Undisputed

Undisputed is a sports title with a measurable performance profile, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The benchmark results across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a clear hierarchy of performance, with the limiting component shifting depending on the workload. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the overall experience and where the optimal settings lie for this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is the most direct indicator of which component is the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 377 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that figure to 272 FPS, a reduction of 105 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 172 FPS. This scaling pattern shows a significant performance cost for each resolution step, but the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high, suggesting the GPU is still managing the load effectively even at 4K.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p is notably smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K when comparing the same settings. For instance, on High settings, the transition from 1080p (224 FPS) to 1440p (162 FPS) is a 62 FPS loss, while the move from 1440p to 4K (102 FPS) is a 60 FPS loss. This near-linear scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as its workload increases proportionally with pixel count. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, is not showing signs of being a limiting factor at these frame rates.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset, which represents the heaviest workload. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 144 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, that number falls to 104 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 66 FPS. The scaling here is steeper, with a 40 FPS loss from 1080p to 1440p and a further 38 FPS loss to 4K. This suggests that as the settings increase, the GPU's shading and memory resources are taxed more heavily, making the resolution scaling more pronounced. The data shows that the RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, is the component that determines the frame rate ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a mobile processor built on the Meteor Lake architecture with a 7 nm process node. It features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In the context of Undisputed, these specifications translate into a processor that is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates at lower resolutions. The CPU's L3 cache is 24 MB shared, which helps with game logic and physics calculations.

The benchmark results for the CPU show it performs well in synthetic tests. It scores 17984.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1810.5 in single-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 29376, and its single-thread score is 3697. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 85, indicating it outperforms the majority of processors on the market. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which has an average score of 35719, and the Intel Core 7 250H, with an average score of 35728. The Core Ultra 9 185H has an average benchmark score of 35670, placing it just slightly below those rivals in raw compute power.

However, for this game, the CPU's role is less about raw compute and more about maintaining a high enough frame rate ceiling. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the CPU must be able to process the game's simulation and issue draw calls fast enough to reach 377 FPS. The fact that this is achievable suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at any settings. Even at 1080p Ultra, which increases the CPU's workload due to more complex scene geometry and physics, the system still manages 144 FPS, which is far above the refresh rate of most displays. The data indicates that the CPU's 22 threads are sufficient to handle Undisputed's demands, leaving the GPU as the definitive limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node, it has 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. Its boost clock is 2520 MHz, and it has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. This massive amount of memory and bandwidth is crucial for high-resolution gaming, as textures and frame buffers grow significantly at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the top tier. It scores 38194 in Passmark G3D and 26613 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its percentile vs all GPUs is 88, and its average benchmark score is 60347. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has an average score of 60326, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which has a slightly higher average score of 61896. The RTX 4090's performance in Undisputed reflects its position; it is capable of delivering playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra, a feat that many other GPUs would struggle with.

In the game, the GPU's role is most evident when examining the scaling from Low to Ultra settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (172 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is a 106 FPS drop. This shows how much the GPU's resources are being consumed by the higher-quality effects, shadows, and textures. The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 128 RT cores are responsible for rendering the scene, and the data shows that at Ultra settings, the workload is so heavy that the frame rate is cut to less than half of what it is at Low settings. The GPU is the clear performance arbiter in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. For a 4K display, the High preset offers a strong balance, delivering 102 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 66 FPS, which is still playable but may not be stable on all displays, especially those with high refresh rates. The Medium preset at 4K offers 124 FPS, which is a substantial increase over High but comes with a visual quality reduction.

For 1440p, the High preset at 162 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a fluid experience. The Medium preset at 196 FPS is even better for competitive play, though it sacrifices some visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 104 FPS, which is still smooth but may not fully utilize a 144Hz or 165Hz display. At 1080p, the High preset at 224 FPS is more than enough for any monitor, and even the Ultra preset at 144 FPS is sufficient for most high-refresh-rate displays.

The data suggests that the High preset is the most sensible choice across all resolutions, as it provides a significant performance boost over Ultra while maintaining a high level of visual quality. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those seeking higher frame rates, but the visual downgrade is noticeable. The Low preset, while offering the highest FPS, is not recommended for a system with this level of hardware, as the performance gain does not justify the reduction in visual fidelity. The measured rows show that High is the sweet spot for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 587 out of 2813 combos for Undisputed. This places it in the top 21% of all tested systems, indicating a strong performance level. The rank is a holistic measure of the system's ability to run the game across various settings and resolutions, and the data shows that this combo is well-suited for high-end gaming.

The rank of 587 is notable because it reflects the combination's overall capability. While the GPU is extremely powerful, the CPU is a mobile part, which may limit performance in some CPU-bound scenarios. However, in Undisputed, the data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck, so the combo performs near the level of the GPU's potential. The fact that it is not higher in the rankings could be due to other combos with desktop-class CPUs that offer slightly higher frame rates in specific scenarios, but the overall performance is still exceptional.

The rank also provides context for the measured FPS. The system is not just capable of hitting high frame rates; it does so consistently across the board. The 4K High result of 102 FPS and the 1440p High result of 162 FPS are both strong indicators that this combo can handle the game at high settings without issue. The rank of 587 out of 2813 confirms the hardware's capabilities, and the data supports the conclusion that this is a high-performing combination for Undisputed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed FPS measurements provide a comprehensive view of the system's performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 377 FPS, Medium achieves 271 FPS, High achieves 224 FPS, and Ultra achieves 144 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 230 and a maximum of 312, showing some variance but maintaining a high floor. At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 272 FPS, Medium delivers 196 FPS, High delivers 162 FPS, and Ultra delivers 104 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 225 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset produces 172 FPS, Medium produces 124 FPS, High produces 102 FPS, and Ultra produces 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 105 FPS and a maximum of 142 FPS. These numbers illustrate the performance scaling across all settings. The consistency of the results, particularly the min FPS values, suggests that the system maintains stable performance even during intense gameplay moments. The data shows that the combo is capable of delivering smooth experiences across the board, with the only potential issue being the 4K Ultra preset, which dips to 66 FPS.

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a clear pattern: the frame rate drops as the settings increase. The largest drop occurs at 4K, where the difference between Low and Ultra is 106 FPS. This is expected, as the GPU is working hardest at this resolution. The data also shows that the Medium preset offers a good middle ground, with FPS figures that are significantly higher than High and Ultra while still providing a decent visual experience. The measured FPS breakdown confirms that the system is capable of high performance, with the caveat that Ultra settings at 4K will push the frame rate down to around 66 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 162 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 66, which is the lowest recorded in the data.

Q: Which preset provides the highest frame rate?

A: The Low preset provides the highest frame rate at every resolution, achieving 377 FPS at 1080p, 272 FPS at 1440p, and 172 FPS at 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is 230 FPS, with a maximum of 312 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates scale significantly with resolution and settings, while the CPU maintains high performance without bottlenecking.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for Undisputed?

A: This combo ranks 587 out of 2813 tested combinations in the database for Undisputed.