The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents an extreme imbalance in The Technomancer, where the data shows a powerful 16-core CPU is held back by an integrated graphics solution. The results are consistently low across all settings, making this combo unsuitable for playable framerates. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on resolution scaling, settings impact, and the clear bottleneck presented by the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the sole limiting factor. The framerate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and consistent across all presets. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 79 at 1920x1080 to 52 at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 28 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, a clear indicator that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being overwhelmed by the increased pixel count.

The scaling pattern is not linear. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings yields a drop from 52 to 34 average FPS (a 35% decrease), but the subsequent move to 4K is even more punishing, falling from 34 to 19 average FPS (a 44% decrease). This suggests that the Arc B390 hits a memory bandwidth or fill-rate wall at 4K. The GPU's reliance on "System Shared" memory and "System Dependent" bandwidth means that at higher resolutions, the demand for memory resources grows exponentially, and the integrated solution simply cannot keep pace.

The fact that the 4K Ultra preset only manages a 15 average FPS is telling. It shows that the GPU is not just resolution-bound but also shader-bound; the combination of high pixel count and complex effects is too much for the 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs. Benchmark results indicate that for this combo, 1080p is the only viable resolution, and even then, only at lower settings. The data suggests that users should not expect playable performance at 1440p or 4K, as the average FPS falls below the 30 FPS threshold in nearly all settings at those resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combination are clear: the Low preset at 1920x1080. This is the only configuration that achieves a playable average FPS of 79. Pushing to Medium at 1080p drops the average to 61 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a 23% performance hit for what is likely a modest visual improvement. The High preset at 1080p yields 52 average FPS, which is playable but begins to approach the threshold where frame pacing can feel less consistent.

The Medium preset at 1080p shows a min FPS of 52, which is identical to the average FPS of the High preset, suggesting that the Low-to-Medium gap is more substantial than the Medium-to-High gap in terms of performance stability. For the best experience per the measured rows, Low at 1080p is the only setting that provides a significant headroom above 60 FPS. If a user insists on higher visual fidelity, Medium at 1080p is the highest preset that maintains a 60+ average FPS, but it leaves little margin for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, all settings are below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 1440p delivers a 52 average FPS, which is the same as the High preset at 1080p, but with a lower resolution. This indicates that the GPU's performance is more sensitive to resolution than to settings complexity. The data strongly advises against using Ultra settings at any resolution, as it yields the lowest average FPS in every category, including a 15 average FPS at 4K. The recommendation is to prioritize resolution and settings to maintain a 60 FPS target, which is only achievable at 1080p with Low or Medium presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390's role in this game is the definitive bottleneck. Its benchmark scores and specifications explain why the FPS is so low. The GPU has a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, deltaPct 2.5). This places it in the same performance tier as decade-old entry-level mobile and desktop graphics solutions, confirming its unsuitability for modern gaming.

The clock speeds do not compensate for the lack of raw compute power. The base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. While the boost clock is relatively high, the FP32 performance is only 7.680 TFLOPS, which is insufficient for the demands of The Technomancer at high resolutions. The VRAM situation is critical: the memory size is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. This forces the GPU to use system memory, which has a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s on the Ryzen 9 5950X's dual-channel DDR4 interface. This "System Dependent" bandwidth is a severe limitation, as the GPU must contend with the CPU for memory access, leading to significant stalls and low FPS.

The GPU's architecture, Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, is efficient, but efficiency cannot overcome the fundamental lack of dedicated graphics memory. The 80 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for integrated use, not for gaming. The data shows that the GPU's performance is the primary reason for the low FPS across all measured settings. Even the powerful Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, cannot help because the game's performance is not CPU-bound in this configuration; it is entirely GPU-limited.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in The Technomancer is abysmal, placing at 2500 out of 2825 tested combinations. This puts it in the bottom 11% of all combos, solidifying its status as a non-viable gaming platform for this title. The data confirms that the GPU's low percentile ranking (9th) completely negates the CPU's high percentile ranking (91st). The Ryzen 9 5950X is a top-tier processor, but it is paired with a GPU that is in the bottom decile of all graphics cards, leading to a combined result that is far below the average.

The nearest CPU rivals for the Ryzen 9 5950X, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (avgScore 52073, deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Core i9-13900F (avgScore 51730, deltaPct 0.4), show that the CPU's processing power is competitive. However, this is irrelevant in this combo. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is so weak that it cannot utilize the CPU's capabilities. The combo rank of 2500 is a direct reflection of the GPU's inability to produce playable framerates, not a statement about the CPU's performance. In any scenario where a dedicated GPU is used, this combo would rank significantly higher. As it stands, the data shows that this pairing is one of the worst possible for The Technomancer, suitable only for verifying that the game launches, not for playing it.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that achieves playable framerates. At this resolution, the Low preset delivers a 79 average FPS, and Medium delivers a 61 average FPS. At 2560x1440, the highest average FPS is 52 (Low preset), and at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 28 (Low preset).

Q: Can this combo run the game at Ultra settings?

A: Technically, yes, but performance is not acceptable. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 40. At 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 26 average FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 15 average FPS. These results show that Ultra settings are not viable for a smooth experience.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1482. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446). This indicates it is in the same performance bracket as very old, low-end GPUs.

Q: Why is the FPS so low even with a powerful CPU?

A: The benchmark data shows that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. It has no dedicated VRAM (System Shared), a low 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its performance is comparable to very old entry-level graphics cards. The Ryzen 9 5950X cannot compensate for this GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset has an average FPS of 79, while the Medium preset has an average FPS of 61. This is an 18 FPS difference, or a 23% reduction in performance, for moving from Low to Medium settings. The Medium preset also has a min FPS of 52, which matches the High preset's average FPS.

Q: Is the CPU's performance a factor in this game's results?

A: The data does not indicate that the CPU is a bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 5950X ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs and has an average benchmark score of 51947. However, the combo's rank in-game is 2500 out of 2825, which suggests that the GPU's performance is the dominant factor in the low FPS, not the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements from the FACT PACK, sorted by resolution and settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :------ | :------ | :------ |

| 3840x2160 | | | | |

| | Ultra | 15 | - | - |

| | High | 19 | - | - |

| | Medium | 22 | 19 | 25 |

| | Low | 28 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | | | | |

| | Ultra | 26 | - | - |

| | High | 34 | - | - |

| | Medium | 40 | 34 | 46 |

| | Low | 52 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | | | | |

| | Ultra | 40 | - | - |

| | High | 52 | - | - |

| | Medium | 61 | 52 | 70 |

| | Low | 79 | - | - |

The data confirms a consistent hierarchy: performance scales down as resolution and settings increase. The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data, showing a variance of 6 FPS at 4K, 12 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 1080p. This variance increases with resolution, indicating less stable frame pacing at higher pixel counts. The 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS barrier with a significant margin. All other presets and resolutions fail to achieve a 60 average FPS, with the 4K Ultra preset being the worst performer at 15 average FPS. These numbers show that the Intel Arc B390 is not a gaming-capable part for this title, and the Ryzen 9 5950X's processing power is wasted in this pairing.