The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is severely constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. The Intel Arc B390, with its 3nm process and Xe3-LPG architecture, demonstrates performance characteristics that place it near the bottom of the GPU hierarchy, making the overall experience a study in graphical compromise.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of playability across the four tested settings: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves an average of 79 FPS on Low settings, which is the only configuration that approaches a high-refresh-rate experience. This drops to 61 FPS on Medium, 52 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. The Low preset at 1080p is the only setting that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the default choice for smooth gameplay.

For players prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 40 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 34 and 46 FPS respectively. This is the highest resolution and quality combination that maintains a consistent, playable frame rate above 30 FPS. The High preset at 1440p drops to 34 FPS, which is still technically playable but begins to show noticeable stutter in fast-paced combat scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is not viable, averaging only 15 FPS. The High preset at 4K achieves 19 FPS, and Medium reaches 22 FPS, all of which fall below the minimum threshold for acceptable gameplay. The only 4K option that touches 30 FPS is the Low preset, which averages 28 FPS. This makes 4K gaming a marginal proposition at best, requiring the lowest quality settings to approach playability.

The optimal experience, per the measured rows, is the Low preset at 1920x1080. This configuration delivers the highest average frame rate of 79 FPS, ensuring the most responsive and fluid gameplay possible with this hardware. For those willing to trade some smoothness for visual improvements, the Medium preset at 1080p at 61 FPS represents a balanced alternative, as it remains above the 60 FPS marker while offering better texture detail and lighting effects.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this system, and its specifications from the FACT PACK explain why. The GPU features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. The memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," meaning the GPU relies on the system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

This shared memory architecture is a critical factor in the game's performance. The Technomancer, being a title from 2016, likely requires substantial memory bandwidth for texture streaming and geometry processing. With system-shared memory, the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, leading to potential latency and bandwidth limitations. The GPU's pixel rate is rated at 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, which are modest figures that align with its low percentile ranking of 9.

The benchmark data shows the Arc B390 scoring 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals in the FACT PACK include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 and is 1.3% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460, which is 1.5% behind. The GT 625 OEM scores 1446 and is 2.5% behind, while the GT 710 scores 1443 and is 2.7% behind. These are all entry-level or legacy mobile/desktop GPUs, confirming the Arc B390's position at the very bottom of the performance spectrum.

The relationship between the GPU's clock speeds and the game's results is evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the GPU can maintain a 79 FPS average, but as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become insufficient. The drop to 28 FPS at 4K Low, a 65% reduction, highlights how the GPU's limited ROPS and shared memory bandwidth struggle with the increased pixel count. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in all tested configurations, as the CPU is far more capable than what this GPU can utilize.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture on a 5nm process. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor scores in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53288.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 7900X demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded performance. It scores 29300 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4820.5 in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Single-thread performance is also strong, with scores of 2016.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 323 in Cinebench R15 single-core. The Geekbench scores are 19267 multi-core and 2617 single-core. These figures place the CPU far ahead of the GPU's capabilities.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the FACT PACK include the AMD EPYC 7313P, which scores 53206 and is 0.2% behind, and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290, which scores 53469 and is 0.3% ahead. The Intel Xeon 634 scores 52974 and is 0.6% behind, while the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620 and is 0.6% ahead. These rival comparisons show that the 7900X is competitively positioned among high-end processors, with deltas under 1% in either direction.

Given this CPU's immense processing power, the game's frame rates are almost certainly limited by the GPU, not the CPU. The 7900X has more than enough single-thread and multi-thread performance to feed the Arc B390. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU has the least work to do relative to the GPU, the frame rate is only 79 FPS. This is far below what the CPU could theoretically support, indicating that the GPU is saturated. The CPU's 24 threads and high boost clock are effectively idle waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that the Low preset at 1920x1080 produces the highest average FPS of 79. This is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% behind).

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU scores in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29300. The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 9th percentile. The frame rates are consistently low across all settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 52 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 28, achieved with the Low preset. The Ultra preset averages only 15 FPS. These figures fall below the generally accepted threshold for playable frame rates, making 4K gaming impractical.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: On High settings, the average FPS drops from 52 at 1920x1080 to 34 at 2560x1440, and then to 19 at 3840x2160. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 33 FPS, a 63% reduction.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions reveals a consistent and predictable pattern of performance degradation as pixel count increases. On Low settings, the average FPS is 79 at 1920x1080, dropping to 52 at 2560x1440, and further to 28 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 46% drop from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 65%.

On Medium settings, the average FPS is 61 at 1080p, 40 at 1440p, and 22 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%, and from 1440p to 4K is 45%. High settings show 52 FPS at 1080p, 34 at 1440p, and 19 at 4K, with drops of 35% and 44% respectively. Ultra settings yield 40 FPS at 1080p, 26 at 1440p, and 15 at 4K, representing drops of 35% and 42%.

This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being exhausted at each resolution step. The CPU's performance is not a factor, as its capabilities far exceed what the GPU can deliver. The data implies that the Arc B390's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are the primary constraints, as the frame rate scales inversely with the number of pixels being rendered.

The fact that the percentage drop is similar across all quality settings further confirms the GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain more constant across resolutions at lower settings. Instead, the linear degradation suggests that the GPU is working at maximum capacity in all scenarios, and increasing resolution simply adds more work that the GPU cannot handle efficiently.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings was tested. Low settings produce an average of 79 FPS. Medium settings average 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 70. High settings average 52 FPS. Ultra settings average 40 FPS. This shows a clear progression, with each quality tier costing approximately 9-12 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 52 FPS on Low, 40 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and 26 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has measured minimum and maximum values of 34 and 46 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is nearly linear, with each tier costing roughly 8-9 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings average 28 FPS. Medium settings average 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 25. High settings average 19 FPS. Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 13 FPS, which is a 46% reduction in performance.

The data reveals that the step from Low to Medium has the smallest absolute FPS impact at each resolution, while the step from High to Ultra has a slightly larger impact. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the Arc B390's limited resources, likely related to its 12 ray tracing cores or advanced shading features.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2500 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations tested, indicating that this is a fundamentally unbalanced pairing for this game. The high percentile ranking of the CPU (91st) contrasts sharply with the low percentile ranking of the GPU (9th), creating a massive performance gap.

The combo rank suggests that most other tested hardware combinations, even those with much weaker CPUs, outperform this setup because they pair them with more capable graphics cards. The 7900X's processing power is essentially wasted in this game, as the Arc B390 cannot translate the CPU's capabilities into higher frame rates. The data shows that the CPU is idle for most of the rendering pipeline, waiting for the GPU to complete its work.

This ranking has implications for players considering this hardware combination. The measured FPS values indicate that the experience is limited to low settings at 1080p for playable frame rates, and even then, the 79 FPS average is not particularly high by modern standards. The combination's ranking in the bottom percentile reflects this reality, showing that it is not a viable choice for The Technomancer at higher quality settings or resolutions. The data strongly suggests that any upgrade to a more powerful discrete GPU would yield substantial performance improvements, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a much faster graphics card.