Undisputed

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a fascinating case study in high-refresh-rate sports gaming. The data for Undisputed shows a configuration that is exceptionally strong at lower resolutions, but which encounters a significant bottleneck as pixel count climbs. This analysis examines the measured frames per second across three resolutions and four settings presets, interpreting what the numbers reveal about the division of labor between the Alder Lake processor and the Battlemage graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the measured FPS data is the dramatic impact of resolution on this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly operating in a CPU-limited or overhead-bound state, as evidenced by the sheer headroom available. The transition from 1080p to 1440p yields a predictable decline, but the jump to 4K causes the most severe performance collapse.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 221 FPS. This is an extraordinary figure that suggests the game is nowhere near stressing the Arc B580. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 160 FPS, a reduction of 61 FPS (approximately 27.6% slower). However, the real cliff appears at 4K Low, where the average falls to 101 FPS. This is a further drop of 59 FPS from the 1440p result. While 101 FPS is still playable, the scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is beginning to take on a more significant workload, though the CPU is still likely providing substantial assistance.

The trend becomes more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 132 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 95 FPS, a 37 FPS decline. The 4K High result is 60 FPS, which is exactly on the cusp of what many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. This 35 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K represents a 36.8% reduction in performance, highlighting the exponential cost of rendering four times the pixels.

The Ultra preset tells the most cautionary tale. The system manages 85 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is respectable. This drops to 61 FPS at 1440p Ultra, a 24 FPS decrease. At 4K Ultra, the average plummets to 39 FPS. This is a 22 FPS drop from 1440p and a 46 FPS drop from 1080p. The 39 FPS average at 4K Ultra is below the threshold for comfortable play, indicating that the Arc B580's 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being fully saturated by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The data suggests that while the processor is a non-issue at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor at 4K, especially with higher presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In the context of Undisputed, a sports title that typically does not require massive multi-threaded scaling, this processor provides a massive amount of headroom. The benchmark results support this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance are far more relevant to a game like this than its multi-core muscle.

The FPS data at 1080p is the clearest indicator of the CPU's role. The fact that the Arc B580 can output 221 FPS at Low settings suggests the game's engine is, at that point, limited by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and process game logic, rather than the GPU's rendering speed. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and 2-thread score of 2065 show solid performance, but the game appears to be hitting a limit where the frame time is dictated by the processor's front-end. The difference between 1080p Low (221 FPS) and 1080p High (132 FPS) is 89 FPS, which is a massive gap. This indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is not idle; the increase in shading and texture work at High settings does impact the frame rate. However, the fact that the 1080p Low number is so high implies the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render at higher settings.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, it sits in a tight cluster. Its avgBenchmarkScore of 35365 is virtually identical to the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, 0.2% delta). This suggests that for a game like Undisputed, which is likely not heavily multi-threaded, the 12700KF's 20 threads are more than sufficient. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 85 indicates it is in the top 15% of all processors, reinforcing that it is not the source of any performance deficits seen at higher resolutions. The data implies that the 12700KF is a robust partner, providing a stable platform that allows the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance scaling.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the undisputed star and the limiting factor in this configuration. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its 2560 shading units and 20 ray tracing cores are built on the Xe2-HPG architecture. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 15748 and its position in the 68th percentile of all GPUs suggest it is a mid-to-upper tier performer, but the Undisputed data shows its limits clearly.

The GPU's role is most evident in the 4K results. The drop from 101 FPS at 4K Low to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra is a stark illustration of the rendering load. The 12 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, but the compute throughput is not. The 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is being fully taxed by the Ultra preset at 4K. The 39 FPS average is not a CPU bottleneck; it is the GPU struggling to maintain a playable frame rate. The 62 FPS minimum at 4K Medium, compared to the 60 FPS average at 4K High, shows how even a single preset level can push the GPU over the edge.

The GPU's closeness to its rivals in the benchmark database is interesting. Its avgBenchmarkScore of 23021 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, -0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, 0.6% delta). This suggests that while the B580 is a modern card, its raw performance in this scenario is comparable to older, higher-end cards. However, the RTX 3080's score (23172, -0.7% delta) is also within 1% of the B580, which reflects the efficiency of the Battlemage architecture. In Undisputed, the GPU is the component that dictates whether the experience is silky smooth or a stuttery mess. At 1080p and 1440p, it is more than capable, but at 4K, its limitations are exposed, particularly when the visual fidelity is cranked up.

FAQ

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

A: No. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39, and at 4K High, it is 60. Neither reaches the 100+ FPS territory often desired for high-refresh displays. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: At 1080p, the processor likely limits the maximum frame rate, as evidenced by the 221 FPS at Low settings. However, at 1440p and 4K, the bottleneck shifts entirely to the GPU, as the frame rate drops are consistent with rendering load increases, not CPU limitations.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset averages 160 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This represents a 99 FPS difference, or approximately a 62% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: Which is better for this game, the 12700KF or the 13700T?

A: For Undisputed, they are virtually identical in terms of overall processing power. The 13700T has an avgBenchmarkScore of 35403, which is only 0.1% higher than the 12700KF's score of 35365. Given the game's moderate CPU demands, this difference would be imperceptible.

Q: Does the Arc B580's 12 GB of VRAM help at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The 12 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's assets. The performance drop to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra is more attributable to the GPU's compute limitations (13.67 TFLOPS) than to memory capacity or bandwidth, which is listed at 456.0 GB/s.

Q: Is the 1080p Medium setting a good target for competitive play?

A: Yes. The measured 159 FPS average at 1080p Medium, with a minimum of 135 FPS, provides a smooth experience well above the 144Hz refresh rate, making it an excellent choice for fast-paced, responsive gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data for the Intel Core i7-12700KF + Intel Arc B580 combo is as follows:

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: Average FPS of 221.
• Medium: Average FPS of 159, with a minimum of 135 and a maximum of 183.
• High: Average FPS of 132.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 85.

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: Average FPS of 160.
• Medium: Average FPS of 115, with a minimum of 98 and a maximum of 132.
• High: Average FPS of 95.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 61.

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: Average FPS of 101.
• Medium: Average FPS of 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84.
• High: Average FPS of 60.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 39.

This breakdown shows a clear hierarchy. The 1080p results are all in the high-refresh territory, with even the Ultra preset achieving 85 FPS. The 1440p results are solid for standard 60Hz displays and capable for 144Hz at Low and Medium settings. The 4K results are only suitable for 60Hz gaming at Low and Medium settings, with High being a borderline case and Ultra being unplayable for smooth action.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user's display and performance goals. For a 1080p display, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 159 FPS, which is more than enough for a 144Hz monitor, and its minimum of 135 FPS ensures a consistent experience without significant drops. The High preset at 1080p (132 FPS) is also viable for 144Hz, but Medium offers a significant performance buffer with presumably minor visual differences.

For a 1440p display, the High preset, averaging 95 FPS, is a great choice for a 60Hz or 100Hz monitor. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (115 FPS) while still maintaining a comfortable frame rate. For users with a 144Hz 1440p monitor, the Low preset (160 FPS) is the only way to consistently hit that refresh rate, though this sacrifices visual fidelity.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset, with an average of 73 FPS and a minimum of 62 FPS, is the best option for a smooth 60Hz experience. It maintains a playable frame rate in all but the most intense scenes. The Low preset (101 FPS) is an alternative for those who prefer a higher refresh rate on a 4K display. The High preset (60 FPS) is too close to the edge, and the Ultra preset (39 FPS) should be avoided for any serious gameplay. The data clearly indicates that the Medium preset at 4K is the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for Undisputed, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B580 holds a rank of 2794 out of 3718 total combos. This places it in the 25th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that 75% of the configurations tested perform better in this game. This ranking is a crucial contextual point.

The low ranking might seem surprising given the strong 1080p performance, but it reflects the game's demanding nature at higher resolutions and the GPU's relative standing. The Arc B580, while modern, sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs and is closely matched with older cards like the RTX 2080 and RX 580 2048SP in the benchmark database. The data shows that Undisputed is a title that scales heavily with GPU power, especially at 4K. The 39 FPS result at 4K Ultra is a poor showing when compared to systems with higher-tier GPUs that can likely maintain 60 FPS or more at that setting. The CPU, ranked in the 85th percentile, is likely not the cause of this lower rank. Instead, the Arc B580's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra is what drags the combo down in the overall rankings. This suggests that while this is a well-balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, it is not a configuration designed for maximum 4K fidelity in more demanding titles.