The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a heavily GPU-bound experience in The Technomancer, with frame rates that collapse at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a combo that ranks in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, making it suitable only for low-resolution, low-fidelity play; the CPU’s immense processing power is effectively wasted by the integrated graphics solution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and consistent decline as resolution increases, a classic symptom of a system where the graphics processor is the definitive bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 71 FPS, but this drops to 47 FPS at 1440p and further plummets to 26 FPS at 4K. This represents a 63% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, indicating that the rendering workload quickly overwhelms the Intel Arc B370’s capabilities.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 47 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p (a 34% drop), and then to 17 FPS at 4K (a 45% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe degradation, starting at 37 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 24 FPS at 1440p, and finally reaching a slideshow-like 13 FPS at 4K. This steep curve suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and shading power are exhausted quickly, with each additional pixel at higher resolutions exacting a disproportionate toll.

The data indicates that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is a high-end desktop processor that would not ordinarily struggle with a 2016 action RPG. However, the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics part (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, and its 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for the demands of 1440p or 4K gaming. The fact that the frame rate scales so dramatically with resolution confirms that the CPU is not the constraint; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B370 holds a rank of 3408 out of 3696 combos. This places it in the 8th percentile of all tested systems, a position that reflects the profound imbalance between the high-end CPU and the low-end graphics solution. The data clearly shows that this is a bottom-tier configuration for this title, outperforming only a small fraction of the tested hardware pairings.

The combo’s poor ranking is driven entirely by the GPU’s benchmark standing. The Intel Arc B370 has an average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, deltaPct -0.7), and AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, deltaPct 1.4). This means the Arc B370 is statistically tied with these legacy parts from over a decade ago, all of which are far too weak for modern gaming demands.

In stark contrast, the CPU is a top-tier performer. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58386. Its nearest CPU rivals are the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (avgScore 58323, deltaPct 0.1), Intel Xeon w5-2545 (avgScore 58504, deltaPct -0.2), Intel Core i9-14900 (avgScore 58115, deltaPct 0.5), and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (avgScore 58826, deltaPct -0.7). These rival CPUs are all within 0.7% of the Ryzen’s score, showing that the processor is not the issue. The combination of a top-decile CPU with a bottom-decile GPU results in a system that ranks near the bottom for actual gaming performance, as the GPU chokes every frame the CPU can potentially deliver.

FAQ

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

A: Technically yes, but not playably. The benchmark data shows average frame rates of 13 FPS at Ultra settings, 17 FPS at High, 20 FPS at Medium, and 26 FPS at Low for 3840x2160 resolution. These figures are all far below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best performance this system can achieve in this game?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 71 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data that approaches a comfortable playable frame rate.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, scores 58323, putting the Ryzen 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, which is 0.5% lower, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 scores 58826, putting it 0.7% higher.

Q: How does the GPU performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370’s average 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1184. This is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It is 1.4% higher than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

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

A: The GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The resolution scaling data shows frame rates dropping by over 60% from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a pattern that indicates the graphics processor is fully saturated. The CPU, which ranks in the 92nd percentile, has ample headroom that the GPU cannot utilize.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded?

A: Minimum frame rates are only available for the Medium preset. The recorded minimums are 47 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. These minimums highlight the instability of the Medium preset, with 4K dips making the game nearly unplayable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for The Technomancer with this hardware combination is as follows. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 71 FPS on Low, 55 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63), 47 FPS on High, and 37 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p Low setting is the only one in the entire dataset that provides an average above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS (with a minimum of 30 and maximum of 41), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. None of these 1440p results are suitable for fast-paced action, as even the Low preset falls below the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. The Low preset averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 20 FPS (with a minimum of 17 and maximum of 23), High averages 17 FPS, and Ultra averages just 13 FPS. The 4K data confirms that this resolution is entirely out of reach for the Intel Arc B370, with all presets producing frame rates that are effectively unplayable. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 13 FPS, showing that the GPU is so constrained that even reducing the render load provides minimal benefit.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor (codename Granite Ridge) built on a 4 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor includes a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core. This configuration makes it a powerhouse for gaming, as evidenced by its 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs.

In The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is largely passive due to the GPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has the processing power to handle the game’s AI, physics, and game logic with ease, but the Intel Arc B370 cannot render frames fast enough to stress the CPU. The benchmark scores reinforce this: the CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 22807, and its single-core score is 2228, indicating top-tier performance that would be more than adequate for any 2016 title.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a contributing factor to the low performance. The frame rates in The Technomancer are directly tied to resolution and settings, which are GPU-side variables. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not vary so wildly between 1080p Low (71 FPS) and 4K Low (26 FPS). The CPU’s 16 threads and high clock speeds are idle most of the time, waiting for the GPU to catch up. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D’s 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth and DDR5 support are also irrelevant here, as the GPU uses system shared memory, which is a further performance limiter for the integrated graphics part.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable configuration for a playable experience in The Technomancer is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 71 FPS. This is the sole preset and resolution combination that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. For users who prioritize frame rate stability, this is the recommended starting point, as it provides a smooth, responsive experience that is essential for an action RPG.

If visual fidelity is preferred over raw speed, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a compromise, averaging 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS. This is still playable, but the dips below 50 FPS may be noticeable in combat-heavy scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p are not recommended, as they average 47 FPS and 37 FPS respectively, falling into a range where the game feels sluggish.

At higher resolutions, the data offers no playable options. The 1440p Low preset averages 47 FPS, which is technically playable but suboptimal, and every other 1440p or 4K setting falls below the 30 FPS threshold for acceptable performance. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 13 FPS average, should be avoided entirely. The benchmark results indicate that this system is an entry-level 1080p machine at best for this title, and users should not expect to push beyond that without significant frame rate sacrifices. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 16 FPS, which is a meaningful trade-off; the data suggests that Low is the safest choice for consistent performance.