The Technomancer

The Technomancer pairs a six-core, twelve-thread AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with the 16 GB AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. This is an older CPU from the 2000 series with Zen architecture, running at a base of 3.40 GHz and a boost of 3.90 GHz, combined with a modern RDNA 2.0 GPU that boosts to 2250 MHz. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets show a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings, but the CPU still sets a ceiling at lower presets where the GPU is less stressed.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 2600 provides six physical cores and twelve threads, a configuration that was designed for mainstream desktop workloads. Its 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 46.9 GB/s bandwidth) are typical for its generation. In The Technomancer, the CPU’s influence is most visible when comparing the scaling between low and medium presets at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 162.9 FPS, but dropping to Medium only reduces the average to 148.1 FPS, which is a modest 9% decline. This small gap suggests the CPU is already near its limit at Low, as the GPU is not the primary constraint when settings are this light.

The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce this picture. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11186, and its single-core score is 1579. Relative to all CPUs, it sits at the 77th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 19616. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-1345U, scores 19691, which is only 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U trails by 0.6%. This means the 2600 is statistically tied with those mobile parts, but those are newer designs with higher clocks per watt. In a game like The Technomancer, which is not known for heavy multithreading, the 2600’s single-thread performance (159 in Cinebench R15 single-core) is the more relevant metric. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS of 162.9 is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors target, but the CPU’s headroom is limited. If you were to pair this CPU with a faster GPU, the 1080p Low result would likely not improve much, as the frame rate is already constrained by the processor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RX 6800 XT is a high-end card with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz, and it has 4608 shading units. The GPU’s 72 ray accelerators and 128 ROPs are far beyond what The Technomancer, a 2016 title, actually needs. The card’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3689 and PassMark G3D score of 24980 place it at the 87th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49982. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A550M, is 0.5% ahead, while the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is 2.6% behind.

In The Technomancer, the GPU’s dominance is clear at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 36.6 FPS, but at 4K High it rises to 51.7 FPS. This 15 FPS jump from Ultra to High is entirely due to the GPU’s workload being reduced, as the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K. The card’s 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game; even at 4K Ultra, the memory size is not a limiting factor. The GPU’s performance is so far above the game’s requirements that the only way to stress it is to push resolution and settings to the maximum. The 4K Low result of 78.5 FPS demonstrates that even at lower settings, the GPU still delivers playable frame rates, but the card’s potential is wasted at 1080p Low where the CPU takes over.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU scaling as resolution increases, but with a notable CPU constraint at the low end. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 135.7 at 1080p to 90.9 at 1440p, then to 51.7 at 4K. That is a 33% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 43% drop from 1440p to 4K. This is classic GPU-bound behavior, as the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RX 6800 XT’s pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s are being fully utilized as resolution climbs.

However, the Low preset tells a different story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 162.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low only drops it to 141.4 FPS (a 13% reduction), and 4K Low still yields 78.5 FPS. The relatively small drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings suggests the CPU is becoming a factor at 1080p, because the GPU is not working hard enough to be the sole bottleneck. If the GPU were the only limit, the 1080p Low to 1440p Low drop would be larger, closer to the 33% seen at High settings. Instead, the 13% drop indicates the CPU is holding back the frame rate at 1080p Low. At 4K Low, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck again, as the 78.5 FPS is a 44% drop from 1440p Low, which aligns with the GPU-bound scaling seen at High.

The Medium preset sits in between. At 1080p Medium, the average is 148.1 FPS, which drops to 108 at 1440p (27% lower) and then to 59.3 at 4K (45% lower). This shows that Medium is still GPU-limited at 1440p and 4K, but the 1080p Medium result is close enough to the Low result that the CPU is likely contributing to the frame rate ceiling. Overall, the data indicates that this combo is GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K for all presets, but at 1080p, only the Ultra preset (110.1 FPS) is clearly GPU-bound, while Low and Medium are partially CPU-limited.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a smooth experience at 1080p, the High preset is the best choice. It delivers 135.7 FPS, which is only 27 FPS lower than Low (162.9) but offers significantly better visual quality than Low. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 25.6 FPS (down to 110.1), which is still playable but a noticeable loss for marginal visual gains. At 1440p, High is again the sweet spot, hitting 90.9 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for drops. Ultra at 1440p drops to 72.3 FPS, which is still playable, but High provides a more stable margin. Medium at 1440p is not worth the visual sacrifice, as it only gains 17.1 FPS over High (108 vs 90.9).

At 4K, the situation changes. High produces 51.7 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target, but it is the only preset that balances visual quality with playability. Ultra at 4K is 36.6 FPS, which is too low for a smooth action RPG, and Low at 4K (78.5 FPS) sacrifices too much visual fidelity. Medium at 4K (59.3 FPS) is close to High but with worse shadows and textures. The recommendation is to use High at all resolutions if you want consistent performance, as it offers the best trade-off between frame rate and quality. If you prioritize frame rate at 4K, Medium is acceptable, but High is the better overall experience. For competitive play at 1080p, Low or Medium can push past 148 FPS, but the visual downgrade is significant for a game like The Technomancer, where atmosphere matters.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Ryzen 5 2600 and RX 6800 XT ranks 664th out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. That places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, meaning 40% of combos perform better. Given the GPU’s high percentile (87th) and the CPU’s more modest 77th percentile, this rank is expected. The combo is held back by the CPU at 1080p, but at 1440p and 4K, the GPU pulls it up. The rank of 664 suggests that while the RX 6800 XT is a strong card, the Ryzen 5 2600 is the weak link in this pairing for this particular game.

Compared to other combos in the database, this system is likely outperformed by any pairing of a newer CPU (like the Ryzen 5 7530U or Intel Core i5-11600KF, which are rivals in CPU benchmarks) with a similar GPU. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19616 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-1345U (19691), so any FPS difference in The Technomancer would come from the GPU. Since the RX 6800 XT is a high-end card, the combo’s rank is more dependent on the CPU than the GPU. If you were to swap the 2600 for a faster CPU, the 1080p Low and Medium results would likely improve, pushing the rank higher. At 4K, the rank would barely change, as the GPU is the limit. The data shows that this combo is a good 1440p and 4K performer, but not a top-tier 1080p system for high-refresh gaming.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo good for 1080p gaming?

A: The data shows 135.7 FPS at 1080p High, which is excellent. However, at 1080p Low, the frame rate is 162.9, and the small gap to Medium (148.1) suggests the CPU is limiting performance at lower settings. For most games at High or Ultra, it is fine.

Q: Can this system handle 4K?

A: Yes, but only at High settings, where it averages 51.7 FPS. Ultra at 4K drops to 36.6 FPS, which is not smooth. Medium at 4K hits 59.3 FPS, but High is the recommended preset for visual quality.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM useful for The Technomancer?

A: The game does not need 16 GB of VRAM, as it is a 2016 title. The RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB GDDR6 memory is far more than required, so VRAM is never a bottleneck in this game.

Q: What is the biggest weakness of this combo?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600’s single-thread performance (159 in Cinebench R15) limits frame rates at 1080p Low and Medium. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 19616, which is 0.4% lower than its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-1345U.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to others?

A: It ranks 664th out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This is above average (60th percentile), but the CPU holds it back from higher ranks.

Q: Should I use Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Ultra at 1440p averages 72.3 FPS, which is playable. High at 1440p averages 90.9 FPS, providing a smoother experience with only a minor visual difference. High is recommended for consistency.