Undisputed

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 lands at rank 471 out of 1580 tested combos in Undisputed. That places this pairing in the upper-middle tier of the database — roughly the 70th percentile of all combinations tested, though it is far from the top of the leaderboard. The ranking reflects a system that can run the game smoothly at most settings but will not dominate the charts against newer, higher-core-count CPUs paired with top-tier GPUs.

What matters more than the raw rank is the shape of the performance curve. This combo shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, while at lower resolutions the CPU's six cores and six threads start to show their age. The data indicates a balanced pairing for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the RTX 4070's strengths are fully utilized, but at 1080p the i5-9400 holds back the GPU from reaching its full potential. The benchmark results show the combo is competitive with systems that cost significantly more, but it is not a halo-tier setup.

# GPU Role

The RTX 4070 is the star of this pairing, and its specifications explain why. It carries 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. That memory configuration is well-suited for Undisputed, a sports title that does not demand the massive frame buffers of open-world games but still benefits from fast memory at higher resolutions. The 12 GB capacity ensures no VRAM-related stuttering at 4K Ultra, even with the game's most demanding settings.

Clock speeds are equally important. The GPU boosts to 2475 MHz from a base of 1920 MHz, and the memory runs at an effective 21 Gbps. These figures translate directly into the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 64.1 FPS — a playable result but one that shows the GPU working hard. Drop to 4K High and the average jumps to 103.9 FPS, a 62% improvement that highlights how much headroom the GPU has when settings are tuned. The RTX 4070's 5888 shading units and 46 RT cores are more than adequate for a sports title like Undisputed, which does not heavily leverage ray tracing. The GPU sits at the 81st percentile among all tested GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, with score deltas of -0.6% and -2.2% respectively — meaning the RTX 4070 is essentially neck-and-neck with those parts in synthetic benchmarks.

# Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Undisputed, the data points to High settings as the sweet spot. At 4K High, the combo delivers 103.9 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold that most players target. At 1440p High, the average climbs to 163.7 FPS, and at 1080p High it reaches 224.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that High settings provide a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions.

Ultra settings are viable but come with a significant cost. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 64.1 FPS — playable but not ideal for a competitive sports title where fluid motion matters. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 106.9 FPS, which is perfectly fine, and at 1080p Ultra it hits 144.6 FPS. If you are playing on a 144Hz monitor at 1080p, Ultra settings will keep you just above the refresh rate threshold. Medium settings are a fallback option: 4K Medium yields 125.6 FPS, 1440p Medium yields 196.3 FPS, and 1080p Medium yields 268.3 FPS. Low settings are only necessary if you are chasing maximum frame rates — 324.1 FPS at 1080p Low — but the visual downgrade is rarely worth it.

The practical recommendation is High for 4K and 1440p, and Ultra for 1080p if you want the best visuals without sacrificing smoothness.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo shows its raw speed. Low settings produce an average of 324.1 FPS, Medium produces 268.3 FPS, High produces 224.4 FPS, and Ultra produces 144.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 55.8 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 79.8 FPS — a steep drop that suggests Ultra includes effects that heavily tax the GPU. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is high enough for any current monitor.

The 1440p results follow a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 273.1 FPS, Medium drops to 196.3 FPS, High hits 163.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 106.9 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is 56.8 FPS, again showing that Ultra's extra visual features come at a premium. At 1440p, High settings keep the average above 160 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the performance curve becomes steeper. Low averages 171.5 FPS, Medium averages 125.6 FPS, High averages 103.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 64.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 107.4 FPS, a massive range that gives players plenty of room to choose between fidelity and speed. The 4K Ultra result of 64.1 FPS is the only measured scenario that dips below the 60 FPS comfort zone, and even then it is only slightly below.

# FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the average is 103.9 FPS, which is smooth. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 64.1 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1440p offers the best balance. High settings at 1440p produce 163.7 FPS, while Ultra at 1440p still yields 106.9 FPS, giving you headroom for either visual quality or refresh rate.

Q: Why does Ultra settings cause such a large FPS drop?

A: The measured data shows Ultra is dramatically more demanding than High. At 4K, the drop from High to Ultra is 39.8 FPS, and at 1080p it is 79.8 FPS. This suggests Ultra enables effects that heavily tax the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 324.1 FPS, but the RTX 4070 is capable of more in other titles. The i5-9400's six cores and six threads limit the GPU's ceiling at lower resolutions where CPU overhead matters more.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4070 is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, with delta percentages of -0.6% and -2.2% respectively. It is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, High settings deliver 224.4 FPS, which is well above 144 FPS. At 1440p, High settings deliver 163.7 FPS, also above 144 FPS. For 4K, you would need to drop to Medium settings to get 125.6 FPS, which is below 144 FPS.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake generation, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosting up to 4.10 GHz. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. These specifications place the CPU at the 50th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 2305. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, both with delta percentages of 0.2%, meaning the i5-9400 is essentially tied with those parts in performance.

In Undisputed, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 324.1 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate that likely exceeds what the CPU can sustain in more demanding scenarios. The single-core performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125, is adequate for a sports title that does not rely heavily on complex AI or physics simulations. However, the lack of hyper-threading — only six threads for six cores — means the CPU cannot handle heavy background tasks while gaming without impacting frame times.

The benchmark results indicate that the i5-9400 is sufficient for 1440p and 4K gaming in Undisputed, where the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 64.1 FPS, and the CPU is not holding back the GPU at that resolution. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but the frame rates are so high that any bottleneck is unlikely to be noticeable in practice. For a sports game like Undisputed, this CPU is a competent partner for the RTX 4070, though it is not the ideal match for those seeking absolute maximum frame rates at 1080p.