The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG that stresses hardware in a way that is immediately visible in the measured frame rates. For this configuration, Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B570, the data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet capable of delivering smooth performance at 1080p with adjusted settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and where this specific combo ranks among the tested field.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and predictable decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a graphics card operating at its limits. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 52 FPS, a 35% reduction in frame rate. Pushing further to 4K at High settings yields only 29 FPS on average, which is a 64% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck; the CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU's rendering workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, the spread between Low (121 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) is nearly 2x. At 1440p, the spread narrows slightly, with Low hitting 79 FPS and Ultra falling to 41 FPS. At 4K, the situation becomes critical: Low averages 44 FPS, Medium 33 FPS, High 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to just 22 FPS. The data shows that the game becomes unplayable at 4K Ultra, and even 4K Low is below the 60 FPS threshold that most users target. The frametime data for Medium settings shows a minimum of 28 FPS at 4K and 79 FPS at 1080p, indicating that even the more stable presets have noticeable dips under load.

What this means practically is that the limiting component is the GPU. The CPU is not holding the system back in any measurable way; the FPS drop is almost entirely attributable to the Arc B570's fill rate and memory bandwidth being overwhelmed by higher resolutions. For a smooth experience, the data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with 1440p being playable only if the user is willing to accept lower settings than High. 4K is not a viable target for this game with this hardware, as even the lowest settings fail to reach a consistent 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in The Technomancer?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 121, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: The data indicates no. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 44 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. On Ultra settings, the average drops to 22 FPS, which is not a playable experience.

Q: How does the performance drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 80. At 1440p High, it drops to 52 FPS. At 4K High, the average falls to 29 FPS, representing a 64% reduction from the 1080p baseline.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield an average of 79 FPS, while Ultra settings yield an average of 41 FPS. This is a 48% performance penalty for the highest visual quality preset.

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

A: For Medium settings, the minimum FPS figures are 79 at 1920x1080, 52 at 2560x1440, and 28 at 3840x2160. These are the lowest recorded frames during the benchmark run.

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

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS scales inversely with resolution and settings in a pattern consistent with graphics card limitations, not CPU processing power.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the defining component in this system's gaming performance. Its specifications include 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and uses the BMG-G21 chip, with a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. These specs place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

In the context of The Technomancer, the GPU's role is clear from the measured FPS. The VRAM capacity of 10 GB is not the limiting factor here, as the game is from 2016 and likely does not require that much memory even at 4K. Instead, the computational throughput and memory bandwidth are the keys. The 380 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the demand for texture reads and pixel fill rate exceeds what the card can deliver, resulting in the sub-30 FPS averages seen on High and Ultra settings.

The benchmark results for the GPU show a PassMark G3D score of 14195 and a PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118. The DirectX 11 score is particularly relevant, as The Technomancer relies on that API. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster), the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% slower). This places the B570 in a competitive mid-range tier, but the data shows that tier is not sufficient for 4K gaming in this title.

The FPS data suggests the card is well-utilized at 1080p. The jump from High (80 FPS) to Low (121 FPS) indicates that the GPU has headroom when the pixel shader workload is reduced. At 1440p, the card is working harder, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The 4K results are poor, with even Low settings failing to maintain 45 FPS. This is a clear sign that the GPU's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are insufficient for the 8.3 million pixels in a 4K frame.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Intel Arc B570 ranks 2256 out of 2825 tested combos for this game. This places it in the bottom 20% of all configurations tested. This low ranking is surprising given the individual component scores, but it highlights that game-specific performance can diverge significantly from synthetic benchmarks.

The CPU alone is a high performer, sitting in the 96th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 93785. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon 6520P (0% delta), AMD EPYC 4564P (-1.5% delta), and AMD EPYC 9175F (-1.9% delta). The GPU, while not top-tier, is in the 65th percentile. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU should theoretically yield a decent result, but the game's engine seems to be heavily dependent on GPU raw throughput.

This low rank indicates that most other tested combos feature either faster GPUs or configurations that better match the game's demands. The data suggests that the CPU's power is largely wasted in this title, as the GPU is the bottleneck. A combo with a less powerful CPU but a more powerful GPU would likely rank significantly higher. The 2256th rank out of 2825 is a clear signal that this pairing is not optimized for The Technomancer, and users should not expect competitive performance relative to other systems in the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU features 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus providing 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a powerful desktop processor, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 121 FPS, which is likely near the engine's frame rate ceiling or the GPU's maximum output. The CPU's high single-thread performance, shown in the 2439 single-core score, is beneficial for games that rely on a few fast cores, but this game from 2016 may not be optimized for the 24 available threads.

The CPU's benchmarks show strong multi-threaded performance with a PassMark multithread score of 68574 and a PassMark single-thread score of 5068. These scores are among the highest in the database, placing the CPU in the 96th percentile. However, the game's measured FPS does not scale with the CPU's capabilities. The fact that FPS drops from 121 at 1080p Low to 79 at 1440p Low to 44 at 4K Low shows that the GPU is being saturated, not the CPU.

The CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is not waiting for data. With a boost clock of 5.50 GHz and 24 cores, it is more than capable of handling the game's physics and AI calculations. The 125W TDP and 3nm process node indicate an efficient chip that won't throttle under load. In this specific game, the CPU is a silent partner; it does its job flawlessly, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate. Users should not expect CPU upgrades to improve performance in The Technomancer with this GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset from the data pack.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 121 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average (min 79, max 107)
• High: 80 FPS average
• Ultra: 62 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is very playable. Even Ultra settings maintain an average of 62 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. Low settings push the frame rate to 121 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 79 FPS, indicating no major frame drops.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 79 FPS average
• Medium: 61 FPS average (min 52, max 70)
• High: 52 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance becomes more variable. Low settings are still smooth at 79 FPS, and Medium averages 61 FPS, which is playable. However, High settings drop to 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS, which may be noticeable for users sensitive to frame pacing. The Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS shows there are occasional dips below the average.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 44 FPS average
• Medium: 33 FPS average (min 28, max 39)
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 22 FPS average

4K is not a viable option for this combo. The best case is Low settings at 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium, High, and Ultra settings all produce averages below 35 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive. The Medium preset's minimum of 28 FPS confirms that the experience is inconsistent and likely frustrating.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable, 1440p is acceptable with reduced settings, and 4K is not recommended. The GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p, and users should prioritize resolution over visual fidelity to maintain a smooth experience.