Undisputed

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600 with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090 presents a stark contrast in generational capability. The 6-core, 12-thread Zen+ processor, released with a launch MSRP of $199, anchors the system, while the Ada Lovelace flagship GPU, with a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD, provides the graphical firepower. The measured frames in Undisputed reveal how this imbalance manifests across resolutions and presets, offering a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies and how to optimize the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a predictable yet pronounced shift in frame rates as resolution climbs, but the rate of that decline is the key indicator of system behavior. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 347.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average drops to 313.5 FPS—a 9.9% reduction. The jump to 4K at Low settings yields 246.1 FPS, which is another 21.5% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern, where the 1080p to 4K gap is 29.3%, suggests that even at the lowest graphical load, the CPU is not the sole limiting factor, as the GPU is still able to flex its muscles and push frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates.

However, the story changes dramatically when settings are increased. At Ultra quality, the frame rate at 1080p is 202 FPS, at 1440p it is 147.9 FPS, and at 4K it collapses to 94.5 FPS. The resolution scaling here is much steeper: the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is another 36.1%. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4090 is becoming the primary bottleneck as the pixel count and shader complexity increase. The GPU’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being saturated, while the Ryzen 5 2600’s lower IPC and older architecture have less influence on the final output.

The most telling observation comes from comparing the High preset. At 1080p, the system hits 289 FPS, but at 4K it falls to 147 FPS—a 49.1% reduction. This is a classic sign of a system transitioning from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090’s raw compute, rated at 82.58 TFLOPS, is powerful enough to render the scene quickly at 1080p, but the Ryzen 5 2600’s single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579, can keep up with the frame requests. At 4K, the GPU’s rendering time per frame increases, and the CPU has ample headroom to feed it, resulting in the GPU becoming the clear limiting component.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target display resolution. For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset at 202 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate that far exceeds the capabilities of most high-refresh monitors. The jump from High (289 FPS) to Ultra (202 FPS) is a 30.1% performance cost, but the resulting 202 FPS is still exceptionally smooth and provides the best visual experience without dropping below the 144 FPS threshold.

For 1440p users, the analysis suggests that the High preset at 227.4 FPS offers the best balance. While Ultra at 147.9 FPS is playable and visually striking, it sits close to the 144 Hz mark, leaving less headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 279.2 FPS is faster but sacrifices noticeable visual detail. High provides a significant 53.8% performance uplift over Ultra while still delivering a high level of graphical quality, making it the sweet spot for this resolution.

At 4K, the choice is more constrained. The High preset at 147 FPS is the recommended setting, as it offers a smooth, high-refresh experience that aligns with many 4K 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 94.5 FPS, while visually superior, falls below the 100 FPS mark, which may be noticeable in a fast-paced sports title. The Medium preset at 177.8 FPS is also viable, but High offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, providing 55.6% more FPS than Ultra while retaining more graphical fidelity than Medium. The Low preset at 246.1 FPS is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes raw speed above all else.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Undisputed, this pairing holds a rank of 127 out of 1580 combos. This places it in the top 8% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing given the age of the CPU. The ranking suggests that the RTX 4090’s immense power is able to overcome many of the CPU’s shortcomings, pushing the overall experience into the upper echelon of performance.

However, the rank also highlights the imbalance. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19616 places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, just behind the Intel Core i5-1345U (19691, -0.4%) and ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19508, 0.6%). This indicates the processor is a mid-range performer. In contrast, the GPU’s average score of 66473 places it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. The combination of a 77th-percentile CPU with a 91st-percentile GPU results in a top-tier overall rank, but it also means that the CPU is likely holding back the GPU in many scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU’s frame request rate becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frames is as follows, organized by resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 347.9 FPS on Low, 311.2 FPS on Medium, 289 FPS on High, and 202 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the averages are 313.5 FPS (Low), 279.2 FPS (Medium), 227.4 FPS (High), and 147.9 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, the averages are 246.1 FPS (Low), 177.8 FPS (Medium), 147 FPS (High), and 94.5 FPS (Ultra).

The data reveals that the Low preset at 1080p (347.9 FPS) is the absolute maximum output, while Ultra at 4K (94.5 FPS) is the lowest. The gap between the best and worst case scenarios is 253.4 FPS, illustrating the wide performance envelope. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 41.9% of the frame rate, while at 4K, the same preset change costs 61.6%. This shows that the graphical settings have a much larger relative impact at higher resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The 1440p Medium preset at 279.2 FPS is notable, as it offers a substantial performance headroom over the 4K High preset, which is a useful reference for users with higher refresh rate monitors at lower resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Is this CPU and GPU combination balanced for Undisputed?*

A: The data indicates a significant imbalance. The GPU is in the 91st percentile (avg score 66473), while the CPU is in the 77th percentile (avg score 19616). This leads to a strong overall rank of 127 out of 1580 combos, but the CPU’s lower performance relative to the GPU suggests it limits frame rates at lower resolutions, where the CPU must process more frames per second.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for maximum frame rate?

A: For absolute maximum frame rate, 1080p with Low settings yields 347.9 FPS. However, this is likely unnecessary for most users. The 1440p High preset at 227.4 FPS offers a much better balance of visual quality and speed, and the 4K High preset at 147 FPS is excellent for 4K 144Hz displays.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 147.9 FPS at 1440p to 94.5 FPS at 4K. This is a 36.1% reduction in performance, which is a substantial cost for the higher resolution.

Q: Can this system handle high refresh rate gaming at 4K?

A: Yes, at High settings the system achieves 147 FPS at 4K, which is sufficient for a 144Hz display. The Ultra preset at 94.5 FPS would require a lower refresh rate monitor (e.g., 120Hz) to avoid screen tearing.

Q: At which settings does the CPU become the limiting factor?

A: The CPU becomes more of a limiting factor at 1080p, particularly at Low and Medium settings where frame rates are very high (347.9 and 311.2 FPS). At these high frame rates, the Ryzen 5 2600’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 1579) is more likely to constrain the GPU’s output.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance in line with its benchmark scores in this game?

A: The RTX 4090 has a Passmark G3D score of 38194 and an average benchmark score of 66473, placing it in the 91st percentile. The measured frame rates in Undisputed are very high, especially at 4K (147 FPS on High), which is consistent with its top-tier positioning. However, the CPU’s lower scores prevent the system from achieving the absolute maximum potential of the GPU.