The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 presents a compelling question for The Technomancer: does this mid-range 2022 CPU and end-of-life 2020 GPU combination deliver a smooth experience in this 2016 Action RPG? The measured data shows a system that scales cleanly across resolutions, but with a sharp cliff at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, this combo is firmly in playable territory, even at the highest preset; at 4K, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. The benchmark results indicate a GPU-bound setup where the RTX 3070 does the heavy lifting, while the Ryzen 5 5500’s six Zen 3 cores provide sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 100.5, and at 1440p Ultra it is 64.8. At 3840x2160 Ultra, however, the average drops to 32.4 FPS, which falls well below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. It allows the Ultra preset to run at an average of 64.8 FPS, providing a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a playable frame rate. 1920x1080 offers higher FPS (100.5 on Ultra) but at lower visual fidelity.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially tied with its nearest competitors. Its average benchmark score of 19593 is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617), 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668), and 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499). This indicates performance parity within a very tight margin.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the system is well-balanced at 1080p, but the CPU becomes a limiting factor at the lowest settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 190.1, which is far above the 60 FPS target, indicating the GPU is not the primary constraint there. The CPU's multi-threaded score of 6900 in Cinebench R20 is sufficient to feed the GPU at these frame rates.

Q: What settings should I use for 4K gaming?

A: For 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, with an average FPS of 66.6. The Medium preset drops to 54.8 FPS, and High falls to 43.8 FPS. To maintain a stable 60+ FPS experience at 4K, you must use the Low preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This specific combo ranks 1620 out of 3696 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This places it in the 44th percentile, indicating it is a mid-pack performer that handles the game adequately at standard resolutions but is not top-tier for 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Ryzen 5 5500 and the RTX 3070 in The Technomancer is heavily skewed toward the GPU. The scaling of average FPS across resolutions confirms this. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 100.5 FPS, but dropping to Low at the same resolution increases that to 190.1 FPS. This massive 89.6 FPS jump when reducing graphical load shows that the GPU is the primary performance driver; the CPU is not holding it back at this resolution. The Ryzen 5 5500’s 12 threads and 16 MB of L3 cache are more than enough to keep up with the RTX 3070’s frame output here.

Moving to 2560x1440, the gap between Low (125.7 FPS) and Ultra (64.8 FPS) narrows to 60.9 FPS. While still GPU-bound, the margin shrinks, indicating that the increased pixel count begins to load the GPU more heavily. The CPU’s role becomes less about raw frame generation and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing. Its single-thread score of 2319 in Cinebench R23 shows it has the per-core strength to handle the game's logic without stuttering, even as the GPU works harder.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is utterly dominant. The Ultra preset plummets to 32.4 FPS, while Low manages 66.6 FPS. The difference between these settings is a massive 34.2 FPS, proving that the RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are the sole determinants of performance. The CPU’s architecture and clock speed become irrelevant at this resolution. The data shows that regardless of the CPU's benchmark scores, the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, and the CPU's performance ceiling is never approached.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the goal is to find the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. It delivers an average of 100.5 FPS, which is 40.5 FPS above the playable threshold. This provides the highest visual quality with substantial performance headroom, ensuring the game remains smooth even during demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains playable, with an average of 64.8 FPS. While this is only 4.8 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, it still clears the bar. This is the optimal setting for this resolution, as it delivers the full visual experience with only a slight margin for potential dips.

At 3840x2160, the situation is different. The Low preset is the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, hitting 66.6 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 54.8 FPS, which is below the threshold. Therefore, for a stable experience at 4K, you must accept the Low preset.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run The Technomancer, but the experience is heavily dependent on your target resolution.

At 1920x1080, this system is unequivocally excellent. Every single preset, from Low to Ultra, runs well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset’s 100.5 FPS average means you get the best visual experience with massive performance headroom. This is the resolution where the combo shines brightest.

At 2560x1440, the system remains fully playable. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) clear the 60 FPS bar. The Ultra preset’s 64.8 FPS average is playable, but it is close to the edge; if you prefer a larger safety margin, the High preset at 83.6 FPS is a more conservative choice. This resolution offers the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system is only marginally playable. Only the Low preset (66.6 FPS) clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset (54.8 FPS) and High preset (43.8 FPS) are below the threshold, and Ultra (32.4 FPS) is unplayable. The verdict is clear: this is not a 4K gaming setup for this title. You can play, but only with significant visual compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 66.6. This is the only playable preset at this resolution.
• Medium: Average FPS 54.8. Below the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: Average FPS 43.8. A significant drop in performance.
• Ultra: Average FPS 32.4. Not suitable for smooth gameplay.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 125.7. This provides an extremely smooth experience, far above the playable threshold.
• Medium: Average FPS 97.4. Excellent performance with a visual upgrade over Low.
• High: Average FPS 83.6. A solid balance of quality and speed.
• Ultra: Average FPS 64.8. Just above the 60 FPS threshold, offering the highest visual fidelity.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 190.1. This is a very high frame rate, indicating a low GPU load.
• Medium: Average FPS 145.9. Still far above the threshold, offering better visual settings.
• High: Average FPS 124.0. Excellent performance for high-quality settings.
• Ultra: Average FPS 100.5. The most demanding preset still delivers a high average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the full database of tested configurations for The Technomancer, this pairing of AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1620 out of 3696 combinations. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested systems. The data indicates that while this combo is not a top-tier performer, it is far from a low-end one. Its ranking is a direct result of its strong 1080p and 1440p performance being offset by its inability to handle 4K Ultra.

The GPU's individual performance is a key factor. Its average benchmark score of 17208 places it at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, and its Passmark G3D score of 22214 shows it is a capable DirectX 11 performer. However, the nearest rivals list shows it is barely differentiated from the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (which has a 0.7% higher average score) and even the older NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (1% higher). This tight grouping suggests the RTX 3070 is closely matched with these alternatives in synthetic tests.

The CPU, ranking at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, provides a stable foundation. However, its performance parity with rivals like the Intel Core i5-12500 (a 0.4% lower score) and Intel Core i7-10700F (a 0.5% higher score) means it offers no significant advantage or disadvantage in this game. The overall combo ranking of 1620 is a reflection of the GPU's mid-pack standing, combined with a CPU that is more than adequate for the task at hand. For a 1080p or 1440p gaming rig, this is a solid, balanced performer; for 4K, it falls short of the playable threshold at high settings.