Undisputed

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT pairing delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Undisputed that scales predictably with settings, though 4K Ultra remains a challenge.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a steep and consistent drop as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 145.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 101.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 30%. Pushing to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 65.1 FPS, which is about 55% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor; the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck at these settings, as the frame rate loss tracks closely with the pixel count increase.

The relationship between settings and resolution is also telling. At Low settings, the frame rate at 1080p is 239.9 FPS, which falls to 175.4 at 1440p and 109.9 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low (about 54%) is nearly identical to the drop at High (about 55%). This consistency suggests the CPU has enough headroom even at the lowest settings, where the GPU workload is lightest. If the CPU were limiting, the 1080p Low result would show a proportionally smaller gap to 1440p Low than it does.

Ultra settings tell a different story. At 1080p, Ultra yields 88.6 FPS; at 1440p it falls to 65.4 FPS; at 4K it drops to 44.5 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Ultra is a 32% reduction, which is smaller than the 38% reduction seen between 1080p and 1440p. This hints at a shift toward CPU limitation at the highest preset, where the GPU is working harder and the i5-9400’s six threads have to feed it more frames per second. The data suggests that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p or 1440p High are the sweet spots, while 4K Ultra is only viable for slower-paced viewing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the workhorse here, and its specifications explain the scaling behavior. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2055 MHz with a boost of 2635 MHz, and it has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. These figures point to a card designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming, not for 4K Ultra presets.

In Undisputed, the GPU’s role is evident in the frame rate differences between settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, Low produces 239.9 FPS while Ultra produces 88.6 FPS — a 63% reduction. At 4K, the gap is even larger: Low hits 109.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to 44.5 FPS, a 60% reduction. This is the GPU being pushed harder by more complex shading and post-processing, with the 8 GB VRAM likely becoming a factor at 4K Ultra if texture pools exceed capacity.

The card’s benchmark standing supports its position. Its PassMark G3D score is 17166, and it sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which scores 29011 in the average benchmark (a 0% delta), and the Intel Arc A370M, which scores 29175 (a -0.5% delta). These are close matches, meaning the RX 6650 XT is a mid-to-upper tier card that competes with mobile and lower-end desktop parts. In Undisputed, it delivers playable frame rates at 4K Medium (80.1 FPS) and 4K High (65.1 FPS), but the 44.5 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms that this card is not intended for maximum settings at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. It does not support hyper-threading, so it relies on its physical cores alone. Its memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface.

In Undisputed, the CPU’s role is less about raw frame rate and more about maintaining consistency at lower settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 239.9 FPS. This is a high number, but it is not a CPU-limited scenario; the i5-9400 can feed the GPU fast enough at this resolution. However, the lack of threads could become a bottleneck if background tasks are running, as the six threads are fully occupied.

The CPU’s benchmark scores are modest. In Cinebench R23, it scores 7969 multi-core and 1125 single-core. It is rated at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, which places it squarely in the mainstream. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 with an average score of 2300 (a 0.2% delta) and the Intel Xeon E-2134 with 2295 (a 0.4% delta). These rivals are similarly clocked six-core parts, and the i5-9400 is essentially their equal. For Undisputed, this means the CPU is sufficient for the game’s AI and physics calculations, but it is not a performance leader. The data suggests that upgrading the CPU would not yield significant frame rate gains at 1080p, since the GPU is already the limiting factor in most settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Undisputed at 4K?*

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. The measured results show 65.1 FPS at 4K High and 80.1 FPS at 4K Medium. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 44.5 FPS, which is below the smooth threshold for most players.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce 101.1 FPS, which is a strong result. Medium settings yield 125.2 FPS, and Low settings hit 175.4 FPS. Ultra drops to 65.4 FPS, so High is the recommended balance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter at most settings. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent across Low and High presets, indicating GPU scaling. At 4K Ultra, the smaller percentage drop between 1440p and 4K suggests the CPU begins to limit the frame rate.

Q: How does the RX 6650 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In average benchmark scores, the RX 6650 XT scores 29024. The AMD Radeon RX 6800M scores 29011 (0% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996 (0.1% delta). It is also close to the Intel Arc A370M, which scores 29175 (-0.5% delta).

Q: How does the i5-9400 perform relative to its peers?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300 (0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299 (0.2% delta). It is slightly behind the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319 (-0.6% delta).

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

A: The measured average is 175.1 FPS. This is a high frame rate that is well-suited for fast-paced gameplay and high refresh rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 1002 out of 1580 tested combos in Undisputed. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is a fair reflection of its capabilities. The ranking is not poor — it means the combo is faster than about 37% of all tested systems, but slower than the majority.

Given the GPU’s 72nd percentile standing and the CPU’s 50th percentile, this rank is expected. The RX 6650 XT is a strong GPU, but it is paired with a mid-range CPU from 2018. The ranking indicates that this combo is a solid budget-to-mainstream option, but it is not a top-tier performer. Systems with newer CPUs and higher-end GPUs will rank higher, especially at 4K Ultra where the GPU is stretched thin.

The rank also suggests that this combo is well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as those resolutions show high frame rates. The data supports a practical conclusion: this pairing is a reliable choice for esports and sports titles, but it will not compete with high-end rigs in demanding scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 239.9 FPS on Low, 175.1 FPS on Medium, 145.1 FPS on High, and 88.6 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a clear progression: Low is nearly three times faster than Ultra, and Medium is roughly double Ultra. For players with a 144 Hz monitor, High settings are the ceiling, while Medium provides a comfortable margin.

At 2560x1440, the results are 175.4 FPS on Low, 125.2 FPS on Medium, 101.1 FPS on High, and 65.4 FPS on Ultra. The Low to Ultra gap narrows slightly here, from a 63% reduction at 1080p to a 63% reduction at 1440p, meaning the GPU is still the dominant factor. High settings remain playable for competitive play, while Ultra is borderline.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 109.9 FPS on Low, 80.1 FPS on Medium, 65.1 FPS on High, and 44.5 FPS on Ultra. The Low to Ultra reduction is 60%, indicating that the GPU is being saturated. Only Low and Medium settings provide a smooth experience at 4K, and even then, High is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra is not recommended for gameplay, as the 44.5 FPS average will cause noticeable stutter in a fast-paced boxing title.