The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, shows a wide performance spread when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B570. The measured data reveals a combo that is heavily reliant on resolution and settings, with a clear ceiling at 4K and strong potential at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) to show exactly where this pairing excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 52 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 29 FPS, which is a 64% reduction from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern shows a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where the pixel throughput demands exceed what the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus can efficiently deliver.

The trend continues across all settings presets. With Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 93 FPS to 61 FPS, and then down to 33 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently large, suggesting that the GPU's compute resources and memory bandwidth are saturated when pushing 8.3 million pixels. The 4K Ultra preset is barely playable at 22 FPS, while 4K Low manages 44 FPS, showing that even at the lowest settings, the resolution is the bottleneck.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate than the jump to 4K. For instance, at Low settings, 1080p yields 121 FPS, and 1440p yields 79 FPS. This 35% drop is significant but still leaves the game playable. However, the 4K Low result of 44 FPS is a 44% drop from 1440p Low, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The data clearly shows that for a smooth experience, this combo should be aimed at 1080p or 1440p, with 4K reserved for the lowest settings if a playable frame rate is the priority.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, provides ample headroom. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the constraint here; the consistent FPS drops track with pixel count, which is a hallmark of GPU limitation. There is no scenario in the data where the FPS stays flat across resolutions, which would indicate a CPU bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for the best experience. At 1080p, the sweet spot is the High preset, which delivers 80 FPS. This is a significant jump from the Ultra preset's 62 FPS, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in a 2016 title is often minimal. The Medium preset at 93 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but High offers a better balance of image quality and performance.

For 1440p, the High preset drops to 52 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 61 FPS provides a smoother experience and is the recommended setting for this resolution. The data shows that 1440p Medium is the highest quality setting that maintains a consistently playable frame rate, with measured minimums of 52 FPS and maximums of 70 FPS.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, averaging 44 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 33 FPS, and High falls to 29 FPS. For a 4K experience, Low settings are the only reasonable choice, but even then, the frame rate is borderline. The Ultra preset at 22 FPS is not recommended for any gameplay scenario.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is at 1080p with High settings. This provides a 80 FPS average, which is smooth and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. For users with 1440p monitors, Medium settings are the way to go, as they offer the best compromise between visual quality and performance. The 4K resolution is not a viable option for this combo unless the user is willing to accept Low settings and a sub-45 FPS experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1080p is the optimal resolution. At High settings, the combo averages 80 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. 1440p is viable with Medium settings (61 FPS average), but 4K is not recommended for a consistent experience, as even Low settings only achieve 44 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 62 FPS, which is 18 FPS lower than the High preset's 80 FPS. Given the performance cost, High is the better choice unless the user specifically wants the maximum visual settings and can tolerate the lower frame rate.

Q: Is the game CPU-bound or GPU-bound with this hardware?

A: The data strongly suggests the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting factor. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its high boost clock and 14 cores, does not appear to be a bottleneck in any of the tested settings.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS for the Medium preset at all three resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum is 79 FPS; at 1440p, it is 52 FPS; and at 4K, it is 28 FPS. These figures provide a good indication of the worst-case performance during intense scenes.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The only playable preset at 4K is Low, which averages 44 FPS. Medium drops to 33 FPS, and High falls to 29 FPS. For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K is not achievable with this combination.

Q: How does the Arc B570's performance in The Technomancer compare to its general benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 14195. In this game, the 1080p High result of 80 FPS is a strong showing, but the sharp drop at 4K reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, where its 10 GB memory and 160-bit bus limit high-resolution performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are strong. The Low preset averages 121 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, indicating a stable experience. High averages 80 FPS, and Ultra averages 62 FPS. This shows a clear linear scaling with settings, where each step up in quality costs roughly 15-20% performance.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low averages 79 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium averages 61 FPS, with minimums of 52 FPS and maximums of 70 FPS. High averages 52 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. The step from Medium to High at 1440p costs 9 FPS, which is a significant hit for a small visual gain. The data suggests that Medium is the ceiling for a consistently smooth experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal. Low averages 44 FPS, which is the only preset above 40 FPS. Medium averages 33 FPS, with minimums of 28 FPS and maximums of 39 FPS. High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 11 FPS, showing that the GPU is severely strained at this resolution. Even the Low preset's 44 FPS may feel choppy in action-heavy sequences.

The data also shows that the minimum FPS figures for the Medium preset are relatively close to the averages, indicating that the game does not have severe frame-time spikes. At 1080p, the minimum is 79 FPS versus an average of 93 FPS; at 1440p, it is 52 FPS versus 61 FPS; and at 4K, it is 28 FPS versus 33 FPS. This consistency is a positive sign, as it means the gameplay experience will be stable even if the average frame rate is low.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2256 out of 2825 combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested systems, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's mid-range capabilities. The ranking is heavily influenced by the 4K results, where the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates.

The Arc B570 itself sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582 (a -0.1% difference). These scores suggest that the B570 is competitive with those cards in synthetic benchmarks, but the in-game results for The Technomancer show a different story, particularly at high resolutions.

The CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. It is within 1% of rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and the Intel Core i5-14600K. This high CPU ranking does not translate to a high combo ranking, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. The data indicates that pairing a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is only as strong as its weakest link.

The low combo rank is also a reflection of the game's release date. The Technomancer was released in 2016, and its engine may not be well-optimized for modern graphics hardware. The data shows that the GPU's raw power is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the steep performance drop at 4K. This suggests that driver optimization and game-specific quirks play a role in the final ranking.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, which provides strong single-thread performance. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 4648 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32924 in multi-core, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48995 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is minimal. The game's performance scaling with resolution indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU. The 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for a 2016 Action RPG, and the high boost clock ensures that any single-threaded game logic runs without issue. The CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory also contribute to a capable platform, but these features do not directly impact the measured FPS in this title.

The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor even at 1080p Low, where the combo achieves 121 FPS. This is a high frame rate that would stress many CPUs, but the Ultra 5 245 handles it without issue. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394 confirm its capability. When compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU is within a 0.8% delta of the Intel Core i5-14600K, which means it is not a differentiator in this game.

The conclusion from the data is that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a powerful processor that is wasted in this pairing for The Technomancer. The game's performance is entirely dictated by the Intel Arc B570's ability to render frames, especially at higher resolutions. For users looking to upgrade this system, replacing the GPU would yield far greater performance gains than upgrading the CPU, which is already in the top 10% of all processors.