Undisputed

# Undisputed with Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + Intel Arc B390

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B390 places at rank 2491 out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed, putting it in the bottom 11% of all pairings measured. The data indicates a system that can run the game, but with significant compromises required at higher resolutions and settings. The Arc B390's benchmark percentile of 9 versus all GPUs suggests the integrated graphics solution is the primary bottleneck, while the Core Ultra 5 235's 89th percentile ranking among CPUs shows a processor that is far more capable than the graphics subsystem it is paired with.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2491 out of 2813 is a stark indicator of where this pairing stands. With 89% of all tested combinations outperforming it, the data suggests this system is geared toward low-to-medium fidelity gaming at best. The ranking reflects the fundamental imbalance between the two components: the CPU sits in the 89th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all graphics cards. This 80-point percentile gap is the largest structural feature of this pairing.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals clarifies the graphics performance tier. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 puts it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all entry-level or legacy discrete GPUs, and the Arc B390 edges them out by single-digit percentages. The implication is that this integrated graphics solution performs in the same class as decade-old low-end discrete cards, which directly explains the bottom-decile combo ranking.

The CPU side tells a different story. The Core Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46062 places it within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098). It also sits 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and the AMD EPYC 7303 (45960). These rival comparisons show the CPU is competitive with high-end mobile and server processors from previous generations, yet the system still ranks near the bottom in this game. The data strongly suggests that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU's limitations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. Its clock speeds are listed at a 300 MHz base and 2500 MHz boost, with the memory configuration being entirely "System Shared." This means the GPU draws from main system memory rather than having dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The memory type, bus width, and size are all listed as "System Shared," which fundamentally limits performance in memory-sensitive scenarios.

The GPU's compute specifications include 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS. The TDP is 80 W, and it operates as an IGP with no power connectors and a slot width of "IGP," confirming it is integrated into the processor package rather than a discrete card.

In the context of Undisputed, the shared memory architecture is likely the dominant constraint. The game's measured FPS numbers show a dramatic drop when moving from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution, which is consistent with a GPU that has limited memory bandwidth available. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places the GPU in the 9th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all low-end cards from over a decade ago. The data indicates this GPU can handle the game at low settings, but struggles as graphical demands increase.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Low preset provides the most playable experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 127 FPS average, which is more than double the 49 FPS seen at Ultra. At 2560x1440, Low yields 92 FPS, and even at 3840x2160, Low maintains 58 FPS. These numbers suggest that Low is the only preset that consistently reaches comfortable frame rates, especially for competitive play.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground for those prioritizing visual quality. At 1080p, Medium achieves 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 105, which is still quite playable. At 1440p, Medium drops to 66 FPS with a minimum of 56, which approaches the edge of smoothness for some players. At 4K, Medium falls to 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48, which is marginal. The High preset is only viable at 1080p, where it hits 76 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 55 FPS and at 4K to 35 FPS.

Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution. The best case is 1080p at 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider ideal. At 1440p, Ultra produces 35 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 22 FPS. The data shows a clear conclusion: Low settings are the safe choice, Medium is acceptable at 1080p or 1440p, and anything above that requires significant resolution compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates scale predictably with settings. Low delivers 127 FPS average, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. Medium produces 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 105, offering a 36 FPS drop from Low. High yields 76 FPS, and Ultra drops to 49 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 61% reduction in average FPS, indicating the GPU is heavily taxed by higher graphical presets.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues with lower absolute numbers. Low achieves 92 FPS, which is still smooth for most use cases. Medium hits 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 76, providing a playable experience with some headroom. High drops to 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 35 FPS (from 127 to 92), which is a 28% reduction. At Ultra, the same resolution increase costs 14 FPS (from 49 to 35), a 29% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the GPU shows its limits. Low produces 58 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playable frame rates. Medium drops to 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48, making it borderline. High falls to 35 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22 FPS. The data reveals that 4K gaming with this combo is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, the 58 FPS average leaves little room for demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Undisputed?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 at Low settings produces the highest average FPS at 127. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1920x1080 at Medium yields 91 FPS with a minimum of 78, which is still smooth. At 2560x1440, Low settings provide 92 FPS, but Medium drops to 66 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 places it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all small margins, indicating similar performance levels.

Q: Can this system run Undisputed at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 58 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K produce 42 FPS with a minimum of 36, which is marginal. High settings drop to 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's performance ranking compared to other processors?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 46062. It is within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, and 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303.

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

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 89th percentile. The measured FPS drops are consistent with GPU limitations, as higher settings and resolutions cause proportionally larger performance losses.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 127 FPS average, while Ultra settings deliver 49 FPS. This represents a 78 FPS gap, meaning Ultra settings run at only 39% of the frame rate achieved at Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using TSMC's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it uses the Intel Socket 1851 with 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14769 multi-core and 2085 single-core. Cinebench R20 yields 6202 multi-core and 875 single-core, while Cinebench R15 produces 1488 multi-core and 210 single-core. Passmark results include a multi-thread score of 37816 and a single-thread score of 4516, with data compression at 390711 and encryption at 29293.

Given the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, the CPU's 89th percentile performance is far more than adequate for this game. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The 14 cores and 14 threads with 5.00 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom for the game's physics and AI computations, but the system's overall performance ceiling is set entirely by the Arc B390's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals how performance scales across resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings drops the average from 127 to 92 FPS, a 28% reduction. The same resolution increase at Medium drops from 91 to 66 FPS, a 27% reduction. At High, the drop is from 76 to 55 FPS, a 28% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 49 to 35 FPS, a 29% reduction. The consistency of these percentages across settings suggests the resolution scaling is uniform.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows more dramatic drops. At Low settings, the average falls from 92 to 58 FPS, a 37% reduction. At Medium, the drop is from 66 to 42 FPS, a 36% reduction. At High, the drop is from 55 to 35 FPS, a 36% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 35 to 22 FPS, a 37% reduction. The larger percentage drops at 4K compared to 1440p indicate that the GPU's memory bandwidth constraints become more pronounced as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern points to the shared memory architecture as the limiting component. The GPU's memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it relies on the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 configuration. At 4K, the memory bandwidth demands increase substantially, and the data shows the GPU cannot maintain proportional performance. The consistent 36-37% FPS drop from 1440p to 4K, regardless of settings, confirms that resolution is the dominant factor for this combo, not graphical preset complexity. This suggests players should prioritize resolution reduction over settings reduction to maintain frame rates.