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 126 FPS. At 1440p, all settings exceed 104 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 64 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 279% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1060) for Red Dead Redemption 2. The M3 Max 16-Core is 355% above the recommended CPU (Core i7-4770K).
The M3 Max 16-Core sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom.
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1080p low, the M3 Max 16-Core sets the ceiling at about 180 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 262 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 31% (FPS gap: 82 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 12/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 0/12.
Your M3 Max 16-Core 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 31% | CPU Limits GPU 26% | CPU Limits GPU 22% | CPU Limits GPU 20% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 21% | CPU Limits GPU 20% | CPU Limits GPU 17% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 19% | CPU Limits GPU 21% | CPU Limits GPU 18% |
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) | CPU55% - 74% <> GPU38% - 65% <> | CPU50% - 71% <> GPU56% - 77% <> | CPU30% - 53% <> GPU57% - 76% <> | CPU22% - 53% <> GPU57% - 76% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU47% - 63% <> GPU60% - 84% <> | CPU43% - 59% <> GPU86% - 97% <> | CPU44% - 59% <> GPU86% - 97% <> | CPU41% - 56% <> GPU87% - 97% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU41% - 56% <> GPU68% - 87% <> | CPU41% - 55% <> GPU98% - 100% <> | CPU42% - 54% <> GPU98% - 100% <> | CPU38% - 47% <> GPU98% - 100% <> |
The M3 Max 16-Core + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 22% and 74% and GPU utilization between 38% and 100%. M3 Max 16-Core 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 63% at 1080p to 94% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 51% to 47%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 4K (Ultra HD) Medium, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 99% usage (98-100%), while the M3 Max 16-Core stays at 48% (41-55%). 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 51% and GPU 63%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 52% and GPU 87%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 47% and GPU 94%. This shows that GPU demand scales sharply with resolution while CPU load remains comparatively stable.
1440p (2K QHD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 51% (43-59%) and GPU 92% (86-97%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while M3 Max 16-Core remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Upgrade priority should be the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 99% average load at 4K (Ultra HD) Medium while the M3 Max 16-Core 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 355% above and your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+355%vsrecommended
+279%vsrecommended
+896%vsminimum
+539%vsminimum
Yes, the M3 Max 16-Core paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Red Dead Redemption 2 smoothly up to 4k achieving around 64 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 279% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 355% above the recommended requirements.
Price data is not currently available for this combination. In general, look for setups where the CPU and GPU are balanced — this ensures you're not overspending on one component that the other can't keep up with.
Your M3 Max 16-Core 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, 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 M3 Max 16-Core 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.
