Undisputed

# Undisputed with Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in Undisputed produces a fascinating dataset that reveals a profound performance imbalance. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers an extraordinary 529.5 FPS, yet at 4K Ultra, it falls to a still-playable 94.9 FPS. This massive spread suggests a system where the GPU's raw power is frequently constrained by the entry-level quad-core processor, creating a bottleneck profile that shifts dramatically depending on resolution and quality preset.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is anything but uniform across settings, which tells a compelling story about where the limiting component lives. At Low settings, the frame rate collapses from 529.5 FPS at 1080p to 245.6 FPS at 4K — a reduction of 283.9 FPS, or roughly 54%. This steep decline indicates that even at Low quality, the RTX 4090 is being held back by the i3-12100F at lower resolutions, where the CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads struggle to feed the GPU enough draw calls to reach its potential.

Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings shows a similar pattern: 384.4 FPS down to 245.6 FPS, a 138.8 FPS drop. The scaling becomes more linear at higher quality presets. At Ultra, 1080p yields 202.8 FPS, 1440p gives 148.3 FPS, and 4K produces 94.9 FPS. The percentage drops between these resolutions are more consistent — 26.9% from 1080p to 1440p, and 36.0% from 1440p to 4K — suggesting that at Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, which is expected given the RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth.

The data implies that resolution scaling in Undisputed is highly settings-dependent. At Low, the CPU limits performance so severely that even 4K cannot fully saturate the GPU. At Ultra, the GPU workload dominates, and the scaling behaves more predictably. The 529.5 FPS at 1080p Low is particularly revealing — it represents a scenario where the i3-12100F is pushing its absolute maximum, and any further FPS gains would require a stronger processor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake-S processor with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores show a processor that excels in single-threaded tasks — a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2224 — but lags in multithreaded workloads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912. This profile is critical in Undisputed, a sports title that appears to favor lower core counts but still benefits from higher clocks.

The 3DMark scores paint a clearer picture: 4-thread performance reaches 2859, while 8-thread and max-thread scores are nearly identical at 4026 and 4023, respectively. This indicates that the processor gains little from enabling all 8 threads, suggesting the game may not scale well beyond 4 cores. The single-thread 3DMark score of 893 is notably strong, reinforcing that the 4.30 GHz boost clock is the primary driver of performance.

In game terms, the 1080p Low result of 529.5 FPS is a direct reflection of this CPU's strengths. The i3-12100F sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-7700K, which trails by only 1.8% in average benchmark score. This competitive positioning suggests that for a game like Undisputed, the 4-core design with high boost clocks is more than adequate — but only when the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide sufficient data locality for a sports title with relatively simple physics and AI. The 58 W TDP indicates a power-efficient chip, though this matters little when paired with a 450 W GPU. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the CPU is no longer the bottleneck — the 94.9 FPS result is likely GPU-limited, meaning the i3-12100F has enough headroom to drive the RTX 4090 at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows offer a clear hierarchy for optimal gameplay experience. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 316.9 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display refresh rate currently on the market. However, the jump from High to Medium at 1080p — from 316.9 to 379.9 FPS — represents a 63 FPS gain for what is typically a modest visual quality reduction. This suggests that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot for competitive play, offering a 19.9% FPS increase over High without the extreme sacrifices of Low.

At 1440p, the situation is similar but more pronounced. High produces 229.1 FPS, while Medium yields 275.9 FPS — a 46.8 FPS advantage. Given that 1440p High already exceeds 200 FPS, most users would find High perfectly playable, but those seeking maximum smoothness on 240 Hz monitors might prefer Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 148.3 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz but begins to approach the threshold where frame-time consistency matters more.

For 4K, the recommendations shift. Ultra produces 94.9 FPS, which is below the 100 FPS mark that many consider ideal for smooth motion, but High delivers 144.5 FPS — a comfortable margin above 120 Hz. The data suggests that 4K High is the optimal balance for visual fidelity and performance. Medium at 4K offers 177.6 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Medium in a boxing game like Undisputed may not justify the 33.1 FPS drop from Medium to High.

The most striking outlier is 1080p Low at 529.5 FPS, which is likely beyond the refresh rate of any consumer display. This setting is only useful for benchmarking or extreme esports scenarios where every millisecond matters, but the visual quality sacrifice is substantial.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 41st out of 1580 tested combinations in Undisputed, placing it in the top 2.6% of all systems. This is an impressive position, but it warrants scrutiny given the unusual pairing. The RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU that sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, while the i3-12100F is a budget processor in the 72nd percentile. The combination's high rank suggests that Undisputed is not heavily CPU-bound at the resolutions and settings where most users play.

However, the rank of 41 implies there are 40 combinations that perform better, likely featuring more balanced CPU-GPU pairings. The deltaPct data from the CPU's nearest rivals shows that the i3-12100F is within 1.8% of the Intel Core i7-7700K in average benchmark score, meaning the CPU is not a weak link in absolute terms. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4, which trails by 0.4%, indicating the RTX 4090 is at the top of its class.

The rank of 41 out of 1580 is particularly notable because it demonstrates that a budget CPU can achieve top-tier performance when paired with a flagship GPU in a game that favors single-threaded performance. This is not a typical result — most games would see a more significant bottleneck. The data implies that Undisputed's engine is well-optimized for lower core counts, allowing the 4.30 GHz boost clock of the i3-12100F to shine.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Undisputed?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU limits performance to 529.5 FPS, which is likely below the RTX 4090's potential. However, at 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 94.9 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 1440p delivers 229.1 FPS, while Medium offers 275.9 FPS. For most users, High is recommended as it exceeds 200 FPS, but those with 240 Hz displays may prefer Medium for the 46.8 FPS gain.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 41st out of 1580 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.6% of all systems tested in Undisputed.

Q: Does the i3-12100F's 4-core design hurt performance?

A: Benchmark scores show that 8-thread performance (4026 in 3DMark) is nearly identical to max-thread performance (4023), suggesting the game does not benefit from more than 4 cores. The single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark is strong, supporting the 4-core design.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but at 94.9 FPS, which is below the 100 FPS threshold many players prefer. The High preset at 4K delivers 144.5 FPS, making it a better choice for 4K gaming.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 overkill for this CPU?

A: The data shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU limits performance, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU workload dominates. The combo's rank of 41 out of 1580 suggests the pairing works well in this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 94.9 FPS, while High delivers 144.5 FPS, Medium reaches 177.6 FPS, and Low peaks at 245.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 150.7 FPS, indicating significant GPU headroom at 4K.

At 2560x1440, Ultra produces 148.3 FPS, High yields 229.1 FPS, Medium achieves 275.9 FPS, and Low hits 384.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 236.1 FPS, showing that the GPU is more capable at this resolution, but the CPU begins to show its limits.

At 1920x1080, the results are dramatic: Ultra reaches 202.8 FPS, High climbs to 316.9 FPS, Medium jumps to 379.9 FPS, and Low explodes to 529.5 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap of 326.7 FPS at 1080p is nearly double the 4K gap, demonstrating that the CPU bottleneck becomes increasingly pronounced as resolution decreases.

The pattern across all three resolutions shows that the gap between settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 38.3% of Low's performance; at 1440p, Ultra is 38.6% of Low; at 4K, Ultra is 38.6% of Low. This consistency suggests that the GPU is scaling linearly with resolution, while the CPU imposes a fixed upper limit that is only reached at 1080p Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a behemoth: 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with 16,384 shading units and 512 tensor cores. Its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth are the highest in its class, and its benchmark scores reflect this — a Passmark G3D score of 38194 places it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs.

In Undisputed, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and quality settings. At 4K Ultra, the 94.9 FPS result suggests the GPU is working near its capability for this title, but the fact that it exceeds 90 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates the RTX 4090's massive headroom. The card's 128 RT cores and 512 TMUs provide ample geometry and texture throughput for a sports game with detailed character models and arena environments.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the NVIDIA Tesla T4, which trails by 0.4%, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, which leads by 0.9%. This tight clustering around the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 66473 shows that the GPU is at the very top of the performance hierarchy, with no consumer competitor within striking distance.

The 450 W TDP and 850 W suggested PSU indicate the power demands of this card, but more importantly for game performance, the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets never become a bottleneck. The GPU's 5 nm process node and 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die represent the pinnacle of consumer graphics technology.

In this specific game, the GPU's role is to provide the raw fill rate and memory bandwidth needed to maintain high FPS at 4K. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the GPU is effectively idle, waiting for the CPU to feed it data. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully engaged, and the 94.9 FPS result — while below the 100 FPS mark — is still an impressive achievement for a sports title with complex physics and character animations.