Undisputed

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an extreme pairing—a 65W six-core processor from the Alder Lake generation driving one of the most powerful consumer GPUs on the market. In Undisputed, a sports title that is not typically considered a hardware stress test, this combination produces remarkable frame rates across all resolutions. The data shows a system capable of triple-digit FPS even at 4K Ultra, but the scaling patterns reveal a complex relationship between the CPU's limits and the GPU's immense headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to determine where this combo excels and where its component pairing creates noticeable bottlenecks.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Undisputed shows a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases, but with some interesting deviations that point to CPU limitations at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a staggering 544 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 418 FPS, a 23% reduction, and 4K Low further reduces it to 264 FPS, another 37% drop from 1440p. This scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows a total reduction of 51.5%, which is substantial but not as steep as the resolution pixel count would suggest—indicating that at 1080p, the CPU is likely limiting the maximum achievable frame rate.

The Medium settings row provides the most complete picture, as it includes both minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 416 FPS with a minimum of 354 FPS and a maximum of 478 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 301 FPS (a 27.6% reduction), with the minimum at 256 FPS and maximum at 346 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 190 FPS, a 36.9% drop from 1440p, with a minimum of 162 FPS and maximum of 219 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings shows a 54.3% total reduction, consistent with the Low setting pattern.

High settings show a similar trend but with smaller absolute numbers. The 1080p High average is 344 FPS, which drops to 249 FPS at 1440p (a 27.6% reduction) and then to 157 FPS at 4K (a 37% reduction from 1440p). The total scaling from 1080p to 4K High is 54.4%, nearly identical to the Medium percentage. This consistency across settings suggests that the resolution scaling behavior is stable and not heavily dependent on the quality preset.

Ultra settings demonstrate the steepest scaling curve. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 222 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 160 FPS (a 27.9% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 101 FPS (a 36.9% reduction from 1440p). The total reduction from 1080p to 4K Ultra is 54.5%, again matching the pattern. This consistent 54-55% reduction across all settings from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor at these higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes more relevant only at the lowest resolution and settings where frame rates exceed 500 FPS.

The scaling pattern reveals that at 1080p Low, the 544 FPS figure is likely CPU-limited, as the 1440p Low result of 418 FPS represents only a 23% drop despite a 2.25x increase in pixel count. For comparison, the 1440p to 4K transition at Low settings (a 2.25x pixel increase) results in a 37% drop, which is more aligned with GPU-bound behavior. This suggests that the i5-12400F's six cores and twelve threads become a limiting factor when the RTX 5090 D is asked to produce frame rates above roughly 500 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this combo in Undisputed. The Medium settings row is the only one with complete minimum and maximum FPS data, which allows for a more thorough analysis of frame time consistency. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers a 301 FPS average with a minimum of 256 FPS and a maximum of 346 FPS. The gap between minimum and average is 45 FPS, or about 15% below the average, which indicates good frame pacing for a sports title where consistent responsiveness matters.

For 4K gaming, the High preset at 157 FPS average is the strongest recommendation. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 101 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 35.7% reduction from High for what is likely a modest visual improvement in a sports game. The Low preset at 4K produces 264 FPS, but that comes with significant visual compromises that are unnecessary when the High preset still maintains a triple-digit average. The Medium preset at 4K offers 190 FPS, sitting comfortably between Low and High, and would be the choice for players who prioritize frame rate headroom over maximum visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 160 FPS average is a strong option, as it remains well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The High preset at 249 FPS offers additional headroom for competitive play, while the Medium preset at 301 FPS provides the smoothest experience with its documented minimum of 256 FPS. For 1080p, even the Ultra preset at 222 FPS is exceptionally smooth, and the Medium preset at 416 FPS is likely overkill for any display, though it demonstrates the combo's capability.

The data suggests that the best overall experience for this combo in Undisputed is the High preset at 1440p, balancing the 249 FPS average with the visual quality improvements over Medium. At 4K, the High preset's 157 FPS average is the sweet spot, as it maintains a comfortable margin above 144 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays while avoiding the performance penalty of Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p is also viable for players with 144Hz monitors, but the High preset provides a more substantial frame rate buffer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 39th out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed, placing it in the top 1.4% of all tested configurations. This ranking is notable because the CPU is a mainstream six-core part with a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs in general benchmarks, while the GPU is a flagship part with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs. The combo's top-39 finish suggests that the GPU's massive performance headroom compensates for the CPU's more modest standing, at least in this game's workload.

The CPU's nearest rivals in general benchmark scores provide context for its performance tier. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS has an average score of 19047, essentially identical to the i5-12400F's 19039 (0% delta). The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (-0.1% delta), while the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3% delta) and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 (0.3% delta). This places the i5-12400F in a crowded performance band where several mobile and desktop parts achieve nearly identical average scores, though the i5's desktop-oriented design with six full cores likely gives it an advantage in sustained gaming workloads.

The GPU's nearest rivals in general benchmarks show a wider spread. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904, which is 1.1% below the RTX 5090 D's 77712 average. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, 1.6% higher than the RTX 5090 D, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 (2.1% higher) and the 16 GB version scores 79605 (2.4% higher). These deltaPct values are surprisingly small for a GPU that is a flagship desktop part, suggesting that the benchmark average is influenced by compute workloads where these professional and mobile parts perform proportionally well.

In Undisputed specifically, the combo's 39th place ranking out of 2813 combos indicates that the RTX 5090 D's raw power dominates the game's performance equation. The i5-12400F, while not a top-tier gaming CPU, provides sufficient single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 909) to avoid becoming a severe bottleneck at the frame rates this game produces. The ranking also suggests that many higher-ranked combos likely feature more powerful CPUs, but the delta in Undisputed performance between a 6-core and a 16-core processor is small compared to the GPU's contribution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Undisputed with this combo spans three resolutions and four settings presets, providing 12 data points for analysis. At 1920x1080, the Low setting produces the highest average at 544 FPS, followed by Medium at 416 FPS (with a minimum of 354 and maximum of 478), High at 344 FPS, and Ultra at 222 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 59.2% reduction in average FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes significant additional GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the Low setting averages 418 FPS, Medium averages 301 FPS (minimum 256, maximum 346), High averages 249 FPS, and Ultra averages 160 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 61.7%, slightly steeper than at 1080p. The Medium preset's minimum of 256 FPS at 1440p is still exceptionally high, and even the Ultra preset's 160 FPS average is well above the 144Hz threshold commonly targeted by gamers.

At 3840x2160, the Low setting averages 264 FPS, Medium averages 190 FPS (minimum 162, maximum 219), High averages 157 FPS, and Ultra averages 101 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 61.7%, matching the 1440p pattern exactly. The 4K Ultra result of 101 FPS is the only measured average that falls below the 144 FPS high-refresh-rate threshold, though it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 162 FPS at 4K shows that this combo can maintain smooth performance even in the most demanding measurable scenario.

The min/max data for Medium settings reveals interesting consistency across resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum is 354 FPS, which is 85.1% of the 416 FPS average. At 1440p, the minimum is 256 FPS, which is 85.0% of the 301 FPS average. At 4K, the minimum is 162 FPS, which is 85.3% of the 190 FPS average. This consistent 85% minimum-to-average ratio suggests that Undisputed has stable frame times regardless of resolution, with no sudden spikes in rendering complexity that would cause the minimum to drop disproportionately.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Undisputed at 4K with high refresh rates?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows a 4K High average of 157 FPS and a 4K Medium average of 190 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 101 FPS, but High and Medium both exceed the 144Hz threshold for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Is the i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The data indicates CPU limitation only at very high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 544 FPS, but the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low shows only a 23% drop despite a 2.25x pixel increase, suggesting the CPU caps performance around that level. At 4K and higher settings, the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best settings preset for competitive play at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 301 FPS average with a 256 FPS minimum, providing the most headroom above any display's refresh rate. The High preset at 249 FPS is also excellent and offers better visual quality with minimal competitive disadvantage.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 39th out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed, placing it in the top 1.4% of all tested configurations. This ranking is driven primarily by the RTX 5090 D's exceptional performance, as the CPU ranks in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth the performance cost at any resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra produces 222 FPS, which is still excellent. At 1440p, Ultra averages 160 FPS, which is playable on 144Hz displays. At 4K, Ultra drops to 101 FPS, a 35.7% reduction from High's 157 FPS, making High the better choice for 4K unless maximum visual fidelity is the priority.

Q: Does the game show consistent frame pacing across resolutions?

A: The Medium preset's min/max data shows a consistent 85% minimum-to-average ratio across all three resolutions (85.1% at 1080p, 85.0% at 1440p, 85.3% at 4K), indicating stable frame times without resolution-dependent stuttering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a six-core, twelve-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it carries a 65W TDP. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications position it as a mid-range desktop part, with a 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs in general benchmarks and an average benchmark score of 19039.

In Undisputed, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the RTX 5090 D with draw calls and game logic updates. The game's sports genre typically involves a limited number of characters on screen, which reduces the CPU workload compared to open-world or strategy titles. The i5-12400F's single-thread performance, measured at 909 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1680 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, is sufficient to handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck at most settings.

The CPU's twelve threads provide adequate multi-core headroom for background tasks and game engine threads. The cinebench_r23_multicore score of 12380 and the 3dmark_max_threads score of 5912 demonstrate solid multi-threaded performance for a six-core part. However, the data suggests that at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is producing 544 FPS, the CPU's thread scheduling and core count begin to limit the maximum achievable frame rate. The 23% drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, compared to the 27.6% drop at Medium settings, indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor only when the GPU has spare capacity.

The i5-12400F's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility for system builders. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes ensures that the RTX 5090 D's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface is fully utilized. The 65W TDP is notably low compared to the GPU's 575W TDP, meaning the CPU is unlikely to contribute significantly to system cooling requirements.

For Undisputed specifically, the CPU's performance is adequate across all measured settings. Even at 4K Ultra, where the combo produces 101 FPS, the CPU is not the limiting factor—the GPU is. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs is lower than the GPU's 92nd percentile, but the game's modest CPU demands allow the combo to achieve its 39th place ranking out of 2813 tested configurations. Players upgrading from a weaker CPU would see minimal gains in this title, as the GPU is the dominant performance driver at resolutions above 1080p.