The Technomancer

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for The Technomancer with the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B390 shows a clear performance curve across the three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the combination struggles to maintain playable frame rates regardless of the graphics preset. High settings produce an average of 19 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS, Low reaches 28 FPS, and Ultra drops to 15 FPS. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the gap is substantial: even the best 4K result, Low at 28 FPS, is less than half of the target.

At 2560x1440, performance improves but remains below the playability threshold across all four presets. High settings deliver an average of 34 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS with a recorded range of 34 to 46 FPS, Low reaches 52 FPS, and Ultra settles at 26 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low shows a doubling of average frame rate, from 26 FPS to 52 FPS, which indicates that the graphics preset has a strong influence on performance at this resolution. Still, the highest average recorded, 52 FPS on Low, falls 8 FPS short of 60.

At 1920x1080, the combination finally reaches playable territory, but only on specific presets. Low settings deliver an average of 79 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, placing the average just above the threshold. High settings average 52 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p, Low and Medium are the only presets that clear the 60 FPS average mark, with Medium being the highest preset that does so.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 in a specific performance tier based on its average benchmark score of 46062, which ranks in the 89th percentile among all tested CPUs. The nearest rivals are separated by fractions of a percent. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, which is 0.1% lower than the Ultra 5 235. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970, a 0.2% gap, and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960, also a 0.2% gap. In practical terms, these four processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in The Technomancer, with differences well within run-to-run variance. A system using any of these CPUs paired with the same GPU would likely produce frame rates within a few tenths of a percent of the recorded values.

The Intel Arc B390 tells a different story. Its average benchmark score of 1482 places it in only the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all significantly older or lower-tier NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% gap. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% gap, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% gap. These deltas are small enough that the Arc B390 and these four NVIDIA parts would behave similarly in The Technomancer, meaning users with any of these GPUs should expect comparable frame rates at the same settings and resolution. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor in this pairing, as its percentile ranking and rival set indicate very low absolute performance relative to the broader database of tested graphics hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 28 FPS on Low settings. High averages 19 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. All four presets fall far below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium is the highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS, with a recorded average of 61 FPS and a range of 52 to 70 FPS. Low also qualifies with an average of 79 FPS.

Q: How much impact does the graphics preset have at 1440p?

A: The spread between presets at 2560x1440 is substantial. Ultra averages 26 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS, and Low averages 52 FPS. That is a 26 FPS difference between Ultra and Low, or exactly double the frame rate when moving from Ultra to Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bigger constraint in this pairing?

A: The GPU data indicates it is the primary constraint. The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs, with nearest rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GT 625 OEM within 2.7% of its score. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile, meaning it is far stronger relative to other processors than the GPU is relative to other graphics cards.

Q: Does the system ever hit 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. The recorded data at 2560x1440 shows no preset reaching a 60 FPS average. The closest result is Low at 52 FPS, which is 8 FPS short of the playability threshold.

Q: What minimum frame rate can be expected at 1080p Medium?

A: The recorded minimum at 1920x1080 Medium is 52 FPS, with a maximum of 70 FPS and an average of 61 FPS. The minimum does drop below 60, so occasional dips below the threshold are possible even though the average clears it.

The Verdict

The recorded data answers the central question directly: this PC can run The Technomancer at 1920x1080 on Medium settings with an average of 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings at the same resolution deliver 79 FPS on average, providing additional headroom. At 2560x1440, no preset achieves a 60 FPS average; the best result is Low at 52 FPS, which is short of the playability threshold. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with the best average being 28 FPS on Low. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: 1080p is the only resolution where this combination reaches playable performance, and Medium is the highest preset that does so. Users targeting 1440p or 4K would need to accept frame rates well below the 60 FPS standard, as the database shows no playable settings at those resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates in The Technomancer. The Intel Arc B390, with its 9th percentile ranking and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, is the clear bottleneck. The GPU's nearest rivals are all low-end NVIDIA parts from previous generations, and the frame rates in the measured data reflect that positioning. At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed: even Low settings produce only 28 FPS, and the drop from Low to Ultra (28 FPS to 15 FPS) shows that the GPU cannot handle the increased pixel count or the added visual complexity of higher presets. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, by contrast, sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. It is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The resolution scaling reinforces this interpretation. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Medium settings drops the average from 61 FPS to 40 FPS, a reduction of 21 FPS or roughly 34%. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Medium drops the average from 40 FPS to 22 FPS, a reduction of 18 FPS or 45%. The frame rate falls as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The preset scaling at each resolution shows the same pattern: at 1080p, the spread from Ultra to Low is 39 FPS (40 to 79), at 1440p it is 26 FPS (26 to 52), and at 4K it is 13 FPS (15 to 28). The absolute spread shrinks at higher resolutions because the GPU is already saturated, leaving less room for preset-based gains. The CPU's high percentile ranking and strong benchmark scores indicate that it has ample headroom, but the GPU's low ranking means it cannot translate that headroom into higher frame rates in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this combination at 3285 out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. That places it in the lower portion of the field, roughly in the 11th percentile of all tested system pairings. The ranking is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile standing and the measured frame rates, which only reach playable levels at 1080p on Medium or Low. The CPU's strong 89th percentile ranking does little to lift the overall combo rank, because the GPU's performance ceiling restricts the system to low frame rates across most settings and resolutions. The data shows a pairing where a high-tier processor is matched with a low-tier graphics solution, and the combo rank reflects the GPU's dominance in determining the final outcome. For context, the rank of 3285 out of 3696 means 411 tested combinations performed worse, while the vast majority of tested combos delivered better results in this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold, so there is no recommended settings configuration. The best average recorded is 28 FPS on Low, but that is well below playable. At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies: no preset achieves a 60 FPS average, with Low being the closest at 52 FPS. The database records no playable settings at either of these resolutions. At 1920x1080, the situation changes. Low settings deliver 79 FPS on average, and Medium delivers 61 FPS on average, making both playable. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with a recorded average of 61 FPS and a range of 52 to 70 FPS. Users seeking maximum visual quality within the playable threshold should select Medium at 1080p. High and Ultra at 1080p, with averages of 52 FPS and 40 FPS respectively, fall short of the 60 FPS target and should be avoided if frame rate consistency is the priority.