The Technomancer

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for The Technomancer with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B390 shows a steep performance curve across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the game is essentially unplayable under every preset. The High preset averages 19 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 FPS and maximum of 25 FPS, Low improves slightly to 28 FPS, and Ultra drops to 15 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the best case at Low is less than half of that target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below playability. Low settings produce an average of 52 FPS, which is the closest any preset gets to 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium averages 40 FPS with a range of 34 to 46 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 26 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck rather than the CPU.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally crosses the playable threshold. Low settings deliver 79 FPS average, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. Medium settings achieve 61 FPS average with a minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 70 FPS, making it the highest preset that maintains an average at or above the playable mark. High settings fall to 52 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is roughly a 50% reduction in average frame rate, from 79 FPS down to 40 FPS.

The min/max data points are only recorded for Medium presets across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 52 FPS minimum shows occasional dips below 60 FPS even though the average clears the threshold. At 1440p Medium, the spread from 34 to 46 FPS indicates relatively consistent frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the 19 to 25 FPS range confirms severe GPU limitation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo sit at opposite ends of the performance spectrum, and the nearest rivals from the database reflect that disparity.

For the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, the closest comparable processors are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 with an average score of 75738 (0.1% lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D at 75716 (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 8224P at 75582 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 at 75488 (0.4% lower). These four rivals are effectively tied with the 9950X3D, with deltas under half a percent. This means any of these CPUs would produce virtually identical frame rates in The Technomancer when paired with the same GPU. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all processors tested, so its raw compute capability is not the limiting factor in this game.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are dramatically weaker. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). The Arc B390 sits in only the 9th percentile of all GPUs tested, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This is the critical bottleneck: the CPU is in the top 5% of all processors, while the GPU is in the bottom 9% of all graphics cards. The measured FPS in The Technomancer is essentially determined by the GPU alone, and swapping the 9950X3D for any of its near-identical rivals would change nothing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data makes the division of labor unambiguous. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a top-tier processor with a 3DMark max threads score of 17184 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42018. The Intel Arc B390, by contrast, produces a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile. In a game like The Technomancer, which is an Action RPG from 2016, the rendering workload at higher resolutions and presets falls almost entirely on the GPU.

The evidence comes from resolution scaling. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 79 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 52 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 28 FPS, another 46% reduction. This pattern is consistent across every preset: doubling the pixel count roughly halves the frame rate. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload for game logic and draw calls does not scale with pixel count. The steep drops indicate pure GPU-bound rendering.

Preset scaling reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 79 FPS to 40 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset change reduces from 52 FPS to 26 FPS. At 4K, from 28 FPS to 15 FPS. The consistent ratio across resolutions, roughly a 50% penalty for Ultra versus Low, shows that the GPU's shading units, texture units, and raster operations are saturated at every setting. The Arc B390 has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These modest specifications explain why the frame rate collapses at higher resolutions.

The CPU's role is effectively neutral. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, the 9950X3D has ample headroom for The Technomancer's CPU demands. The database shows that even its single-thread performance, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3064, is more than sufficient for a 2016 Action RPG. The game does not appear to stress the processor in any measurable way, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate tracks GPU load almost perfectly across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined rank for this CPU/GPU pair in The Technomancer is 3285 out of 3696 tested combos. This places the configuration in the bottom 11% of all systems measured in the database. The ranking is dragged down entirely by the GPU, since the CPU alone would rank near the top of any processor comparison.

To contextualize this rank: the combo outperforms only 411 other configurations in this game. The 9950X3D's 95th percentile CPU standing does little to compensate for the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU standing. In a game that is heavily GPU-bound, the processor's advantages in multi-threaded workloads (PassMark multi-thread score of 70255, 3DMark max threads score of 17184) and single-threaded workloads (PassMark single-thread score of 4737) are irrelevant to the final frame rates.

The rank of 3285 means that most systems tested, including those with far more modest CPUs but stronger GPUs, will outperform this configuration in The Technomancer. The data suggests that the Arc B390 is the sole determinant of gameplay experience, and its low position in the GPU percentile distribution (9th) effectively caps this combo's performance regardless of the CPU attached to it.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 28 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 22 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Medium settings at 1920x1080 deliver 61 FPS average, which is the highest preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS. Low settings achieve 79 FPS, but Medium is the most demanding preset that remains playable.

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 at 1463 (1.3% lower), NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% lower). All are within 3% of the Arc B390's score.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D holding back performance in this game?

A: No. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all processors and its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and Intel Core Ultra 9 285, are within 0.4% of its average benchmark score. The frame rates are entirely limited by the GPU.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 52 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. No preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 3285 out of 3696 tested combinations in The Technomancer, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. The best recorded average is 28 FPS on Low settings, which is far below the playable threshold. Medium reaches 22 FPS, High reaches 19 FPS, and Ultra reaches 15 FPS. This resolution is not viable for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies. Low settings produce 52 FPS, Medium produces 40 FPS, High produces 34 FPS, and Ultra produces 26 FPS. The best case falls 8 FPS short of the 60 FPS playable threshold, so no preset is recommended for playable performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, Medium settings are the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. The average is 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. Low settings achieve 79 FPS and are also playable, but Medium represents the highest quality option that clears the threshold. High settings drop to 52 FPS and Ultra drops to 40 FPS, both below playability.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear: this system can run The Technomancer at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings, but not at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The best average is 28 FPS on Low, which is less than half of the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings. The best average is 52 FPS on Low, which falls short of playability. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 79 FPS and Medium settings deliver 61 FPS, making both viable for gameplay.

The recommended configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which provides the best visual quality while maintaining an average frame rate of 61 FPS. Players who prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity can use Low settings for 79 FPS, though the minimum frame rate at Medium (52 FPS) suggests occasional dips below the threshold during demanding scenes.

The data indicates that this is a severely GPU-limited configuration. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is among the fastest processors available, ranking in the 95th percentile, but the Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of GPUs. In The Technomancer, a game that scales almost linearly with GPU load across resolutions and presets, the Arc B390 determines the experience entirely. The result is a system that handles 1080p gaming at medium quality but cannot sustain playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K.