A masterpiece of the RAGE engine, heavily taxing the GPU with volumetric lighting and water physics. Interestingly, it has relatively low CPU utilization compared to its graphical demands. Be prepared for a massive 150GB install size.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 143 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 115 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 80 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 279% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1060) for Red Dead Redemption 2. The Core i9-12900KS is 380% above the recommended CPU (Core i7-4770K).
The Core i9-12900KS sets the FPS ceiling at 1080p low, 1440p low, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1080p (medium/high/ultra), 1440p (medium/high/ultra), all 4k settings.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2034. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 143 FPS, equivalent to 0.07 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.113 fps/$ | 0.101 fps/$ | 0.088 fps/$ | 0.070 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.077 fps/$ | 0.072 fps/$ | 0.068 fps/$ | 0.057 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.054 fps/$ | 0.053 fps/$ | 0.048 fps/$ | 0.039 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1440p low, the Core i9-12900KS sets the ceiling at about 159 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 179 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 11% (FPS gap: 20 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 3/12 cells, GPU limits 1/12, balanced 8/12.
The Core i9-12900KS and GeForce RTX 4090 stay close in effective frame-generation ceiling across most presets, so neither side consistently suppresses the other by a large margin.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 9% | CPU Limits GPU 6% | Balanced | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 11% | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | Balanced | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 8% | Balanced |
We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.
Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.
CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.
A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU50% - 62% <> GPU43% - 64% <> | CPU47% - 60% <> GPU60% - 77% <> | CPU27% - 43% <> GPU60% - 76% <> | CPU19% - 41% <> GPU58% - 76% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU26% - 46% <> GPU68% - 85% <> | CPU23% - 44% <> GPU93% - 99% <> | CPU23% - 43% <> GPU93% - 98% <> | CPU20% - 39% <> GPU91% - 98% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU27% - 40% <> GPU70% - 86% <> | CPU27% - 40% <> GPU99% - 100% <> | CPU27% - 39% <> GPU99% - 100% <> | CPU17% - 30% <> GPU98% - 100% <> |
The Core i9-12900KS + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 17% and 62% and GPU utilization between 43% and 100%. Core i9-12900KS keeps significant headroom across presets, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 64% at 1080p to 94% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 44% to 31%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 4K (Ultra HD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 100% usage (99-100%), while the Core i9-12900KS stays at 34% (27-40%). This shows the graphics pipeline is carrying most of the workload, but utilization alone does not define the FPS limiter.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 44% and GPU 64%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 33% and GPU 91%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 31% and GPU 94%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1440p (2K QHD) Ultra is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 30% (20-39%) and GPU 94% (91-98%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i9-12900KS remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 100% average load at 4K (Ultra HD) Medium while the Core i9-12900KS still has headroom, so a faster graphics card would deliver the largest uplift.
Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.
Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.
Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.
See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.
Your CPU is 380% above and your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+380%vsrecommended
+279%vsrecommended
+951%vsminimum
+539%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-12900KS paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Red Dead Redemption 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 80 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 380% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2034 ($385 CPU (Rank #149 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Your Core i9-12900KS provides phenomenal top-tier performance but at a premium enthusiast price. Since you are essentially at the ceiling of current hardware capabilities, there are no meaningful performance upgrades available. However, if you wanted a more cost-effective build that still delivers a great experience, you could theoretically step down to a high-end processor with a significantly better value rating. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value).
Your Core i9-12900KS is already an incredibly powerful processor. While it's technically the first component to hit its limit (which is completely normal in state-of-the-art builds), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Red Dead Redemption 2 performance right now. CPU fully utilized at: 1080p low, 1440p low.
Red Dead Redemption 2 does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.
Red Dead Redemption 2 requires at minimum a Core i5-2500K (CPU) and GeForce GTX 770 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 150 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7-4770K and GeForce GTX 1060 with 12 GB RAM. Your Core i9-12900KS and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Red Dead Redemption 2 FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.
Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.
Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.
