The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales dramatically with resolution. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a system where the graphics card is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the processor's immense headroom becomes apparent only at 1080p. The following sections break down the measured frame rates, interpret their implications for settings and hardware roles, and contextualize this combo's standing against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a stark and predictable decline in average frame rates as resolution increases, which clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting factor in this pairing. Starting from the 1920x1080 High preset, the system delivers 80 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops performance by 35% to 52 FPS, and then to 3840x2160 High, it falls a further 44% to just 29 FPS. This pattern of steep, non-linear decline is a classic indicator of pixel-pushing workload overwhelming the graphics processor.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is less severe but still substantial. The system achieves 121 FPS at 1080p Low, which drops to 79 FPS at 1440p Low—a 35% reduction. However, the jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low shows a more moderate 44% decrease to 44 FPS. This suggests that even at the lowest quality settings, the Arc B570's compute and memory bandwidth are saturated by the sheer number of pixels at 4K, whereas at 1080p, the CPU has enough power to push the GPU to its maximum output.

The data implies that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is not the bottleneck in this configuration at any resolution. The evidence is the consistent frame rate collapse at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates at 1080p and 1440p would be much closer together. Instead, we see a near-halving of performance at each major resolution step, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The processor's high boost clock of 5.70 GHz and massive 128 MB L3 cache are providing ample instructions to keep the GPU fed, but they cannot compensate for the raw pixel throughput required by 4K.

The Ultra preset is particularly telling. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 62 FPS. This drops to 41 FPS at 1440p Ultra and plummets to 22 FPS at 4K Ultra. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings is a 65% performance loss. This indicates that the most complex shaders and effects, combined with high resolution, create an insurmountable load for the Intel Arc B570. The game is clearly scalable, but the scaling is strictly limited by the GPU's capabilities.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured average FPS, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired smoothness. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers a strong balance, delivering an average of 80 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset provides a significant boost to 121 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual compromise may be unnecessary given the High preset's solid performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 62 FPS, is also playable but provides diminishing returns for the performance cost compared to High.

For 2560x1440, the data suggests that the High preset, averaging 52 FPS, is the most sensible choice. While not a locked 60 FPS, it is close, and the Medium preset, which yields 61 FPS, might be preferred for a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 1440p performs well at 79 FPS, but it defeats the purpose of a higher resolution by reducing detail. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is likely too demanding for a smooth experience, making High the recommended setting for a balance of visual quality and playability.

At 3840x2160, the picture is much bleaker. The best average FPS recorded is 44 on the Low preset. This is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset drops to 33 FPS, and High falls to 29 FPS, both of which are likely to feel stuttery and unresponsive. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 22 FPS. Therefore, at 4K, the only viable option is the Low preset, and even then, users should expect a sub-60 FPS experience. The data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Technomancer beyond the absolute lowest settings.

The measured Medium preset rows provide min and max FPS data, offering further insight. At 1080p Medium, the range is 79 to 107 FPS, showing excellent consistency. At 1440p Medium, the range is 52 to 70 FPS, which is still reasonably stable. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 28 to 39 FPS, indicating that while the frame pacing is consistent, the overall performance is too low for a comfortable experience.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 121, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: At the 3840x2160 resolution, the average frame rates are 29 FPS for High, 44 FPS for Low, 33 FPS for Medium, and 22 FPS for Ultra. Only the Low preset, at 44 FPS, approaches a playable level, while the others fall below 30 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset performance compare to High at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 52 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. This represents a 21% performance drop for the increased visual fidelity.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured FPS ranged from a minimum of 79 to a maximum of 107, with an average of 93 FPS.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck in this game for this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component, as frame rates decline drastically with each increase in resolution, a pattern consistent with GPU-bound performance.

Q: Does the CPU provide enough power for the GPU?

A: The data suggests yes. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's performance can be inferred as sufficient since the FPS scales down predictably with resolution, which would not happen if the CPU were holding the system back.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The complete set of measured data shows a clear hierarchy of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 121 for Low, 93 for Medium, 80 for High, and 62 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. This resolution provides the most headroom, with all presets exceeding 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease to 79 FPS for Low, 61 FPS for Medium, 52 FPS for High, and 41 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution has a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The performance at this resolution is more constrained, with only the Low and Medium presets exceeding the 60 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 44 FPS for Low, 33 FPS for Medium, 29 FPS for High, and 22 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS. This resolution is clearly the most demanding, and no preset reaches even 50 FPS on average. The data shows a consistent and predictable drop across all settings as resolution increases, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening from 59 FPS at 1080p to just 22 FPS at 4K.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B570's specifications directly explain its performance limitations in The Technomancer. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K resolution, the demands on memory bandwidth are immense, and this figure is likely insufficient to maintain high frame rates with complex textures and effects, which is reflected in the sub-30 FPS results at High and Ultra settings. The GPU's 2304 shading units and 80 ROPS also contribute to its pixel processing ceiling, which is the clear bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The card's boost clock is listed as 2500 MHz, and its FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS. These figures, while not directly translatable to game FPS, provide context for its overall compute capability. The Arc B570's performance percentile of 65 among all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range part. The measured results in The Technomancer align with this positioning, as it struggles with the game's most demanding settings. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is another factor; while it likely provides adequate bandwidth for the game's data transfer needs, the GPU's internal architecture is the limiting factor, not the bus.

The GPU's nearest rivals, according to the benchmark data, include the Intel Arc A750 with an average score of 20582 and a deltaPct of -0.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with a score of 20534 and a deltaPct of 0.1%. This shows the B570 performs in the same class as these other cards. However, in The Technomancer, the measured results demonstrate that this level of GPU performance is insufficient for high-resolution, high-detail play.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 16 cores and 32 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its 128 MB of L3 cache is a significant asset for gaming, often helping to reduce memory latency and improve frame pacing. The CPU's base clock is 4.30 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. In this game, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with resolution, which is a GPU-centric workload.

The processor's benchmarks show exceptional multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736. Its single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259. This combination of high multi-core and single-core performance ensures that the game's engine, which may rely on a mix of threads, is well-served. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms its top-tier status.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is never the bottleneck in this configuration. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the CPU is able to feed it enough data to achieve 121 FPS. At higher resolutions, the GPU's workload increases, but the CPU's frame generation time remains low, allowing the GPU to work at its own pace. This is a sign of a well-balanced pairing, where the CPU provides more than enough headroom for the GPU to be the sole performance limiter.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2256 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range performance. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the overall system performance is dragged down by the graphics card's inability to handle high resolutions and settings in this specific game.

The rank of 2256 out of 2825 means that a significant majority of other tested CPU and GPU pairs deliver higher frame rates. This is not a reflection of the CPU, which is among the best available, but rather a clear statement about the GPU's capabilities. The combo's rank is a useful metric for potential users, as it shows that while the CPU offers future-proofing and immense processing power, the current gaming experience is capped by the GPU.

This ranking effectively confirms the analysis from the resolution scaling section. A system with a high-percentile CPU and a lower-percentile GPU will be GPU-bound in most gaming scenarios. The data indicates that to improve the combo's rank in The Technomancer, a more powerful graphics card would be necessary. The CPU, with its 95th percentile ranking and a benchmark average score of 75779, is more than capable of supporting a much faster GPU without becoming a bottleneck. The current rank is a direct result of the Intel Arc B570's 65th percentile standing.