmark results show that as resolution increases, the FPS drops proportionally, which is a classic sign of the GPU taking over as the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s relatively high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3,468 passmark single-thread score, ensures that the game’s main thread is handled without stutter, even when the GPU is saturated at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. Its Blackwell 2.0 architecture includes 10,752 shading units, 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores, with a boost clock of 2617 MHz. The GPU’s raw compute power is reflected in its 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a Passmark G3D score of 36,565, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 56,083 is slightly above the AMD Radeon 8060S, which scores 55,757 (a 0.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which scores 55,698 (a 0.7% delta). In Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 5080’s role is purely about rasterization throughput and memory bandwidth. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU manages only 33 FPS, while at 4K Low, it reaches 74 FPS. This indicates that the game is highly sensitive to GPU memory and shader workload at higher settings. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game’s textures at 4K, but the 33 FPS at Ultra suggests that the game’s most demanding settings, such as volumetric lighting and shadow quality, are pushing the GPU’s compute units to their limit. The RTX 5080’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, has a higher average score of 57,367 (a -2.2% delta), yet the measured results here are what they are. The GPU’s 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is critical for streaming textures in the open world, and the data shows that at 1440p Medium, the GPU delivers 83 FPS, which is a playable experience. The gap between 1080p High (93 FPS) and 1440p High (70 FPS) is a 24.7% drop, while the drop from 1440p High to 4K High (46 FPS) is a 34.3% reduction, highlighting the GPU’s scaling behavior as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the Medium preset at 1440p. This configuration delivers an average of 83 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS, which is a smooth and stable performance for a story-driven action-adventure title. The Medium preset at 4K also warrants consideration, with an average of 55 FPS and a minimum of 47 FPS, though the minimum frame rate is close to the edge of what many players would consider acceptable. The High preset at 1080p achieves 93 FPS, which is excellent, but the visual fidelity gains over Medium are marginal compared to the performance cost. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution; at 1080p it drops to 67 FPS, at 1440p it falls to 50 FPS, and at 4K it collapses to 33 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent play. The Low preset, while offering high frame rates (149 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, 74 FPS at 4K), sacrifices too much visual quality for a game known for its detailed environments. The data strongly suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, as it provides a 50% improvement over High at 4K (55 FPS vs. 46 FPS) and a 24% improvement over High at 1440p (83 FPS vs. 70 FPS), while maintaining a playable minimum frame rate. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the 1440p Medium setting is the clear winner, offering a balance that keeps the RTX 5080 busy without pushing it into the sub-60 FPS territory that plagues the Ultra preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with the Medium preset yields an average of 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS, making it the most balanced option. This is superior to 4K Medium (55 FPS) and 1080p High (93 FPS) in terms of overall experience.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56,083, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757) and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698). However, it trails the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which scores 57,367, by 2.2%.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H a bottleneck in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate no significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the game reaches 149 FPS, the highest in the dataset, and the CPU’s single-thread score of 3,468 ensures the main game thread is fed adequately. The FPS drops at higher resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations.

Q: What is the performance gap between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1080p averages 93 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. This represents a 28% performance reduction for the Ultra settings, which may not justify the visual improvements for all users.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM capacity of the RTX 5080 cause any issues in this game?

A: The measured FPS data does not show any anomalies that would suggest VRAM capacity is a limiting factor. The consistent scaling from 1080p to 4K, and the playable frame rates at 4K Medium (55 FPS), indicate that the 16 GB memory is sufficient for this game’s requirements.

Q: How does this hardware combination rank among all tested combos for this game?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 750th out of 2,902 tested combinations, placing it in the top 25.9% of all systems tested for Red Dead Redemption 2.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. Starting at 1080p with the High preset, the system achieves 93 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 70 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. Stepping up to 4K High, the FPS falls to 46, which is a 34.3% drop from 1440p and a 50.5% drop from 1080p. This scaling is consistent across all settings presets. For the Low preset, the progression is 149 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p (a 25.5% drop), and 74 FPS at 4K (a 33.3% drop from 1440p). The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 112 FPS at 1080p, 83 FPS at 1440p (a 25.9% drop), and 55 FPS at 4K (a 33.7% drop). The Ultra preset is the most dramatic: 67 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p (a 25.4% drop), and 33 FPS at 4K (a 34% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 25% from 1080p to 1440p and 33-34% from 1440p to 4K—is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary limiting component. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is not causing frame rate cliffs or inconsistent scaling; the data shows a smooth, predictable decline in performance that aligns with the increased pixel count and memory bandwidth demands. The total pixel count from 1080p to 4K is a 4x increase, yet the FPS does not drop by 4x, which suggests the RTX 5080’s memory bandwidth and compute scaling are efficient. The fact that the 4K Low preset (74 FPS) is still higher than the 1080p Ultra preset (67 FPS) further underscores that the GPU’s raw throughput is the bottleneck, not the CPU or any other system component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is derived directly from the measured FPS rows for Red Dead Redemption 2.

At 1920x1080, the Low settings produce an average of 149 FPS. The Medium settings yield an average of 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. The High settings average 93 FPS. The Ultra settings drop to an average of 67 FPS. This represents a spread of 82 FPS between the lowest and highest settings presets, with Low being 122.4% faster than Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Low settings average 111 FPS. The Medium settings produce an average of 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High settings average 70 FPS. The Ultra settings average 50 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 61 FPS, or a 122% improvement for Low over Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution offers a minimum frame rate of 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Low settings average 74 FPS. The Medium settings produce an average of 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The High settings average 46 FPS. The Ultra settings average 33 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 41 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference across the three resolutions, but the relative performance hit is significant. The 4K Medium preset is notable for having a minimum frame rate of 47 FPS, which is the only 4K setting where the minimum FPS is recorded, indicating a variance that could be noticeable in gameplay.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only settings level that provides recorded minimum FPS values across all three resolutions (95 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K). This suggests that Medium is the most stable preset in terms of frame pacing, with the minimum frame rate staying within a 50% range of the average across all resolutions. The High and Ultra presets do not have recorded minimum FPS values, but their averages are substantially lower than Medium, implying a less consistent experience. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 demonstrates that the GPU is the dominant factor in this game’s performance. The CPU shows no signs of bottlenecking at any resolution, as evidenced by the consistent scaling of FPS with resolution. The RTX 5080’s performance in this title is moderate; it is not capable of hitting high refresh rates at 4K with Ultra settings, but it provides a playable experience at 1440p Medium, which is the recommended configuration based on the data.