Struggling to play RDR2 on my build

[jrattigan]

Hello

My PC setup allows me to play games like The Witcher 3 and GTA V perfectly with maximum graphics settings at 1440p. However those are probably the newest games I’d played until recently when I got around to trying Red Dead Redemption 2. With that game I’m struggling to get a decent frame rate while playing it even at moderate graphics settings.

Most parts in the PC are from 2017 and I had thought my setup was relatively future-proofed, but I suppose some of it is ageing a bit now. Set up is listed below.

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether my setup should still allow me to get good performance on games like RDR2 or if not what the weak link might be? The first new game I’m really looking forward to playing in years is Starfield, so I’d like to know whether my setup will be capable of running that well or if I’ll need to do some upgrades.

Thank you!

Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus IX Hero
CPU: Intel i7 7700k
GPU: Nvidia GTX 980 Ti Hybrid
SSD 1: Samsung Evo 970 2TB
SSD 2: Samsung Evo 960 1TB
HDD: Seagate 1TB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 (2x8GB)
Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
PSU: 850w
Monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG279Q 165Hz IPS

[Cathulhu]

The main issue is the videocard. The 6GB videoram really limit what it can do.
Even current games at 1080p can max out an 8GB videocard, like Diablo 4.
I'd upgrade the RAM as well. 16GB is getting tight already and games will really benefit from being able to utilize more RAM.

[Rod]

Yup looked ok till 980... your computer is fine and would slot in a 7900XTX/4080 nicely. As mentioned 16GB ram is now min spec and 32gb the new normal.


I would therefor look now for cheap 2x16GB sticks that match your ram speed? And sell the 16GB on ebay? $1000 on sale could maybe get it all? The XTX $899 offer and $100 ram?

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

Would get RTX 4070 since 7900 XTX and 4080 get bottlenecked by i7-7700K quite a bit and probably wont be able to use their full potential.

[Andrius227]

I personally think the weakest part is the quad core cpu. A gtx 980 ti is close to a gtx 1070 or an rtx 2060 so should be ok for some time.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

How can you be struggling when even a GTX 970 runs RDR2 all day long with high visuals @ 1080p just fine?

It's the CPU that's crap, not the GPU. 980 Ti is perfectly fine for 1080p Ultra Textures w/ most of the rest of the visuals all set to high. FPS shouldn't dip below 35-40 in the rough spots. Mostly hitting 50-60. The 6GB VRAM really helps.

16GB just barely does the job. You'd have to force close everything else basically otherwise you'll find yourself restarting RDR2 every few hours.

[jrattigan]

Hi all,

Thank you for the replies, very helpful.

I was certainly thinking about getting more RAM anyway so no problem doing that. The big question seems to be whether to upgrade the GPU or CPU as there seems to be divergent opinions as to which one is the bottleneck (if not both…).

I’ve been out of the loop for a while so don’t really know what the best GPUs or CPUs would be now if I was to upgrade either (or both), so any recommendations would be most welcome.

Thank you.

[Rod]

Origineel geplaatst door jrattigan:

Hi all,

Thank you for the replies, very helpful.

I was certainly thinking about getting more RAM anyway so no problem doing that. The big question seems to be whether to upgrade the GPU or CPU as there seems to be divergent opinions as to which one is the bottleneck (if not both…).

I’ve been out of the loop for a while so don’t really know what the best GPUs or CPUs would be now if I was to upgrade either (or both), so any recommendations would be most welcome.

Thank you.

The thing is, Building a new base and using same gpu little gain. Using killer new gfx card in older rig decent gains. Now when you upgrade the base you take the 7900xtx etc with you.


Thats how i see it, And i would wait another year and then rebuild the base but for now i would look at the 7900xtx as they have been on sale for 899 thats a lot of gpu for 899.

[jrattigan]

Origineel geplaatst door Rod:

Origineel geplaatst door jrattigan:

Hi all,

Thank you for the replies, very helpful.

I was certainly thinking about getting more RAM anyway so no problem doing that. The big question seems to be whether to upgrade the GPU or CPU as there seems to be divergent opinions as to which one is the bottleneck (if not both…).

I’ve been out of the loop for a while so don’t really know what the best GPUs or CPUs would be now if I was to upgrade either (or both), so any recommendations would be most welcome.

Thank you.

The thing is, Building a new base and using same gpu little gain. Using killer new gfx card in older rig decent gains. Now when you upgrade the base you take the 7900xtx etc with you.


Thats how i see it, And i would wait another year and then rebuild the base but for now i would look at the 7900xtx as they have been on sale for 899 thats a lot of gpu for 899.

That makes sense, thank you.

[jrattigan]

Origineel geplaatst door emoticorpse:

Can you run a userbenchmark and post a link to the results page here?

Hi.

Sorry I’m not quite sure how to do that.

I did however just run some benchmarks within the game itself and at maxed out settings at 1440 it was averaging around 35fps, which doesn’t seem as bad as I was expecting. The graphics settings page also suggests those settings are using about 5GB of the GPU’s 6GB.

[emoticorpse]

Origineel geplaatst door jrattigan:

Origineel geplaatst door emoticorpse:

Can you run a userbenchmark and post a link to the results page here?

Hi.

Sorry I’m not quite sure how to do that.

I did however just run some benchmarks within the game itself and at maxed out settings at 1440 it was averaging around 35fps, which doesn’t seem as bad as I was expecting. The graphics settings page also suggests those settings are using about 5GB of the GPU’s 6GB.

Go to this page https://www.userbenchmark.com/

and click the middle "free download" button and run that program. SHould take like two minutes. When it opens up a web page with results, copy that address and put it here so I can see the all the details in the results.

[Missing Spartan]

userbenchmark is not that reliable. your running a 980ti at 1440p on max settings. tone your settings down to medium with ultra textures and turn on AMD FSR which is like DLSS but works on everthing. should get a good performance boost.

If your looking to upgrade i'd go with CPU/Mobo/Ram first. GPU prices are too high currently and are likely to fall over the next year. What country do you live in if you don't mind me asking, if you live in the US and close to a Micro center you can pick up a new CPU/Mobo/Ram for 300 in one of their bundles

[Jaiiime]

Your PC setup is indeed quite powerful, especially for games from its time. However, newer games like Red Dead Redemption 2 can be more demanding and require more powerful hardware to run smoothly at higher graphics settings, especially at 1440p resolution. The weak link in your setup for running newer games at higher settings is likely your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

The Nvidia GTX 980 Ti was a high-end GPU when it was released in 2015, and it's still a capable card for many games. However, newer games with more advanced graphics and rendering techniques can put a strain on older GPUs, leading to lower frame rates and reduced overall performance.

For games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and potentially upcoming titles like Starfield, you may need to consider upgrading your GPU to achieve better performance. Upgrading to a more modern and powerful GPU will allow you to play these games at higher graphics settings and maintain a smoother frame rate.

Additionally, if you plan on upgrading your GPU, it's essential to check if your PSU (Power Supply Unit) can handle the power requirements of the new GPU. You mentioned you have an 850W PSU, which should be sufficient for many modern GPUs, but it's still a good idea to verify compatibility.

Before upgrading, you can also try optimizing the in-game graphics settings for Red Dead Redemption 2. Lowering certain settings like shadows, anti-aliasing, and ambient occlusion can significantly improve performance without sacrificing too much visual quality.

In summary, your PC setup is still capable of running many games well, but for more demanding titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and potentially Starfield, upgrading your GPU would likely improve your gaming experience and allow you to play at higher graphics settings with smoother frame rates.

[emoticorpse]

Origineel geplaatst door 󠀡󠀡⁧⁧Orange Mint:

Origineel geplaatst door emoticorpse:

Go to this page https://www.userbenchmark.com/

and click the middle "free download" button and run that program. SHould take like two minutes. When it opens up a web page with results, copy that address and put it here so I can see the all the details in the results.

why would you suggest that biased site to anyone?

I've got my reasons

[Rod]

Origineel geplaatst door jrattigan:

Origineel geplaatst door Rod:

The thing is, Building a new base and using same gpu little gain. Using killer new gfx card in older rig decent gains. Now when you upgrade the base you take the 7900xtx etc with you.


Thats how i see it, And i would wait another year and then rebuild the base but for now i would look at the 7900xtx as they have been on sale for 899 thats a lot of gpu for 899.

That makes sense, thank you.

Is minimum fps an issue and how low is it? What a new gpu would do is basically let you crank up the settings and keep the same minimums sometimes as you shift the bottleneck now to the GPU at 1440p. If you can start to turn settings down and get a high minimum fps its a gpu bottleneck and a new gpu like 7900xtx would work wonders.


If you cant get high min fps even on lowest 1440p then it can be the cpu and upgrading the gpu can be risky therefor and produce not much difference. It does pay off on gpu bound titles though. Its hard to say definitively but i would personally be debating 7900xtx now or keep gpu and get that 7600x3d microcenter bundle asap with 32gb ram 1tb nvme ssd.


Now is a decent time the 7600X3D and 6000mhz 32GB is cheap $100 only the 7900XTX 24GB has been on sale $899 RDR2 is an AMD game too.

[emoticorpse]

Origineel geplaatst door 󠀡󠀡⁧⁧Orange Mint:

Origineel geplaatst door emoticorpse:

I've got my reasons

you should never suggest that site to anyone because that site is made for clowns who believe everything they see

I hear what you're saying. The way I see it though, is that it's just too valuable a tool to stop using for when people need help.

Luckily though my patience is very low and at this point if OP decides to run it, I won't be looking at it. So I hope he doesn't run it because he would be going to that biased site for no reason at all unless someone else wants to see those results.

Also, truth is though I do have a feeling it is mostly his GPU that's lacking for that game and 1440p, but wanted to see the results in case something else got my attention.