Undisputed

Undisputed, the boxing simulation from 2023, presents a fascinating case study in how a modern mobile CPU and GPU combination handles a sports title. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile reveals a component dynamic that shifts dramatically depending on the resolution and quality preset. The results show a system capable of delivering high refresh rates at standard resolutions, but one that also exhibits sharp performance cliffs when pushed to maximum visual fidelity. The core question is whether this combo is balanced or if one component consistently holds the other back, and the data provides a clear, if nuanced, answer.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across the three tested resolutions paints a clear picture of how the RTX 4060 Mobile handles increasing pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 242 FPS, which is an exceptionally high frame rate that suggests the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 175 FPS, a 28% reduction, and at 4K Low it falls further to 111 FPS, a 54% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep scaling curve is a classic indicator that the graphics card is being progressively saturated as the pixel workload increases.

However, the scaling behavior changes character when we look at higher quality settings. At the High preset, the average FPS goes from 144 at 1080p, to 104 at 1440p (a 28% drop), and finally to 66 at 4K (a 54% drop from 1080p). The percentage drops are nearly identical to the Low preset, which is intriguing. This suggests that even at Low settings, the game's rendering pipeline is heavily pixel-bound, and the RTX 4060 Mobile's 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU. The consistent ~28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~54% drop to 4K across both Low and High settings implies a linear scaling model tied directly to the resolution's pixel count.

The most telling data point for understanding the bottleneck is the Medium preset at 4K. Here, the average FPS is 80, with a minimum of 68 and a maximum of 92. This is a narrow frame window, indicating a consistent load. But when comparing the 4K Medium result (80 FPS) to the 4K Low result (111 FPS), we see a 28% performance hit for moving up one quality tier. This is a larger relative penalty than what we see between Medium and High at 4K, where the FPS drops from 80 to 66, a 17.5% reduction. The data implies that the Medium preset is where the GPU's shading and fill-rate capabilities begin to struggle significantly at 4K, but the jump to High is less punishing, likely due to other system limits coming into play.

Ultimately, the resolution scaling data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The 4K results, while playable at Low and Medium, show a significant performance degradation that would make the experience less consistent. The fact that the FPS drops are so proportional to resolution changes, regardless of the Low or High preset, points to a pure GPU-bound scenario where the RTX 4060 Mobile's raw throughput is the sole determinant of performance. The CPU, with its high single-core and multi-core scores, appears to be more than capable of keeping up, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is the undisputed star of this show, and its specifications explain the measured performance profile. The GPU operates at a boost clock of 1890 MHz, which is a moderate speed, but its real strength lies in its architecture. With 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, it has a solid foundation for rasterization. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a double-edged sword; it is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the 8 GB capacity and 256 GB/s bandwidth are likely the main constraints preventing higher frame rates at the Ultra preset.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks corroborates its real-world results. Its average benchmark score is 22729, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. This is a strong showing, but its nearest rivals are telling. It is only 0.7% slower than the desktop NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and 1.3% slower than the Intel Arc B580. This puts the mobile 4060 in a performance class that is competitive with older high-end desktop parts, which is impressive for a mobile chip with a 115 W TDP. The data suggests that for a mobile solution, it offers a high level of compute power.

The GPU's role becomes clearer when looking at the 4K Ultra setting, which yields an average of just 42 FPS. This is a massive drop from the 66 FPS at 4K High. The jump from High to Ultra at 4K represents a 36% performance penalty. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU's resources, likely related to memory capacity or specific shader complexity. The measured data shows that the RTX 4060 Mobile is not a 4K Ultra-capable part for this title, but it has ample power for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this laptop combo run Undisputed at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. The measured data shows an average of 66 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This is playable, but it is not a locked 60 FPS in all scenarios. For a more comfortable margin, the Medium preset at 4K provides an average of 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 Mobile?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 242 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate that would likely stress any CPU. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a multi-core score of 17984.5 in Cinebench R23, are robust. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as performance scales almost perfectly with resolution changes.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Undisputed with this hardware?

A: For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, 1440p is the sweet spot. The High preset at 1440p delivers an average of 104 FPS, while the Medium preset yields 126 FPS. These are high refresh-rate experiences that are well within the capabilities of the GPU. 1080p is also excellent, but 1440p offers a sharper image without sacrificing much performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Mobile compare to other popular GPUs based on the data?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 22729. It is 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT and 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. It is also 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and 1.3% slower than the Intel Arc B580. This places it in a competitive mid-to-high range tier.

Q: Why is the FPS at 4K Ultra so much lower than 4K High?

A: The average FPS drops from 66 at High to 42 at Ultra, a 36% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive for the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The jump in quality is not worth the massive performance hit at this resolution.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35670. This places it ahead of rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and Intel Core 7 250H, which it beats by 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptional. The Low preset achieves an average of 242 FPS. The Medium preset sees a significant drop to 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 and a maximum of 200. The High preset averages 144 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 93 FPS. This shows that even at the most demanding 1080p setting, the system is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 175 FPS. The Medium preset averages 126 FPS, with a minimum of 107 and a maximum of 145. The High preset averages 104 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. This resolution offers a great balance, with the High preset providing a smooth, high-quality experience. The Ultra preset is just barely playable at 67 FPS, but it's on the edge.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the GPU become apparent. The Low preset is the only one that provides a high refresh rate experience, averaging 111 FPS. The Medium preset averages 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 and a maximum of 92, which is a solid playable experience. The High preset drops to 66 FPS, which is on the border of ideal smoothness. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it averages just 42 FPS, which is a poor experience for a fast-paced game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the user's priority of visual fidelity versus frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers 144 FPS, which is a massive improvement over the 93 FPS of the Ultra preset, and the visual difference between High and Ultra is often minimal in fast-moving games. The Medium preset at 174 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the High preset offers a better balance of image quality and speed.

For 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the best choice. It provides an average of 126 FPS, which is a very smooth experience, and the minimum of 107 FPS ensures minimal stuttering. The High preset at 104 FPS is also excellent, but the Medium preset offers a higher frame rate for a likely small visual compromise. The Ultra preset at 67 FPS is playable, but it falls below the target for high-refresh-rate displays and is not recommended for consistent performance.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the only sensible option for a good experience. It averages 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS, which is a stable and playable frame rate. The Low preset at 111 FPS is faster but sacrifices too much visual quality. The High preset at 66 FPS is acceptable, but the Medium preset provides a better safety margin. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as the 42 FPS average is too low for a responsive gameplay experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a powerhouse that ensures the GPU is never starved for data. With 16 cores and 22 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5. Its single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 score of 1810.5, which is crucial for game logic and physics. The CPU's boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides the high-frequency response needed to maintain high frame rates.

The CPU's role in this combo is to be a stable foundation. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system can push 242 FPS, a load that would cause many CPUs to become the bottleneck. The fact that the FPS scales so predictably with resolution changes indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings. It is likely that even at 1080p Low, the GPU is still the primary constraint.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 85th place reflects its overall performance. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and 0.2% faster than the Intel Core 7 250H. This places it at the top of the mobile processor hierarchy, ensuring that the RTX 4060 Mobile can perform to its full potential. For a game like Undisputed, which may have complex simulation logic, the 16-core, 22-thread configuration provides ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile holds a respectable position. It ranks 2268 out of 3718 combos, placing it in the top 61% of all systems tested. This is a solid result, but it is important to contextualize it. This rank is an aggregate across all games, and the combo's performance in Undisputed is a specific data point that shows the system is well-balanced for this title.

The combo's rank suggests that while it is not a top-tier, enthusiast-level system, it is far from a low-end one. The CPU is a high performer, but the GPU, while competent, is not the most powerful mobile option available. This is why the combo does not rank higher. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 Mobile is the component that defines the performance ceiling. The high ranking of the CPU ensures that the system will not have any "CPU bottleneck" issues that could drag the overall experience down in other games.

The measured FPS in Undisputed highlights that this combo, while not at the top of the rankings, is exceptionally well-suited for this specific game. It delivers high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, and even offers a playable 4K experience at medium settings. This suggests that its overall rank is dragged down by other, more demanding titles where the 8 GB of VRAM might be a limitation. In Undisputed, the hardware is a perfect match for the game's engine, delivering a performance profile that will satisfy most players.