Undisputed

Undisputed, a sports simulation released in 2023, presents a demanding workload for mobile hardware. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 reveals a configuration that is capable of high refresh rates at standard resolutions but must make significant compromises to maintain playability at 4K. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to understand the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates the increasing burden placed on the GPU as pixel count rises. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a striking 200 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low, this number drops to 144 FPS, and at 4K Low, it settles at 91 FPS. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, a scaling pattern that points to the GPU becoming the primary performance limiter as resolution increases.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher graphical presets. With High settings, the frame rate descends from 119 FPS at 1080p to 86 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54 FPS at 4K. This 65 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K High is substantial. At the Ultra preset, the drop is steepest in relative terms: 76 FPS at 1080p falls to 55 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 35 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 5050 is heavily saturated, pushing the experience into unplayable territory for smooth, competitive play.

This scaling behavior indicates that the 8 GB frame buffer and the GPU's processing power are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 1440p remains consistent, but the jump to 4K introduces a significant performance penalty. This is characteristic of a GPU that has a finite amount of memory bandwidth and compute units; the RTX 5050's 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels in a 3840x2160 frame, especially when combined with demanding settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores suggest it is not the bottleneck in this configuration. For instance, its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 40642, and its single-core score is 5737. These are robust numbers that position the CPU in the 93rd percentile of all tested processors, indicating it has ample headroom for gaming workloads.

In a game like Undisputed, which is a sports title that may rely on physics calculations and AI for opponent behavior, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are relevant. The PassMark multithread score of 47985 suggests that the processor can handle background tasks and game logic without causing frame drops. However, the fact that frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings changes points to the GPU being the decisive factor in determining final performance.

The CPU's single-thread performance is also strong, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4500. This is crucial for the main game thread that handles input and core simulation logic. The evidence from the FPS data, particularly the high frame rates at 1080p Low (200 FPS), strongly indicates that the CPU is not the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the GPU is underutilized, allowing the 265HX to feed it frames as fast as it can render them, resulting in a very high FPS count. The performance ceiling at lower resolutions is therefore likely dictated by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls, but even this threshold is very high, as evidenced by the 200 FPS result.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Undisputed, this specific pairing of the Core Ultra 7 265HX and the RTX 5050 ranks 2975th out of 3718 total combos. This places it in the lower percentile of tested systems, which seems at odds with the high frame rates seen at 1080p. This ranking is a relative measure against all other CPU and GPU pairings that have been benchmarked for this game, including those with far more powerful desktop components.

The ranking suggests that while this mobile combo can achieve high FPS at lower resolutions, it does not deliver a top-tier experience across all settings and resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 35 FPS is likely a significant contributor to this low standing, as a large portion of the tested combos would be able to maintain higher frame rates at that demanding preset. The combo's performance is therefore a trade-off: it excels at 1080p and 1440p but falls behind when pushed to 4K, which is a critical metric for a comprehensive benchmark ranking.

When compared to the individual components' standings, the CPU's 93rd percentile score is a clear strength. However, the GPU's 66th percentile standing relative to all other GPUs highlights the bottleneck. The RTX 5050 is a mid-range mobile part, and its capabilities are the limiting factor in this pairing, pulling the overall combo rank down. The data indicates that the processor is far more capable than the graphics card, and the system's gaming performance is gated by the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory interface, especially at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance. Low settings yield an average of 200 FPS, Medium an average of 144 FPS (with a minimum of 122 FPS and maximum of 165 FPS), High an average of 119 FPS, and Ultra an average of 76 FPS. These results show that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high refresh rate monitors even on the High preset, and can achieve playable frame rates on Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but the GPU's load increases. Low settings average 144 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS (with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS), and High averages 86 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 55 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, with the High preset providing a solid experience above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the RTX 5050 become apparent. The Low preset manages an average of 91 FPS, which is respectable, but the Medium preset drops to 66 FPS (with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS), and High falls to 54 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in an average of just 35 FPS. The data shows a clear step-down in performance at 4K, making it difficult to achieve a consistently smooth experience on anything above Low or Medium settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 and a PassMark G3D score of 17326, positions it as a mid-range mobile solution. The GPU's 66th percentile standing among all GPUs confirms its position, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which it leads by 1.6%, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile, which leads it by 1.6%.

The GPU's role as the primary performance bottleneck is evident in the resolution scaling. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a factor at 4K Ultra, where high-resolution textures and effects can exceed this limit, causing performance to plummet to 35 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s is also a critical factor; as resolution increases, the demand for texture data and frame buffer access grows, and the 128-bit bus may struggle to keep up, leading to the significant frame rate drops observed.

The boost clock of 2572 MHz and the 2560 shading units are what allow the card to achieve the respectable frame rates seen at 1080p. However, the data shows that its compute power is finite. The transition from 1440p High (86 FPS) to 4K High (54 FPS) represents a 37% drop in performance, a steep decline that highlights the GPU's inability to maintain its efficiency at higher pixel counts. The GPU is the definitive limiting factor in this pairing, and its performance characteristics dictate that users must prioritize resolution or settings to achieve their target frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 200 FPS. Even on the High preset, it maintains a strong 119 FPS average, while the Ultra preset drops to 76 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: The data shows it can play at 4K, but with significant compromises. At 4K Low, it averages 91 FPS, but High settings drop to 54 FPS, and Ultra is only 35 FPS. For a smoother experience, 1440p is recommended.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. This is clear from the steep FPS drops as resolution increases, while the CPU's high benchmark scores (93rd percentile) suggest it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the combo's ranking compared to other tested systems?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 2975th out of 3718 tested combos for Undisputed. This relatively low rank is likely due to the GPU's performance limitations at 4K resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In average benchmark scores, the RTX 5050 is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and 1.6% behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile, indicating it sits in a very competitive performance tier.

Q: What is the highest preset for a consistent 60+ FPS experience?

A: At 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 86 FPS, and at 1080p, High delivers 119 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset (91 FPS) and Medium preset (66 FPS) can average above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p 144Hz monitor, the High preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides a 119 FPS average that is close to the display's refresh ceiling while offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium (144 FPS) and Low (200 FPS). The Medium preset is also a viable option for those who prioritize higher frame rates, with a 144 FPS average and a minimum of 122 FPS ensuring a very smooth experience.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is again the best balance, delivering an 86 FPS average that is comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is another good choice for high refresh rate gaming, providing a substantial performance buffer. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is borderline, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stutter on some displays.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. The Low preset, with a 91 FPS average, is the only setting that provides a highly fluid experience. The Medium preset at 66 FPS is playable, but the minimum FPS of 56 indicates it may occasionally dip below 60 FPS. The High (54 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) presets are not recommended for a smooth experience, as their average frame rates are too low. For 4K users, the data suggests that choosing the Low or Medium preset is necessary to maintain a playable frame rate, making 1440p the more sensible resolution for this hardware to enjoy higher visual fidelity.