Undisputed

Undisputed is a surprisingly demanding title at its upper bounds, but the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination handles it with authority. The data shows this pairing is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 67th percentile of all tested combos, and it delivers playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The primary challenge is not raw capability but rather the steep performance cliff between High and Ultra settings, which suggests a need for careful configuration rather than brute force.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly indicates that the GPU becomes the defining factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 205 FPS at 1920x1080 to 148 FPS at 2560x1440, a 27.8% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields 94 FPS, which is another 36.5% decline from the 1440p figure. This progressive scaling shows that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU has ample headroom to keep up with the increased pixel throughput.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low, the drop is even more pronounced: 344 FPS at 1080p falls to 248 FPS at 1440p (-27.9%) and then to 157 FPS at 4K (-36.7%). This steeper decline at lower settings is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the reduced CPU load at Low makes the graphics card's rendering limits the sole bottleneck. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are clearly being taxed by the 4K resolution, regardless of the visual complexity.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory, with average FPS going from 247 at 1080p to 179 at 1440p and then 113 at 4K. The minimum frame rates tell a more nuanced story. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 96 FPS, which is only 15% below the average, suggesting a relatively stable experience. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 152 FPS versus a 179 average, a 15% variance. The 1080p Medium minimum of 210 FPS is 15% below its 247 average. This consistency in variance across resolutions indicates that frame pacing remains stable, even when the overall throughput drops.

Ultra settings present the most extreme scaling. The 132 FPS at 1080p drops to 95 FPS at 1440p (-28%) and then plummets to 60 FPS at 4K (-36.8%). This 60 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a critical data point, as it sits right on the edge of what many consider a smooth experience. The data suggests that the jump from High to Ultra is disproportionately expensive, with the 4K Ultra score being 36% lower than the 4K High score of 94 FPS. This indicates that Ultra introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem, making it the only scenario where the combo struggles to maintain high refresh rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, and its benchmark results show it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4080 in Undisputed. The multi-threaded performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,713 points, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This raw compute power ensures that the game's AI, physics, and simulation threads are never starved, even when the action gets chaotic.

Single-thread performance is equally strong. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,030 points, combined with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, suggests that the processor can handle the primary game logic thread without becoming a bottleneck. The PassMark single-thread score of 3,907 confirms this, showing a balanced architecture that excels in both lightly and heavily threaded workloads. The 64 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial for game workloads, as it reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data.

The data indicates that the CPU's role in this specific game is to provide a stable platform rather than to be the performance limiter. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 344 FPS, which reflects the CPU's ability to issue draw calls quickly. However, the fact that the frame rate drops to 157 FPS at 4K Low, a 54% reduction, proves that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support are sufficient to keep the graphics card fed with data, but they are not the deciding factor in frame rate.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 8945HX shows a negligible performance delta. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D in average benchmark score. This sub-1% difference means that in a game like Undisputed, the choice between these processors would have no measurable impact on FPS, reinforcing that the GPU is the component that dictates the experience. The CPU's 5 nm process node and 55 W TDP also indicate high efficiency, allowing for sustained boost clocks during long gaming sessions without thermal throttling.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to High settings as the optimal balance for this combo. At 1440p High, the average frame rate is 148 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors and provides a 37% performance uplift over Ultra at the same resolution (95 FPS). At 4K High, the 94 FPS average is significantly smoother than the 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the visual difference between the two presets is likely minimal in fast-paced sports action.

Medium settings are a viable alternative for those who prioritize maximum frame rates. At 1440p Medium, the average is 179 FPS, which is 21% higher than High. At 1080p Medium, the 247 FPS average is sufficient for even the fastest 240 Hz displays. However, the data shows that the jump from Medium to High only costs about 17% of the frame rate at 1440p (179 to 148 FPS), which is a reasonable trade for improved visual fidelity. The minimum frame rates at Medium are also solid, with the 1440p minimum of 152 FPS ensuring no noticeable stutters.

Low settings are only recommended for competitive play where every frame counts. The 248 FPS at 1440p Low and 344 FPS at 1080p Low are impressive, but they sacrifice too much visual quality for a sports game where the environment is important. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K gaming, as the 60 FPS average is borderline and may dip below the display's refresh rate. The data suggests a clear hierarchy: Ultra for 1080p or 1440p if you prefer eye candy, but High remains the best all-rounder for a smooth, high-quality experience.

The 4K Ultra result of 60 FPS is the only metric that falls below the 90 FPS threshold that most gamers consider ideal. Given that the 4K High result is 94 FPS, the Ultra preset's additional cost is not justified. The recommendation is to stick with High for 4K and reserve Ultra for 1440p, where the 95 FPS average is still playable but not optimal for competitive play.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 1,220 out of 3,718 tested combos in Undisputed. This places it in the top 32.8% of all systems, which is a strong showing given the game's demanding nature. The high rank is driven by the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and the CPU's capacity to avoid bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

The ranking indicates that this combo is significantly faster than the average system, but it is not at the absolute top tier. The 3,718 combos include many desktop configurations with more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4090, which would naturally score higher. However, for a mobile platform, this result is exceptional. The data shows that the combo sits comfortably in the upper third, meaning it will outpace the vast majority of gaming laptops and even many desktop PCs.

The GPU's percentile rank of 86% versus all GPUs is a strong indicator of its class. The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54,247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER, showing that the performance ceiling is nearly identical. The combo's rank is therefore not limited by the GPU but rather by the fact that there are simply more powerful graphics cards available. The CPU's percentile rank of 95% is even higher, meaning the processor is in the top 5% of all CPUs, but it does not compensate for the GPU's slightly lower relative standing.

The combination's position in the rankings is also affected by the game's optimization. Undisputed appears to be heavily GPU-bound, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. This means that systems with a faster GPU will naturally rank higher, regardless of their CPU. The 1,220 rank confirms the RTX 4080's capability, and the data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a more significant improvement than upgrading the CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the star of this show, and its specifications clearly explain the measured frame rates. The GPU has 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs, all running at a boost clock of 2,505 MHz. This translates to a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s, which are the raw numbers that dictate how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with geometry and textures. The FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS is more than sufficient for a sports game that does not require complex physics simulations.

The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a crucial asset at 4K resolution, where the frame buffer and texture data demand a high memory throughput. The data shows that the GPU is not starved for memory bandwidth, as the 4K High result of 94 FPS is respectable. The memory clock of 1,400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) is standard for the 40-series, and the 16 GB capacity ensures that even the most detailed textures at 4K will not exceed the VRAM limit.

The GPU's performance is best understood by looking at its benchmark scores. The PassMark G3D score of 34,457 is strong, but the Geekbench Vulkan score of 263,779 indicates excellent low-level API performance, which is relevant for DirectX 12 Ultimate games. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 is a modern benchmark that shows the GPU's ability to handle contemporary rendering techniques. These scores align with the measured FPS, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of the frame rate.

The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has a delta of just 0.1%, meaning they are effectively identical in performance. This is reflected in the fact that the combo's rank is not higher, as the RTX 4080 SUPER would likely produce nearly identical results. The GPU's TDP of 320 W and triple-slot design are irrelevant to the benchmark data, but they explain why this is a high-end mobile or desktop component. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, but it is a very fast bottleneck that still delivers playable frame rates at High settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 144 Hz experience?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the average frame rate is 148 FPS, which is above 144 Hz. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average is 205 FPS. To maintain 144 Hz at 4K, you would need to use Medium settings, where the average is 113 FPS, which falls short.

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

A: The 4K Ultra average is 60 FPS, while the 4K High average is 94 FPS. This represents a 56.7% performance drop when moving to Ultra, which is a significant cost for the increased visual fidelity. The 4K Ultra result is the only metric that dips to 60 FPS, making it the weakest point of the combo.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 344 FPS, which shows the CPU is capable of very high frame rates. However, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as the 1080p Ultra result drops to 132 FPS. The CPU's high single-thread score of 6,030 in Cinebench R23 ensures it is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1,220 out of 3,718 total combos in Undisputed. This places it in the top 32.8% of all tested systems. The ranking indicates that it is a high-end configuration, but there are many faster desktop combos with more powerful GPUs.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 179, with a minimum of 152 FPS. The difference between the average and minimum is 15%, which indicates consistent frame pacing without major stutters. The maximum of 206 FPS shows occasional peaks above the average.

Q: Is a 60 FPS average at 4K Ultra considered a good result?

A: A 60 FPS average is the minimum for a playable experience, but it is not ideal for a competitive sports game. The data shows that the combo can achieve 94 FPS at 4K High, which is a much smoother experience. The 60 FPS result is a warning that Ultra settings should be avoided at 4K.