The Technomancer

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific performance profile in The Technomancer. The measured data shows this combination is capable of playable frame rates only at 1080p, with lower resolutions and higher settings exposing the GPU's limitations. The recorded results indicate a system that is firmly entry-level for this 2016 Action RPG.

The Arc B390, with its percentile ranking in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, is the defining component here. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the GeForce GT 710, which positions its raw graphics power well below modern gaming standards. The CPU, an Intel Core i3-12100F, ranks in the 68th percentile among all CPUs, showing it has ample headroom for this title. The bottleneck is almost entirely on the graphics side, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings changes, while the CPU's multi-threaded scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860, suggest it is not the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for The Technomancer provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. The measurements are consistent and show a linear progression of frame rates as graphical demands change.

At 1920x1080 , the native resolution for most entry-level systems, the results are as follows. With the Low preset, the combination achieves an average of 79 FPS. Moving to Medium , the average drops to 61 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 52 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset brings the average down to 40 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the system consistently meets or exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold, and it does so at Low and Medium settings.

At 2560x1440 , the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset produces an average of 52 FPS, which is still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. The High preset averages 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 26 FPS. No preset at this resolution reaches the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160 , 4K resolution, the results are the weakest. The Low preset averages 28 FPS. The Medium preset averages 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS. The High preset averages 19 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 15 FPS. These figures confirm that 4K gaming is not feasible with this hardware configuration for this title.

The data shows a clear pattern: the frame rate penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 30-35% across all presets, and the penalty for moving from 1440p to 4K is another 40-45%. This scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the Arc B390's limited texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s become the primary constraints.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 1080p with the High preset?

A: No. The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the High preset is 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable setting. It achieves an average of 61 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS.

Q: Is this system capable of running the game at 2560x1440?

A: No. The highest average frame rate recorded at 2560x1440 is 52 FPS on the Low preset, which does not meet the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, which is 2.7% lower, indicating the Arc B390 is slightly faster than these older entry-level cards.

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: The measured average is 15 FPS, which is far below any playable standard and confirms that 4K resolution with maximum settings is not viable.

Q: Does the CPU have enough processing power for this game?

A: The data indicates yes. The Intel Core i3-12100F ranks in the 68th percentile of all CPUs and has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860. The performance scaling between resolutions points to the GPU as the bottleneck, not the CPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data allows for a clear separation of the CPU and GPU roles in The Technomancer. The performance is overwhelmingly dictated by the Intel Arc B390, which is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a 3 nm process and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is modest, and its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA cards, confirming its low-end positioning.

Evidence for the GPU being the primary bottleneck comes from the scaling pattern. When the resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rate on the Medium preset drops from 61 FPS to 40 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. When moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the Medium preset drops from 40 FPS to 22 FPS, another 45% reduction. This steep scaling with resolution is a classic sign of a GPU-limited workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain more constant across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not change significantly with resolution.

The CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F, provides a stable foundation. Its 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, are more than sufficient for a game from 2016. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Geekbench single-core score of 1932 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 14015, indicate that it can feed frames to the GPU without stalling. The lack of min/max FPS data for many presets suggests that frame pacing is consistent, which supports the theory that the CPU is not causing hitches or stutters.

The settings presets also reveal the GPU's role. At 1080p, the difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 39 FPS (from 79 to 40). This wide gap is typical of a GPU operating near its limits, where reducing the graphical load (shaders, textures, effects) directly translates into higher frame rates. The data shows that the Arc B390 is the sole determinant of playability, and the CPU has no trouble keeping up even at the highest settings.

The Verdict

The verdict is straightforward based on the recorded data and the defined playable threshold of 60 FPS. This combination of an Intel Core i3-12100F and an Intel Arc B390 can run The Technomancer, but only under specific conditions.

At 3840x2160 , the system is not playable. The verdict data shows no playable settings at this resolution, and the best average frame rate recorded is 28 FPS on Low. The Ultra preset averages just 15 FPS, which is unplayable.

At 2560x1440 , the system is also not playable. The verdict data lists no playable settings. The highest average is 52 FPS on Low, which misses the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080 , the system is playable with the right settings. The verdict data confirms that the Low and Medium presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 61 FPS. The best playable setting is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS at that resolution. Users should avoid the High and Ultra presets, which average 52 FPS and 40 FPS respectively.

In summary, this PC can run The Technomancer at 1080p with medium or lower settings. It cannot handle higher resolutions or more demanding presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly. For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest competitors are all NVIDIA cards from a much older generation. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, just 1.3% lower, and would produce nearly identical frame rates. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% difference, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, which is 2.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver frame rates within a few FPS of the Arc B390 in The Technomancer, meaning they would also be limited to 1080p Medium settings.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13492, a delta of 0%, meaning it is essentially identical in performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, just 0.3% lower, and would offer a similar experience. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% lower. All of these CPUs have more than enough power for this game, so swapping among them would not change the frame rates, as the GPU remains the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the Intel Arc B390 ranks at 3285 out of 3696 tested combinations in the database for The Technomancer. This puts it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the GPU, as the CPU's percentile ranking of 68 is well above the GPU's 9th percentile.

This ranking aligns with the measured performance. A rank near the bottom of the list suggests that most other hardware combinations tested perform better. The frame rate data confirms this: the system only reaches playable status at 1080p Medium, which is a modest achievement. The 411 positions between this combo and the bottom of the list represent systems that are even less capable, likely with even older or weaker GPUs. For users looking at this benchmark, this rank serves as a warning that the system is not designed for high-end gaming.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data provides a clear recommendation for the best settings at each resolution, defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher.

At 3840x2160 , no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The highest average is 28 FPS on Low, and the Medium preset averages 22 FPS. There is no best setting to recommend, as the system cannot deliver playable performance.

At 2560x1440 , the situation is the same. No preset reaches 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 52 FPS, which is the closest, but it still falls short. There is no recommended setting.

At 1920x1080 , the Medium preset is the best option. It averages 61 FPS, which clears the threshold. The Low preset is also playable with a higher average of 79 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still staying above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as they drop below the threshold. For the best visual experience at a playable frame rate, users should select the Medium preset at 1920x1080.