Undisputed

The Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination presents a compelling case study in balanced performance for the sports title Undisputed. The measured data reveals a pairing where the GPU's capabilities are the primary driver of frame rates, though the CPU's six performance cores provide a robust foundation that prevents bottlenecking at lower resolutions. This analysis explores the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal settings derived strictly from the measured FPS and benchmark scores.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a predictable yet informative pattern across all settings presets. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 150 FPS at 1080p to 108 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 42 FPS, and further down to 69 FPS at 4K, representing a 54% decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the Radeon RX 9060's rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

The Low preset demonstrates the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the combination achieves 252 FPS, which falls to 182 FPS at 1440p and 115 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 137 FPS, a 54.4% reduction. This steep decline at lower settings suggests that even when the graphical load is minimized, the pixel throughput requirement at 4K overwhelms the GPU's capabilities. The fact that the CPU is not the limiting factor is evident because the 1080p Low result of 252 FPS is exceptionally high, indicating the processor can feed frames well beyond typical display refresh rates.

Medium settings show a similar trend, with 181 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result of 83 FPS includes a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, showing some variance but remaining playable. The Ultra preset is where the scaling becomes most punishing: 97 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this resolution and preset combination exceeds what this hardware can comfortably deliver.

What these numbers imply is that the RX 9060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, faces a significant challenge at 4K. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is the likely constraint, as higher resolutions demand more texture data and buffer space. The bandwidth utilization becomes the bottleneck, particularly at Ultra settings where texture detail and shadow quality increase memory pressure. Conversely, the CPU's role appears minimal in the scaling equation, as the consistent frame drops align with GPU workload rather than any processor limitation.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores paint a picture of a capable mid-range processor that can handle modern gaming workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is crucial for games that rely on a few heavily utilized threads.

In Undisputed, a sports title, the gameplay logic and physics calculations typically run on a limited number of threads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and the Geekbench single-core score of 1964 suggest that the i5-12400F has sufficient single-thread muscle to drive high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck. The evidence from the measured FPS supports this: at 1080p Low, the combination hits 252 FPS, a figure that would be unattainable if the CPU were struggling to issue draw calls or process game logic.

The multi-threaded performance is also relevant, even if the game may not utilize all 12 threads fully. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6980 and the 3DMark max-thread score of 5912 show that the processor can handle background tasks and any multi-threaded game systems without contention. The PassMark multi-thread score of 19433, which places the CPU in the 73rd percentile against all processors, reinforces its adequacy for this title.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS at 19047 (a 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E at 19056 (a -0.1% delta). The data shows it is also within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X. This clustering indicates that the i5-12400F sits in a performance tier where minor differences are negligible for gaming. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is likely the key attribute for Undisputed, as sustained high clocks on a few cores will maintain consistent frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured data, the 2560x1440 Medium preset appears to offer the most balanced experience. With an average of 131 FPS, a minimum of 111 FPS, and a maximum of 151 FPS, this configuration provides smooth gameplay with headroom above common 120 Hz displays. The minimum FPS of 111 ensures that even demanding scenes do not cause noticeable stutter, while the average remains high enough to satisfy competitive players.

For 1920x1080 users, the Medium preset is also a strong candidate, delivering 181 FPS average with a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 208 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over High at 150 FPS, and the minimum frame rate of 154 FPS means the experience will remain fluid even during intense boxing sequences. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 31 FPS on average, a significant trade-off for visual fidelity that may not be worth it for players prioritizing responsiveness.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The Medium preset offers 83 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum, which is playable on a 60 Hz display but lacks the headroom for higher refresh rates. The High preset at 69 FPS is similar, but the Ultra preset at 44 FPS is below the playable threshold for most users. Therefore, for 4K displays, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, staying above 60 FPS on average.

The Low presets, while achieving high frame rates (252 FPS at 1080p, 182 FPS at 1440p, 115 FPS at 4K), sacrifice too much visual quality for a sports game where character models and arena details contribute to immersion. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering a significant performance boost over High and Ultra while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable at 1080p with this combination?

A: The highest measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 252 FPS, achieved with the Low settings preset. This indicates the CPU and GPU combination is highly capable at this resolution when graphical demands are minimized.

*Q: Can this hardware handle 4K gaming in Undisputed?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset achieves an average of 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS, which is playable. The High preset averages 69 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 44 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p High is 150 FPS, while at 2560x1440 High it is 108 FPS. This represents a reduction of 42 FPS, or a 28% decrease in average performance.

Q: Which preset provides the most consistent frame pacing at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows the most consistency, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. This 40 FPS range is tighter than the High preset, which has no recorded minimum or maximum but a lower average of 108 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is in the 59th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. This places it in the mid-range tier, consistent with its performance in Undisputed.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in this game?

A: The CPU's single-thread Cinebench R23 score is 1680, while the multi-core score is 12380. The 1080p Low result of 252 FPS suggests that single-thread performance is sufficient, as the game likely relies more on a few fast cores rather than all 12 threads.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz are the key performance drivers, with the GPU capable of 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions. In Undisputed, the measured FPS drops significantly from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that the memory capacity or bandwidth becomes a limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 44, a 55% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 97 FPS. This steep decline is likely due to the increased memory pressure from higher resolution textures and more complex shading, which the 128-bit memory bus struggles to feed.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and the PassMark G3D score of 17631 indicate mid-range capability. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 88183 and Vulkan score of 39476 show compute performance that is adequate for the game's physics and rendering tasks. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16014 average. This close margin suggests the RX 9060 is competitive with a well-regarded previous-generation card.

The clock speeds are particularly relevant for the 1080p results. The boost clock of 2990 MHz is high for a GPU, and this helps achieve the 252 FPS average at Low settings. At higher resolutions, the GPU's raw compute of 21.43 TFLOPS is less impactful than memory bandwidth, which explains why the FPS scaling from 1440p to 4K is steeper than from 1080p to 1440p. The 132 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensure the card can sustain these clocks without thermal or bandwidth limitations from the system bus.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear hierarchy across presets. The Low preset achieves the highest average at 252 FPS. The Medium preset follows with 181 FPS, including a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 208 FPS. The High preset averages 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 97 FPS. This represents a 155 FPS spread between Low and Ultra, indicating that the graphical settings have a massive impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across all presets. Low yields 182 FPS, a 70 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium averages 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and maximum of 151 FPS. High averages 108 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra here is 112 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, showing that resolution scaling compresses the differences between settings as the GPU becomes more stressed.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly constrained. Low averages 115 FPS, which is still respectable. Medium averages 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and maximum of 95 FPS. High averages 69 FPS, and Ultra averages 44 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 71 FPS, the smallest of all resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 44 FPS is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and it is the only measured point where the hardware fails to deliver a smooth experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset always provides the best combination of average and minimum FPS relative to its visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Medium minimum of 154 FPS is higher than the High average of 150 FPS, making Medium clearly superior for frame consistency. At 1440p, the Medium minimum of 111 FPS is nearly equal to the High average of 108 FPS, again favoring Medium. At 4K, Medium's minimum of 70 FPS exceeds the High average of 69 FPS, reinforcing this conclusion.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1633 out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed. This places it in the 42nd percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly 42% of the tested systems. This ranking is consistent with the component-level percentiles: the CPU is in the 73rd percentile for all processors, while the GPU is in the 59th percentile for all GPUs.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's mid-range ranking suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The i5-12400F is a strong processor that can support much more powerful graphics cards, but the RX 9060's mid-range performance anchors the overall result. This is evident in the FPS data, where the GPU's memory bandwidth constraints become apparent at 4K, preventing the combo from achieving higher rankings.

The combo's rank of 1633 implies that there are 1180 tested combinations that perform worse, and 1632 that perform better. Given the GPU's average benchmark score of 16014 and its nearest rival being the RTX 3060 Ti at 16129 (a -0.7% delta), the RX 9060 is competitive with other mid-range cards. However, the CPU's strong performance does not boost the combo into higher tiers because the game's frame rates are ultimately bound by the GPU's throughput.

This ranking suggests that for Undisputed, users seeking higher performance would benefit more from upgrading the GPU than the CPU. The i5-12400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low. The bottleneck lies in the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, which limit 4K performance and prevent the combo from climbing higher in the rankings. The data points to a balanced but GPU-limited system that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming.