Undisputed

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700X with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090 in Undisputed presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s immense raw power is consistently tempered by the CPU’s older architecture, creating a performance ceiling that varies dramatically with resolution and settings. This analysis explores the measured frame rates, the division of labor between the two components, and what the numbers suggest about the optimal way to experience the game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K offers a clear narrative about which component is driving the bus in Undisputed. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 414 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 372 FPS, a 10% reduction. The jump to 3840x2160 Low yields 242 FPS, a further 35% decline from the 1440p figure. This steep drop at 4K indicates that the rendering load is finally catching up to the GPU’s capabilities, but the absolute numbers remain so high that they suggest the CPU is still holding the system back at the lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern becomes more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p, the system produces 315 FPS. At 1440p, it falls to 228 FPS, a 28% decrease. At 4K, the average is 144 FPS, which is 37% lower than the 1440p result. The consistent, substantial drops across each resolution step for the High preset suggest that the GPU is becoming progressively more engaged as the pixel count rises. However, the fact that 1080p High (315 FPS) is not significantly higher than 4K Low (242 FPS) in the way one might expect from a pure GPU-bound scenario points to the CPU’s influence.

The Ultra preset tells yet another story. At 1080p, the average is 203 FPS. At 1440p, it’s 147 FPS, a 28% drop. At 4K, the average falls to 93 FPS, a 37% reduction from 1440p. This scaling is remarkably consistent with the High preset’s percentage drops, which implies that the relative performance hit from increasing resolution is stable, but the absolute headroom is being limited. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 3700X is the primary limiter, preventing the RTX 4090 from stretching its legs to the extreme frame rates it could theoretically achieve. As resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, slowly shifting the bottleneck towards the graphics card, but the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads from the Zen 2 architecture still cap the maximum output.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Undisputed?*

A: The highest average frame rate is 414 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to the 1080p Ultra performance?

A: The 4K Ultra average is 93 FPS, which is 110 FPS lower than the 203 FPS average recorded at 1080p Ultra. This represents a 54% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K on the Ultra preset.

Q: Is the frame rate more stable at 1440p Medium or 4K Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium preset shows a range from 234 FPS minimum to 317 FPS maximum, with an average of 275 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a range from 148 FPS minimum to 200 FPS maximum, with an average of 174 FPS. The 1440p run is both faster and has a wider absolute range, but the 4K run’s range is a smaller percentage of its average, suggesting relatively tighter consistency at the higher resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 372 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 147 FPS. The Ultra preset is 225 FPS slower, which is a 60% reduction in average frame rate compared to Low.

Q: Which resolution and settings combo provides a 144 FPS average?

A: There are two configurations that hit exactly 144 FPS on average: 3840x2160 with High settings and 2560x1440 with Ultra settings.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Medium than 4K High?

A: The 1080p Medium preset averages 366 FPS, while the 4K High preset averages 144 FPS. The 1080p Medium result is 222 FPS higher, or approximately 2.5 times faster than the 4K High result.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware configurations for Undisputed, this pairing of the Ryzen 7 3700X and RTX 4090 holds a specific position. The data places this combo at rank 211 out of 3718 tested combinations. This percentile placement is notable, given the presence of the RTX 4090, which is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. The rank suggests that while the combo is in the top 6% of all tested systems, it is not at the very pinnacle.

The ranking implies that other combinations, likely pairing the RTX 4090 with newer, higher-performance CPUs, are able to extract more frames from the game. The Ryzen 7 3700X, with its Zen 2 architecture, appears to be the limiting factor that prevents this combo from climbing higher. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Passmark single-thread score of 2656 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1593, are respectable but not class-leading. In a game like Undisputed, where high frame rates are common, the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU becomes paramount.

The fact that this combo ranks 211st rather than in the top 10 or top 50 indicates that the CPU is leaving performance on the table. The RTX 4090 is capable of far more, as evidenced by its own benchmark scores, but it is being held back. The data suggests that to see what the RTX 4090 can truly do in Undisputed, it would need to be paired with a CPU that can keep up with its frame-generating potential. The current rank confirms the system’s overall strength, but it also highlights the specific weakness in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested scenarios. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest raw numbers. The Low preset achieves an average of 414 FPS. The Medium preset averages 366 FPS, with a minimum of 311 FPS and a maximum of 421 FPS. The High preset averages 315 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 203 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 211 FPS, showing a massive impact from settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain high but begin to show the GPU’s increasing workload. The Low preset averages 372 FPS. The Medium preset averages 275 FPS, with a minimum of 234 FPS and a maximum of 317 FPS. The High preset averages 228 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 147 FPS. At this resolution, the gap between Low and Ultra is 225 FPS, a slightly larger absolute difference than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more grounded. The Low preset averages 242 FPS. The Medium preset averages 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS. The High preset averages 144 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 93 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 149 FPS. The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one at 4K that provides minimum frame rate data (148 FPS), suggesting that it may offer a more consistent experience than the other presets, which lack recorded minimums.

The trend across all resolutions is clear: each step up in settings from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS. The magnitude of the reduction is larger at lower resolutions, which underscores the CPU’s role as a limiter. At 1080p, the CPU struggles to keep up with the GPU’s output, so increasing graphical fidelity has a smaller relative impact on the frame rate than it does at 4K, where the GPU is already working harder.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results show a Passmark multithread score of 22458 and a Cinebench R15 multicore score of 2092. These numbers are solid for a mid-range CPU, but they are the key to understanding the performance ceiling in Undisputed.

The game appears to be sensitive to single-thread performance, as indicated by the CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 2656 and Geekbench single-core score of 1593. While these scores are not low, they are far from the top of the charts. In a game where frame rates can exceed 300 FPS, the CPU’s ability to process game logic and issue draw calls becomes the critical factor. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 3700X is the primary bottleneck at 1080p, where the GPU is not being fully utilized.

This is evident when comparing the 1080p Low average of 414 FPS to the 1080p Ultra average of 203 FPS. The GPU is working harder on the Ultra preset, but the frame rate is still capped by the CPU’s throughput. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are adequate, but the architecture’s limits are exposed at these high frame rates. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 84th versus all CPUs places it in a good position overall, but its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13450HX (with a delta of -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (with a delta of 0.1%), have similar average benchmark scores, indicating that the 3700X is not uniquely positioned to excel in CPU-bound scenarios.

The data implies that upgrading to a CPU with stronger single-core performance would likely yield higher frame rates in Undisputed, particularly at 1080p. The RTX 4090 is clearly not the limiting factor at that resolution, as it is capable of much higher output. The Ryzen 7 3700X’s role is to feed the GPU, and the measured FPS shows that it is doing so, but not quickly enough to unlock the GPU’s full potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 4K display, the High preset offers an average of 144 FPS, which is a solid target for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Ultra preset drops to 93 FPS, which may still be acceptable for some, but the data shows a significant 51 FPS penalty for that final step in quality. The Medium preset at 4K provides an average of 174 FPS with a recorded minimum of 148 FPS, making it the most balanced choice for 4K if you want to stay above 144 FPS consistently.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset is the standout performer. It averages 228 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 147 FPS, which is also respectable, but the drop from 228 FPS to 147 FPS (an 81 FPS reduction) is a high price to pay for the visual improvements. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 275 FPS, making it an excellent choice for competitive play, but the High preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and speed.

At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. The Low preset achieves 414 FPS, but this is likely unnecessary for most users. The Medium preset averages 366 FPS, and the High preset averages 315 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 203 FPS, which is still very high. The data shows that at 1080p, even the Ultra preset is playable, but the frame rate differences between presets are less impactful than at higher resolutions because the CPU is the limiting factor.

The best experience per the measured rows is to prioritize the High preset at 1440p or 4K. It provides a high average frame rate without the extreme performance cost of the Ultra preset. For users with 144Hz displays, the 1440p High (228 FPS) and 4K High (144 FPS) settings deliver exactly the kind of performance that maximizes the display’s potential. The Medium preset is a viable alternative if you want to ensure a higher minimum frame rate, as it is the only preset with recorded minimums for every resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a monster of a GPU, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16,384 shading units, 512 tensor cores, and 128 RT cores. Its memory subsystem is equally impressive, with 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 2520 MHz, and its Passmark G3D score is 38194. These specifications are the reason why the system can achieve such high frame rates, even at 4K.

The GPU’s role in Undisputed is to render the game’s graphics, and the data shows that it is more than capable of handling the load. The fact that the 4K High preset averages 144 FPS affirms its power. The GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any settings at any resolution, and its massive bandwidth ensures that texture data can be streamed quickly. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS provides the raw computing power needed for the game’s physics and effects.

However, the data also shows that the GPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p, the GPU is effectively waiting for the CPU to provide instructions. This is why the 1080p Low preset only achieves 414 FPS, while a system with a faster CPU might be able to push that number higher. The GPU’s relative performance against its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% delta), shows that it is a top-tier part, but its potential in Undisputed is capped by the CPU.

The GPU’s 88th percentile ranking versus all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, and its average benchmark score of 60347 is far above the competition. The data suggests that the RTX 4090 is being underutilized in this specific combination. The GPU is capable of producing even higher frame rates, as evidenced by the fact that the 4K Low preset (242 FPS) is only 42% slower than the 1080p Low preset (414 FPS), even though 4K has four times the pixels. This indicates that the GPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p; the CPU is. The GPU’s role is to deliver the highest possible fidelity, and it does so, but the system’s overall performance is a compromise between the CPU’s limits and the GPU’s immense power.