Undisputed

Undisputed, the boxing simulation released on 2023-10-10, presents an unusual stress profile for high-end hardware. The measured results for the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 show a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly CPU-sensitive at 1080p. This combination, ranked 830 out of 3718 tested combos, demonstrates that even a top-tier mobile CPU and flagship desktop GPU must be tuned carefully to match the game’s rendering demands. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the roles of each component, and what the numbers imply for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured FPS data is how dramatically performance scales with resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 377 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops that to 272 FPS, a 27.9% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 172 FPS, which is 54.4% below the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises.

However, the scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. With Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 144 at 1080p to 104 at 1440p (a 27.8% drop) and then to 66 at 4K (a 54.2% drop from 1080p). This consistent ~28% penalty between 1080p and 1440p, followed by another ~36% penalty moving to 4K, suggests that the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily by the game’s rendering engine at higher resolutions.

The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU still has headroom to feed the GPU, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s shading units (16,384) and texture mapping units (512) become the bottleneck. For example, at 1080p Medium, the average is 271 FPS, while at 4K Medium it is 124 FPS — a 54.2% reduction. This near-linear scaling with pixel count (1080p has 2.07 million pixels, 4K has 8.29 million, roughly a 4x difference) suggests that the game’s workload scales almost perfectly with resolution, leaving little room for CPU-side optimizations to compensate.

Notably, the difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial. At 1080p, Low (377 FPS) is 161.8% faster than Ultra (144 FPS). At 4K, Low (172 FPS) is 160.6% faster than Ultra (66 FPS). This consistent ratio indicates that the settings presets primarily affect GPU workload (shader complexity, shadow quality, post-processing) rather than CPU-side calculations. The CPU in this combo, with 16 cores and 32 threads, appears to handle the game’s simulation and AI logic without becoming a bottleneck at any resolution, as evidenced by the high FPS even at 4K Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 plays the dominant role in these results. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for a sports title that likely loads high-resolution textures for fighters and arenas. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), and the boost clock reaches 2520 MHz. These specifications align with the measured FPS scaling: at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 66 FPS, which is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset.

The GPU’s benchmark scores contextualize its performance. Its Passmark G3D score is 38194, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 9223. These place it in the 88th percentile among all GPUs. Interestingly, the nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% delta), which are entirely different classes of products — this suggests that the RTX 4090’s synthetic benchmark average is skewed by its compute-oriented workloads (e.g., Passmark GPU compute score of 26613). In gaming-specific metrics like this measured FPS, the 4090 performs far above those rivals.

The data shows that the GPU’s memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra. The measured average of 66 FPS at 4K Ultra is only 45.8% of the 4K Low score (172 FPS). This indicates that the Ultra preset likely enables higher-resolution textures and more aggressive anti-aliasing, which saturate the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. The 384-bit bus width, while large, still faces constraints when pushing 4K with maximum quality settings. In contrast, at 1080p Ultra (144 FPS), the same preset is far less demanding on memory, allowing the GPU to achieve a playable frame rate.

The GPU’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate are more than sufficient for this game at most settings. The fact that 4K High (102 FPS) is still above 100 FPS suggests that players can enjoy high refresh rates at 4K with a modest drop from Medium (124 FPS). However, the jump to Ultra (66 FPS) reveals a sharp cliff, implying that the Ultra preset includes features that disproportionately tax the GPU — possibly ray-traced shadows or global illumination, though the FACT PACK does not specify these features.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + RTX 4090 combination ranks 830th out of 3718 tested combos for Undisputed. This places it in the top 22.3% of all configurations tested. Given that this is a mobile CPU (released 2025-04-22) paired with a desktop GPU (released 2022-09-19), the ranking reflects the GPU’s dominance in this game. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 95, meaning it outperforms 95% of all CPUs in synthetic benchmarks, yet the combo’s rank is lower than that percentile would suggest — this is because Undisputed is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, so the CPU’s headroom doesn’t translate into higher FPS beyond what the GPU can deliver.

The combo’s ranking is likely dragged down by configurations that pair the RTX 4090 with even faster desktop CPUs (e.g., Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which has a 0.6% higher average benchmark score than the 8945HX). The nearest CPU rivals in synthetic average score include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (0.1% delta) and AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (-0.4% delta). These differences are small, but in a game like Undisputed, they may matter at 1080p where the CPU can influence frame rates.

Looking at the measured FPS, the 1080p Low score of 377 FPS is exceptional, but it’s important to note that the RTX 4090 in this combo is a desktop-class GPU. The CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock and 64 MB of L3 cache help ensure that no CPU-side stalls occur at lower resolutions. The fact that the combo ranks 830th suggests that a small fraction of tested combos (likely those with RTX 4090s paired with faster desktop CPUs) achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p where CPU overhead matters more. Still, for a mobile CPU, the 8945HX delivers performance that rivals desktop parts, as evidenced by its 42,713 score in Cinebench R23 multicore.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides 12 distinct data points across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 377 (Low) to 144 (Ultra). The Medium preset yields 271 FPS with min/max of 230/312, while High achieves 224 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 47 FPS (17.3% reduction), and between High and Ultra is 80 FPS (35.7% reduction). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces a significant rendering cost over High.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 272 (Low), 196 (Medium, with min/max 166/225), 162 (High), and 104 (Ultra). The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 168 FPS, representing a 61.8% reduction. Compared to 1080p, each preset loses roughly 27-28% of its FPS when moving to 1440p, which aligns with the pixel count increase from 2.07 million to 3.69 million (a 78% increase, but the scaling is less than linear due to GPU headroom).

At 3840x2160, the averages are 172 (Low), 124 (Medium, min/max 105/142), 102 (High), and 66 (Ultra). The 4K Ultra score of 66 FPS is the only measured result below 100 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Ultra costs 38 FPS (36.5% reduction), while at Low it costs 100 FPS (36.8% reduction). This consistent percentage drop across settings indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the main constraint at 4K, regardless of quality preset.

The min/max data for Medium settings reveals stability: at 1080p Medium, the min is 230 and max is 312, giving a range of 82 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 59 FPS (166 to 225). At 4K Medium, the range is 37 FPS (105 to 142). This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU’s workload becomes more consistent, reducing frame time variance as the bottleneck shifts fully to the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, even Ultra (144 FPS) exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate commonly found in gaming monitors, so players can max out settings without issue. The Medium preset (271 FPS) is overkill for most displays, but it offers the best headroom for competitive play or for users with 240 Hz monitors. High (224 FPS) is a balanced choice, providing 55.6% more FPS than Ultra while still looking significantly better than Low.

At 1440p, Ultra (104 FPS) is borderline for 120 Hz displays, but it remains playable. However, the 34.7% improvement from High (162 FPS) to Medium (196 FPS) suggests that dropping from Ultra to High is the most efficient way to gain smoothness without a massive visual hit. The data shows that High at 1440p (162 FPS) is 55.8% faster than Ultra, making it the recommended preset for 144 Hz monitors. Low (272 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes frame rate above all else.

At 4K, the choice is between High (102 FPS) and Medium (124 FPS). Ultra (66 FPS) is below the 70 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience, so it should be avoided unless the user has a 60 Hz display and values visual fidelity over responsiveness. Medium (124 FPS) is the best option for 120 Hz 4K displays, offering 21.6% more FPS than High while still providing a substantial visual upgrade over Low (172 FPS). The min FPS of 105 at 4K Medium ensures that frame drops remain manageable.

For users with adaptive sync displays, the data suggests that 4K High (102 FPS) is viable if the display’s refresh rate is 100 Hz or lower. The Ultra preset’s 66 FPS average is too close to the 60 FPS threshold for comfort, and the lack of min/max data for Ultra makes it risky to recommend. The Medium preset at 4K, with its min of 105 FPS, is the safest bet for a consistently smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo in Undisputed?

A: The highest average FPS is 377, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: At what resolution and settings does the combo drop below 100 FPS?

A: The only measured result below 100 FPS is at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average is 66 FPS.

Q: How much faster is Low compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low averages 272 FPS while Ultra averages 104 FPS, making Low 161.5% faster.

Q: What are the min and max FPS at 4K Medium?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the min FPS is 105 and the max FPS is 142, with an average of 124.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data does not show CPU bottlenecking; the FPS scales consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor across all measured settings.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + RTX 4090 combo ranks 830th out of 3718 tested combos for Undisputed.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on Zen 4 architecture (Dragon Range codename). Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, boosting to 5.40 GHz. The CPU has 64 MB of L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 per core and 64 KB of L1 per core. This mobile chip, released on 2025-04-22, uses a 5 nm process from TSMC and supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth.

In Undisputed, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, but the data reveals its importance at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 377 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for this game’s single-threaded or lightly-threaded simulation logic. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score is 3907, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 6030. These strong single-thread results help maintain high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The CPU’s multicore performance is exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42,713 and a Passmark multithread score of 51,405. However, in a sports game like Undisputed, which likely uses a few threads for physics, AI, and match logic, this multicore muscle may go underutilized. The fact that the combo’s rank (830th) is lower than the CPU’s percentile (95) suggests that other combos with similar GPUs but faster single-threaded CPUs (e.g., the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which has a 0.1% higher average benchmark score) may pull ahead in CPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant for gaming. At 1080p, the difference between Low (377 FPS) and Medium (271 FPS) is 106 FPS, which could be partly due to the CPU handling more game logic at Medium settings (e.g., more dynamic objects). The CPU’s L3 cache of 64 MB helps keep frequently accessed data close, reducing memory latency. Combined with DDR5-4800-class memory (implied by 83.2 GB/s bandwidth), the CPU provides a solid foundation for high-FPS gaming, even if the GPU ultimately decides the frame rate at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s integrated graphics (Radeon 610M) are irrelevant for this combo, as the RTX 4090 handles all rendering. The 16 cores and 32 threads ensure that any background tasks or streaming overhead won’t interfere with gameplay, but the measured data shows no evidence of CPU-related frame drops in the min/max values (e.g., 4K Medium min of 105 FPS vs average of 124). Overall, the 8945HX is a capable partner for the RTX 4090, but its mobile design means it trails desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (0.6% higher average score) by a small margin — a margin that could matter at 1080p where the CPU is more active.