Undisputed

# Undisputed with Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + Intel Arc B390

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a playable but fundamentally constrained experience in Undisputed, with the integrated GPU acting as the clear performance ceiling. Benchmark results show that this combination ranks 2491st out of 2813 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, yet the data reveals a surprisingly viable path to smooth gameplay at lower resolutions and settings. The Arc B390's system-shared memory architecture and low percentile standing (9th percentile among all GPUs) dominate every frame-rate outcome, while the 20-core, 20-thread CPU provides ample headroom that the graphics solution simply cannot exploit in this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to a clear, verdict-driven recommendation: Low settings at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that consistently delivers a fluid experience, averaging 127 FPS. This represents a 39% improvement over the next-best 1080p option, which is Medium at 91 FPS. For players prioritizing frame rate stability in a sports title where timing and responsiveness matter, the Low preset at 1080p is the definitive choice.

At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 92 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This makes 1440p Low a viable alternative for users with higher-resolution displays, though the 1080p Low result is superior in absolute performance. The data shows a steep penalty when moving from Low to Medium at any resolution: at 1080p, the drop is from 127 to 91 FPS (a 28% reduction), while at 1440p, it falls from 92 to 66 FPS (a 28% reduction as well). This consistent pattern indicates that the Medium preset's additional visual features impose a fixed proportional cost that this GPU struggles to absorb.

High settings are not recommended for any resolution in this configuration. At 1080p, High yields 76 FPS, which is playable but represents a 40% loss from Low; at 1440p, High drops to 55 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold; and at 4K, High collapses to 35 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a competitive sports game. The Ultra preset is outright prohibitive — even at 1080p, it only manages 49 FPS, and at 4K, it plunges to 22 FPS, rendering the game virtually unresponsive.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium at 1080p (91 FPS) is the highest preset that maintains playability, though the data strongly suggests that the visual upgrade from Low to Medium is not worth the 36 FPS sacrifice. The measured minimum FPS values for Medium settings (78 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, 36 FPS at 4K) indicate that even the "playable" Medium preset experiences frame dips that could affect gameplay consistency. Low settings, by contrast, show no min/max data in the measured results, suggesting more stable frame delivery.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in every benchmark result for this combination, and its specifications explain why. This is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node from Intel. Its most defining characteristic is the memory configuration: the GPU uses System Shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth, meaning it draws from the same DDR5 pool as the CPU rather than having dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice means the GPU's performance scales with the system's memory configuration, but it cannot match the dedicated bandwidth of discrete graphics cards.

The clock speeds tell a similar story. The Arc B390 operates at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 2500 MHz, but its compute resources are modest: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS. These specifications place the GPU at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in benchmark scores are legacy NVIDIA parts — the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GT 710 (2.7% faster). This comparison underscores the Arc B390's position as an entry-level solution, not a gaming-focused component.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 confirms the GPU's limited ceiling. In Undisputed, this translates directly to the measured FPS values: the game's rendering demands quickly overwhelm the shared-memory bandwidth and modest compute resources as resolution and settings increase. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is particularly telling — this is not a matter of CPU bottlenecking but of the GPU being unable to process the frame workload at any acceptable rate. The 80 W TDP and "IGP" slot width indicate this is designed for compact or portable systems, not for high-end gaming workloads.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combination run Undisputed at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 58 FPS average. At Medium, it drops to 42 FPS (with a 36 FPS minimum), at High it falls to 35 FPS, and at Ultra it is unplayable at 22 FPS. The data shows 4K is only viable with the Low preset.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: Low settings at 1920x1080 delivers the highest measured average FPS at 127 FPS. Medium is the highest playable preset at 91 FPS, but it comes with a 36 FPS penalty and measured minimum dips to 78 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). This places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 a bottleneck in this setup?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores (42,216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5,960 in single-core) place it at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are server-class EPYC processors. The GPU's 9th percentile standing makes it the clear performance constraint.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: Low settings yield 92 FPS average, Medium yields 66 FPS (with a 56 FPS minimum), High yields 55 FPS, and Ultra yields 35 FPS. Only Low and Medium remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the system-shared memory affect gaming performance?

A: Yes. The Arc B390 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, meaning it competes with the CPU for memory access. This architecture contributes to the GPU's low 9th percentile ranking and explains the steep performance drops at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern across all three resolutions: each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30% performance, and each resolution increase imposes an additional substantial penalty. At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable in the strictest sense, but quality varies dramatically. Low settings average 127 FPS, which is excellent for a sports title. Medium averages 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and maximum of 105 FPS, indicating some frame-time variance but generally smooth gameplay. High averages 76 FPS, dropping below the 90 FPS mark that many players prefer for competitive titles. Ultra averages 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel noticeably less responsive.

At 2560x1440, the performance cliff becomes steeper. Low settings average 92 FPS, still above 60 FPS and playable. Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, meaning the game will occasionally dip below the 60 FPS threshold during intense moments. High averages 55 FPS, which is marginal for a fast-paced sports game. Ultra averages 35 FPS, making it effectively unplayable for most users. The 1440p data shows that only Low settings provide consistent performance above 60 FPS, with Medium being borderline.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings remain viable. Low averages 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS ideal but still within a range that many players find acceptable. Medium averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 48 FPS — this is a slideshow by modern standards. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS, both of which are unplayable. The 4K results demonstrate that the Arc B390's shared-memory bandwidth is severely taxed at this resolution, and the GPU simply cannot maintain acceptable frame delivery regardless of settings.

The resolution scaling is worth noting: from 1080p Low (127 FPS) to 1440p Low (92 FPS) represents a 28% drop, and from 1440p Low to 4K Low (58 FPS) represents a 37% drop. This non-linear scaling suggests that memory bandwidth constraints become progressively more severe at higher pixel counts, reinforcing the GPU's position as the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2491st out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed, placing it in the bottom 11.5% of all configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs — meaning 91% of graphics solutions tested perform better. The CPU, by contrast, sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, putting it in the top 7% of processors.

The disparity between CPU and GPU percentiles creates a fundamentally unbalanced system. The Core Ultra 7 265's benchmark results (42,216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5,960 in single-core, 522,983 in PassMark data compression, 40456 in data encryption) demonstrate a high-end desktop processor that rivals server-class parts. Its nearest CPU rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (0.3% slower), Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (0.3% faster), AMD EPYC 7343 (0.7% slower), and AMD EPYC 9124 (0.7% faster). This is a processor designed for demanding workloads, not for feeding an integrated GPU.

The game's ranking context is important: being in the bottom 12% of combos means this configuration will struggle with Undisputed relative to what most players experience. However, the ranking does not tell the whole story — the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, this combo delivers 127 FPS, which is objectively smooth gameplay. The low rank reflects the configuration's inability to handle higher settings or resolutions, not its performance at the most optimized settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a supporting role in this configuration, providing far more processing power than the Arc B390 can utilize in Undisputed. This is a 20-core, 20-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node at TSMC with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. It operates at a 2.40 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it firmly in high-end territory: 42,216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,960 in single-core, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 49,682 and single-thread score of 4,689. It ranks at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the AMD EPYC 4464P (64,823 average score, 0.3% slower), Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438, 0.3% faster), AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202, 0.7% slower), and AMD EPYC 9124 (65,104, 0.7% faster). The average benchmark score of 64,640 confirms this is a top-tier processor.

In Undisputed, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI — workloads that are unlikely to stress a 20-core processor. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking; the performance drops at higher resolutions and settings follow the GPU's capability curve precisely. The 3 nm process node and 5.30 GHz boost clock ensure that single-threaded performance is strong, which is important for a sports game's frame pacing. However, the CPU's 20 threads are largely underutilized in this title, as the game's rendering demands are entirely GPU-bound.

The launch MSRP of $394 for the CPU reflects its positioning as a mainstream-high-end desktop part, but its pairing with an IGP creates an unusual configuration where the processor's capabilities far exceed the graphics solution's ability to deliver frames. The data shows that players would need to rely on the CPU's integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU for any gaming output, and the measured results confirm that this limits Undisputed to low-settings play at 1080p for a smooth experience. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support and 20 lanes are irrelevant in this IGP configuration, as the GPU uses system shared memory rather than dedicated VRAM over a PCIe connection.