Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 presents a demanding workload that rapidly exposes the limits of the Intel Arc B390 when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. The measured data for this combination shows a clear and consistent pattern: performance is severely constrained by the graphics processor, with frame rates falling to unplayable levels at higher resolutions. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results by resolution, settings, and component role.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 51 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 38 FPS, a reduction of 13 frames. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 25 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the rendering resolution is the dominant factor, placing an overwhelming load on the Intel Arc B390's limited resources.

The trend holds across all quality presets. For High settings, the average frame rate descends from 32 FPS at 1080p to 24 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 16 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic collapse: 23 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and only 11 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K for each preset is substantial, with the Low preset losing 26 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 12 FPS. These numbers suggest that the pixel throughput required at 4K is far beyond what this integrated graphics solution can deliver.

The limiting component here is unequivocally the GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is not the bottleneck in this scenario. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see frame rates stay relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload per frame does not increase proportionally with pixel count. Instead, the observed 50% drop from 1080p to 4K on Low settings points directly to the graphics processor struggling to fill frames. The data shows that even at 1440p, the combo fails to maintain a smooth 30 FPS on any preset, indicating that 1080p is the only viable resolution for consistent performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its specifications reveal why it performs so poorly in this title. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which in practice means it is shared with the CPU and subject to contention.

This shared memory architecture is a major liability for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2. The game's open world requires constant streaming of textures and geometry, and a shared memory pool can lead to bandwidth bottlenecks. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, but these theoretical numbers are limited by the memory subsystem. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, yet the benchmark scores indicate real-world throughput is far lower. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the GPU scores just 1482 points, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in that benchmark are all NVIDIA entry-level parts: the GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (1.3% faster), the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% faster), the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% faster), and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% faster). These are all ancient, low-end parts. The Arc B390's 1482 score is only slightly above these, confirming its position at the very bottom of the performance hierarchy. In Red Dead Redemption 2, this translates to an inability to maintain playable frame rates, even with a powerful CPU feeding it data.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured frame rates, the only playable configuration is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 51 FPS. This is the sole preset and resolution combination that approaches a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 39 FPS, which is borderline but may be acceptable for some users, with a minimum of 33 FPS recorded. However, the High preset at 1080p falls to 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset manages only 23 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for comfortable play.

At 1440p, the situation is dire. The Low preset averages 38 FPS, but the Medium preset averages 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS, and the High preset drops to 24 FPS. None of these provide a stable experience. At 4K, all presets are unplayable, with the best result being 25 FPS on Low and the worst at 11 FPS on Ultra. The data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over visual fidelity. Sticking to 1080p and Low settings is the only way to get above 50 FPS. If visual quality is more important, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a playable minimum of 33 FPS, but anything higher will result in stuttering and lag.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 28 FPS drop (51 to 23), which is a significant penalty for higher fidelity. At 1440p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 21 FPS (38 to 17), and at 4K it is 14 FPS (25 to 11). The diminishing returns are clear: the GPU cannot handle the increased shading and texture work required by higher presets, especially at higher resolutions. For this combo, the recommended path is to accept Low settings at 1080p to maximize frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where average frame rates exceed 30 FPS on multiple presets. At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the average frame rates are consistently below 38 FPS even on Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B390 scores 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460). It is also 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446) and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K the bottleneck in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: No. The frame rate scaling across resolutions indicates a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limit, frame rates would not drop as sharply from 1080p to 4K. The CPU has 20 cores and 20 threads with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which is sufficient for this game.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 51 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average is 11 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 2568 out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The Intel Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it shares the system's DDR5 memory. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which is a significant limitation for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU's processing power is substantial, as reflected in its benchmark scores: it reaches 35,850 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,020 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 23,085 multi-core and 2,713 single-core. These figures place the CPU in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a high-end part.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of handling this workload. The game's frame rates are consistently low, which is not a sign of CPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see frame rates that are similar across different resolutions, but the measured data shows a clear decline as resolution increases. This indicates that the CPU is waiting on the GPU to finish rendering frames.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon 6511P (-0.2% delta), Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (-0.7% delta), Intel Core i7-14700KF (1% delta), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (1.3% delta). The Core Ultra 7 265K performs on par with these, confirming its strong multi-threaded capabilities. However, this power is wasted in this pairing, as the GPU cannot translate the CPU's throughput into higher frame rates. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are also irrelevant to the performance bottleneck, which lies entirely with the graphics solution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 32 FPS, and Ultra drops it to 23 FPS. This resolution offers the widest range of playable options, though only Low and Medium are recommended.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades significantly. The Low preset averages 38 FPS. Medium averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. High settings average 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these results are ideal for a smooth experience, but Low is the only preset that stays above 30 FPS on average.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to remain functional. The Low preset averages 25 FPS. Medium averages 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS. High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. These numbers are uniformly unplayable, confirming that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: lowering the settings improves frame rate, but the improvements are modest. From Ultra to Low at 1080p, the gain is 28 FPS; at 1440p, the gain is 21 FPS; and at 4K, the gain is 14 FPS. The absolute numbers are low across the board, reinforcing the GPU's position as the primary limiter.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2568 out of 2902 combos. This places it in the bottom 11.5% of all tested configurations, a result that aligns with the GPU's low percentile ranking. The GPU itself sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs based on its 3DMark score, while the CPU sits in the 94th percentile. This massive discrepancy highlights the imbalance of this pairing.

The high rank of the CPU does little to help the overall combo rank because the game is so heavily GPU-bound. A weaker CPU would likely yield similar frame rates, as the bottleneck is not in processing game logic but in rendering pixels. The combo's rank of 2568 out of 2902 reflects the GPU's inability to handle a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2, despite the CPU's best efforts. The data shows that this is a lopsided configuration where the graphics processor severely limits the overall experience, making it unsuitable for this game at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p with higher quality settings.