Undisputed

The pairing of Intel’s flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER creates a distinctly lopsided system for Undisputed. The benchmark data shows a processor operating far above the graphics card’s capabilities, resulting in a bottleneck that is almost entirely GPU-bound across all tested settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, explaining how the resolution and settings dictate the performance ceiling and what that means for the overall experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-limited scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 136 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 99 FPS, a 27% reduction. At 4K, the frame rate falls to 62 FPS, a further 37% decline from 1440p. This steep, consistent drop is the signature of a graphics card that is working at its maximum capacity, with the CPU holding no influence over the frame rate at these higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 229 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suggests the GPU still has headroom. However, this is where the bottleneck begins to shift. At 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 166 FPS, a 27.5% decrease. At 4K Low, it falls to 105 FPS, a 36.7% drop from 1440p. While the percentages are similar, the absolute values indicate that even at Low settings, the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot saturate the immense processing power of the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus at 1080p, but the gap narrows as resolution climbs.

The most telling data point for resolution scaling is the gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between the 229 FPS Low and 88 FPS Ultra is 141 FPS, showing massive scaling with settings. At 4K, the difference between 105 FPS Low and 40 FPS Ultra is 65 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap but a larger percentage drop (62%). This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings from Ultra to Low cannot fully offset the pixel count. The data suggests the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU: the CPU is capable of far higher frame rates than the RTX 2060 SUPER can deliver, especially at 1080p where the 229 FPS Low result is a likely ceiling for this graphics card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a single-core score of 7,303. These numbers place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 84,003 is 0.2% higher than its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. This is a processor designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads, not necessarily for a game like Undisputed.

In the context of Undisputed, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 229 FPS. This is a very high frame rate, but it is not a reflection of the CPU being maxed out; rather, it is the point where the RTX 2060 SUPER can no longer keep up. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 7,303 Cinebench R23 score, is more than sufficient to handle the game’s physics and AI calculations at these frame rates. The data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck, as the frame rates scale smoothly with resolution and settings changes, which is characteristic of a GPU limit.

The 24 cores and 24 threads are largely irrelevant for this title, as most games do not scale beyond a handful of cores. The processor’s high boost clock of 5.80 GHz is more beneficial, ensuring that single-threaded game tasks are processed quickly. With a PassMark single-thread score of 4,823, the CPU is far ahead of what Undisputed requires. In essence, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is vastly overqualified for this game, and its performance headroom means it will never be the limiting factor in this configuration. The data confirms this: the FPS differences between settings are entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this system. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz, with a boost of 1650 MHz. The GPU’s benchmark scores are modest, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 18,093 is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, its closest rival. This is a mid-range graphics card from the Turing generation, and its performance in Undisputed reflects its position.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system only manages 40 FPS. This is a very low result, and it is likely due to the GPU’s compute power being overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and high settings. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is also a limiting factor, as 4K textures and effects require significant data transfer. The measured results show a clear hierarchy: 4K Ultra is nearly unplayable at 40 FPS, while 4K High is just playable at 62 FPS. The GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply not enough to drive a 4K panel with high detail in this title.

The GPU’s role is to render the scene, and its performance degrades predictably as the resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, it can manage 136 FPS on High, which is a good result, but it falls to 88 FPS on Ultra, showing a significant cost for the extra visual fidelity. At 1440p, the results are 99 FPS on High and 63 FPS on Ultra. These numbers suggest that the RTX 2060 SUPER is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, but it struggles at 4K. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in this game, as it is not a ray-tracing title, but they do not compensate for the raw shading power deficit. The data clearly shows the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU is never the constraint.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the RTX 2060 SUPER at 1920x1080 with High settings is 136 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 40, which is a very demanding configuration for this GPU.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s benchmark scores are extremely high, and the frame rates scale primarily with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p with High settings delivers 99 FPS, which is a solid balance. 1080p with High settings gives 136 FPS, but the CPU is not fully utilized in that scenario.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 166 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 63 FPS, a difference of 103 FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combination of CPU and GPU ranks 2008th out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the best settings experience. For players targeting a 60 FPS experience, the 1440p High preset is the most sensible choice, yielding an average of 99 FPS with no reported minimum FPS, which is well above the playability threshold. Pushing to Ultra at 1440p drops the average to 63 FPS, which is still technically playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The 4K resolution is generally not recommended, as even High settings only manage 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS, which will feel sluggish.

For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 136 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at 88 FPS is also viable if visual fidelity is prioritized over raw frame rate. The Low preset at 229 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the visual quality loss is significant, and the GPU’s limitations are not the primary concern at that point. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 165 FPS, which is a strong middle ground for those who want a smooth experience with moderate visual improvements.

The most balanced recommendation is 1440p with High settings. It provides a high average FPS of 99, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and it uses the GPU’s resources efficiently without pushing it to its limits. The 4K Medium preset, at 75 FPS, is a viable option for those with a 4K display, but the 1440p High result is more stable and leaves less risk of frame drops. Ultimately, the data suggests avoiding the Ultra preset at 4K, as it is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows:

• 1920x1080 (1080p): Low settings produce an average of 229 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140 and a maximum of 190. High settings produce an average of 136 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 88 FPS.

• 2560x1440 (1440p): Low settings produce an average of 166 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137. High settings produce an average of 99 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 63 FPS.

• 3840x2160 (4K): Low settings produce an average of 105 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 87. High settings produce an average of 62 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 40 FPS.

These numbers show a consistent pattern. At each resolution, the gap between Low and Medium is significant, but the gap between Medium and High is smaller. The jump from High to Ultra is the most costly, with a substantial FPS penalty at every resolution. For example, at 1080p, going from High to Ultra costs 48 FPS, while at 4K, it costs 22 FPS. This indicates that Ultra settings introduce a heavy load on the GPU, and the RTX 2060 SUPER is not powerful enough to handle it smoothly at higher resolutions. The data also shows that the Medium preset at 4K (75 FPS) is a better choice than the High preset at 4K (62 FPS), offering a higher average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations for Undisputed, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2008th out of 2813 combos. This places it in the lower half of the rankings, which is expected given the significant imbalance between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU. The CPU alone is in the 96th percentile of all processors, but the GPU is only in the 62nd percentile, dragging down the overall game performance.

The ranking reflects that the system’s performance is limited by the RTX 2060 SUPER. While the CPU is more than capable of handling the game’s logic, the GPU cannot translate that capability into higher frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. This results in a combo that, while producing playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, does not compete with systems that feature a more balanced CPU-GPU pairing. The high rank of the CPU (96th percentile) is offset by the GPU’s more modest standing (62nd percentile), leading to a final ranking that is in the bottom 30% of all tested combos. The data suggests that a less powerful CPU paired with a stronger GPU would likely yield a better overall experience in Undisputed.