Undisputed

Undisputed is a sports title that scales heavily with both resolution and graphics preset, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a wide spread of performance. The data shows this pairing can deliver everything from a barely playable 44 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 252 FPS at 1080p Low, making it a flexible but inconsistent performer depending on the target display and quality settings. This analysis examines the measured results, the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this combo ranks against other tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Undisputed?

A: The combo ranks 1618 out of 2813 tested combos for this game, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all tested configurations.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc B570?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282, while the Intel Arc B570 scores 20556, putting the NVIDIA card 1.3% behind the Intel offering.

Q: What is the best frame rate achieved at 1080p with this setup?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 252 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset at the same resolution yields 182 FPS, while High drops to 150 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming at playable frame rates?

A: At 3840x2160, the results are mixed. Medium settings produce 83 FPS, which is playable, but High drops to 69 FPS, and Ultra falls to 44 FPS, which is below the typical playability threshold.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to the AMD EPYC 9135 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel CPU has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 1.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 9135's score of 82980.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 112, with an average of 131 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver for frame rate fluctuations across different settings and resolutions in Undisputed. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, with an effective data rate of 14 Gbps. The card's base clock is 1605 MHz, boosting up to 1770 MHz, and it is built on the Turing architecture with 2560 shading units.

These specifications directly correlate with the measured performance deltas. The starkest example is at 4K, where the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth become critical. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 115 on Low to 83 on Medium, a 27.8% decrease. Pushing to High reduces the average to 69 FPS, and Ultra craters the performance to 44 FPS. This steep degradation curve, particularly the 36% drop from High to Ultra, indicates that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely being saturated at the highest settings, forcing the card to work far harder and causing a disproportionate loss in frame rate.

The GPU's influence is also visible at lower resolutions, though the pattern shifts. At 2560x1440, the GPU still governs the scaling, with averages of 182 FPS on Low, 131 FPS on Medium, 109 FPS on High, and 70 FPS on Ultra. The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p results in a 35.8% performance hit, similar in magnitude to the 4K drop. At 1920x1080, the GPU remains the limiting factor at higher presets, as Ultra still only achieves 97 FPS, while Low reaches 252 FPS. The RTX 2070 SUPER's position in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 18169, confirms it is a mid-range performer that can handle 1080p and 1440p well but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three tested resolutions, as it is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating a stable frame time distribution.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 182 FPS, with a minimum of 154 and a maximum of 209. This is a substantial 85 FPS jump over the High preset's 150 FPS average, making Medium the clear choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 252 FPS is faster, but the visual sacrifice is unnecessary when Medium provides such a high frame rate. For 2560x1440, Medium again provides the best experience, averaging 131 FPS with a minimum of 112 FPS, which ensures smooth gameplay on standard 144Hz displays. The High preset at 109 FPS is still playable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum FPS makes it the safer recommendation.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Medium settings yield an average of 83 FPS, which is the only preset that offers a comfortable experience for 4K gaming. The High preset at 69 FPS is playable but pushes the frame rate closer to the edge of smoothness. Ultra at 44 FPS is not recommended for serious play. Therefore, for 4K, Medium is the definitive choice. For those prioritizing maximum visual fidelity at 1080p or 1440p, the High preset is viable, but the performance cost is steep compared to Medium, making it a less efficient choice. The Ultra preset is only advisable for users with adaptive sync monitors who can tolerate frame rates in the 44-97 FPS range.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this configuration sits near the middle of the pack. With a rank of 1618 out of 2813 combos, it outperforms roughly 42% of all tested systems in Undisputed. This places it in a competitive but not dominant position. The ranking suggests that while the CPU is exceptionally powerful, the GPU holds the combo back from achieving a higher standing in a game that is sensitive to graphics card performance.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores are top-tier, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU's 65th percentile ranking drags the combined performance down. The data indicates that this pairing is somewhat unbalanced for a game like Undisputed, where frame rates are heavily dependent on the GPU. The combo's rank reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions and settings, as seen in the measured FPS. For instance, the 44 FPS result at 4K Ultra is a significant outlier that likely penalizes the combo's overall standing. The CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized in this scenario, as the RTX 2070 SUPER becomes the bottleneck in the most demanding situations. The ranking demonstrates that this is a solid 1080p and 1440p machine, but it is not a top-tier performer for 4K gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.80 GHz. The CPU has a substantial 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, offering a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. Its synthetic performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303.

In Undisputed, the CPU's role appears to be providing a stable foundation that prevents frame rate dips, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 252 FPS, a result that would be impossible without a strong CPU to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The processor's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4823, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in a physics-heavy sports simulation. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 84003, is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9135, showing it is among the fastest processors available.

However, the CPU's performance ceiling is rarely tested in this game. The bottleneck shifts to the GPU at higher resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the 44 FPS result at 4K Ultra. In this scenario, the CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to render frames, and its immense processing power does little to improve the average FPS. The Passmark multi-thread score of 60860 and the data compression score of 698346 indicate that this CPU is overkill for the demands of Undisputed, but it ensures that the system will never be CPU-limited, providing consistent frame pacing even in complex gameplay moments.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. The results show a predictable pattern: frame rates decrease as resolution and settings increase, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 115 FPS average. This is the highest 4K result, showing the GPU can handle the resolution when geometry and effects are reduced.
• Medium: 83 FPS average, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. This is the most stable 4K option, offering a good balance.
• High: 69 FPS average. A significant drop from Medium, indicating the increased texture and shader complexity taxes the 8 GB VRAM.
• Ultra: 44 FPS average. This is a steep 36% reduction from High, making it the worst-performing preset in the entire dataset.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 182 FPS average. This result shows the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution with minimal settings.
• Medium: 131 FPS average, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. This is a strong result for high-refresh 1440p gaming.
• High: 109 FPS average. A 16.8% drop from Medium, but still comfortably playable.
• Ultra: 70 FPS average. This is a 35.8% drop from High, mirroring the 4K pattern and confirming the Ultra preset's heavy cost.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 252 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate recorded, ideal for esports-level responsiveness.
• Medium: 182 FPS average, with a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS. This preset offers a superb experience for standard 144Hz monitors.
• High: 150 FPS average. A 17.6% drop from Medium, but still provides a smooth experience.
• Ultra: 97 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1080p is the only sub-100 FPS result at this resolution, showing the GPU is still the limiting factor.

The data reveals a consistent performance hierarchy: Low > Medium > High > Ultra. The gap between High and Ultra is the most pronounced, averaging a 35-36% performance hit across all resolutions. This indicates that the Ultra preset includes features that are particularly demanding on the RTX 2070 SUPER's architecture. The Medium preset consistently offers the best compromise, with the only recorded minimum FPS values above 71 FPS, suggesting it provides the most consistent frame delivery.