Undisputed

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 presents a fascinating study in generational pairing within the game Undisputed. The CPU is a 2018-era 6-core/12-thread Zen design, while the GPU is a modern RDNA 3.0 part. The measured frame rates reveal how this combination handles the boxing title across various resolutions and settings, offering a clear picture of where the bottlenecks lie.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling, but with a notable twist at the lower end. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo produces 207 FPS, which drops to 150 FPS at 1440p and further to 95 FPS at 4K. This scaling is almost perfectly linear with the pixel count increase from 1440p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor at these higher resolutions. However, the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings represents a 27.5% performance drop, which is less steep than the 36.7% drop seen from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that at 1080p the system may be partially limited by other factors, such as the CPU or memory bandwidth.

The Low settings preset tells an even more revealing story. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a massive 288 FPS. This number is so high that it strongly implies the CPU is the bottleneck at this point, as the GPU is clearly capable of rendering frames much faster than the processor can instruct it to. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces the average to 208 FPS, a 27.8% decrease, and 4K Low yields 132 FPS, another 36.5% drop. The fact that even at 4K Low the frame rate is above 130 FPS shows that the RX 7700 has significant headroom in this title, and the scaling behavior from 1080p to 1440p suggests the older Zen CPU is holding back the system from reaching its absolute maximum potential at the lowest settings.

The Ultra preset reveals the steepest performance cliff. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 110 FPS, which drops to 80 FPS at 1440p and a playable-but-demanding 50 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents a 54.5% decrease from the 1080p Ultra result, which is a much larger penalty than the pixel count alone would warrant. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are highly taxing on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems, moving the bottleneck firmly to the graphics card. The data suggests that for this pairing, the sweet spot for high refresh rates is 1080p, while 4K is only viable with reduced settings.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Passmark multithread score of 13160 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1154, place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates it is a capable mid-range processor, but its architecture is from a previous generation. In Undisputed, which is a sports title, the game's engine likely relies on a few primary threads for simulation and physics.

The data implies that the CPU is a limiting factor in scenarios with very high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 288 FPS average is likely near the ceiling of what this CPU can feed to the GPU. The frame rate does not scale as well as the GPU's potential would suggest when moving from Low to Medium settings at 1080p, with only a 28.1% decrease in FPS (from 288 to 207), despite the increased graphical load. This suggests that the CPU is struggling to keep up with the game's logic at these elevated frame rates, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs.

This CPU’s performance is comparable to the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, which has an average benchmark score just 0.2% higher. It also sits near the Intel Core i9-11900H, which is 0.5% faster in average benchmark score. This context shows that while the 2600 is old, its multi-threaded capabilities are still relevant in synthetic tests. However, in gaming, the single-thread performance is often more critical, and the 2600's 3.90 GHz boost clock is modest by modern standards. The data suggests that for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, the CPU is the primary constraint, preventing the RX 7700 from achieving its full potential.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a modern 5 nm part built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 624.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. Its Passmark G3D score is 20974, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. This is a strong mid-range card, though its benchmark score is surprisingly close to the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which is only 0.1% slower in the same metric.

The GPU's role in Undisputed becomes dominant as resolution and settings increase. The 16 GB of VRAM is unlikely to be a limiting factor in this title, as even at 4K Ultra, the game appears to run within the card's memory capacity. The performance drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K is stark, with the average FPS falling from 95 to 50, a 47.4% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset uses more demanding shading and post-processing effects that heavily tax the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth.

The RX 7700 is the clear workhorse for this pairing. It is responsible for the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions and settings. While the CPU may limit the absolute maximum FPS at 1080p Low, the GPU dictates the experience at 1440p and 4K, and with higher quality settings. The 4K High result of 78 FPS is a strong indicator of the card's overall capability in this game, showing that it can handle a modern title at 4K with high quality settings, provided the CPU can keep up with the frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 5 2600 and Radeon RX 7700 is ranked 1284 out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed. This places it in the top half of all tested systems, specifically in the 54.3rd percentile of all combinations. This rank is a holistic measure of its performance across all settings and resolutions.

The ranking suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the older CPU drags the overall combo down. A system with a more modern CPU would likely rank higher, as the GPU has proven it is capable of producing very high frame rates. The fact that this combo is in the 54.3rd percentile means it outperforms a majority of systems, but it is far from the top. The gap between the CPU's 75th percentile ranking and the combo's 54.3rd percentile ranking highlights the potential performance being left on the table due to the processor bottleneck.

The data indicates that this is a somewhat imbalanced pairing. The GPU is a modern, high-bandwidth part that is held back by a CPU from a previous generation. In a game like Undisputed, where high frame rates are achievable, this imbalance is exposed. The combo rank confirms the GPU's strength, as it manages to place the system in the top half despite the CPU's age. It also suggests that if a user were to upgrade the CPU, this same GPU could potentially jump significantly higher in the rankings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays with a 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rate, the High preset is the clear winner. It delivers an average of 171 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors. The Low preset at 288 FPS offers no practical benefit for most users, as it exceeds the refresh rate of all but the most extreme esports displays. The Medium preset at 207 FPS is also a solid option, but the High preset offers a better visual quality-to-performance ratio for the small FPS cost.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is again the best recommendation. It produces an average of 124 FPS, which is ideal for a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 150 FPS is also excellent, but the High preset's visual improvements are worth the 26 FPS trade-off. The Ultra preset at 80 FPS is just at the edge of playability for 60Hz displays, but it may feel slightly less smooth on higher refresh rate panels. For a balanced experience, High is the most sensible choice.

At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset yields a playable 78 FPS, which is suitable for a 60Hz display. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is also viable, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often significant in modern games. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is too demanding for smooth gameplay on standard 60Hz displays. The Low preset at 132 FPS is surprisingly effective at 4K, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity. For 4K, the High preset offers the best compromise between image quality and smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for this combo in Undisputed.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 | High | 78 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 132 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 95 | 80 | 109 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 50 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 124 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 208 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 150 | 127 | 172 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 80 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 171 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 288 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 207 | 176 | 238 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 110 | - | - |

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Undisputed?

A: The data indicates that 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with a peak of 288 FPS at Low settings and 171 FPS at High settings. 1440p also performs well, with 124 FPS at High settings. 4K is playable but drops to 78 FPS at High settings and 50 FPS at Ultra.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 bottlenecking the AMD Radeon RX 7700?

A: Yes, the evidence suggests a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 288 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit, preventing the GPU from pushing even higher. The performance scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (a 27.8% drop) is less than the pixel count increase, indicating the CPU is not scaling perfectly.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Undisputed?

A: Yes, it is capable of 4K gaming. The measured results show 78 FPS at High settings and 95 FPS at Medium settings, which are both playable. However, the Ultra preset is too demanding, with an average of only 50 FPS.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that provides a frame rate above 100 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 150 FPS. The High preset at this resolution gives 124 FPS, which is also above 100. The Ultra preset falls below this threshold at 80 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's overall performance rank against other tested systems?

A: This specific combo is ranked 1284 out of 2813 tested combinations in Undisputed. This places it in the 54.3rd percentile of all tested combos, indicating it performs better than a majority of systems tested.

Q: Is the 16 GB of VRAM on the RX 7700 sufficient for this game?

A: Based on the performance data, VRAM does not appear to be a limiting factor. The frame rates at 4K Ultra (50 FPS) and 4K High (78 FPS) suggest the GPU's compute capabilities, not its memory capacity, are the primary constraint at those settings.