Undisputed

# Undisputed with Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a striking performance profile in Undisputed, a sports title that scales dramatically across resolutions and settings. The measured data reveals a combo that is heavily GPU-bound at higher quality presets, yet capable of exceptional frame rates at lower settings, placing it at rank 537 out of 1580 tested combos. This analysis breaks down what those numbers mean for gameplay, component roles, and optimal configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the RX 9070 is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 350.8 at 1920x1080 to 161.3 at 3840x2160—a 54% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 207.9 to 97.7, a 53% decline. This near-uniform scaling suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions; instead, the GPU's rendering workload dominates.

The most telling gap appears at Ultra settings, where 4K averages 61.8 FPS versus 136.6 at 1080p. That 55% loss mirrors the other presets, reinforcing that the RX 9070's compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated as resolution increases. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the 36.13 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is what gets taxed. At 1440p, the picture is more forgiving: High settings hold 150.3 FPS, and Low reaches 258.4, showing that this resolution is the sweet spot for high refresh rates without sacrificing visual quality.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings yields only a 26% drop (350.8 to 258.4), while the jump from 1440p to 4K costs another 38%. This suggests the GPU's pixel fill rate begins to hit a wall beyond 1440p, especially given the 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate. The data implies that players targeting 4K on this combo should expect to step down from Ultra to High or Medium to maintain playability, as the 61.8 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only measured result below the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K brings 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost of 5.30 GHz. In Undisputed, a sports title that typically relies on single-thread performance, the CPU's high boost clock is a clear asset. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and Geekbench single-core score of 2803 indicate strong per-core capability, which likely prevents CPU bottlenecks at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 250 FPS.

At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 350.8 FPS, a figure that would strain many CPUs, yet the i5-14600K sustains it. The PassMark single-thread score of 4270 supports this, showing the processor can feed the GPU enough data to keep it busy. However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases; at 4K High, the 97.7 FPS average is far below what the CPU could theoretically support, confirming the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The processor's 125 W TDP and 24 MB of shared L3 cache also contribute to consistent frame pacing, though the measured data does not include frame time variance. Its overall percentile rank of 93 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166, places it just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF in synthetic tests. In game-specific terms, the CPU's 14 cores are likely underutilized in Undisputed, but the high boost clock ensures that any single-threaded physics or AI calculations do not hamper the GPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the star of this combo, with a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for high-resolution textures in Undisputed. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and PassMark G3D score of 25381 show strong raw performance, but the game's measured FPS tells a more nuanced story.

At 1080p Ultra, the GPU delivers 136.6 FPS, while dropping to Medium yields 253.9 FPS—an 86% improvement. This suggests that the RX 9070's compute units (3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, 128 ROPs) are more than capable at lower settings, but Ultra settings likely introduce effects that heavily tax the shader array. The 4K Ultra result of 61.8 FPS is the only sub-60 average, indicating that the GPU's 36.13 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is insufficient for maximum settings at 4K without upscaling.

The RX 9070's 79th percentile rank versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34780, places it near the NVIDIA A2 (0.2% ahead) and Quadro GV100 (0.3% behind) in synthetic tests. However, in Undisputed, the GPU's real-world performance is defined by its memory bandwidth and pixel rate. The 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate explains why 1440p High (150.3 FPS) is so much stronger than 4K High (97.7 FPS)—the pixel fill rate is halved at 4K. The 220 W TDP also suggests the card is not power-constrained, allowing sustained boost clocks during extended play sessions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, High settings at 207.9 FPS offer a strong balance, but Medium at 253.9 FPS provides a 22% boost with likely minimal visual degradation. Ultra at 136.6 FPS is still playable on high-refresh monitors, but the jump from Medium to Ultra costs 46% performance, making Medium the optimal choice for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 150.3 FPS are ideal for 144 Hz displays, while Medium at 182.8 FPS suits 165 Hz panels. Ultra at 97.6 FPS is borderline for 100 Hz monitors, but the 35% drop from High may not justify the visual gains. For 4K, High at 97.7 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it stays above 60 FPS and only sacrifices 37% versus Medium's 115 FPS. Ultra at 61.8 FPS is technically playable but leaves no headroom for frame drops, making it a risky choice.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the most consistent performance across all resolutions, with a 253.9 FPS average at 1080p, 182.8 FPS at 1440p, and 115 FPS at 4K. This preset appears to avoid the heavy effects that crush the GPU at Ultra while still delivering smooth gameplay. Players prioritizing frame rate over fidelity should default to Medium, while those with 1440p 144 Hz monitors can safely use High.

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 537 out of 1580 tested combos in Undisputed, placing it in the 66th percentile of all systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's strong mid-to-high tier positioning rather than the CPU, as the processor's synthetic benchmark percentile (93rd) is significantly higher than the GPU's (79th). The combo's rank suggests that other pairings with higher-end GPUs (e.g., RX 9070 XT or RTX 4070 Ti) would outperform it, but it also indicates that this system is well above the median for this game.

The rank of 537 implies that roughly one-third of tested combos deliver higher average FPS in Undisputed, likely due to more powerful GPUs rather than CPUs. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic tests—such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (0.2% lower score) and Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (1% lower)—do not meaningfully alter game performance, confirming that the GPU dictates the combo's placement. For a 1080p player, this rank understates the experience, as the 350.8 FPS at Low settings is among the highest measured. At 4K, the rank is more representative, with the 97.7 FPS at High being a solid but not elite result.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces 350.8 FPS on Low, 253.9 FPS on Medium, 207.9 FPS on High, and 136.6 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a clear progression, with Ultra costing 61% of Low's performance. At 2560x1440, the numbers are 258.4 FPS on Low, 182.8 FPS on Medium, 150.3 FPS on High, and 97.6 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra result is just 0.1 FPS below the 4K High result, highlighting how much resolution impacts the GPU.

At 3840x2160, Low delivers 161.3 FPS, Medium drops to 115 FPS, High falls to 97.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 61.8 FPS. The 4K Low result is actually higher than the 1440p Ultra result, demonstrating that settings have a larger impact than resolution alone. Across all resolutions, the delta between Low and Ultra averages about 60%, while the delta between 1080p and 4K at the same settings averages about 55%. This suggests that both resolution and settings are equally important levers for this combo, with the GPU's 16 GB VRAM never appearing to be a constraint.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Undisputed?

A: Yes, but only at High settings (97.7 FPS) or below. Ultra at 4K averages 61.8 FPS, which is borderline, while Medium (115 FPS) and Low (161.3 FPS) are comfortable.

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

A: High settings at 150.3 FPS is the best balance, as it stays above 144 FPS and only drops 18% versus Medium's 182.8 FPS. Ultra at 97.6 FPS is too costly for the visual gain.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the CPU supports 350.8 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU limits performance to 61.8 FPS, showing the RX 9070 is the limiting component beyond 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: It ranks 537 out of 1580 combos, placing it in the 66th percentile. This is driven by the GPU, as the CPU's synthetic percentile (93rd) far exceeds the GPU's (79th).

Q: Does the i5-14600K hold back the RX 9070 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock and single-core scores (4642 in Cinebench R23) are sufficient to feed the GPU at all settings, with no evidence of CPU limitation in the measured data.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 136.6 FPS, which is playable on 144 Hz monitors but a 46% drop from Medium's 253.9 FPS. For competitive play, Medium is the better choice.