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 128 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 111 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 68 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 279% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1060) for Red Dead Redemption 2. The Core i9-7960X is 209% above the recommended CPU (Core i7-4770K).
The Core i9-7960X sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $1834. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 128 FPS, equivalent to 0.07 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.106 fps/$ | 0.097 fps/$ | 0.083 fps/$ | 0.070 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.084 fps/$ | 0.077 fps/$ | 0.071 fps/$ | 0.061 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.053 fps/$ | 0.051 fps/$ | 0.044 fps/$ | 0.037 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1080p low, the Core i9-7960X sets the ceiling at about 198 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 263 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 25% (FPS gap: 65 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your Core i9-7960X is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 25% | CPU Limits GPU 19% | CPU Limits GPU 18% | CPU Limits GPU 17% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 13% | CPU Limits GPU 8% | CPU Limits GPU 10% | CPU Limits GPU 10% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 15% | CPU Limits GPU 12% | CPU Limits GPU 12% | CPU Limits GPU 13% |
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) | CPU58% - 74% <> GPU36% - 64% <> | CPU54% - 72% <> GPU54% - 77% <> | CPU35% - 57% <> GPU54% - 75% <> | CPU29% - 56% <> GPU55% - 75% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU50% - 61% <> GPU58% - 81% <> | CPU47% - 58% <> GPU84% - 94% <> | CPU46% - 58% <> GPU84% - 94% <> | CPU43% - 54% <> GPU84% - 94% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU41% - 57% <> GPU69% - 84% <> | CPU42% - 56% <> GPU98% - 98% | CPU41% - 55% <> GPU97% - 98% <> | CPU37% - 47% <> GPU97% - 99% <> |
The Core i9-7960X + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 29% and 74% and GPU utilization between 36% and 99%. Core i9-7960X stays in a controlled operating range, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 61% at 1080p to 93% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 54% to 47%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 4K (Ultra HD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 98% usage (98-98%), while the Core i9-7960X stays at 49% (42-56%). 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 54% and GPU 61%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 52% and GPU 84%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 47% and GPU 93%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
1440p (2K QHD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 52% (47-58%) and GPU 89% (84-94%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i9-7960X remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 98% average load at 4K (Ultra HD) Medium while the Core i9-7960X 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 209% above and your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+209%vsrecommended
+279%vsrecommended
+577%vsminimum
+539%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-7960X paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Red Dead Redemption 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 68 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 209% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $1834 ($185 CPU (Rank #298 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). Since the CPU is the main limiting factor, investing in a stronger processor will improve your framerates and overall value. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #5 for value).
For Red Dead Redemption 2, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i9-7960X is currently the limiting factor — the GeForce RTX 4090 has extra headroom that a faster processor could take advantage of. This is especially noticeable at 1080p where CPU performance matters more. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra.
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 i9-7960X 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.
