Undisputed

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents one of the most lopsided pairings in the database—a top-tier 12-core Zen 5 processor harnessed to a Polaris-era graphics card that is now end-of-life. In Undisputed, this combination yields a predictable bottleneck: the GPU dictates performance across all resolutions, while the CPU sits largely idle. The benchmark data shows a system that can hit smooth frame rates at 1080p with lowered settings, but asks too much of the RX 580 at higher resolutions and quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep penalty as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 71.1 FPS at 1080p to 50.4 FPS at 1440p, then plummets to 32.9 FPS at 4K. That is a 53.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating the RX 580's pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The pattern repeats across all settings: Low settings fall from 125 FPS at 1080p to 86.4 FPS at 1440p and 53.8 FPS at 4K. Medium settings see 89.7 FPS at 1080p, 64.9 FPS at 1440p, and 40.6 FPS at 4K. Even the most demanding Ultra preset shows the same trend—46 FPS at 1080p, 32.7 FPS at 1440p, and just 21.7 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 9900X is not the constraint; if it were, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the RX 580's 256-bit memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are overwhelmed as pixel count increases. The frame rate ratios between resolutions are consistent—roughly 1.4x to 1.6x improvement from 4K to 1440p, and another 1.2x to 1.4x from 1440p to 1080p—which is classic fill-rate-limited behavior. At 4K Ultra, the 21.7 FPS average is barely playable, confirming that 4K gaming is out of reach for this combo unless settings are dropped to Low.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 9900X brings 12 cores and 24 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its benchmark results are exceptional—Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 46438, and single-core reaches 6555. Geekbench shows 19827 multi-core and 3341 single-core. These numbers place the CPU in the 94th percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54450. Compared to its nearest rivals, it trails the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D by 0.4% but beats the Intel Core i7-14700F by 0.7% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K by 1.5%.

In Undisputed, however, the CPU's raw power is underutilized. The game is a sports title that does not require the multi-threaded muscle of a 24-thread processor. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 12552 and max-thread score of 13929 suggest the CPU can handle far more parallel work than this game presents. The single-thread score of 1286 in 3DMark and 6555 in Cinebench R23 indicate that even if the game were CPU-bound, the 9900X's per-core performance would be more than sufficient. The data shows no scenario where the CPU limits frame rates; even at 1080p Low, where the GPU produces 125 FPS, the CPU is not holding back the system.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the decisive factor here. This 2017-era card uses the Polaris 20 chip on a 14 nm process, featuring 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its base clock runs at 1257 MHz with a boost of 1340 MHz, paired with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is 2000 MHz, providing 8 Gbps effective transfer and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. Compute performance is rated at 6.175 TFLOPS for FP32.

The RX 580's benchmark scores place it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 13559. It sits essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.1% ahead), while beating the AMD Radeon Pro 455 by 1.1% and trailing the NVIDIA P106-090 by 1.1%. These rivals are all older or lower-tier cards, underscoring how far behind modern GPUs the RX 580 has fallen.

In Undisputed, the GPU's age shows. At 1080p Low, it manages 125 FPS, but that is the ceiling. Moving to High settings at 1080p drops it to 71.1 FPS, and Ultra brings 46 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, but the raw shading power is not. The 32 ROPs and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are the likely culprits for the severe frame rate drops at higher resolutions and quality settings. The card's 185 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are modest, but they do not compensate for its architectural age.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 1478 out of 1580 tested combinations in Undisputed, placing it in the bottom 6.5% of all tested systems. That is a poor showing for a CPU that sits in the 94th percentile of all processors. The rank reflects the GPU bottleneck: the RX 580's 53rd percentile standing drags the entire combo down despite the 9900X's excellence. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with any modern mid-range GPU would yield dramatically better results, but as configured, the system is severely imbalanced.

The rank is not surprising given the measured FPS. With the GPU tied to rivals like the GTX 570 and GTX 950, the combo's performance in a 2023 release like Undisputed is expected to be marginal. The 1478th rank out of 1580 means that 102 other combinations performed worse, but the vast majority of tested systems—93.5%—outperformed this one. This is a cautionary data point for anyone considering pairing a high-end CPU with an entry-level GPU from a previous generation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the only viable path to a smooth experience is to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 125 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. Medium settings at 1080p still provide 89.7 FPS, which is acceptable for most users. High settings at 1080p yield 71.1 FPS—playable but not ideal for a fast-paced sports title. Ultra at 1080p drops to 46 FPS, which is borderline.

At 1440p, Low is the only setting that clears 60 FPS, with 86.4 FPS. Medium falls to 64.9 FPS, High to 50.4 FPS, and Ultra to 32.7 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p gaming requires sacrificing quality to maintain playability. At 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS; Low gives 53.8 FPS, Medium 40.6 FPS, High 32.9 FPS, and Ultra 21.7 FPS. For the best experience, run 1080p with Medium or High settings, depending on whether frame rate or visual quality is preferred. The 89.7 FPS at Medium is a balanced choice, while 71.1 FPS at High offers better visuals without major compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo starts strong: Low settings produce 125 FPS, Medium 89.7 FPS, High 71.1 FPS, and Ultra 46 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 79 FPS, a 63.2% drop. This resolution is the only one where the system can approach high-refresh-rate monitors, but only at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably: Low delivers 86.4 FPS, Medium 64.9 FPS, High 50.4 FPS, and Ultra 32.7 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 30% across all settings. The 64.9 FPS at Medium is the best compromise for 1440p, though players seeking 60 FPS minimums will need to stick with Low.

At 3840x2160, the RX 580 is out of its depth: Low gives 53.8 FPS, Medium 40.6 FPS, High 32.9 FPS, and Ultra 21.7 FPS. None of these are ideal for a sports game, which benefits from consistent frame times. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32.1 FPS, a 59.7% reduction. The 21.7 FPS at Ultra is effectively unusable, and even Low at 53.8 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider necessary.

The full data set shows a clear pattern: the RX 580 is the limiting factor at every resolution, and the Ryzen 9 9900X's power is wasted in Undisputed. For a better experience, the GPU should be upgraded; the CPU has ample headroom to support a far stronger graphics card.