The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B370. The measured data reveals a configuration that is severely constrained by the graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, focusing on resolution scaling, settings impact, and the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the final experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and immediately identifies the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 71 FPS at 1920x1080 to 47 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 24 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 sees the average plummet to 26 FPS, which is a 63% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This dramatic scaling indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is being overwhelmed by the pixel count, as the workload shifts almost entirely onto the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth resources.

The trend persists across all quality presets. For High settings, the average drops from 47 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 17 FPS at 4K. Similarly, Medium settings start at 55 FPS at 1080p, fall to 36 FPS at 1440p, and bottom out at 20 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows the same pattern: 37 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 13 FPS at 4K. The frame rate reductions between each resolution step are consistent and significant, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component.

This scaling behavior is classic for a system where the CPU has ample headroom. The Ryzen 9 5900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at these resolutions. The data suggests that the game's rendering pipeline is saturated by the Arc B370's limited processing power. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is roughly a 33-35% performance hit across all settings, while the jump from 1440p to 4K incurs an additional 45-50% penalty. These are substantial losses that point directly to the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel workload, rather than any inefficiency in the CPU or system memory.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured frame rates, the optimal experience is heavily dependent on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 71 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset, at 55 FPS, is a reasonable compromise for smooth gameplay, but the High preset at 47 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS are progressively less fluid. For players prioritizing frame rate, Low is the clear choice at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset drops to 36 FPS, and High falls to 31 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 24 FPS, is borderline unplayable for a fast-paced action RPG. The data indicates that Low is the only viable preset for a consistent experience at 1440p, as the higher settings introduce significant stutter and slowdown.

The 3840x2160 resolution is not recommended for this combination. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 26 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable real-time gameplay. The Medium preset (20 FPS), High (17 FPS), and Ultra (13 FPS) are all well below acceptable playability. The performance data shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Technomancer. The only way to achieve a playable frame rate at this resolution would be to drastically reduce the internal rendering resolution or accept a slideshow-like experience.

The best experience per the measured rows is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, as it is the only configuration that consistently stays above 60 FPS. For a balance between visual fidelity and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p (55 FPS) is the highest quality setting that remains within a respectable playable range. The Ultra preset at 1080p (37 FPS) is playable but sacrifices the smoothness that the lower settings provide.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this benchmark. Its specifications, including a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, are paired with 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. The GPU also features 10 ray tracing cores. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture, combined with a 25 W TDP, results in a performance profile that is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs according to the benchmark database.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the company of older discrete GPUs, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570. The nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, has an average score of 1186, which is a delta of -0.2% from the Arc B370. This comparison shows that the Arc B370's raw graphics compute power is roughly equivalent to a decade-old entry-level card, which explains its struggles in The Technomancer.

The GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient for the game's demands at higher resolutions. The texturing rate of 96.00 GTexel/s is also a limiting factor. The system-shared memory, with its "System Dependent" bandwidth, further exacerbates the issue, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck, and its performance characteristics directly dictate the low frame rates observed across all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 71 FPS. The Medium preset averages 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. These numbers show a clear degradation as settings increase, but even the highest setting remains technically playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. The Low preset averages 47 FPS. The Medium preset averages 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 24 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 30 FPS on Medium suggests occasional stutters, but the overall averages are consistent with the resolution scaling trend.

At 3840x2160, the combo becomes largely unplayable. The Low preset averages 26 FPS. The Medium preset averages 20 FPS, with a minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 23 FPS. The High preset averages 17 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 13 FPS. The frame times at this resolution are likely to be highly inconsistent, making any action sequences feel sluggish and unresponsive. The data is clear: this GPU cannot handle 4K rendering in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in the database is 2603 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested with The Technomancer. The rank of 2603 out of 2825 indicates that the combination of the Ryzen 9 5900X and the Arc B370 is among the weakest performers for this specific game. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's low percentile standing, as the CPU is a high-end part.

The CPU itself scores in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41376. However, this strength does not translate to gaming performance when paired with such a weak GPU. The combo rank reflects the overall system capability, and the GPU drags the entire configuration down. The data shows that while the CPU is an excellent performer in synthetic benchmarks, its gaming potential is capped by the graphics card. This is a textbook example of a bottleneck, where the CPU's capabilities are left largely unused because the GPU cannot process frames fast enough.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. The average FPS at this resolution ranges from 37 on Ultra to 71 on Low.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 26 on Low settings. The Ultra preset averages only 13 FPS, which is not suitable for gameplay.

Q: Which graphics setting should I use at 1080p?

A: For the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 71 FPS is best. The Medium preset offers a balanced experience at 55 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that remains above 50 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570's score of 1186, and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770's score of 1190.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X the reason for the low performance?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-performing CPU in the 87th percentile. The performance issues are caused by the Intel Arc B370, which is in the 5th percentile of GPUs.

Q: What is the average FPS on High settings at 1440p?

A: The measured average FPS on High settings at 2560x1440 is 31 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide ample bandwidth for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1527 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 41376 places it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck. The frame rates are consistently low across all settings, which is a symptom of GPU limitation. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between the Low and Ultra presets, as the CPU workload would be the same. Instead, the frame rates scale directly with the graphical load, indicating that the CPU is waiting for the GPU.

The nearest rivals to the Ryzen 9 5900X in the CPU benchmark database include the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (0.3% higher score), the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (0.4% higher score), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (0.4% higher score). These chips have comparable average scores, but none of them can overcome the GPU limitation in this game. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide more than enough processing power for this 2016 title, confirming that the measured performance is entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B370's limited graphics capabilities.