The Technomancer

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 lands at position 3408 out of 3696 tested combinations for The Technomancer. That places this setup in the bottom 8% of the database, a ranking that signals a severe hardware mismatch for this title. The Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1184 places it alongside integrated and legacy mobile graphics parts. The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier desktop processor at the 90th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 48618. The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, and the overall combo rank reflects that bottleneck almost entirely.

With 14 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, the i5-14600K has ample compute headroom for a 2016 action RPG. The Arc B370, however, is an integrated-class part with a 25 W TDP and system-shared memory. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is the only graphics benchmark recorded, and it places the GPU below nearly every discrete graphics card in the database. For a game like The Technomancer, which was released in 2016, the expectation would normally be that modern hardware cruises through. The measured frames tell a different story: even at 1080p Low, the combo only reaches 71 FPS average, and that is the sole setting that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The ranking reflects a fundamental imbalance. A processor that scores 24491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core is paired with a GPU whose nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The combination ranks where it does because the GPU cannot translate CPU potential into rendered frames. For players considering this pairing, the data implies the CPU will sit largely idle while the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K are all close in average benchmark score, with deltas under 1%. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a 0.2% difference from the i5-14600K's 48618. The AMD EPYC 4345P sits at 48470, 0.3% behind. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, 0.7% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, 0.8% higher. For CPU-bound scenarios, any of these processors would behave nearly identically to the i5-14600K in The Technomancer. The game's demands are modest enough that none of these processors would be the deciding factor.

On the GPU side, the Arc B370's nearest rivals are all significantly older or lower-tier parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, just 0.2% higher than the Arc B370's 1184. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. The takeaway is that the Arc B370 performs in the same class as a decade-old entry-level desktop GPU or a mid-range mobile part from the same era. Any of these alternatives would produce similar frame rates in The Technomancer, meaning the game experience would be largely unchanged regardless of which of these GPUs is installed.

The data also shows that swapping the CPU for any of these rivals would not materially change the outcome. The GPU's performance class is so far below the CPU's that the processor choice is nearly irrelevant. The measured FPS values are constrained by graphics throughput, not by CPU compute.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling across resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates. At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 26 FPS on Low, 20 FPS on Medium, 17 FPS on High, and 13 FPS on Ultra. Dropping from Ultra to Low at 4K yields a 13 FPS improvement, which is a gain of exactly 100% over the Ultra result. That scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: the render resolution is so demanding that the graphics hardware is saturated at every preset.

At 2560x1440, the results climb to 47 FPS on Low, 36 FPS on Medium, 31 FPS on High, and 24 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Ultra is 23 FPS. At 1920x1080, the same preset sweep produces 71 FPS on Low, 55 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 37 FPS on Ultra, a range of 34 FPS. The widening gap between Low and Ultra as resolution drops indicates that the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions, but the ceiling remains low.

Resolution scaling tells the same story. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p drops the average from 71 FPS to 47 FPS, a reduction of about 34%. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low drops from 47 FPS to 26 FPS, about 45%. At High settings, the progression is 47 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. The consistent and steep declines across resolutions indicate that the GPU is the limiting component at every configuration.

The CPU's role in this pairing is largely passive. The i5-14600K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and single-core score of 2064 are far beyond what The Technomancer requires. Even the weakest results in the database for this game would not be CPU-limited by this processor. The measured frame rates are entirely consistent with a GPU that operates at the 5th percentile, and the data shows no evidence of CPU involvement in the performance ceiling.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Technomancer? The recorded data says yes, but only under very specific conditions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 71 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. That is the only resolution and preset combination that does so. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 55 FPS, below the playable threshold. At 1080p High, it falls to 47 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches only 37 FPS.

At 2560x1440, no setting is playable. The best result is 47 FPS on Low, which misses the 60 FPS target. Medium produces 36 FPS, High produces 31 FPS, and Ultra produces 24 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse: Low averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 20 FPS, High averages 17 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p Low is the only playable configuration. Players who want higher presets or higher resolutions will need a different GPU. The i5-14600K has the compute headroom, but the Arc B370's performance class prevents the system from reaching 60 FPS anywhere except at the lowest settings and the lowest resolution. The game is technically runnable, but the experience is constrained to minimal visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The only configuration that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 71 FPS.

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 60 FPS on Medium settings?

A: No. At 1080p Medium, the average is 55 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p Medium, the average is 36 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 20 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU scores at the 90th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 48618. The GPU sits at the 5th percentile, and the measured FPS scaling indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

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

A: At 1440p Low, the average is 47 FPS. Medium averages 36 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. None reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14600K scores 48618 on average. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995. All are within 1% of each other.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 71 FPS. Medium falls to 55 FPS, so it does not qualify. At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the best available is Low at 47 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS either; Low averages 26 FPS, and that is the highest result at that resolution.

The data indicates that the only viable configuration for this game is 1080p Low. Players who accept lower visual fidelity can achieve a smooth frame rate, but any increase in quality or resolution pushes the system below the 60 FPS line. The recommended settings for a 60 FPS experience are therefore fixed: 1920x1080, Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are 26 FPS on Low, 20 FPS on Medium, 17 FPS on High, and 13 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has recorded minimum and maximum values of 17 FPS and 23 FPS, respectively. The other presets at this resolution do not have min or max values recorded.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 47 FPS on Low, 36 FPS on Medium, 31 FPS on High, and 24 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. The remaining presets lack min or max data.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 71 FPS on Low, 55 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 37 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The other presets have no min or max values in the database.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the GPU delivers the highest frame rates at Low settings, and each step up in preset reduces the average by a meaningful margin. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 16 FPS, from Medium to High costs 8 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 10 FPS. At 1440p, the steps are 11 FPS, 5 FPS, and 7 FPS. At 4K, the steps are 6 FPS, 3 FPS, and 4 FPS. The smaller absolute differences at higher resolutions reflect the GPU being fully saturated, with less headroom for preset changes to matter.