The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales sharply with resolution. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics, the benchmark data reveals a system that is firmly limited by its graphics solution. This combination delivers playable frame rates only at 1080p with reduced settings, and the performance curve from 1080p to 4K illustrates a classic GPU-bound scenario where the processor's capabilities are largely left untapped.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and steep decline as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a system constrained by its graphics processor. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 79 FPS, which drops to 52 FPS at High settings and 40 FPS at Ultra. Moving to 1440p, the same settings yield 52 FPS (Low), 34 FPS (High), and 26 FPS (Ultra). At 4K, the numbers fall further to 28 FPS (Low), 19 FPS (High), and 15 FPS (Ultra). This represents a 65% reduction in average FPS from 1080p Low to 4K Low, and a 62.5% reduction from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra. Such proportional drops across all quality presets indicate that the rendering pipeline, not the CPU, is the bottleneck.

The scaling pattern is consistent: each doubling of pixel count from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by roughly 34-35%, and the jump from 1440p to 4K causes another 40-45% reduction. For example, at Medium settings, 1080p delivers 61 FPS, 1440p delivers 40 FPS, and 4K delivers 22 FPS. This non-linear degradation is typical for a GPU operating beyond its comfortable range. The Intel Arc B390, with its integrated nature and modest specifications, simply cannot maintain adequate throughput at higher resolutions. The data suggests that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this pairing, and even then, only Low or Medium settings provide consistently smooth gameplay. The 4K results, with averages in the teens and low twenties, are not suitable for real-time action, and the 1440p results, while better, still fall short of the 60 FPS target for most users.

What this scaling tells a builder is that any attempt to play The Technomancer at 1440p or 4K will be met with frustration. The GPU is the limiting factor, and the CPU’s headroom is irrelevant at these resolutions. The frame rate drops are so steep that they suggest the Arc B390 is operating at its absolute limits even at 1080p, with only the lowest settings providing a comfortable margin. The data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes a constraint; instead, the GPU is the sole arbiter of performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its role in The Technomancer is defined by its modest compute resources: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, alongside 12 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz, and the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the host system’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice ties its performance to the CPU’s memory subsystem. The Core Ultra 5 245 supports dual-channel DDR5 with a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, but that is shared between the CPU and the iGPU.

Benchmark results for the Arc B390 are sparse, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it performs worse than the vast majority of discrete graphics cards. Its nearest rivals, based on average scores, include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% delta), the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% delta). These are all entry-level or legacy mobile parts, which underscores the Arc B390’s position as a basic graphics solution. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS. These figures, while numerically specific, translate to a GPU that can handle light loads but struggles with a demanding title like The Technomancer.

In practical terms, the shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth mean that the Arc B390’s performance is inherently tied to the CPU’s memory controller. The lack of dedicated VRAM is a significant drawback for a game that requires substantial texture storage. The measured FPS data confirms this: even at 1080p Low, the average of 79 FPS is the only result that approaches smoothness, and it drops to 52 FPS at High. The 4K results, with averages between 15 and 28 FPS, are effectively unplayable. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking is a stark indicator that users should not expect any headroom for higher settings or resolutions. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable for an iGPU, but it cannot compensate for the limited shading units and memory bandwidth.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the Intel Arc B390 is ranked 2500 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 11.5% of all configurations, which is a poor result for a modern CPU. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s weak performance, as the CPU itself is a strong performer in general benchmarks. The Core Ultra 5 245 achieves a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest CPU rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, -0.4% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, -0.5% delta), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.6% delta), and the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, 0.8% delta). These deltas are all within 1%, indicating that the CPU is on par with those high-end parts in synthetic tests.

However, the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking drags the entire combo down. The combo rank of 2500 out of 2825 suggests that most other tested configurations, even those with older or weaker CPUs, outperform this pairing in The Technomancer. This is because the game’s frame rates are almost entirely dependent on the GPU, and the Arc B390 is simply not competitive. For a builder, this rank is a warning: the Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable processor, but pairing it with an integrated GPU for gaming is a waste of its potential. The data shows that the CPU’s high percentile ranking does not translate to in-game performance when the GPU is this weak. The combo rank effectively measures the weakest link, and here that link is the graphics solution.

The delta percentages between the CPU and its rivals are minor, but the gap between the Arc B390 and its nearest GPU rivals is also small (1.3% to 2.7%). This means that even swapping the GPU for a marginally better part would not significantly change the combo’s rank. The only way to improve the rank substantially would be to replace the integrated GPU with a discrete card, but that is outside the scope of this data. The rank of 2500 out of 2825 is a clear statement that this combo is near the bottom for this specific game, and users should temper expectations accordingly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers an average of 79 FPS on Low settings, 61 FPS on Medium, 52 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. The Medium settings also show a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. These 1080p results are the only ones that approach playability, with Low and Medium being the only presets that consistently stay above 60 FPS. High settings at 52 FPS are acceptable for a slower-paced RPG, but Ultra at 40 FPS may feel stuttery in combat.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 52 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS (with a min of 34 and max of 46), High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. None of these results reach 60 FPS, and even Low settings are only borderline playable. The jump from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 34% of the frame rate across all settings, which is a heavy price for the extra resolution. The Medium settings’ minimum of 34 FPS suggests that there are moments of significant slowdown, which would be noticeable during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unusable. Low settings average 28 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS (with a min of 19 and max of 25), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. These figures are all below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the frame rates are so low that the game would feel like a slideshow. The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, regardless of settings. The Medium preset’s min of 19 FPS highlights the worst-case scenario, where the game nearly freezes during demanding sequences.

The pattern across all resolutions is that each step up in quality costs roughly 15-20% of the frame rate. For instance, at 1080p, Low to Medium is a 23% drop, Medium to High is a 15% drop, and High to Ultra is a 23% drop. This consistency suggests that the GPU is scaling linearly with the workload, and there are no sudden bottlenecks or thermal throttling. The data is measured, not estimated, so these numbers are reliable. For a builder, the takeaway is that 1080p Low or Medium is the target, and anything higher will require a significant compromise in visual quality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. It supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Its integrated graphics are the Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, which is distinct from the Arc B390. The CPU’s benchmarks are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 32924 and single-core scores 4648, while PassMark single-thread is 4394 and multi-thread is 38706.

In The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU still manages to feed enough frames to reach 79 FPS, but this is not a CPU-limited result. The game’s engine, being from 2016, likely does not utilize all 14 cores effectively, but the high single-core performance of the Core Ultra 5 245 (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648) ensures that the main game thread is handled without issue. The 24 MB of L3 cache is ample for game data, and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for the CPU’s needs, though the shared memory with the iGPU could be a limiting factor for the GPU.

The CPU’s 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995, places it ahead of most processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and Intel Core i5-14600K, both of which are high-end desktop parts. The delta percentages are within 1%, meaning the Core Ultra 5 245 is essentially tied with those CPUs in synthetic benchmarks. However, this strong CPU performance does not translate to higher FPS in The Technomancer because the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that even at 1080p, the frame rates are limited by the Arc B390, not the CPU. For a builder, this means that upgrading the CPU would not improve gaming performance in this title; only a GPU upgrade would.

The CPU’s 14 threads are more than enough for the game’s multithreading, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock provides excellent single-thread responsiveness. The absence of hyperthreading (14 cores, 14 threads) is not a concern for this game. The data indicates that the CPU is never the limiting factor, as even at 1080p Low, the GPU is still the primary constraint. The measured FPS values are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has spare capacity. This is a classic case of a strong processor being held back by a weak graphics solution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: According to the measured FPS data, 1080p with Low settings (79 FPS) or Medium settings (61 FPS) are the only configurations that provide smooth gameplay. High settings at 1080p average 52 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, while Ultra drops to 40 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% delta), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% delta), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% delta). These are all similarly weak parts.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The CPU scores in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648. The resolution scaling shows that frame rates drop consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all settings.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank for The Technomancer?

A: This combo is ranked 2500 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11.5% of all configurations, primarily due to the GPU’s weak performance. The CPU’s strong benchmarks do not compensate for the Arc B390’s limitations.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. At 1440p, the highest average FPS is 52 at Low settings, with Medium at 40 FPS, High at 34 FPS, and Ultra at 26 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, so 1440p is not a viable option for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU’s memory bandwidth affect the GPU’s performance?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 with a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This shared memory setup means the GPU’s performance is tied to the CPU’s memory subsystem, which is a limiting factor for the iGPU.