The Technomancer

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data clearly defines the performance ceiling for this combination. At 4K (3840x2160), no preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest frame rate recorded at this resolution is 28 FPS on Low settings, which falls far short of smooth gameplay. Even the least demanding option cannot provide a playable experience at 4K.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the situation improves but remains below the playability line. The maximum average FPS recorded is 52 on Low settings, still 8 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. Medium settings produce an average of 40 FPS, while High drops to 34 FPS and Ultra to 26 FPS. None of these configurations can be recommended for consistent 60 FPS gameplay.

The only resolution where this system achieves playable performance is 1080p (1920x1080). The data shows that Low settings deliver an average of 79 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the threshold. Medium settings also clear the bar with an average of 61 FPS, though the minimum recorded frame rate dips to 52 FPS, indicating occasional stutters. High settings fall short at 52 FPS average, and Ultra drops further to 40 FPS.

The most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS at 1080p is Medium, with its 61 FPS average. This is the optimal balance between visual quality and performance. While Low settings offer a higher frame rate, Medium provides a better visual experience while still meeting the playability standard. The verdict is clear: 1080p Medium is the best settings configuration for this hardware combination.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals which component constrains gameplay. The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz, placing it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Arc B390, an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This massive gap in relative performance strongly suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Evidence from the measured frame rates supports this conclusion. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 61 to 40, a reduction of 21 FPS or roughly 34%. Scaling from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings further reduces the average from 40 to 22 FPS, another 45% drop. These steep declines with increasing resolution are classic indicators of GPU-bound performance, as the rendering load scales directly with pixel count.

The CPU's influence becomes more apparent when examining preset scaling at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 39 FPS (79 versus 40), showing that the GPU struggles as graphical complexity increases. However, the CPU must feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1080p Low, the 79 FPS average suggests the CPU can keep pace, but the GPU's integrated nature with system-shared memory likely limits the upper ceiling.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, with all presets falling between 15 and 28 FPS. The CPU's role diminishes because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to require more processor throughput. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU becomes relatively more important, but the GPU still dominates the performance equation. The Intel Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for demanding resolutions in this action RPG.

The integrated nature of the Arc B390, with system-shared memory and no dedicated VRAM, compounds the GPU bottleneck. Memory bandwidth is listed as system dependent, meaning performance varies with the host platform's RAM configuration. This architecture inherently limits the GPU's ability to handle high-resolution textures and geometry, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU matters more than the CPU for this game at every resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 28 on Low settings. Medium averages 22 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. No preset approaches the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Medium settings provide the best balance, with an average of 61 FPS. Low settings achieve 79 FPS average, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. High and Ultra presets fall short at 52 and 40 FPS respectively.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-end GPUs, and the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary constraint. The i5-9400 ranks in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile. The steep FPS drops when increasing resolution from 1080p to 1440p to 4K point to GPU-bound performance, not CPU limitations.

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

A: The best case is 52 FPS average on Low settings. Medium averages 40 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. None of these meet the 60 FPS playable threshold, so 1440p is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does this system meet the requirements for 1080p Ultra settings?

A: No. Ultra settings at 1080p produce an average of 40 FPS, which is 20 FPS below the playable threshold. The most demanding preset that achieves 60 FPS is Medium, with a 61 FPS average and a minimum recorded frame rate of 52 FPS.

The Verdict

The recorded data provides a definitive answer: this system can run The Technomancer, but only at 1080p with specific settings. The verdict by resolution confirms that 3840x2160 has no playable settings at the 60 FPS threshold. Similarly, 2560x1440 has no playable settings, with the best case being 52 FPS on Low. At 1920x1080, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium identified as the best settings option at 61 FPS average.

This means the system is suitable for 1080p gaming with medium graphical presets. Players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate might still consider High settings at 52 FPS, but this falls below the strict 60 FPS playability standard. The minimum FPS of 52 on Medium settings indicates that demanding scenes may cause noticeable dips, but the average remains above the threshold.

For 1440p or 4K displays, this hardware is not adequate for smooth gameplay in The Technomancer. The GPU's integrated design and low performance ranking make higher resolutions impractical. The combination ranks 3285 out of 3696 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower tier of systems. The verdict is clear: 1080p Medium is the only configuration that delivers consistently playable performance, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is slim.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both components provides context for what similar hardware would deliver. The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower, while the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. These deltas are all within 0.4%, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical gameplay performance in this title.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 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. These GPUs are all extremely close in performance, with the Arc B390 holding a slight edge. Any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Technomancer, meaning the same 1080p Medium limitation would apply.

For users considering a sidegrade or troubleshooting performance issues, the data shows that swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would change nothing meaningful. Similarly, replacing the Arc B390 with one of its closest competitors would yield comparable results. The performance ceiling for this class of hardware is firmly established at 1080p Medium for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3285 out of 3696 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places the system in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, reflecting the GPU's very low performance percentile of 9. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking is comparatively strong, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations.

This ranking means that most other tested systems will outperform this combination in The Technomancer. The 411 combos ranked below this one would perform worse, likely at sub-60 FPS even at 1080p Low settings. The system's position in the rankings aligns with the measured FPS data: it is playable at 1080p with medium settings, but it has no headroom for higher resolutions or more demanding presets.

The gap between the CPU and GPU performance percentiles is notable. The i5-9400 is a mid-range processor from the Coffee Lake generation, while the Arc B390 is an integrated GPU in the lowest performance tier. This imbalance means the system is heavily GPU-limited, and any CPU upgrade would provide no benefit for this game. The ranking reflects this reality, showing that the combination's performance is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's capabilities.