Undisputed

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Undisputed show a peculiar scaling pattern that reveals a system far less GPU-bound than the raw numbers suggest. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces 578 FPS average. Dropping the resolution from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings reduces that to 418 FPS, a 28% performance hit. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings brings the average down to 264 FPS, another 37% reduction. These are steep drops for a sports title, indicating that even at 4K Low, the engine is not fully saturating the RTX 5090 D's capabilities.

The scaling becomes more linear when settings are raised. At Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 416 FPS at 1080p to 301 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop), then down to 190 FPS at 4K (a 37% drop from 1440p). This consistent ~28-37% reduction pattern persists across Low and Medium presets, suggesting a uniform scaling factor tied to pixel count. At High settings, the progression is 344 FPS at 1080p, 249 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop), and 157 FPS at 4K (a 37% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across different quality presets indicates that resolution scaling in Undisputed follows a predictable curve regardless of graphical load.

Ultra settings tell a different story. The 1080p Ultra average is 222 FPS, which drops to 160 FPS at 1440p (a 28% reduction) and further to 101 FPS at 4K (a 37% reduction from 1440p). While the percentage drops mirror the other presets, the absolute margins are tighter. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 163 FPS (264 vs 101), whereas at 1080p the same preset gap is 356 FPS (578 vs 222). This narrowing at higher resolutions suggests that 4K Ultra is the first configuration where the GPU begins to feel meaningful pressure, though even 101 FPS remains far above what a 120Hz display would require.

The data points to a system that is heavily CPU-limited at lower resolutions. A 578 FPS average at 1080p Low is extraordinarily high, and the fact that 4K Low still delivers 264 FPS means the RTX 5090 D is never truly stretched. The 28% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 37% drop from 1440p to 4K are close to what pure pixel-count scaling would predict (1440p has 1.78x the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 2.25x the pixels of 1440p), but the absolute numbers remain so high that the limiting factor is likely the game engine's frame pacing rather than GPU compute.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Arrow Lake Refresh generation, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz and a base clock of 3.70 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores are formidable: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 51,731 and a single-core score of 7,303. The PassMark multithread score of 60,860 and single-thread score of 4,823 place it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84,003.

In Undisputed, the CPU's role is evident from the frame rates at lower resolutions. The jump from 1080p Low (578 FPS) to 1440p Low (418 FPS) is a 160 FPS difference, which is far larger than what a GPU-bound scenario would produce. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is setting the ceiling, and the RTX 5090 D is waiting on the processor to feed it frames. The 24 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for a sports title, but the 5.80 GHz boost clock is what allows such high frame rates to be sustained.

The processor's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% ahead with an average score of 83,807) and the AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% behind with 83,090), while the AMD EPYC 7F72 sits 1.3% ahead at 85,072. These deltas are minimal, meaning the 290K Plus is effectively in a three-way tie with the 285K and EPYC parts for raw compute. In a game like Undisputed, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS at most settings, this level of CPU performance ensures that the processor never becomes a bottleneck except at the very highest frame rates.

The Cinebench R20 multicore score of 21,727 and R15 multicore score of 5,214 reinforce the CPU's strength in multi-threaded workloads, though Undisputed likely does not scale across all 24 cores. The PassMark physics score of 3,315 and floating-point math score of 214,760 suggest strong per-core performance, which matters more for gaming. The data shows that the 290K Plus provides enough headroom that even at 1080p Low, the frame rate is limited by the engine's draw call processing rather than raw CPU throughput.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 4K, the High preset delivers 157 FPS average, which is 56 FPS higher than Ultra (101 FPS) and 33 FPS lower than Medium (190 FPS). Given that the minimum FPS is only recorded for Medium (162 FPS), the High preset likely offers a stable experience without the frame-time variance that Ultra might introduce. For 4K gaming, High is the recommended preset because it stays well above 144 Hz while avoiding the 101 FPS floor of Ultra, which could dip below 100 FPS in crowded scenes.

At 1440p, the High preset produces 249 FPS average, which is 89 FPS less than Medium (301 FPS) and 89 FPS more than Ultra (160 FPS). The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 256 FPS, suggesting excellent frame pacing. Since 1440p High delivers 249 FPS, it is within 3% of the Medium minimum, meaning players could opt for High quality without sacrificing perceived smoothness. However, the Medium preset's minimum of 256 FPS makes it the safest choice for competitive play where frame consistency matters more than visual fidelity.

At 1080p, the situation is different. The High preset hits 344 FPS average, while Medium reaches 416 FPS and Low goes up to 578 FPS. The Ultra preset still manages 222 FPS, which is above 144 Hz. For 1080p, High is the balanced recommendation because it provides 344 FPS average while keeping visual quality high. The Medium preset's minimum of 354 FPS is actually higher than the High average, suggesting that Medium offers better frame-time consistency, but the visual quality trade-off is noticeable. Players with 360Hz monitors might prefer Low (578 FPS) to maximize refresh rate utilization, but the diminishing returns above 400 FPS are minimal.

The overall best experience across all resolutions is the High preset. At 4K it delivers 157 FPS, at 1440p it delivers 249 FPS, and at 1080p it delivers 344 FPS. These numbers bracket the refresh rates of most high-end monitors (144Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz) with comfortable margins. Ultra settings are only advisable for players who prioritize image quality over frame rate and can tolerate the 101 FPS floor at 4K or 160 FPS at 1440p.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 578, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra frame rate compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra average is 101 FPS, while 1080p Ultra averages 222 FPS. The 4K result is 121 FPS lower, representing a 54.5% reduction.

Q: Does the Medium preset show any frame consistency issues?

A: The Medium preset has recorded minimum FPS values: 354 at 1080p, 256 at 1440p, and 162 at 4K. These minimums are all above 144 FPS, indicating stable frame delivery.

Q: What is the performance gap between the 290K Plus and its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has an average benchmark score of 83,807, which is 0.2% higher than the 290K Plus's 84,003. The AMD EPYC 4584PX is 1.1% lower at 83,090.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 101, which is a 36% reduction from 4K High (157 FPS). This suggests the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at this setting, though the frame rate remains playable.

Q: How does the processor's single-thread performance relate to gaming?

A: The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 7,303, and the PassMark single-thread score is 4,823. These high single-thread scores support the high frame rates seen at 1080p, where the CPU handles most of the frame generation work.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. It features 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz and a base clock of 2017 MHz. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory operates on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 44,065 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 place it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712.

In Undisputed, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration where the GPU appears to be the primary bottleneck, with an average FPS of 101. This is 56 FPS below the 4K High result (157 FPS) and 89 FPS below 4K Medium (190 FPS). The large drop from High to Ultra (36%) suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU, likely related to the 170 ray tracing cores or increased shading complexity.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (1.1% ahead with 76,904 average score) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% behind with 78,940 average score). The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 2.1% and 2.4% behind, respectively. These margins are small, meaning the 5090 D is closely matched with mobile GPUs in raw compute, though its 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are far superior for high-resolution textures.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 indicates strong DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with Undisputed's engine requirements. The PassMark G2D score of 1,487 and DirectX 11 score of 371 suggest that the GPU handles 2D and legacy workloads competently, but the game's performance is driven by the modern rendering paths. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is more than sufficient for a sports title, explaining why even 4K High maintains 157 FPS.

The GPU's 575W TDP and 950W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry component, but the measured frame rates justify the power draw. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is overkill for Undisputed at any resolution, meaning VRAM capacity is never a limiting factor. The 2407 MHz boost clock ensures that the GPU can sustain high clock speeds during extended gaming sessions, though the engine's frame pacing at 1080p suggests the CPU is more critical at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured averages are as follows: Low settings produce 578 FPS, Medium produces 416 FPS with a minimum of 354 FPS and maximum of 478 FPS, High produces 344 FPS, and Ultra produces 222 FPS. The 356 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed the GPU at high rates, with the Low preset approaching the engine's practical limit.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 418 FPS, Medium at 301 FPS (minimum 256, maximum 346), High at 249 FPS, and Ultra at 160 FPS. The 258 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is smaller than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is beginning to take on more work. The Medium preset's minimum of 256 FPS is notably high, suggesting excellent frame consistency.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 264 FPS, Medium at 190 FPS (minimum 162, maximum 219), High at 157 FPS, and Ultra at 101 FPS. The 163 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the smallest of all resolutions, confirming that 4K is where the GPU's workload becomes significant. The Ultra preset's 101 FPS average represents a 36% reduction from High, the largest preset-to-preset drop in the dataset.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each preset is consistent: Low drops from 578 to 264 (a 54% reduction), Medium from 416 to 190 (a 54% reduction), High from 344 to 157 (a 54% reduction), and Ultra from 222 to 101 (a 54% reduction). This uniformity suggests that Undisputed's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution, and the 4K results are not disproportionately penalized by any single effect. The Medium preset is the only one with full min/max data, showing a 57 FPS spread at 1080p (354-478), a 90 FPS spread at 1440p (256-346), and a 57 FPS spread at 4K (162-219), indicating tighter frame pacing at lower resolutions.

The combination ranks first out of 2,813 tested configurations for this game, with measured data confirming that no other CPU-GPU pairing delivers higher average frame rates. The 264 FPS at 4K Low and 101 FPS at 4K Ultra bracket the performance envelope, giving players a clear choice between competitive frame rates and maximum visual fidelity. The data shows that the 290K Plus and RTX 5090 D together provide an exceptional experience in Undisputed, with the only compromise being the 101 FPS floor at 4K Ultra, which remains above standard 90Hz displays.