Question 1080ti Poor performance in RDR2 using best configurations
Question 1080ti Poor performance in RDR2 using best configurations
You just prior said your GPU max temps are 86c, I'm getting confusing, contradicting info here. This plus the fact that you STILL have not answered the question as to what case you're using tells me you might be getting by with one that has less than desirable ventilation. It's also very important with blower style GPUs to have an adequate amount of space behind the case where hot exhaust is dumped out.
We ARE talking performance issues here after all, and frequent thermal throttling can certainly cause it. It's up to you whether you want to do anything about it, but I really think you are not getting the full potential out of the 1080 Ti.
Aside from that, are you experienced at applying TIM and properly reseating a cooler with equal and adequate pressure? However I also know some GPUs benefit from thin spacer mods due to inadequate mounting pressure. Again, 98c is nowhere near an acceptable hotspot temp.
You also really ought to do the MSI AB bench I suggested, and pay attention to any fluctuations in GPU temps and usage.
I faced the same issue with the same GPU and game. The issue lies with the game itself. RDR2 for PC isn't just poorly optimized; it depends more on the CPU than the GPU.
The game is quite demanding, yet it should perform smoothly at over 45 FPS on a 1080 Ti. OP, I should have mentioned that many players notice the game runs less efficiently on DX12. If you're using DX12, consider switching to Vulkan. Additionally, some users adjust the game's settings file (Documents\Rockstar Games\Red Dead Redemption 2\Settings) to change the Async value to True.