Red Dead Redemption 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 lands at rank 1206 out of 2902 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places the combo in the 58th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms the majority of systems but sits firmly in the mid-to-upper tier rather than the top echelon. The rank reflects a pairing where the CPU is exceptionally strong relative to the broader hardware landscape, while the GPU, though competent, anchors the overall performance ceiling.

The CPU alone holds a 96th percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K at 83807 (0.2% behind), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090 (1.1% behind), and the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82980 (1.2% behind). The only closer competitor above it is the AMD EPYC 7F72 at 85072, which leads by 1.3%. These margins are narrow, indicating that the 290K Plus is operating at the very edge of current desktop CPU capability.

In contrast, the RTX 3070 holds a 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17083 (0.7% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (1.0% behind), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17019 (1.1% behind). The NVIDIA Tesla K40c leads by 1.5% at 17468. This places the GPU in a crowded mid-range segment where synthetic scores cluster tightly, suggesting that real-world gaming performance will be heavily influenced by driver optimization and specific game requirements rather than raw compute dominance.

The disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles is telling. The processor is a top-tier part, while the graphics card is a solid mainstream component. In a title like Red Dead Redemption 2, which is known for its demanding visuals and open-world CPU overhead, this combination produces a balanced but GPU-limited experience at higher resolutions and settings. The combo rank of 1206 out of 2902 reflects this equilibrium—not a bottlenecked system, but one where the GPU is the primary constraint in the most demanding scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, with 14 Gbps effective data rate. The GPU core operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz. These specifications place the card in a position where it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming with authority, but 4K resolution pushes it to its limits, particularly with higher quality presets.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the VRAM capacity of 8 GB becomes a critical factor. The game's High and Ultra presets at 4K resolution are demanding on memory, and the measured FPS reflects this pressure. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo averages 38 FPS. Dropping to Medium yields 46 FPS, while Low produces 61 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K are the most punishing, with an average of just 28 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GPU's 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for Low and Medium presets at 4K, but High and Ultra presets strain both the memory capacity and the compute throughput of the GA104 chip.

The GPU's architecture, Ampere, with 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, provides a theoretical FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS. The pixel rate is 165.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s. These figures are competitive for the card's class, but Red Dead Redemption 2's highly detailed environments, complex lighting, and extensive draw distances place significant load on both the ROPs and the shading units. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but are not the primary drivers of performance in this title, which relies more heavily on traditional rasterization.

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting component at 4K resolution across all settings. At 2560x1440, the card performs admirably, with High settings averaging 58 FPS and Medium averaging 70 FPS. Low settings at 1440p reach 93 FPS, while Ultra drops to 42 FPS. At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 shows its strength, with Low settings hitting 125 FPS and Medium reaching 93 FPS. High settings at 1080p average 78 FPS, and Ultra manages 56 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that has adequate bandwidth but insufficient raw compute for maximum settings at the highest resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual quality with frame rate stability. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides the best combination of smoothness and fidelity, averaging 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. This is well above the threshold for fluid gameplay and allows for some headroom during intense scenes. The High preset at 1080p drops to 78 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns in visual improvements over Medium for a 15 FPS cost.

At 2560x1440, Medium is again the recommended preset, delivering 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This maintains a consistent experience above 60 FPS, which is crucial for a game with frequent camera movement and action sequences. The High preset at 58 FPS is borderline, dipping below 60 FPS on average, which may introduce noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. Low settings at 1440p achieve 93 FPS but sacrifice too much visual detail for the modest gain over Medium.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is the only 4K option that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sections. High settings at 38 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable choice if frame rate is the priority, though Medium may be acceptable for those who prioritize visual quality over smoothness.

The data suggests that Medium is the "sweet spot" for this combo in Red Dead Redemption 2 across all resolutions, offering the best frame rate-to-quality ratio. At 1080p and 1440p, it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 4K, it dips below that threshold but remains the best balance between playability and visual fidelity among the higher presets.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 78 FPS. This is a solid performance level, though it is notably below the 93 FPS achieved with Medium settings at the same resolution.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the RTX 3070 and Core Ultra 9 290K Plus?

A: 4K gaming is viable only at lower quality presets. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 61 FPS, while Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, Low is the only option.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only measured minimum FPS values are for the Medium preset across all resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum is 79 FPS; at 1440p, it is 59 FPS; and at 4K, it is 39 FPS. The other presets do not have reported minimum FPS data.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K at 83807. It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%, which scores 85072.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scores 17083 and trails by 0.7%.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1440p or 1080p in terms of frame rate scaling?

A: The frame rate scales consistently with resolution. At 1080p Medium settings, the average is 93 FPS, while at 1440p Medium, it drops to 70 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. At 4K Medium, it falls to 46 FPS, a 50.5% reduction from 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. Starting at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 125 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops the average to 93 FPS, a 25.6% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 61 FPS, a 51.2% reduction from 1080p. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels directly impacts the rendering load.

For the Medium preset, the scaling is slightly more pronounced. At 1080p, the average is 93 FPS; at 1440p, it is 70 FPS (a 24.7% drop); and at 4K, it is 46 FPS (a 50.5% drop from 1080p). The minimum FPS values follow a similar trajectory: 79 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The maximum FPS ranges from 107 at 1080p to 80 at 1440p and 53 at 4K.

High settings show a steeper decline. At 1080p High, the average is 78 FPS; at 1440p High, it is 58 FPS (a 25.6% drop); and at 4K High, it is 38 FPS (a 51.3% drop). Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 1080p Ultra averaging 56 FPS, 1440p Ultra averaging 42 FPS (a 25% drop), and 4K Ultra averaging 28 FPS (a 50% drop).

The consistent percentage drops across resolutions indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the scaling from 1440p to 4K would show a smaller percentage decrease, as the GPU would have more headroom to work with. Instead, the near-linear relationship between pixel count and FPS confirms that the RTX 3070's rendering throughput is the constraint. The 8 GB VRAM capacity also plays a role at 4K, particularly with High and Ultra presets, where memory pressure can cause additional performance degradation beyond pure pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU features 36 MB of shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. Memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to handle the game's complex simulation systems, including AI, physics, and world streaming. The 24 cores and 24 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability, which is beneficial for the game's open-world engine. The high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for games that rely heavily on a primary rendering thread.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores demonstrate its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 51731 in multi-core and 7303 in single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 60860, and the single-thread score is 4823. These figures place the CPU in the 96th percentile of all processors, indicating that it is more than sufficient for any gaming workload, including this title.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or setting. The consistent FPS drops when moving from 1080p to 4K point to GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of driving 125 FPS, which is well above typical display refresh rates. Even at 1080p Ultra, the CPU maintains 56 FPS, which is below the GPU's potential throughput at that setting. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic testing—the Core Ultra 9 285K, EPYC 4584PX, and EPYC 9135—all score within 1.2% of the 290K Plus, indicating that any of these processors would yield similar gaming results in this title.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and support for DDR5 memory provide ample data throughput for the game's streaming assets. The 36 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the CPU-heavy sections of Red Dead Redemption 2, such as crowded towns or during dynamic weather events. Overall, the CPU role in this combo is to provide a solid foundation without introducing any bottlenecks, allowing the GPU to be the sole determiner of frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings average 125 FPS, Medium settings average 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, High settings average 78 FPS, and Ultra settings average 56 FPS. The Medium preset offers the most balanced experience, providing a 93 FPS average that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, with a minimum that does not drop below 79 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 93 FPS, which is a 25.6% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings average 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The minimum of 59 FPS is just below the 60 FPS target, indicating that occasional dips below 60 FPS may occur during intense scenes. High settings average 58 FPS, and Ultra settings average 42 FPS. The Medium preset remains the recommended choice at this resolution, offering a 70 FPS average that is close to the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, indicating that frame times can be inconsistent. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings average 28 FPS. The 4K resolution is clearly the most demanding, and the data shows that the RTX 3070 is not capable of delivering a consistently smooth experience at this resolution with higher quality presets.

The full range of measured data reveals a few notable observations. First, the Medium preset is the only one with reported minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions, suggesting that it is the most thoroughly tested configuration. Second, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is nearly identical across all presets, with a consistent 25% to 26% reduction in average FPS. Third, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is also consistent, with a further 34% to 35% reduction in average FPS. This linear scaling pattern confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this combo, and that the CPU is capable of supporting the GPU's maximum output at any given setting.