The Technomancer

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers playable frame rates across all four settings. The Low preset produces an average of 121 FPS, the Medium preset averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, the High preset averages 80 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 62 FPS. This means even the most demanding preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold, though with a relatively narrow margin of 2 FPS above it.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, the Medium preset averages 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, the High preset averages 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. At this resolution, only Low and Medium settings remain playable, and Medium sits just 1 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum of 52 FPS on Medium indicates that frame pacing can dip below the playable line even when the average is acceptable.

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles. The Low preset averages 44 FPS, the Medium preset averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS, the High preset averages 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 22 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS threshold, and the gap is substantial. The Medium preset's minimum of 28 FPS highlights severe frame drops under load.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K extracts a significant performance cost. The delta between 1080p Low and 1440p Low is 42 FPS, while the delta between 1440p Low and 4K Low is 35 FPS. The scaling is roughly linear with pixel count, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate that the Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, provides enough headroom for this game at lower resolutions, but the Intel Arc B570 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The evidence lies in the scaling behavior. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves 121 FPS on Low, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at this resolution. However, the drop from 121 FPS at 1080p Low to 79 FPS at 1440p Low is a 34.7% reduction, and the further drop to 44 FPS at 4K Low is another 44.3% reduction. These large percentage drops are characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, not CPU limitations.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-9400 scores 6629, and in single-core it scores 935. Its percentile rank among all CPUs is 47, meaning it sits near the middle of the distribution. The Geekbench multi-core score of 5141 and single-core score of 1389 further confirm a mid-range processor. The nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with an average score of 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U with 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 with 2246 (0.4% lower). These small deltas indicate that the i5-9400 is well within the expected performance band for its class.

The GPU, by contrast, shows much wider performance swings. The Arc B570's PassMark G3D score of 14195 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2649 place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% higher average score), the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% lower). The GPU's memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s and 10 GB of GDDR6 memory are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 160-bit bus width and 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute become limiting factors at 4K.

The data strongly suggests that at 1080p, both components share the load, with the CPU capable of pushing frame rates above 120 FPS on Low. At 1440p, the GPU starts to dominate the performance equation, as evidenced by the 23.4% drop from High to Ultra (52 to 41 FPS) compared to the 16.1% drop at 1080p (80 to 62 FPS). At 4K, the GPU is almost entirely responsible for the performance ceiling, with even the Low preset only reaching 44 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 62 FPS. This is the optimal choice for visual fidelity while maintaining playability. The High preset also clears the threshold at 80 FPS, but Ultra offers the maximum quality within the playable range.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. The Low preset also works at 79 FPS, but Medium provides better visuals while still staying above the 60 FPS line. The minimum of 52 FPS on Medium is worth noting, as it means brief dips below the threshold are possible during intense scenes.

For 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The best option, Low, averages only 44 FPS. The database verdict confirms this, listing no playable settings at this resolution. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates well below the playable threshold, which is not recommended for a smooth experience.

The pattern is clear: the combination can handle 1080p at maximum settings, 1440p at medium settings, and cannot handle 4K at any setting. The margin at 1080p Ultra is thin (62 FPS), so users sensitive to frame drops might prefer High at 80 FPS for a more comfortable buffer.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2972 out of 3696 tested combos in the database for The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low position given that it achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The rank reflects the fact that many tested combos include much higher-end hardware, even though this specific pairing is adequate for the game at lower resolutions.

Breaking down the components, the CPU's percentile rank of 47 places it just below the midpoint of all tested processors. The GPU's percentile rank of 65 places it above the midpoint. The combination of a mid-range CPU with a slightly above-mid-range GPU results in a system that is capable but not exceptional. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the Intel Arc A750 with a nearly identical average score (0.1% difference), suggest that the Arc B570 is well-positioned within its class, but the CPU drags the overall combo ranking down.

The discrepancy between the component-level percentiles and the combo-level rank is instructive. The CPU, while not top-tier, is still in the 47th percentile, and the GPU is in the 65th percentile. Yet the combo rank of 2972 out of 3696 puts it at roughly the 80th percentile from the bottom. This indicates that the database contains many combos with both components in higher percentiles, and this pairing's mid-range CPU is the limiting factor in its overall ranking. The data shows that for this particular game, the GPU is more important than the CPU, so the combo's low rank is partly a reflection of the CPU's modest standing.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run The Technomancer at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 62 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 1440p, averaging 61 FPS. The Low preset also works at 79 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 44 on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 33 FPS, High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of these meet the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% higher) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, 0.1% lower). It is also close to the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, 0.5% higher).

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p on Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold with good visual quality.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the dominant factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can keep up, but the large FPS drops at 1440p and 4K (from 121 to 79 to 44 on Low) are characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

The Verdict

The recorded data answers the question clearly: the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 can run The Technomancer, but with significant caveats depending on resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, this combination is fully capable. All four presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 62 FPS and Low reaching 121 FPS. This is the resolution where the system performs best, offering a full range of settings from maximum quality to maximum frame rate. The Ultra preset's 62 FPS is a slim margin, so users who prioritize consistent frame pacing might choose High at 80 FPS, but the hardware does support Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the system is partially capable. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, which clears the threshold, and Low averages 79 FPS. However, the Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS means there will be moments where the frame rate dips below 60. High and Ultra are not playable, averaging 52 and 41 FPS respectively. For 1440p gaming, Medium is the recommended ceiling.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot run the game at a playable level. No preset reaches 60 FPS, with the best option being Low at 44 FPS. The Ultra preset averages just 22 FPS, which is far below any acceptable playability standard. 4K is simply out of reach for this combination.

The verdict by resolution is: 1920x1080 is fully playable at all settings, 2560x1440 is playable at Low and Medium settings, and 3840x2160 is not playable at any setting. Users with this hardware should target 1080p for the best experience, or 1440p with medium settings if they can tolerate occasional frame dips. The combination ranks 2972 out of 3696 tested combos, reflecting that while it can run the game at lower resolutions, it is not a high-end configuration. For a smooth experience across the board, 1080p is the safe choice.