Undisputed

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

The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 7 265K processor and the Arc B390 integrated graphics presents a curious case in the Undisputed benchmark database. This pairing sits near the bottom of the measured leaderboard, ranking 2491 out of 2813 tested combos, yet the CPU itself is a top-tier part with a 94th percentile standing among all processors. The data suggests a profound imbalance: a heavyweight champion of a CPU paired with a lightweight integrated GPU, producing results that are almost entirely dictated by the graphics side of the equation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 127 FPS, but this drops to 92 FPS at 1440p and further to 58 FPS at 4K. That represents a 54% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a substantial hit that points squarely at the graphics pipeline struggling to fill more pixels.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the system manages 76 FPS, which falls to 55 FPS at 1440p (a 28% drop) and then to 35 FPS at 4K (a 54% drop from 1080p). This consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K across multiple settings strongly indicates that the Arc B390's limited shading units (1536) and 24 ROPs are the bottleneck, not the CPU. The Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 20 threads boosting to 5.50 GHz, is hardly breaking a sweat at these resolutions.

What makes this interesting is the non-linear scaling between settings at the same resolution. At 1440p, the jump from Low (92 FPS) to Medium (66 FPS) costs 26 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High (55 FPS) costs only 11 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset introduces some GPU-heavy effects that saturate the render pipeline, while High adds comparatively less additional load. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is nearly unplayable, and the gap between 4K High (35 FPS) and 4K Ultra (22 FPS) shows that the Ultra preset carries a 37% performance penalty over High.

The data implies that this system's limiting component at every resolution above 1080p is unequivocally the GPU. Even at 1080p Low, the 127 FPS figure is respectable, but the ceiling appears to be around this range; the processor's substantial multi-threaded capabilities, while excellent for other workloads, offer no additional headroom here because the integrated graphics simply cannot push frames faster.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz, combined with 30 MB of shared L3 cache, make it a formidable compute part. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 35,850 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,020 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In Undisputed, however, the CPU's role appears to be secondary at best. The measured FPS data shows no scenario where the processor becomes the limiting factor; even at 1080p Low with 127 FPS, the result is more likely capped by the GPU's draw call throughput than by the CPU's ability to simulate boxing physics or AI. The nearest rivals in CPU benchmark scores—the Intel Xeon 6511P at -0.2% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at -0.7%—would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in this game, as the GPU is the constraining element.

Interestingly, the Core Ultra 7 265K's thread configuration (20 threads, no hyper-threading) means it must rely on raw core count rather than simultaneous multi-threading. In a sports title like Undisputed, which may not be heavily threaded, this could theoretically matter, but the data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. The 3 nm process and 125W TDP suggest efficiency, yet none of that translates to higher FPS here because the Arc B390's integrated nature dominates the outcome.

The CPU's benchmark scores—such as 23,085 in Geekbench multi-core and 58,594 in Passmark multi-thread—demonstrate its capability for other tasks, but in this specific game, it is essentially waiting for the GPU. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is not a CPU issue; it is the integrated graphics' 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate struggling with the resolution's 8.3 million pixels. The processor's role in this pairing is to provide a stable platform, which it does, but it cannot rescue the graphics performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is marked as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, it scores 1,482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

This GPU's performance in Undisputed is the defining factor of the entire combo. The measured FPS values show a clear ceiling: at 1080p Low, it reaches 127 FPS, but the 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is a stark reminder of its limitations. The nearest rivals in GPU benchmark scores are all legacy NVIDIA parts—the GeForce GT 520MX at +1.3%, the GeForce 800M at +1.5%, the GeForce GT 625 OEM at +2.5%, and the GeForce GT 710 at +2.7%—which contextualizes its position as a low-end or entry-level graphics solution.

The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are modest figures, and the 24 ROPs create a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data shows that moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings drops FPS from 91 to 42, a 54% reduction that aligns almost perfectly with the pixel count increase from 2.07 million to 8.3 million (a 4x increase, but with the expectation of roughly 4x fewer FPS; the actual drop is less severe, suggesting some CPU assistance at lower resolutions). The 12 RT cores are present but unlikely to be utilized in a sports title like Undisputed, which is not known for ray-traced effects.

The GPU's 80W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for integrated use, likely in portable devices, which explains its "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs. This means the combo's performance in Undisputed is fundamentally constrained by an integrated part that cannot match even entry-level discrete GPUs. The 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs underscores this: in a field of thousands, this GPU sits near the very bottom.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2491 out of 2813 tested combinations in Undisputed, placing it in the bottom 11% of all pairings. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the Arc B390's weak graphics performance, as the CPU's 94th percentile standing is irrelevant when the GPU cannot deliver playable frame rates at higher settings. The data suggests that any combo with a more capable discrete GPU—even a modest one—would outperform this pairing.

To contextualize, the GPU's nearest rivals in 3DMark Steel Nomad scores are all over a decade old, yet they are within 3% of the Arc B390's performance. In Undisputed, this translates to a system that can handle 1080p Low at 127 FPS but falls to 35 FPS at 4K High. The combo's rank of 2491 means that roughly 322 tested combos perform worse, likely those with even older integrated GPUs or severely mismatched CPUs. However, the gap between this combo and the 50th percentile is likely substantial, as the FPS data shows a hard ceiling.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores—the Xeon 6511P and Xeon Platinum 8270—would likely produce identical FPS in this game when paired with the same GPU, because the bottleneck is not computational but graphical. This is a critical insight: the combo's rank is a GPU ranking, not a CPU ranking. The 2813 combos tested include a wide range of GPU capabilities, and this integrated solution falls near the bottom of the bell curve, with only the most ancient or crippled graphics solutions ranking lower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 127 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while Medium drops to 91 FPS—still acceptable for most players. High at 1080p yields 76 FPS, which is playable but begins to show the GPU's strain. Ultra at 1080p, at 49 FPS, crosses below the 60 FPS threshold and is likely to feel less fluid in a fast-paced sports title.

At 1440p, the situation tightens. Low produces 92 FPS, which is good, but Medium falls to 66 FPS, and High to 55 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 35 FPS, is not recommended for competitive play. For 4K, the data shows that only Low (58 FPS) approaches playability, while Medium (42 FPS) and High (35 FPS) are marginal, and Ultra (22 FPS) is effectively a slideshow.

The recommended approach is to prioritize the Low or Medium preset at 1080p for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. Low at 1080p offers the highest frame rate headroom, while Medium adds some visual polish at a 28% FPS cost. For players seeking a cinematic experience at 4K, Low is the only viable option, but the 58 FPS average suggests that even this may have occasional dips. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its recorded min FPS of 78 and max of 105, provides a stable experience that avoids the extremes seen at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings shows a clear hierarchy: Low delivers 127 FPS, Medium 91 FPS (with a min of 78 and max of 105), High 76 FPS, and Ultra 49 FPS. The variance between Low and Ultra is 78 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a 61% performance penalty over Low.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops notably: Low averages 92 FPS, Medium 66 FPS (min 56, max 76), High 55 FPS, and Ultra 35 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 57 FPS, a 62% reduction. The Medium preset's min FPS of 56 shows that even at this resolution, there are moments where the frame rate dips below 60 FPS, which could cause noticeable stutter in a boxing game's fast animations.

At 3840x2160, the results are the most challenging: Low averages 58 FPS, Medium 42 FPS (min 36, max 48), High 35 FPS, and Ultra 22 FPS. The Ultra preset's 22 FPS is less than one-fifth of the 1080p Low result, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle 4K rendering. The Medium preset's min FPS of 36 confirms that even moderate settings at 4K produce inconsistent frame pacing, likely due to the shared memory bandwidth being saturated.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running Undisputed at 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only at 1080p with Low settings, which delivers 127 FPS, or at 1080p Medium with 91 FPS. At 1440p, only Low achieves 92 FPS, while Medium drops to 66 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS; Low tops out at 58 FPS.

*Q: What is the biggest performance bottleneck in this system for Undisputed?*

A: The Intel Arc B390 integrated GPU is the clear bottleneck. Its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the steep FPS drops with resolution increases confirm that the CPU's 94th percentile performance is never the limiting factor.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70,879 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon 6511P (71,051) and 0.7% lower than the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (71,370), but 1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163) and 1.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69,996).

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming on this combo?

A: The Low preset at 1440p delivers 92 FPS, which is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium at 66 FPS is playable but with a min FPS of 56, while High (55 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) are below the smoothness threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B390's GPU benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1,460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1,443).

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Undisputed at all?*

A: At 4K, only the Low preset approaches playability with 58 FPS. Medium averages 42 FPS with a min of 36, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is only viable on Low, and even then, frame time consistency may suffer.