The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 shows a combination that is overwhelmingly constrained by the graphics processor. The Intel Arc B370, with its 25 W TDP and integrated-graphics bus interface, delivers frame rates that are playable only at lower resolutions and settings. The best experience, according to the data, is found at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the average FPS reaches 71. This is the only configuration that clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the sole preset that provides a consistently smooth gameplay experience. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s substantial processing power, including its 12 cores and 24 threads, is largely left untapped, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at every resolution tested.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings at each resolution, with Low settings always delivering the highest average frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 71 FPS, while Medium drops to 55 FPS, High to 47 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. The 71 FPS at Low is the only average above 60 in the entire dataset, indicating that this is the target for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 55 FPS and a minimum of 47 FPS, could be considered a viable alternative for users who prioritize visual fidelity over the slight risk of frame dips below the 60 FPS mark. However, the data clearly shows that the best experience, defined as the highest average frame rate, is achieved with the Low preset at 1920x1080.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation worsens significantly. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium averages 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS, High drops to 31 FPS, and Ultra falls to 24 FPS. None of these 1440p configurations reach the 60 FPS target. The recommendation here is to stick with Low settings if 1440p is a requirement, but the data suggests that dropping to 1080p provides a substantially better experience. At 3840x2160, all presets deliver averages below 30 FPS: Low at 26 FPS, Medium at 20 FPS, High at 17 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS. These frame rates are not suitable for a responsive gaming experience, making 4K effectively unplayable with this GPU.

The data indicates a consistent pattern: each settings tier reduces the average FPS by roughly 20-30% compared to the next lower tier. For instance, at 1080p, going from Low (71 FPS) to Medium (55 FPS) is a 22.5% reduction, and from Medium to High (47 FPS) is a 14.5% reduction. The performance cost of Ultra settings is steep, with the 37 FPS average at 1080p being 47.9% lower than Low. Given these figures, the best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally the 1920x1080 Low preset. It offers the highest average frame rate and avoids the sub-60 FPS dips seen in other presets. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only other configuration that approaches playability, but its minimum FPS of 47 suggests potential stutter in demanding scenes. The verdict is clear: for this combination, prioritize frame rate over visual detail.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. Its benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low ranking, indicating that the GPU is designed for basic tasks rather than demanding gaming. The nearest rivals in the benchmark data are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (deltaPct -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1190 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M with 1192 (-0.7%). These are all legacy or low-power parts, confirming the Arc B370’s position at the very bottom of the performance spectrum.

The GPU’s specifications reinforce this assessment. Its base clock is 300 MHz, boosting to 2400 MHz, which is a wide range but the low base clock suggests it spends significant time at lower speeds. The memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the system’s main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which is a major disadvantage for gaming. The shading units number 1280, with 40 texture mapping units and 20 render output units. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures are modest by modern standards, and the 25 W TDP with an IGP slot width indicates this is an integrated solution, not a discrete graphics card.

The measured FPS data directly reflects this GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the average of 71 FPS is the highest achieved, and it drops precipitously as resolution increases. At 4K, even Low settings only manage 26 FPS. The GPU’s inability to handle higher resolutions is evident: the 4K Low score of 26 FPS is 63.4% lower than the 1080p Low score. This is a classic sign of a GPU that lacks the memory bandwidth and processing power for high-resolution rendering. The 10 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present, but they are effectively useless at playable frame rates given the overall performance ceiling. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at every setting, and no amount of CPU power can compensate for the Arc B370’s fundamental performance deficit. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, by contrast, is operating well within its capabilities, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this system. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 71 at 1080p to 47 at 1440p to 26 at 4K. This represents a 33.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44.7% drop from 1440p to 4K. In total, the 4K Low score is 63.4% lower than the 1080p Low score. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth and pixel throughput as the resolution increases. The Arc B370’s system-shared memory is a particular liability here, as the bandwidth is system-dependent and cannot match the dedicated VRAM of a discrete card.

The Medium settings tell a similar story: 55 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.5%, and from 1440p to 4K is 44.4%. High settings follow the pattern: 47 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K, with percentage drops of 34.0% and 45.2% respectively. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 37 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 35.1% and 45.8%. The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings strongly indicates that the resolution scaling is driven solely by the GPU’s fill rate and memory limitations, not by any CPU constraint.

The data also shows that the gap between 1080p and 4K widens as settings increase. At Low, the 4K score is 36.6% of the 1080p score (26 vs 71). At Ultra, the 4K score is 35.1% of the 1080p score (13 vs 37). This suggests that the GPU is proportionally less capable at higher resolutions regardless of the settings load. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU workload does not scale linearly with pixel count. Instead, the FPS scales almost directly with the number of pixels, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound rendering. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 128 MB L3 cache and high clock speeds, is not the limiting factor here; the Arc B370 simply cannot process frames fast enough at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest average FPS in the measured data is 71, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS. The next closest is 55 FPS at 1080p Medium, which falls short of the smoothness target.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the Intel Arc B370?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 26 with Low settings. Medium averages 20 FPS, High 17 FPS, and Ultra 13 FPS. All of these are below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for playable, albeit choppy, gaming. The data indicates 4K is not a viable option for this GPU.

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

A: The Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186 (-0.2% delta), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192 (-0.7%). The Arc B370 is within 1.4% of all these parts, placing it in the same performance tier as these older or low-power GPUs.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 71 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. This is a difference of 34 FPS, meaning Ultra delivers 47.9% lower performance than Low. The data shows that Ultra settings are prohibitively expensive for this GPU.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s CPU performance have any impact on the measured FPS?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor. The GPU’s benchmark percentile is 5, indicating extremely low performance, while the CPU is in the 91st percentile. The FPS scales heavily with resolution, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. The CPU’s high multi-core score of 47737 in Cinebench R23 is far beyond what this game requires, so the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings, and is it consistent?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 36, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. This means the frame rate can dip to 30 FPS, which may be noticeable as stutter in fast-paced scenes. The average is below the 60 FPS target, so it is not recommended for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It has 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a significant amount and typically benefits gaming performance. The CPU’s benchmark scores are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739. In Geekbench, it scores 22884 multi-core and 3041 single-core. Its average benchmark score is 54762, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. However, despite this processing power, the measured FPS in The Technomancer is consistently low, indicating that the GPU is the sole bottleneck.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with an average score of 55093 (-0.6% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54053 (+1.3%), the Intel Xeon 6505P at 53701 (+2.0%), and the Intel Core i7-14700F at 53620 (+2.1%). These deltas are all within 2.1%, meaning the 9900X3D performs nearly identically to these rivals in aggregate benchmarks. This confirms that the CPU is a top-tier part, fully capable of handling the demands of any modern game. In The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the Arc B370’s low fill rate means the CPU is often idle, waiting for the GPU to complete its work.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting component at any resolution or setting. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 71, which is a modest load for a CPU of this caliber. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 13, but this is due to the GPU’s inability to render the higher pixel count, not due to CPU limitations. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (6739 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that it can handle the game’s primary thread efficiently. The 128 MB L3 cache is also beneficial for reducing memory latency, but this advantage is moot when the GPU is the bottleneck. In summary, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is overqualified for this pairing; its performance is far beyond what the Intel Arc B370 can utilize. The FPS data would be identical with a much weaker CPU, as the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking effectively caps the system’s gaming performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is as follows: Low averages 71 FPS, Medium averages 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63, High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is 16 FPS (a 22.5% reduction), from Medium to High is 8 FPS (a 14.5% reduction), and from High to Ultra is 10 FPS (a 21.3% reduction). The 1080p Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently smooth experience, as its 71 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset’s minimum of 47 FPS indicates potential stutter, while High and Ultra are clearly below acceptable levels for a responsive game.

At 2560x1440, the data shows: Low 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. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings: Low drops from 71 to 47 (a 33.8% reduction), Medium from 55 to 36 (34.5%), High from 47 to 31 (34.0%), and Ultra from 37 to 24 (35.1%). These percentage drops are nearly identical, indicating that the GPU’s performance scales linearly with pixel count. At 1440p, even Low settings cannot maintain 60 FPS, and the Medium preset’s minimum of 30 FPS is the floor of playability. The data suggests that 1440p is only viable with Low settings for a playable, albeit sub-60 FPS, experience.

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are: Low at 26 FPS, Medium at 20 FPS with a minimum of 17 and maximum of 23, High at 17 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe: Low drops from 47 to 26 (44.7% reduction), Medium from 36 to 20 (44.4%), High from 31 to 17 (45.2%), and Ultra from 24 to 13 (45.8%). The 4K results are all below 30 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable. The Medium preset’s minimum of 17 FPS and maximum of 23 FPS shows a tight but very low range, meaning the frame rate is consistently poor. The data from all three resolutions clearly shows that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor. The CPU, which is in the 91st percentile, is not the issue; the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking means it cannot handle the rendering load at higher resolutions or settings. The only recommended configuration is 1080p Low, which provides the best average FPS of 71 and avoids the sub-60 FPS dips seen elsewhere.