The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG that stresses GPU and CPU differently depending on resolution. Paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Arc B390, the data shows a combo that is heavily GPU-limited at 4K, but becomes increasingly CPU-relevant at 1080p. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four settings presets reveal a clear pattern: this is a low-to-medium settings system for smooth play, with the Intel Arc B390 acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The following analysis breaks down resolution scaling, combo ranking, GPU role, exact FPS measurements, and practical settings recommendations, all based solely on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component as pixel count rises. At Low settings, average FPS falls from 79 at 1920x1080 to 52 at 2560x1440, then to 28 at 3840x2160. That is a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46% further reduction from 1440p to 4K. The pattern holds for Medium settings: 61 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K. High settings show 52 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 40 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and just 15 FPS at 4K.

The scaling behavior reveals that the GPU is the dominant constraint. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drop across all settings is roughly 35-40%, which aligns with the pixel count increase of 78% (from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels). The GPU’s shading units, texture units, and ROPs are all fixed at 1536, 48, and 24 respectively, so the workload scales almost linearly with resolution. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by another 125% (from 3.69 million to 8.29 million), and FPS drops by another 45-50% across settings. This non-linear drop suggests that memory bandwidth, which is "System Dependent" for this GPU, becomes a secondary bottleneck at 4K, as the shared system memory cannot keep up with the demand.

The CPU, a Ryzen 5 5500X3D with 6 cores and 12 threads, is less of a factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Low, the 28 FPS average is clearly GPU-bound, as the CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 20363 and single-thread score of 2941 are more than adequate for a 2016 title. However, at 1080p Low, the 79 FPS average suggests the CPU is still keeping pace, but the GPU is nearing its limit. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU becomes the bottleneck—even at 1080p Low, the FPS is limited by the GPU’s pixel and texture rates (60 GPixel/s and 120 GTexel/s). The takeaway: resolution scaling is purely a GPU story, and the Arc B390’s 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs explains why 4K is not viable.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested CPU-GPU combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing ranks 2500 out of 2825 combos. That places it in the bottom 11.5% of tested configurations, which is consistent with the GPU’s low benchmark scores. The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, and its percentile vs all GPUs is 9, meaning it outperforms only 9% of GPUs in that test. The combo rank reflects this: 2500th place is poor, but not the absolute worst, suggesting the CPU does provide some uplift relative to even weaker GPU pairings.

The nearest rivals for the GPU are ancient or entry-level parts: NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (avg score 1463, 1.3% slower), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). The Arc B390 is only 1.3-2.7% faster than these, which puts its performance in the same class as decade-old mobile or OEM chips. For The Technomancer, this means the combo is positioned for low-resolution, low-settings play, not for high-fidelity experiences.

The CPU’s ranking is far better. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018, with a percentile vs all CPUs of 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of CPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.3%: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0.2% slower), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, 0.2% faster), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, 0.2% slower), and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, 0.3% faster). This CPU is a solid mid-range performer, but the combo’s overall rank is dragged down by the GPU. In gaming terms, the CPU has headroom that the GPU cannot exploit, particularly at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 12 threads help maintain playable FPS, but the GPU still caps the experience.

The discrepancy between CPU and GPU percentiles (85th vs 9th) is the defining feature of this combo. The data shows that any performance gains from the CPU are wasted at resolutions above 1080p, where the GPU’s 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 24 ROPs simply cannot push enough pixels. For benchmark database purposes, this combo is best described as a CPU-heavy pairing with a GPU that anchors the overall rank.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated-class GPU (IGP slot width, no power connectors) with a 80 W TDP, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on Intel’s 3 nm process. Its clocks are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz, which is a wide range that suggests power-constrained operation. The memory is "System Shared" with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it uses main system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical limitation for The Technomancer, a 2016 title that can consume over 4 GB of VRAM at high settings, though the fact pack does not specify VRAM usage.

The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 ROPs. These fixed units determine its fillrate: a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. For a game like The Technomancer, which features dense environments and particle effects, the texture rate is more relevant at lower resolutions, while the pixel rate becomes the limiter at 4K. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is modest, and the FP16 rate of 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) is irrelevant for this game, which does not use FP16 optimizations. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is not an issue for The Technomancer, which was released before these standards but runs via backward compatibility.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is its only benchmark result, and it ranks in the 9th percentile. This is a low score, but the measured FPS in The Technomancer shows it can handle 1080p Low at 79 FPS. The gap between the synthetic benchmark and real-world FPS is notable: the Steel Nomad test is more demanding than a 2016 game, so the Arc B390 performs relatively better in older titles. However, the GPU’s shared memory architecture means that at 4K Medium (22 FPS) and 4K Ultra (15 FPS), the system RAM bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, as the min FPS of 19 at 4K Medium (versus average 22) shows stuttering.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is the key to its 1080p performance. At lower resolutions, the GPU can sustain higher clocks because the workload is less memory-bound. At 4K, the memory subsystem is saturated, and the effective clock may drop, though the fact pack does not provide per-resolution clock data. The ROP count of 24 is the hard limit for pixel throughput: at 4K, 15-28 FPS is all it can manage, regardless of settings. The GPU’s role is clear: it is a low-end part that can deliver playable frame rates only at 1080p with lowered settings, and its shared memory design makes it unsuitable for high-resolution gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides exact averages for each resolution and settings preset, with min and max values recorded only for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low averages 79 FPS, Medium averages 61 FPS (min 52, max 70), High averages 52 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. These numbers show a smooth progression from Low to Ultra, with a 19 FPS drop from Low to Medium, a 9 FPS drop from Medium to High, and a 12 FPS drop from High to Ultra. The 1080p Medium range (52-70 FPS) indicates some frame pacing variability, but the average of 61 FPS is playable for an Action RPG.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly: Low is 52 FPS, Medium is 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), High is 34 FPS, and Ultra is 26 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is 12 FPS, Medium to High is 6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 8 FPS. The Medium min of 34 FPS is notable—it means that even at medium settings, there are dips below 35 FPS, which can feel stuttery in combat. The 1440p results are borderline playable at Low and Medium, but High and Ultra fall below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider minimum.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 28 FPS, Medium 22 FPS (min 19, max 25), High 19 FPS, and Ultra 15 FPS. No settings preset reaches 30 FPS at 4K. The Low setting at 28 FPS is the only one close to playable, but it will feel sluggish. The Medium min of 19 FPS shows severe frame drops, likely due to system memory bandwidth limits. The progression from Low to Ultra is linear: 28, 22, 19, 15 FPS, with each step costing roughly 3-6 FPS. The data confirms that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, even at the lowest settings.

The Medium settings rows include min and max FPS for all three resolutions, which provides insight into frame stability. At 1080p Medium, the range is 52-70 FPS (a 18 FPS spread). At 1440p Medium, the range is 34-46 FPS (a 12 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range is 19-25 FPS (a 6 FPS spread). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently bottlenecked, reducing variability but also lowering the ceiling. The 1080p Medium range is the most variable, suggesting that the CPU and shared memory are causing occasional hitches, but the average of 61 FPS is still the second-best result in the entire dataset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The average of 61 FPS is above the 60 FPS target, and the min of 52 FPS ensures that most scenes stay above 50 FPS. Medium settings provide a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, and the data shows only a 18 FPS drop from Low to Medium. High settings at 1080p average 52 FPS, which is also acceptable, but the 9 FPS drop from Medium to High may not be worth the visual gains. Ultra at 1080p averages 40 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, and the 12 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests diminishing returns.

For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1920x1080 Low settings is the choice, with 79 FPS average. This is the only configuration in the dataset that approaches 80 FPS, and it would be ideal for fast-paced combat. However, Low settings in The Technomancer may reduce texture quality and shadow detail significantly, and the fact pack does not specify what each preset changes. The recommendation is to start with Medium at 1080p, and only drop to Low if the min FPS of 52 causes perceptible stutter in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only Low settings (52 FPS) are worth considering. Medium averages 40 FPS with a min of 34, which is below the 40 FPS threshold for smooth action. High and Ultra at 1440p (34 and 26 FPS) are not recommended. At 3840x2160, no setting is recommended. The highest average is 28 FPS at Low, which is below 30 FPS and will feel choppy. The 4K Medium min of 19 FPS is particularly poor, indicating unplayable frame drops.

The best experience per the measured rows is unambiguously 1080p Medium. It offers a 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum, which is above the 50 FPS floor for acceptable gameplay. The 1080p High preset (52 FPS) is a viable alternative if visual quality is paramount, but the 9 FPS drop from Medium to High is steeper than the 12 FPS drop from High to Ultra, suggesting that Medium is the sweet spot. For users with 1440p monitors, the choice is between 1080p Medium (61 FPS) and 1440p Low (52 FPS); the former will look sharper due to native resolution, but the latter offers better performance per pixel. However, the data shows that 1080p Medium has a higher average than 1440p Low, so the recommendation is to stick with 1080p for this combo.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system?

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides the best balance, with an average FPS of 61 and a minimum of 52. This is the only configuration that sustains above 50 FPS at all times. At 1080p Low, you get 79 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals with only an 18 FPS penalty.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings average only 28 FPS, and Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 19. Ultra settings average 15 FPS. None of the 4K presets reach 30 FPS, so 4K is not playable for this title.

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

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% faster than the GT 710 (1443). This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D ranks in the 85th percentile for CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile for GPUs. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with GPU-bound scaling, and the CPU has headroom that the GPU cannot use.

Q: What is the frame stability like at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 52 and max is 70, a spread of 18 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 34-46 (12 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range is 19-25 (6 FPS spread). The 1080p Medium range is the most variable, which indicates occasional frame pacing issues, but the average is still 61 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank overall for this game?

A: It ranks 2500 out of 2825 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11.5%. The CPU’s strong performance (85th percentile) is offset by the GPU’s weak score (9th percentile), resulting in a low overall rank. For comparison, the CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-12900T, is only 0.3% faster in average benchmark score.