Undisputed

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 presents a fascinating case study in Undisputed, a boxing title that appears exceptionally well-optimized for high refresh rates. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable of pushing frame rates that challenge the CPU's ceiling at 1080p. This combination ranks 1184th out of 2813 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all configurations, a solid but not dominant position that reflects the RTX 3070's mid-range standing in the current landscape.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation from the measured data is how Undisputed scales across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a staggering 308 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 222 FPS, a reduction of 86 frames. The climb to 4K Low further reduces performance to 141 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 36% drop from 1440p to 4K—suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. The RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 4K, even with simpler graphics.

The story becomes even clearer when examining the High settings preset. At 1080p High, the system produces 183 FPS. The transition to 1440p High yields 132 FPS, a 51-frame decrease. At 4K High, the average plummets to 84 FPS, which is less than half the 1080p figure. This dramatic scaling indicates that the game's High settings introduce effects that heavily load the GPU's shading units and texture units. The RTX 3070's 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units are working progressively harder as resolution increases, and the data suggests they hit a performance wall somewhere between 1440p and 4K.

What does this say about the limiting component? At 1080p, frame rates exceeding 300 FPS on Low and 220 FPS on Medium indicate that the CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads boosting to 5.50 GHz, has ample headroom. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not the constraining factor here. However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at every preset shows a consistent and significant drop, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The RTX 3070, with its 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance, simply cannot maintain the same throughput when the pixel workload increases by 78% moving from 1080p to 1440p.

The 4K results reinforce this conclusion. The gap between Low (141 FPS) and Ultra (54 FPS) at 4K is a massive 87 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the decisive factors. The CPU's role diminishes further as resolution rises, with the 9900X3D's 128 MB of L3 cache and high single-thread performance becoming less relevant to the final frame output. In essence, this combo is a 1080p and 1440p champion that struggles to maintain high refresh rates at 4K, with the GPU clearly identified as the performance limiter in all but the lowest resolution and setting combinations.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average is 308 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is a remarkable figure that indicates the game is highly scalable and the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU at this level.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 54. This is the lowest measured result and suggests that while playable, the experience falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal for a smooth competitive experience.

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial jump. At 2560x1440, High settings produce 132 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 85 FPS. This 47 FPS difference (a 36% reduction) indicates that the Ultra preset includes effects that heavily tax the RTX 3070, making High a more attractive option for higher refresh rates.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1184th out of 2813 tested combos, placing it in the 58th percentile of all configurations. This is a respectable position, though it highlights that many other pairings offer higher absolute performance in this game.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck more at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the data suggests the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU's role becomes more pronounced. The jump from Low (308 FPS) to Medium (221 FPS) to High (183 FPS) shows that the GPU's workload scales with settings, but the 9900X3D's 24 threads ensure it never becomes a hard ceiling, as evidenced by the consistently high frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the data?

A: The only minimum FPS values provided are for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 188 FPS; at 1440p, it is 136 FPS; and at 4K, it is 86 FPS. These figures indicate that even the most demanding moments in the game maintain high frame rates at Medium settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the defining component in this combo, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The data shows a clear correlation: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 54, a figure that suggests the memory capacity and bandwidth are being saturated by the game's high-resolution textures and effects.

The GPU's clock speeds—1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost—are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient to drive the 5888 shading units to deliver 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This compute throughput is what enables the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the GPU is nowhere near its limits, producing 308 FPS. The boost clock of 1725 MHz allows the card to stretch its legs, but the scaling to 4K shows a sharp decline as the shading units become the bottleneck.

The 184 texture mapping units and 96 ROPs are also critical. At 4K Medium, the combo achieves 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and maximum of 116 FPS. This range suggests that the texture units are handling the load adequately, but the ROPs are likely limiting pixel throughput. The transition from Medium to High at 4K (101 to 84 FPS) and then to Ultra (54 FPS) shows a progressive degradation that aligns with increased pixel shading and texture filtering demands.

The RTX 3070's 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but not directly evidenced in these results, as Undisputed does not appear to leverage ray tracing based on the available data. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3162 place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, which is consistent with its mid-to-high-end positioning. In this game, the GPU's role is clear: it is the primary driver of performance, and its 8 GB memory pool is the most likely constraint at 4K, where the data shows the largest performance deficits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of the combo's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are exceptional. Low settings produce an average of 308 FPS, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 221 FPS with a minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 255 FPS, indicating excellent frame pacing. High settings drop to 183 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain a respectable 118 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this combo, with all presets exceeding the 100 FPS threshold and even Ultra surpassing the 60 FPS mark by a wide margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings deliver 222 FPS, which is still remarkably high for a 1440p resolution. Medium settings produce 160 FPS (minimum 136, maximum 184), while High settings achieve 132 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 85 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that falls below the 100 FPS mark. The data indicates that 1440p is highly playable at all settings, with High offering a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the combo's limitations become apparent. Low settings still manage 141 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. Medium settings produce 101 FPS (minimum 86, maximum 116), keeping the experience above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 84 FPS, which is still playable but approaches the threshold where some users might notice a lack of smoothness. Ultra settings fall to 54 FPS, which is the only preset across all resolutions that fails to reach 60 FPS. This breakdown clearly shows that the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor at 4K, with the 9900X3D providing sufficient headroom to avoid CPU bottlenecks even at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1184 out of 2813 tested combinations places it in the upper 42% of all configurations. This is a solid but not outstanding position, reflecting the RTX 3070's mid-range status in the current GPU hierarchy. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end CPU, ranking in the 91st percentile of all processors with an average benchmark score of 54762, which places it just 0.6% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF and 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. However, the GPU's percentile ranking of 61st overall tempers the combo's overall performance.

In Undisputed, the combo's rank suggests that while it outperforms a majority of tested systems, there are many configurations that deliver higher frame rates. The data shows that the combo is capable of exceeding 200 FPS at 1080p and 1440p Low settings, which puts it ahead of many mid-range and budget systems. However, at 4K Ultra, the 54 FPS average is likely to be matched or beaten by systems with more powerful GPUs, even if their CPUs are less capable.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are informative. The 9900X3D is 0.6% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, 1.3% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, and 2% faster than the Intel Xeon 6505P. These small differences in CPU performance are unlikely to be the deciding factor in Undisputed's frame rates, as the game is clearly GPU-bound at most settings. The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar pattern, with the RTX 3070 being 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and 1.5% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla K40c. This indicates that the combo's rank is largely determined by the GPU's capabilities, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that avoids being a bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's resolution and refresh rate priorities. At 1080p, all settings presets offer excellent performance, but Medium settings provide a compelling balance. The 221 FPS average with a minimum of 188 FPS ensures a consistently smooth experience, while the visual improvements over Low settings are likely noticeable. High settings at 183 FPS are also an excellent choice, offering better visuals with only a modest FPS reduction. Ultra at 118 FPS is the best visual quality option and still easily exceeds 60 FPS, making it viable for users with 120Hz or 144Hz monitors.

For 1440p, the data suggests that High settings are the sweet spot. The 132 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience on most high-refresh monitors. Medium settings at 160 FPS offer a more competitive edge, but the visual trade-off might not be worth the extra 28 FPS. Ultra at 85 FPS is still playable, but the 47 FPS drop from High suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that are not worth the performance cost on this GPU. Low at 222 FPS is ideal for esports-style play, but the visual quality is likely too compromised for most users.

At 4K, the recommendations become more constrained. Medium settings at 101 FPS are the best choice, offering a high frame rate with a minimum of 86 FPS that ensures smoothness. High settings at 84 FPS are also viable, but the 17 FPS reduction from Medium might be noticeable in fast-paced moments. Low at 141 FPS is the best for competitive play, but the visual fidelity is severely reduced. Ultra at 54 FPS is the only preset that falls below 60 FPS, and users should avoid it unless they prioritize visuals over frame rate and have a VRR display that can handle the 54 FPS average. The data clearly indicates that Medium or High at 4K provides the best experience for this combo.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D plays a supporting role in this combo, but its specifications ensure that it never becomes a bottleneck in Undisputed. With 12 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 4.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, the CPU provides substantial processing power. The 128 MB of L3 cache is particularly noteworthy, as it reduces memory latency and improves performance in games that benefit from large caches. The CPU's benchmark scores—including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739—demonstrate its capability, but the game's frame rates are not primarily determined by these figures.

At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 308 FPS, which indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU at extremely high frame rates. The 9900X3D's 24 threads are more than sufficient for a sports title like Undisputed, which is unlikely to scale beyond a handful of cores. The single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Geekbench single-core score of 3041 and PassMark single-thread score of 4646, ensures that the game's main simulation thread is handled with ease. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all processors confirms its high-end status, but the game's performance is ultimately limited by the RTX 3070.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s provides ample bandwidth for the game's data requirements. The 4 nm process node and TSMC fabrication ensure high efficiency, but these factors are not directly reflected in the FPS data. The CPU's role is more evident at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the 221 FPS average suggests that the CPU is still not a limiting factor, as the GPU is handling the increased workload. The data implies that even at 308 FPS, the 9900X3D has headroom to spare, making it an excellent match for the RTX 3070 in this title. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is likely the key attribute that prevents any CPU-induced frame rate caps, even at the highest frame rates measured.