Undisputed

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces a fascinating performance curve in Undisputed, one that is heavily dictated by the chosen resolution. The data shows that this combo is more than capable of delivering high refresh rates even at 4K, but the way the performance scales from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior. At 1920x1080, the processor is the primary limiter, while the GPU's immense power takes over as the resolution climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a stark difference in how the system behaves when moving from 1440p to 4K, compared to the jump from 1080p to 1440p. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 196 FPS. When you move to 2560x1440, that figure drops to 139.5 FPS. This is a 28.8% reduction in performance, a significant hit that indicates the GPU is becoming more engaged. However, the most dramatic scaling occurs when pushing to 4K. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS plummets to 89.9 FPS, a further 35.6% drop from the 1440p result.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, with High settings, the system goes from 269.6 FPS at 1080p to 220.7 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 141.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is much larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p. This is the classic signature of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is working hard to feed the RTX 5080 frames, and the GPU is often waiting for the CPU to catch up. As resolution increases, the GPU has more pixels to render, giving the CPU more breathing room. The result is that the RTX 5080's massive 56.28 TFLOPS of raw compute power starts to become the deciding factor, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

The 4K Ultra result of 89.9 FPS is telling. It shows that even with a CPU that places in the 50th percentile against all CPUs, the RTX 5080 can still push this game to near-90 FPS at maximum settings in 4K. The RTX 5080's 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs is evident here, as it manages to keep the game playable at the most demanding resolution. The scaling data suggests that for the absolute highest frame rates possible, you would want a more powerful CPU, but for a balanced 4K experience, this pairing is surprisingly effective.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-9400 keep up with the RTX 5080 in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is a limiting factor, but the results are still very high. The 6-core, 6-thread processor allows for an average of 322.1 FPS on Low settings and 269.6 FPS on High at 1920x1080. The bottleneck becomes less pronounced as resolution increases, with the combo reaching 141.6 FPS at 4K High.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this hardware for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: For a 144Hz or higher monitor, 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. The system delivers an average of 220.7 FPS on High settings and 258.4 FPS on Medium at this resolution, providing a significant cushion above 144 FPS. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets (234.8 and 169.4 FPS respectively) will comfortably exceed 144 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM necessary for Undisputed?

A: The game runs well at 4K Ultra with 89.9 FPS, and the 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5080 provides a substantial memory pool. With a 256-bit memory bus, the GPU has a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s, which ensures that texture data is fed quickly to the 10752 shading units, preventing stutter even at the highest settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 59188, placing it 1.6% ahead of the Intel Arc A570M and 2.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A580. It trails the Intel Arc Pro A60 by 1.9%. In Undisputed, this translates to class-leading performance, with the card demonstrating its strength in the measured FPS data.

Q: Will the processor's 9 MB of shared L3 cache cause issues?

A: No. The benchmark results show that the i5-9400's cache configuration is sufficient for this title. While it's not the fastest processor, its performance in synthetic tests like Cinebench R23 (7969 multi-core, 1125 single-core) shows it has enough throughput to maintain high frame rates, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the most demanding setting configuration?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in the lowest average frame rates across all resolutions. At 4K, it produces 89.9 FPS, while at 1440p it yields 139.5 FPS and at 1080p, 196 FPS. This preset likely applies the most aggressive visual effects and shadows, putting the most stress on the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the undisputed powerhouse in this configuration. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Passmark G3D score of 36565 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 264461. The GPU's specifications are equally impressive. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process and contains 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die. The sheer number of shading units (10752) and texture mapping units (336) gives it a texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s, which is critical for rendering the detailed fighter models and arenas in Undisputed.

The memory subsystem is a key part of its performance. The 16 GB of GDDR7 memory operates at an effective speed of 30 Gbps, providing a massive 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for a game like Undisputed, ensuring that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU is never starved for data. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz allows it to maintain high throughput during extended gaming sessions, and the 112 ROPs ensure that the final pixel output is processed efficiently.

The benchmark data shows the RTX 5080's dominance. It scores 8637 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, and its Passmark DirectX 11 score of 324 is significantly higher than its DirectX 12 score of 151, which is an interesting quirk but doesn't affect real-world gaming performance. With an average benchmark score of 59188, it sits 1.6% above the Intel Arc A570M and 2.5% above the Intel Arc A580. In this game, that power translates to an average of 234.8 FPS at 4K Low, showing that the GPU has headroom even at the highest resolutions. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5080 is the component that makes high refresh rate 4K gaming a reality in this title, even when paired with a mid-range CPU.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the High preset is the clear recommendation. At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 220.7 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor and leaves plenty of performance headroom. Moving up to Ultra at this resolution drops the frame rate to 139.5 FPS, which is still very playable but will not fully saturate a 144Hz display. At 4K, the High preset is still excellent, providing 141.6 FPS, which is just above the 140 FPS mark and smooth on most high-refresh displays.

The data shows that the Medium preset is a great fallback if you want to push for maximum frame rates at 4K. The 169.4 FPS average at 3840x2160 on Medium is a significant jump from the High preset and is more than enough for a 144Hz monitor. The Low preset is unnecessary for this hardware combination. While it does produce the highest frame rates (322.1 FPS at 1080p), the visual compromise is not worth it when the GPU has so much power to spare. The Ultra preset is best reserved for single-player or slower-paced modes where you want the absolute best image quality, as the 89.9 FPS at 4K is still a solid experience, but the 139.5 FPS at 1440p might be a better target for competitive play.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly CPU-bound, with frame rates ranging from 322.1 FPS on Low to 196 FPS on Ultra. The High preset at this resolution scores 269.6 FPS, and the Medium preset scores 288.7 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 292.8 FPS, while High, Medium, and Ultra yield 220.7, 258.4, and 139.5 FPS, respectively. The jump to 3840x2160 shows the most significant scaling. The Low preset averages 234.8 FPS, Medium averages 169.4 FPS, High averages 141.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 89.9 FPS. These numbers confirm that this setup is capable of delivering a premium gaming experience at any resolution, with the caveat that 4K Ultra will push the system to its limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is the potential bottleneck in this pairing, but the benchmark results show it holds its own. With 6 cores and 6 threads, it lacks the multi-threading capabilities of its rivals, yet its performance is solid. In Cinebench R23, it scores 1125 in single-core and 7969 in multi-core tests. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are moderate, but it's the 9 MB of shared L3 cache that helps with game performance. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the relatively small frame rate differences between Low and High settings. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low (322.1 FPS) and High (269.6 FPS) is only 52.5 FPS, whereas the GPU is capable of much more.

The processor's benchmark scores place it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with an average score of 2305. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300, a negligible 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i7-8809G is actually 0.6% faster, with a score of 2319. This puts the i5-9400 in a competitive position, but its age is showing. The data suggests that for a game like Undisputed, which is not heavily threaded, the CPU's 6 cores are sufficient to avoid severe stutters, but they do cap the maximum frame rate. The high frame rates at 1080p (322.1 FPS on Low) are still exceptionally high, but a newer, faster CPU would likely push these numbers even higher. In summary, the i5-9400 provides a stable foundation, but its limitations are the only thing preventing this system from achieving even more absurd frame rates at lower resolutions.