Undisputed

The Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a strictly entry-level experience in Undisputed, with benchmark data showing the pairing ranks 2491st out of 2813 tested combos. The 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake processor, boosting to 4.30 GHz, provides the foundation, but the system is heavily constrained by the integrated-class Arc B390 GPU, which sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings tell a story of a platform that can handle the game at lower presets but struggles to maintain playable rates at higher visual fidelity or 4K output.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates solid single-thread capability with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893, a Geekbench single-core score of 1932, and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674. Multi-threaded performance is less impressive but still respectable for the class, with a 3DMark max-threads score of 4023 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860.

In the context of Undisputed, a sports title that typically relies more on GPU throughput than CPU horsepower, the i3-12100F appears sufficient to feed the Arc B390 at lower settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 127 FPS, which suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter at that preset. However, the gap between settings at the same resolution reveals the GPU’s dominance in performance scaling. At 1080p, moving from Low to High drops the average from 127 FPS to 76 FPS, a reduction of 51 FPS, which is far more characteristic of a GPU bottleneck than a CPU one. The processor’s 4-thread score of 2859 in 3DMark indicates it can handle the game’s threading model, but the overall combo rank of 2491 out of 2813 implies that the CPU’s potential is largely unrealized due to the weak graphics solution.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with a deltaPct of 0, the Intel Core i5-9500 at 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core 5 120UL at 0.7% lower. These scores suggest the i3-12100F is competitive with older mid-range parts, but in this combo, the data indicates that the GPU is the deciding factor for frame rates. The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms the majority of processors, yet the system’s in-game performance lags far behind, reinforcing that the Arc B390 is the weak link.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS data, the most balanced experience appears to be at Medium settings across all resolutions, as this preset provides the only rows with both minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating a more consistent frame delivery. At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 105. This is a significant improvement over High settings, which average 76 FPS, and it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 49 FPS, which is below the ideal playable range, making Medium the recommended choice for 1080p.

At 1440p, Medium settings yield an average of 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 76, which remains playable but begins to show strain. Low settings at 1440p push the average up to 92 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it for most players. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it maintains a playable average while avoiding the severe drop seen at High (55 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS). For 4K, the situation becomes more challenging. Medium settings at 3840x2160 average 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48, which is borderline playable but not ideal for a fast-paced sports title. Low settings at 4K average 58 FPS, which is more acceptable, but the visual compromises are substantial.

The best experience per the measured rows is therefore Medium at 1080p, as it offers the highest average FPS above 60 with documented consistency (minimum 78 FPS) and retains some graphical fidelity over Low. For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, Low at 1080p provides 127 FPS, but the jump to Medium is only a 36 FPS loss for a likely noticeable visual upgrade. The data implies that the combo is capable of delivering a smooth experience, but only when settings are kept in check.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a steep performance degradation as pixel count increases, which is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 127 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p, a 27.6% decrease, and then further to 58 at 4K, a 54.3% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern shows that the Arc B390’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s workload does not scale significantly with resolution. The i3-12100F’s single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 893, remains constant regardless of resolution, but the GPU must render more pixels, causing the frame rate to plummet.

At Medium settings, the drop is less severe in percentage terms but still pronounced: 91 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 53.8% drop from 1080p to 4K. The High preset follows a similar trajectory, with 76 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K, showing a 27.6% and 53.9% reduction, respectively. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings strongly suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth, both of which are system-dependent for this shared-memory part, are the bottlenecks.

The Ultra preset is the most revealing, as it starts at 49 FPS at 1080p and drops to 35 FPS at 1440p (a 28.6% decrease) and 22 FPS at 4K (a 55.1% decrease). The fact that even at 1080p Ultra the system cannot maintain 60 FPS indicates that the Arc B390’s compute power, rated at 7.680 TFLOPS FP32, is insufficient for high-end settings regardless of resolution. The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting component; rather, the GPU’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are overwhelmed by the increasing pixel load, making resolution scaling a direct reflection of the graphics card’s capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo rank of 2491 out of 2813 tested combinations places this system in the bottom 11.5% of all tested configurations in Undisputed. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Intel Arc B390, which has a percentile ranking of just 9th among all GPUs. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is comparable to legacy parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 with a deltaPct of 1.3% higher, and the GeForce 800M at 1460 with a 1.5% higher delta. These rivals are over a decade old, underscoring the Arc B390’s position as an entry-level integrated solution rather than a dedicated gaming card.

In contrast, the CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all processors shows that the i3-12100F is a capable mid-tier part, with an average benchmark score of 13494 that places it near the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, deltaPct 0.3% higher) and the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, deltaPct 0.7% lower). The disparity between the CPU’s and GPU’s performance tiers is stark, and the combo rank reflects the GPU’s dominance in determining game performance. The data indicates that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield significantly better results, but as configured, the system is hamstrung by the graphics solution.

The measured FPS data corroborates this ranking. At no resolution or setting does the combo achieve an average FPS that would be considered high-performance for a modern title. The best result is 127 FPS at 1080p Low, which is playable but far from the top end. The 22 FPS at 4K Ultra is nearly unplayable, and even the 42 FPS at 4K Medium is below the 60 FPS target. This places the combo firmly in the lower quartile of tested systems, aligning with its 2491st rank.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combo for this system to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: The only measured configuration that exceeds 60 FPS is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the average is 127 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p average 91 FPS, which also stays above 60, but the minimum of 78 FPS is still playable. At 1440p, Low settings average 92 FPS, but Medium drops to 66 FPS, which is above 60 but with a minimum of 56 FPS that could dip below.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463 with a deltaPct of 1.3% higher, while the GeForce 800M scores 1460 at 1.5% higher. This indicates the Arc B390 is slightly faster than these older parts but still within the same performance tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low frame rates at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. At 4K Low, the combo averages 58 FPS, but at 4K High it drops to 35 FPS, a 39.7% decrease. The CPU’s performance does not scale with resolution, so the GPU’s pixel rendering capabilities, with 24 ROPs and a system-shared memory bus, are insufficient for high-resolution workloads.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2491st out of 2813 total tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11.5% of all systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking among all graphics cards.

Q: Does the CPU have enough threads to handle this game without bottlenecking?

A: Yes, the data indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck. The 4-core, 8-thread i3-12100F scores 4023 in 3DMark max-threads and 11860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is sufficient for a sports title. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 127 FPS, showing the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower settings.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a launch MSRP of $97. This budget-oriented pricing aligns with its 68th percentile ranking, offering mid-tier CPU performance at a low cost.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 127. Medium settings reduce the average to 91, with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 105. High settings yield an average of 76 FPS, while Ultra drops to 49 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 61.4% decrease in average FPS, highlighting the GPU’s sensitivity to graphical complexity.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 92 FPS. Medium settings average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. High settings bring the average down to 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 61.9%, nearly identical to the 1080p scaling, indicating a consistent GPU bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable rates. Low settings average 58 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48. High settings drop to 35 FPS, and Ultra averages a mere 22 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K represents the worst-case scenario, with a 62.1% decrease from Low, further confirming the GPU’s limitations at high pixel counts.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, providing a clearer picture of frame consistency. At 1080p, the range is 78-105 FPS; at 1440p, it is 56-76 FPS; and at 4K, it is 36-48 FPS. This shows that while the average FPS decreases with resolution, the frame pacing remains relatively stable, which is a positive for gameplay smoothness even at lower averages.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and Panther Lake chip, fabricated on Intel’s 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The GPU relies on system-shared memory, with a bus width and bandwidth that are system-dependent, meaning its performance is tied to the host system’s DDR4 or DDR5 memory configuration. The lack of dedicated VRAM is a critical factor, as the game must share bandwidth with the CPU, which can limit texture throughput at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s compute capabilities include an FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, but these figures are overshadowed by its low 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, are ancient parts, and the Arc B390 only edges them out by 1.3-1.5% in benchmark scores. This places the GPU in a performance tier that is fundamentally unsuited for demanding modern titles at high settings.

In Undisputed, the GPU’s role is the dominant factor in determining frame rates, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The 24 ROPs are responsible for pixel output, and at 4K Ultra, the system averages only 22 FPS, indicating that the ROPs are overwhelmed. The 48 TMUs handle texture mapping, and the texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s is insufficient for high-resolution textures at Ultra settings. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is decent, but the shared memory architecture creates a bottleneck that prevents the GPU from achieving its theoretical peak performance.

The GPU’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 means it can run modern graphical features, but the hardware lacks the brute force to utilize them effectively. The data shows that even at 1080p High, the average FPS is 76, which is playable but not impressive. The Arc B390 is clearly the limiting component in this combo, and its performance characteristics—shared memory, low ROP count, and integrated design—are the primary reasons for the system’s low rank. The CPU, by contrast, has the headroom to support a much stronger GPU, but in this configuration, the graphics solution caps the overall experience.