The Technomancer

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2603 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the combination in the bottom 8th percentile of all tested systems, a position that reflects the GPU's severe limitations rather than any deficiency in the processor. The data shows this is a fundamentally unbalanced pairing for this title, with the Arc B370 acting as the overwhelming constraint on performance.

Benchmark results indicate the combo sits far below the median experience. The 2825 tested combinations span a wide range of hardware, and landing at 2603 means roughly 92% of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this game. The Arc B370's own percentile ranking of 5 against all GPUs reinforces this picture — it is one of the weakest graphics processors in the database, competing with legacy mobile parts from over a decade ago. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 90th percentile against all processors, a stark contrast that explains the massive bottleneck.

The measured frames per second confirm the ranking. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 37 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the baseline for smooth play. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 13 FPS, a figure that is barely interactive. The gap between this combo and higher-ranked systems is not marginal; it is a chasm created by the GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 20 ROPs, figures that place it in the same performance class as integrated graphics from the early 2010s.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor built on Intel's Xe3-LPG architecture, using a 3 nm process node. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it draws from the same DDR4 or DDR5 pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical detail — the GPU has no dedicated VRAM, no dedicated memory bus width, and no dedicated memory clock. All graphics memory operations compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth, which severely impacts performance in a game like The Technomancer that relies on consistent texture streaming.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest: a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable for an integrated part, the underlying hardware is small. The Arc B370 has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. For context, the pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These figures are far below what discrete GPUs offer, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

The nearest rivals in the database illustrate its performance tier. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, a delta of -0.2% from the Arc B370. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, a delta of -0.5%. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, a delta of -0.7%. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, a delta of 1.4%. These are all parts from the 2010-2012 era, indicating the Arc B370 delivers performance comparable to a decade-old discrete GPU or a mid-range mobile part from that period.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are modern, but the raw hardware throughput cannot translate that feature support into playable frame rates at high resolutions. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm this is not designed for demanding gaming workloads. In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is purely limiting — it caps performance at every resolution and settings combination measured.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU that is fully saturated at every resolution. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 71 FPS at 1080p to 47 FPS at 1440p, then to 26 FPS at 4K. That represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is roughly proportional to the pixel count increase, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 55 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1440p to 4K is 44%. At High settings, 47 FPS at 1080p becomes 31 FPS at 1440p (a 34% drop) and 17 FPS at 4K (a 45% drop). At Ultra settings, 37 FPS at 1080p falls to 24 FPS at 1440p (35% drop) and 13 FPS at 4K (46% drop).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets is notable. Regardless of whether the game runs at Low or Ultra, the scaling pattern remains nearly identical, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component at all times. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences between 1080p and 1440p, since the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution. Instead, the data shows the Arc B370 is overwhelmed by the pixel throughput demands of higher resolutions.

The 4K results are particularly telling. Even at Low settings, the average FPS of 26 is below playable thresholds for most users. At Ultra, the 13 FPS average is effectively a slideshow. The data suggests this combo should not be used at 4K for this game under any settings configuration. The 1440p results are marginally better, with Low settings hitting 47 FPS, but the higher presets fall below 40 FPS. Only at 1080p does the combo approach acceptable performance, and even then only at Low and Medium settings.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of which settings presets deliver the best experience. The primary consideration is maintaining a frame rate that avoids visible stutter and input lag. The data shows that 1080p Low delivers 71 FPS average, the highest of any configuration measured. This is the only settings/resolution combination that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the definitive choice for smooth gameplay.

At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS. This is a playable range, though the minimum frame rate suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable. The jump from Low to Medium costs 16 FPS on average, a 23% reduction, which is a significant trade-off for the visual improvements Medium typically provides. Given the GPU's limited headroom, the data supports staying at Low settings if frame rate consistency is the priority.

At 1080p High, the average falls to 47 FPS, and at Ultra it drops to 37 FPS. Neither of these presets maintains a minimum above 30 FPS (the minimums were not measured for these presets, but the averages are low enough that dips below 30 are likely). The 1440p results are worse across the board: Low averages 47 FPS, Medium 36 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 24 FPS. The 4K results are only suitable for static screenshots, with the highest average being 26 FPS at Low.

The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low. This provides the highest average frame rate and the largest margin above the minimum playability threshold. For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, 1080p Medium is the only other viable option, but the data shows a substantial frame rate cost. The recommendation is to use 1080p Low for action-heavy sequences and consider 1080p Medium only for slower exploration moments where the minimum FPS of 47 is acceptable.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 71 FPS. Medium settings produce 55 FPS average, with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS. High settings produce 47 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 37 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline of roughly 8-16 FPS per settings tier, with the largest single drop occurring between Low and Medium.

At 2560x1440, performance falls below the 60 FPS threshold at every settings level. Low settings average 47 FPS. Medium settings average 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and maximum of 41 FPS. High settings average 31 FPS. Ultra settings average 24 FPS. The minimum FPS of 30 at Medium settings indicates the combo is right at the edge of playability, with any demanding scene likely causing drops below that threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unusable for interactive gameplay. Low settings average 26 FPS. Medium settings average 20 FPS, with a minimum of 17 FPS and maximum of 23 FPS. High settings average 17 FPS. Ultra settings average 13 FPS. The Medium settings row is the only one with measured minimum and maximum values, showing a tight range that reflects the GPU's consistent inability to maintain higher frame rates.

The data can be summarized by resolution: 1080p offers one playable setting (Low) and one borderline setting (Medium). 1440p offers no settings above 48 FPS, with Low being the only option that approaches playability. 4K offers no settings above 27 FPS, making it unsuitable for anything other than benchmarking or static scenes. The variance between minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings across all resolutions is narrow — 16 FPS at 1080p, 11 FPS at 1440p, and 6 FPS at 4K — indicating the GPU operates near its ceiling consistently.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and includes UHD Graphics 770 as integrated graphics. The CPU's TDP is 125 W, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as the measured frame rates indicate the system is entirely GPU-bound. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491, single-core score of 2064; Geekbench multi-core of 16673, single-core of 2491; Passmark multi-thread of 38682 and single-thread of 4270. These place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

The nearest CPU rivals show how close the performance margins are. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a delta of -0.2% from the i5-14600K. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a delta of 0.3%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a delta of 0.7%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a delta of -0.8%. None of these rivals exceed a 1% difference, indicating the i5-14600K is squarely in the middle of its performance tier.

Given this CPU's capability, it is not the limiting factor in any of the measured FPS rows. The proof lies in the resolution scaling: if the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the data shows frame rates dropping by roughly 35-45% with each resolution step up, which is characteristic of a GPU that cannot keep up with pixel fill demands. The CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU cannot translate that data into frames quickly enough.

The 14 cores and 20 threads are far more than The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, would require. The game's release date of 2016-06-27 predates the CPU by over seven years, and its threading model is unlikely to utilize even a fraction of the i5-14600K's capabilities. The CPU's single-core performance, as measured by the 2064 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics calculations. In this pairing, the CPU is effectively idle while the GPU works at maximum capacity.

# FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2603 out of 2825 tested combos in this game, placing it in the bottom 8th percentile of all tested systems.

Q: What is the best settings preset for playable frame rates?

A: The 1080p Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 71 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset averages 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, which is the only other configuration approaching playable performance.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B370 scores 1184. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (-0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (-0.5%), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (-0.7%), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (+1.4%).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution and settings combination. The frame rate drops by roughly 35-45% with each resolution increase from 1080p to 4K, which indicates the GPU is saturated, while the CPU ranks in the 90th percentile of all processors.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, and only Low settings stay above 45 FPS.

Q: Does the Arc B370 have dedicated video memory?

A: No, the GPU uses System Shared memory, meaning it relies on the same system memory pool as the CPU. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as System Shared or System Dependent, with no dedicated VRAM.