The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an action RPG released in 2016, presents an interesting benchmark scenario when paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. This combination pairs a six-core, twelve-thread processor from AMD’s 2000 series with a modern Ada Lovelace GPU, creating a system that must balance the CPU’s Zen architecture against the GPU’s raw throughput. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but becomes increasingly CPU-bound as settings and resolution drop, making the interaction between these two components central to understanding the frame rates.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor based on the Zen architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3 cache. This configuration was released in April 2018 with a launch MSRP of $199, and its benchmark scores reflect a solid mid-range performer from that era. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 11186 points in multi-core and 1579 points in single-core tests, while its PassMark single-thread score is 2239 and its multithread score is 13160.

The CPU’s role in The Technomancer becomes evident when examining the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 160.4 FPS, which is the highest average recorded. This suggests that at this resolution and setting, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU sufficiently, but the data also shows that the Ryzen 5 2600 sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-1345U with an average score of 19691 (deltaPct -0.4%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U with 19508 (deltaPct 0.6%), indicate that the 2600 is closely matched with modern efficiency-oriented chips. The processor’s PassMark data compression score of 187062 and floating-point math score of 22942 suggest it can handle the physics and AI calculations typical of an action RPG, though its single-thread performance may become a limiting factor in scenarios where the game engine relies heavily on one or two cores.

When the resolution increases to 3840x2160, the CPU’s influence on the final frame rate diminishes. The difference between Low (90.5 FPS) and Ultra (49.3 FPS) at 4K is primarily a GPU workload, but the CPU must still issue draw calls and manage game logic. The data shows that even at the lowest settings, the system does not exceed 90.5 FPS at 4K, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. However, the CPU’s 12 threads are likely sufficient for the game’s multi-threaded tasks, as the system maintains playable frame rates across all settings at 4K, which is not always the case for older processors paired with high-end GPUs in newer titles.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a substantial GPU featuring the AD104 chip on a 5 nm process, with 35,800 million transistors. It operates with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This Ada Lovelace architecture card has 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores. Its compute capabilities are rated at 35.48 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate.

The GPU’s performance in The Technomancer is showcased by the measured frame rates, which show a clear scaling pattern as settings and resolution change. At 1920x1080, the GPU delivers 160.4 FPS on Low, 147.2 FPS on Medium, 135.5 FPS on High, and 127 FPS on Ultra. This tight spread indicates that the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings only reduce the frame rate by roughly 21% compared to Low. At 2560x1440, the scaling becomes more pronounced, with Low at 137 FPS and Ultra at 84.9 FPS, showing that the GPU is starting to become more heavily utilized. The most significant shift occurs at 3840x2160, where the GPU’s workload becomes dominant: Low yields 90.5 FPS, Medium 71.6 FPS, High 58.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 49.3 FPS.

The GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for a 2016 title like The Technomancer, even at 4K with Ultra settings, so memory capacity is not a concern. The RTX 4070 SUPER ranks at the 84th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (avgScore 42653, deltaPct -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (avgScore 42723, deltaPct -0.3%), placing it in elite territory. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 29995 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 confirm its high-end positioning, and its performance in this game reflects that, as it is able to push average frame rates above 49 FPS even at the most demanding settings tested.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 549th out of 1656 combos tested in The Technomancer. This places the pair in the top third of all configurations, which is notable given the age of the CPU relative to the GPU. The rank of 549 suggests that while the RTX 4070 SUPER is a powerful card, the Ryzen 5 2600 holds back the overall performance compared to newer processors that would be paired with this GPU. The CPU’s percentile of 77 and its average benchmark score of 19616, which is very close to its nearest rivals like the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19740, deltaPct -0.6%), indicate that it is a competent but not exceptional processor by modern standards.

The combo’s ranking is heavily influenced by the resolution at which the system is tested. At 1080p, where the CPU has more influence, the system’s performance is likely closer to what a more balanced pairing would achieve, but at 4K, the GPU dominates and the CPU’s limitations are less apparent. The fact that this combo ranks 549th out of 1656 means that there are 548 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this game, which is expected given that many of those would include newer, higher-tier CPUs. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of much higher performance, but the Ryzen 5 2600 prevents the system from reaching the very top of the rankings, particularly in CPU-sensitive scenarios at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system achieves its highest frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 160.4 FPS, which is the peak performance recorded. Medium settings yield 147.2 FPS, High settings produce 135.5 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a very smooth 127 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 33.4 FPS, or about 21%, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the increased graphical load without significant frame rate degradation.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a wider variance between settings. The Low preset delivers 137 FPS, which is a 14.6% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings at 1440p achieve 126.9 FPS, High settings hit 108.6 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 84.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 52.1 FPS, or about 38%, which is more than double the percentage drop seen at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor, with the higher resolution increasing the pixel count and shading workload.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is clearly GPU-bound. The Low preset averages 90.5 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 34% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings produce 71.6 FPS, High settings yield 58.4 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 49.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 41.2 FPS, or about 45%, showing that the GPU is fully utilized and that each setting tier has a substantial impact on performance. None of the 4K results reach the 60 FPS threshold on Ultra, but the High preset at 58.4 FPS is very close, and the Low preset at 90.5 FPS provides a comfortable margin.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 58.4 FPS, narrowly missing 60 FPS, while the Medium preset at 71.6 FPS exceeds 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings including Ultra (84.9 FPS) surpass 60 FPS, and at 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 127 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on Ultra settings?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 127 FPS, while the same preset at 3840x2160 averages 49.3 FPS, representing a 61% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The system achieves 160.4 FPS at 1080p Low, which is the highest result recorded. The CPU’s single-thread score of 2239 in PassMark and its position at the 77th percentile suggest it is capable of handling this workload, but the frame rate is still below what the RTX 4070 SUPER could theoretically achieve, indicating some CPU limitation.

Q: How does the GPU rank compared to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576, placing it at the 84th percentile. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42653 with a deltaPct of -0.2%, meaning the 4070 SUPER is 0.2% slower on average.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combo ranks 549th out of 1656 tested combinations in The Technomancer, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance impact the 4K results?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rates range from 49.3 FPS on Ultra to 90.5 FPS on Low. The GPU’s bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s and 12 GB of VRAM are sufficient, and the CPU’s 12 threads are likely adequate, but the tight scaling with settings indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user’s target frame rate and resolution. For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 127 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 135.5 FPS offers a slight performance increase with a marginal visual reduction, making it a good alternative for those who prioritize higher refresh rates. The Medium preset at 147.2 FPS and Low preset at 160.4 FPS are also viable for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is likely unnecessary given the already high frame rates on Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 108.6 FPS provides an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance, offering a significant improvement over Ultra’s 84.9 FPS while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 126.9 FPS is also a strong choice for users who want even higher frame rates, as the visual difference between Medium and High in this game is modest. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the Low preset at 137 FPS is the only setting that comes close to saturating the refresh rate, but the visual compromises may not be worth it for a single-player action RPG.

For 4K displays, the data shows that the High preset at 58.4 FPS is just below the 60 FPS target, while the Medium preset at 71.6 FPS comfortably exceeds it. The recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 3840x2160, as it provides a 22.6% performance increase over High while the visual difference between Medium and High is typically less noticeable at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 49.3 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, and the Low preset at 90.5 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for the performance gain. The Medium preset at 4K represents the best compromise between image quality and frame rate for this combination of CPU and GPU.