Undisputed

Undisputed, the boxing sim from 2023, presents an interesting scaling challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its architectural age when pushed to the extremes of 4K and Ultra settings. The performance deltas between presets are substantial, indicating that the game’s rendering load is highly sensitive to both resolution and graphical fidelity, making the choice of settings as important as the hardware itself.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 252 FPS, but at 4K Low, that number falls to 115 FPS. This represents a 54.4% reduction in performance, a massive hit that strongly suggests the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is feeding the GPU enough data to hit very high frame rates, but the RTX 2070 SUPER’s processing power is insufficient to maintain those numbers when the pixel workload multiplies.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern holds but with a slightly less dramatic drop. From 182 FPS at 1080p to 131 FPS at 1440p and then 83 FPS at 4K, the scaling is consistent, with the 4K figure being less than half of the 1080p figure. This steeper drop between 1440p and 4K compared to the 1080p to 1440p step indicates that the GPU is hitting a performance wall, likely due to the combination of increased pixel count and the added computational load of medium-quality effects.

The story becomes even more pronounced at High settings. The 1080p result is a solid 150 FPS, which drops to 109 FPS at 1440p and 69 FPS at 4K. The 4K score is just 46% of the 1080p score, showing that the GPU is being overwhelmed. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 27.3% drop, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 36.7%. This non-linear scaling points directly at the GPU's computational limits, as the memory bandwidth and shader throughput of the RTX 2070 SUPER are insufficient for the massive 4K workload.

Ultra settings are where the system visibly struggles. The 1080p Ultra score of 97 FPS is respectable, but this falls to 70 FPS at 1440p and a mere 44 FPS at 4K. The performance at 4K Ultra is barely playable, and the scaling curve is the worst of all presets. The data implies that Ultra settings introduce effects or post-processing that disproportionately tax the GPU, and the 8 GB VRAM buffer might also be a contributing factor at this resolution and quality level, as the game may be spilling over into system memory.

The implication from the data is that the 1440p resolution is the sweet spot for this pairing. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant but manageable, while the drop to 4K is punishing. The system appears to be balanced at 1440p, where the CPU and GPU are better matched, whereas at 1080p the CPU is likely leaving performance on the table, and at 4K the GPU is clearly the limiting component.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance, and the best experience depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset at 150 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and speed, especially when compared to the 252 FPS of Low, which likely sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a frame rate that exceeds most display refresh rates. The 1080p Medium preset at 182 FPS is also a strong contender, providing a 21.3% frame rate increase over High, which could be preferable for players with high-refresh-rate monitors.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 131 FPS appears to be the most balanced choice. It provides a fluid experience while maintaining a reasonable level of graphical detail. The High preset at 109 FPS is still very playable and offers better visuals, but the 20.2% performance gain from dropping to Medium is significant. The 1440p Low preset at 182 FPS is exceptionally fast, but it is likely that the visual compromise is too great for a game like Undisputed, where character models and arena details contribute to the atmosphere.

At 4K, the choices become a compromise between playability and quality. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is the only preset that offers a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 69 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid, while the Low preset at 115 FPS is surprisingly playable, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS is below the threshold for a smooth experience and is not recommended based on the data.

The data suggests that the "best experience" is a trade-off. For a 1080p or 1440p user, the High preset provides the best visual-to-performance ratio. For a 4K user, the Medium preset is the only viable option that delivers a frame rate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is effectively a showcase mode that is not suitable for actual gameplay with this hardware, as the frame rate dips too low to be considered responsive.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is clearly the dominant factor in this game's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key specification. The data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the game may be exceeding the VRAM capacity, leading to the severe performance drop to 44 FPS. While there are no direct VRAM usage metrics in the data, the magnitude of the performance collapse at 4K Ultra compared to 4K High is a strong indicator that memory capacity or bandwidth is a limiting factor.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. With a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance is not just about raw core count but also about sustaining these clocks under load. The benchmark results show that the GPU is capable of a Passmark G3D score of 18169, which places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-to-high-range score, but the nearest rivals in the data are the Intel Arc A750 and Arc B570, which have higher average scores, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is at the lower end of its performance class.

The 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the pixel-pushing power, and the data shows that this configuration is not enough for the demands of 4K Ultra in Undisputed. The game appears to be heavily reliant on raw fill rate and shader performance, which is why the frame rate scales so poorly with resolution. The GPU's role is not just about the average frame rate but also about consistency; the 4K Medium preset has a min frame rate of 71 FPS and a max of 95 FPS, showing a 24 FPS variance, which can be noticeable in gameplay.

The fact that the RTX 2070 SUPER is an end-of-life product from 2019 is also pertinent. The data shows that it is being outperformed by newer, more modern GPUs like the Intel Arc B570, which has a deltaPct of -1.3% in its average score. This suggests that while the 2070 SUPER is still capable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, it is no longer competitive at the highest graphical settings in modern titles, and Undisputed is no exception.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset paints a detailed picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding results. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 252 FPS, which is exceptionally high. Medium settings produce an average of 182 FPS, with a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS, showing a stable performance envelope. High settings yield 150 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 97 FPS. This shows that even at the highest quality, the system is more than capable of driving a standard 144Hz monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance is still very strong but shows the expected decrease. The Low preset averages 182 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p Medium result, highlighting the scaling efficiency. The Medium preset averages 131 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. The High preset averages 109 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The 1440p results are consistently about 70-75% of the 1080p results, which is a typical scaling factor for this class of GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more constrained. The Low preset averages 115 FPS, which is a surprising result and shows that the game can be made playable at 4K with significant visual compromises. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. The High preset averages 69 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The data shows a clear and consistent pattern of frame rate degradation with each step up in resolution and settings, with the most dramatic drop occurring between the High and Ultra presets at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 252 FPS, which is achieved at 1080p with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this system capable of running the game at 4K?

A: Yes, it can run at 4K, but the experience is limited. The Medium preset achieves an average of 83 FPS, while the High preset manages 69 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only produces 44 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most stable performance?

A: The Medium preset appears to be the most stable, as it is the only one with measured minimum and maximum frame rate data. At 1080p, it ranges from 154 to 209 FPS, at 1440p from 112 to 151 FPS, and at 4K from 71 to 95 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which has a score of 46030 and a deltaPct of 0.1%. It is also very close to the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which has a score of 46098 and a deltaPct of -0.1%.

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

A: At 1440p, the Low preset achieves an average of 182 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 70 FPS. This represents a 61.5% decrease in performance when switching from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this game?

A: Based on the scaling data, the GPU is the main bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is struggling to keep up. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the frame rate is extremely high.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a supporting role in Undisputed, providing enough processing power to avoid being the primary bottleneck at most settings. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This configuration is more than sufficient for a sports game like Undisputed, which is not typically known for being highly CPU-intensive. The benchmark data shows that the CPU has a Passmark single-thread score of 4516 and a multithread score of 37816, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's performance is closely matched with its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 has an average score of 46030, which is only 0.1% lower than the Ultra 5 235's score of 46062. Similarly, the Intel Core i9-13900HX has a score of 46098, which is 0.1% higher. This indicates that the Ultra 5 235 is a very capable processor, and any performance differences in games would be negligible.

The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is particularly important for gaming, as it ensures that the CPU can quickly process game logic and physics. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with GPU load. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 252 FPS, which is high enough to suggest the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's demands. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data access, reducing latency and improving overall system responsiveness.

The fact that the CPU is a 14-core, 14-thread design without hyper-threading is an interesting choice, but it does not appear to hinder performance in this specific game. The Passmark physics score of 2570 is modest, but the game's physics engine does not seem to be a bottleneck. Overall, the CPU is a solid foundation for this system, and its performance is more than adequate for pairing with the RTX 2070 SUPER in Undisputed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is ranked 1618 out of 2813 tested combos for this game. This places it in the 42.5th percentile of all possible pairings, which is slightly below the median. This ranking suggests that while this is a functional and capable system, it is not an optimal pairing for Undisputed when compared to other hardware configurations.

The ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU, which is older and less powerful than many modern options. The RTX 2070 SUPER's performance percentile of 65% is respectable, but the CPU's percentile of 89% is much higher. This imbalance suggests that the CPU is capable of driving a more powerful GPU, and the current pairing is leaving some CPU performance on the table. A more modern or higher-end GPU would likely result in a much higher combo ranking, as the CPU would be able to feed it more data.

The data implies that the system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers high frame rates. However, the ranking indicates that there are 1617 other combinations that perform better in this game, many of which likely feature more powerful GPUs. The combo is not a bad choice, but it is not a top-tier performer. It occupies a middle ground, offering a good balance of price and performance for its generation, but it cannot compete with more modern hardware in the upper echelons of the ranking. The ranking reflects the system's overall capability, and the measured FPS data confirms that it is a solid, if unspectacular, performer for Undisputed.