The Technomancer

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for The Technomancer with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel Arc B370 show a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which points directly to the graphics subsystem as the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination produces 71 FPS on average, but moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 47 FPS, a reduction of roughly one-third. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Low yields just 26 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This pattern—where each step up in resolution exacts a heavy toll—indicates that the Intel Arc B370's rendering throughput is the bottleneck rather than the CPU.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 47, which is identical to the 1440p Low figure. At 1440p High, the average falls to 31 FPS, and at 4K High it bottoms out at 17 FPS. The gap between Low and High at the same resolution is substantial: at 1080p, Low delivers 71 FPS versus High's 47 FPS, a 24 FPS difference. At 4K, the same settings gap produces only 9 FPS of difference (26 versus 17), suggesting that at higher resolutions the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings cannot recover much performance.

The Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum FPS data, shows a similar trajectory: 55 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS at 1080p Medium is 47, which matches the average of 1080p High, indicating that frame pacing becomes less consistent as resolution climbs. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 30 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 17 FPS. The Ultra preset, meanwhile, is barely playable at any resolution: 37 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K. These numbers collectively suggest that the Arc B370, which sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs in the database, is simply outpaced by the demands of this 2016 Action RPG at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combination achieves in The Technomancer?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 71, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that breaks the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 1440p compared to 1080p?

A: At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 24, while at 1080p Ultra it is 37. This represents a 13 FPS drop when moving up one resolution step, indicating that Ultra settings are marginal even at 1080p.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370's performance consistent with its benchmark percentile?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%), which are similarly low-performing parts. The measured FPS data aligns with this low ranking.

Q: What is the difference between Low and High settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 26 FPS average, while High settings yield 17 FPS. The 9 FPS gap is smaller than the 24 FPS gap observed at 1080p between the same two presets, showing diminishing returns from settings changes at high resolution.

Q: Does the CPU's performance have any bearing on these results?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz and a 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its benchmark scores, such as 32172 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2253 in single-core, are far above what this game requires. The FPS scaling pattern indicates the GPU is the constraint, not the CPU.

Q: Are there any playable configurations at 4K?

A: The best 4K result is 26 FPS at Low settings, which is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings at 4K average 20 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS. None of the 4K configurations reach 30 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU has a 64 MB L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Its TDP is rated at 120 W, and it uses the AMD Socket AM5. The processor is manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC, with 16,630 million transistors across a die size of 2x 70.6 mm².

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9900X delivers strong results: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253, a Geekbench multicore score of 22174 and single-core score of 3010, and a 3DMark maximum threads score of 13929. Its average benchmark score is 57498, placing it at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 9015 with an average score of 57555 (delta -0.1%), the AMD EPYC 7313 at 57399 (delta +0.2%), and the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58115 (delta -1.1%). These deltas are all within 1.5%, indicating that the 9900X performs essentially on par with these high-end server and desktop parts.

For The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, the CPU's capabilities far exceed the game's likely demands. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales almost exclusively with resolution and settings changes, which are GPU-bound variables. At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 71 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 26 FPS—a pattern that would not occur if the CPU were the limiting factor. The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for any multithreaded workload this game might present, and the high single-thread performance (Cinebench R15 single-core score of 353, 3DMark single-thread score of 1286) ensures that even lightly threaded game logic runs without issue. The data suggests that the CPU's role in this pairing is to provide a stable platform that never becomes the bottleneck, allowing the GPU's limitations to be the sole determinant of frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2603 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations in the database. This rank is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the Arc B370's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs drags the overall combo down despite the CPU's 92nd percentile ranking. The fact that this combo sits at position 2603—just 222 spots from the very bottom—underscores how severely the graphics component limits the overall experience.

The rank distribution makes sense when considering the components' individual scores. The CPU's average benchmark score of 57498 is competitive with top-tier processors, but the GPU's average score of 1184 is among the lowest recorded. In a game like The Technomancer, where the measured FPS data shows the GPU as the clear bottleneck, the combo's rank will naturally align more closely with the GPU's percentile than the CPU's. The 222 combos ranked below this one likely feature even weaker GPUs or CPUs that throttle or lack the required instruction sets.

When comparing to other combos, the data indicates that pairing a high-end CPU with a low-end GPU yields a result that is only as strong as the weakest link. The 2603rd rank out of 2825 means that over 92% of tested combinations deliver better performance in this game. For users considering this pairing, the ranking makes clear that the CPU's power is effectively wasted in this specific workload, as the GPU cannot translate the processor's capabilities into higher frame rates. The gap between the CPU's 92nd percentile and the combo's 8th percentile is a stark illustration of this imbalance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The TDP is rated at 25 W, and it uses system-shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent.

In the database, the Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 from a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (delta -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 (delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 (delta -0.7%). These deltas are all within 1%, showing that the Arc B370 performs essentially identically to these older, low-end parts. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (delta +1.4%), which is slightly below the Arc B370.

The measured FPS in The Technomancer aligns with this low benchmark standing. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 71 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, and at 1080p High it falls to 47 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 37 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. At higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations become severe: 1440p Medium averages 36 FPS, and 4K Low only manages 26 FPS. The system-shared memory and integrated nature of the GPU mean that it draws from the same memory pool as the CPU, which can further constrain performance in memory-intensive scenes.

The boost clock of 2400 MHz provides some headroom, but the 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for a demanding game like The Technomancer at higher settings. The 10 ray tracing cores are present, but the game predates widespread RT adoption, so they likely see little use. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking is reflected in the fact that it only achieves playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) at the lowest resolution and settings combination tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of the combination's performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the best result is 71 FPS average with Low settings, followed by 55 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63), 47 FPS at High, and 37 FPS at Ultra. The 1080p data shows a clear gradient: each settings tier above Low costs roughly 8-10 FPS, with Ultra being the most demanding at 37 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (47) matches the average at High, suggesting that frame times are relatively stable at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the results drop significantly across all settings. Low settings average 47 FPS, which is the same as 1080p High. Medium settings at 1440p average 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 and maximum of 41, while High averages 31 FPS and Ultra averages 24 FPS. The 1440p data shows that even Low settings cannot reach 60 FPS, and the gap between Low and High is 16 FPS, compared to 24 FPS at 1080p. This compression of the settings range indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, all configurations fall below 30 FPS. Low settings produce 26 FPS, Medium produces 20 FPS (with a minimum of 17 and maximum of 23), High produces 17 FPS, and Ultra produces 13 FPS. The 4K data shows a narrow range of just 13 FPS between Low and Ultra, further confirming that the GPU is saturated. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 17, which matches the High average, indicating that frame pacing is inconsistent even at the lowest playable settings. The progression from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at each settings level is roughly linear in terms of FPS loss, but the percentage drop is steeper at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that achieves a consistently smooth experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers 71 FPS average. This is the only preset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for players who prioritize frame rate stability. The 1080p Medium preset, at 55 FPS average, is borderline playable but may exhibit occasional dips to 47 FPS, which could be noticeable in fast-paced combat scenes common in Action RPGs.

For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, 1080p High at 47 FPS is the best compromise between image quality and playability, though it sits below the 60 FPS mark. The Ultra preset at 1080p (37 FPS) is not recommended, as the visual improvements over High are typically marginal while the performance cost is substantial. At 1440p, even Low settings (47 FPS) fall short of 60 FPS, so players with 1440p displays should accept 30-45 FPS as the realistic range, with Medium (36 FPS) offering a balanced experience. The 4K resolution is not viable for this combination, as even Low settings (26 FPS) fail to reach 30 FPS, making gameplay feel sluggish.

The data suggests that the Intel Arc B370 is best suited for 1080p gaming with Low or Medium presets. Players who want to use higher settings should consider reducing their resolution to 1080p, as the performance gap between Low and High at 1440p (16 FPS) is smaller than at 1080p (24 FPS), but the absolute frame rates are too low for comfortable play. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its 47 FPS minimum, provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate consistency, making it the recommended default for most users. For those who absolutely require 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1080p is the sole option that delivers it, and it does so with a comfortable margin of 11 FPS above the target.