The Technomancer

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 3285 out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. That puts this configuration in the bottom 11% of all tested hardware pairings, a striking result given the CPU's strong standalone credentials. The processor alone sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620, yet the graphics solution drags the overall gaming experience down dramatically.

The Arc B390 tells a different story. Its average benchmark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all low-end discrete parts from a decade ago. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% difference), the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5%), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5%). This is a graphics processor that competes with entry-level mobile and OEM parts, not with modern gaming hardware.

What makes this combination noteworthy is the extreme imbalance. The i7-14700F brings 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz to the table, while the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with system-shared memory and a 80 W TDP. The data suggests the CPU is never the limiting factor in this game; the GPU's performance ceiling is so low that even the strongest processor cannot compensate. The combo rank reflects this: 3285 out of 3696 is near the bottom, and the recorded FPS numbers confirm that this pairing struggles to deliver playable frame rates at most settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 79. With Medium settings, the average is 61 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. High settings drop to 52 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS, both below the playable mark.

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

A: None. The verdict data shows no playable settings at 1440p. The highest average FPS recorded at this resolution is 52 FPS on Low settings, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium produces 40 FPS, High produces 34 FPS, and Ultra produces 26 FPS.

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

A: The Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53620. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, 0.8% lower. The i7-14700F is essentially performance-equivalent to these parts in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What GPU rivals does the Arc B390 compare to?

A: The Arc B390's benchmark score of 1482 is within 2.7% of four NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). These are all legacy or low-end parts, indicating the Arc B390's performance class.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 28 on Low settings. Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25. High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the Arc B390's performance bottleneck consistent across resolutions?

A: The data shows a steady decline as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average is 79 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 52 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 28 FPS, a 65% reduction from 1080p. This pattern indicates the GPU is the dominant constraint, with frame rates scaling almost directly with pixel count.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data for The Technomancer reveals a system where the GPU dictates performance at every resolution and preset. The Arc B390's integrated nature, with system-shared memory and a 3 nm process node, creates a hard ceiling that the i7-14700F cannot overcome.

At 1920x1080, the scaling from Low to Medium to High to Ultra shows a consistent degradation: 79, 61, 52, and 40 FPS respectively. The jump from Low to Medium costs 18 FPS, from Medium to High costs 9 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 12 FPS. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where increased graphical load directly reduces frame output. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are not the constraint; if they were, the frame rate would remain more stable across settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings progression yields 52, 40, 34, and 26 FPS. The relative drop from 1080p is substantial: Low falls by 27 FPS, Medium by 21 FPS, High by 18 FPS, and Ultra by 14 FPS. The diminishing absolute difference at higher settings suggests the GPU is already saturated at 1080p Ultra and cannot maintain proportional performance as resolution climbs.

At 3840x2160, the numbers collapse further: Low averages 28 FPS, Medium 22 FPS, High 19 FPS, and Ultra 15 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 13 FPS, compared to 39 FPS at 1080p. This compression indicates the GPU is operating at its absolute limit, unable to differentiate meaningfully between settings because even the lowest preset overwhelms its capabilities.

The CPU's role in this pairing is essentially to feed a GPU that cannot keep up. The i7-14700F's single-core and multi-core strengths, demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 scores of 4958 single-core and 35122 multi-core, are irrelevant when the graphics processor produces only 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The data implies that swapping the Arc B390 for a stronger GPU would yield dramatic FPS improvements, while upgrading the CPU would produce negligible gains.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Core i7-14700F are all server or high-end desktop processors with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The Intel Xeon 6505P is 0.2% faster, the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is 0.3% slower, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% slower, and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% slower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs paired with the Arc B390 would produce the same gaming experience in The Technomancer, since the GPU is the limiting factor. A user with a Ryzen 9 7900X or an EPYC 7313P would see no meaningful difference in this game.

On the GPU side, the Arc B390's nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts from a much older generation. The GeForce GT 520MX performs 1.3% worse, the GeForce 800M 1.5% worse, the GeForce GT 625 OEM 2.5% worse, and the GeForce GT 710 2.7% worse. These differences are within measurement noise, so any of these GPUs would deliver essentially identical frame rates in The Technomancer. The recorded data shows that the Arc B390 is firmly in this performance class, and the game's requirements are far beyond what any of these parts can deliver at higher settings.

The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates an unusual situation: the system's gaming performance is entirely determined by which GPU rival is chosen, not which CPU rival. The database's combo rank of 3285 out of 3696 reflects this, as the pairing falls near the bottom despite the CPU's strong individual showing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following averages: Low settings produce 79 FPS, Medium produces 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 70, High produces 52 FPS, and Ultra produces 40 FPS. Only Low and Medium clear the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS indicates occasional dips below the average, but the maximum of 70 FPS shows headroom in less demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, all settings fall below the playable threshold. Low averages 52 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 46, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. The Medium range of 34 to 46 FPS shows a 12 FPS spread, suggesting inconsistent frame pacing even at this resolution. None of these presets approach 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low averages 28 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 19 FPS is only 4 FPS below its average, indicating the GPU is running at its absolute limit with minimal variance. The 4K data confirms this resolution is not viable for this combination.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the Arc B390 delivers roughly 60% of the 1080p frame rate at 1440p, and roughly 35% at 4K. This scaling is typical of a GPU that is bandwidth-limited, as the system-shared memory configuration cannot provide sufficient throughput at higher pixel counts.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Technomancer, but only under strict conditions. The verdict data identifies 1920x1080 as the sole playable resolution, with Low and Medium settings clearing the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 61, which just barely exceeds the playable threshold of 60 FPS. Low settings provide more headroom with 79 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, no settings are playable. The best result is Low at 52 FPS, which falls 8 FPS short of the threshold. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with the best settings producing only 28 FPS. The Arc B390's integrated nature and low performance ceiling make higher resolutions impractical.

The i7-14700F is more than capable of running this game from a CPU perspective, but the GPU prevents the system from achieving playable frame rates at anything above 1080p Medium. Users seeking a smoother experience would need to either lower the resolution to 1080p and accept Medium settings, or replace the GPU with a more powerful part. The data does not support any configuration where this system delivers 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. Low settings also qualify with 79 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still clearing the threshold. The Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS means occasional dips below 60, but the average remains playable.

At 2560x1440, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest average is 52 FPS on Low settings, which is below the threshold. Medium averages 40 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. The verdict data lists no playable settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest average is 28 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 22 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The verdict data confirms no playable settings at this resolution.

For users constrained to this hardware, the recommended configuration is 1920x1080 with Medium settings, accepting an average of 61 FPS and a minimum of 52 FPS. This is the only preset across all resolutions that both maintains an average above 60 FPS and offers a reasonable visual experience. Low settings at 1080p provide a safer margin at 79 FPS average, but the visual compromise may not be worth the additional smoothness.