The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress profile for modern hardware. This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, using the measured FPS data provided. The results show a system that is heavily influenced by the CPU's older architecture, particularly at lower resolutions, while the GPU's immense power becomes the dominant factor at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 2000 series, built on the Zen architecture (Pinnacle Ridge). It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. While it features a 16 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory, its performance metrics place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21484. This is a solid, mid-range processor by modern standards, but it is clearly outmatched by the GPU it is paired with.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 2600 is a limiting factor at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the system achieves 127 FPS. When the resolution is lowered to 1080p Low, the FPS only increases to 161. This 34 FPS difference shows that the CPU is not the sole bottleneck, as a purely GPU-bound scenario would show a more dramatic jump when settings are reduced. The CPU's single-thread performance, as indicated by its Geekbench single-core score of 1154, likely caps the frame rate in less demanding scenes.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are more relevant at higher resolutions where the GPU takes longer to render each frame. Even so, the Ryzen 5 2600's performance is modest. Its Cinebench R15 multi-core score is 1248, and its Passmark multi-thread score is 13160. These figures suggest that while it can handle modern games, it does not have the headroom to push exceptionally high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. The data shows that the system's performance in this game is a delicate balance, with the CPU's limitations becoming less pronounced as the resolution increases and the GPU workload becomes more substantial.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. The goal is to find a balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, typically targeting 60 FPS or higher.

At 4K, the options are limited. The High preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset provides a safer margin with an average of 82 FPS and a recorded minimum of 69 FPS, ensuring a more consistent experience. The Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset yields 106 FPS but at a significant cost to visual quality.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset is the best choice for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, delivering an average of 99 FPS. The High preset is also excellent, achieving 120 FPS, which is ideal for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset offers 127 FPS, but the jump to Ultra is only a 28 FPS reduction, making it a worthwhile trade-off for the visual improvements. The Low preset at 140 FPS offers diminishing returns over Ultra.

At 1080p, the system is often CPU-limited, so the differences between presets are smaller. The Ultra preset is the clear winner, providing an average of 127 FPS. This is high enough for most displays and offers the best visual experience. The High preset at 138 FPS and Medium at 146 FPS are only marginally faster, suggesting that the CPU is preventing the GPU from stretching its legs. The Low preset at 161 FPS offers no real advantage over Ultra in this scenario, as the visual downgrade is not worth the minimal FPS gain.

The analysis indicates that for a 60 FPS target at 4K, the High preset is the optimal choice. For high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p, the Ultra preset is recommended. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best overall, as the CPU limits the potential gains from lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how the system's performance scales with resolution. This scaling is a direct indicator of which component is the primary bottleneck.

At 1080p, the average FPS across presets is very high. The Ultra preset hits 127 FPS, and the Low preset hits 161 FPS. The difference between the lowest and highest settings is only 34 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough power to render frames much faster than the CPU can supply them.

Moving to 1440p, the average FPS drops significantly. The Ultra preset falls to 99 FPS, and the Low preset drops to 140 FPS. The gap between settings widens to 41 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to become more relevant. The frame rate is still high, but the system is transitioning from a CPU-bound state to a more balanced one.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck. The Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, while the Low preset achieves 106 FPS. The difference between settings is now 52 FPS. This is a clear sign that the RTX 4080 SUPER is being fully utilized, and its performance is now the primary constraint. The CPU's speed is no longer the limiting factor, as the GPU is taking much longer to render each frame.

This scaling behavior is typical for a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range CPU. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 2600 holds the system back at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU's raw power takes over at 4K. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, with the Ultra preset falling from 127 FPS to 54 FPS, a 73 FPS decrease. This confirms that the system is well-suited for 4K gaming, where the GPU's capabilities are fully realized, but it leaves performance on the table at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination is ranked 934th out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 25% of all combinations, which is a respectable position given the age of the CPU.

The ranking reflects the significant imbalance between the two components. The GPU is a top-tier performer, sitting in the 86th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 54209. In contrast, the CPU is in the 75th percentile, with an average score of 21484. The combo's ranking is likely dragged down by the CPU's inability to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions, where the system is not fully utilizing the RTX 4080 SUPER's potential.

The data shows that this combo is more competitive at higher resolutions. At 4K, the system's performance is strong, with the High preset achieving 70 FPS. This is a scenario where the CPU's limitations are less impactful, and the GPU's power is the primary driver. The ranking suggests that while this is not the most balanced pairing, it is a very capable one for 4K gaming. The 934th rank out of 3696 indicates that many other combos, likely with newer CPUs, achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. This is a clear case where the GPU is the star of the show, and the CPU is the weak link in the chain.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a powerhouse based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive 736.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its core clocks are impressive, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2550 MHz. The GPU has 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores. This hardware translates into a Passmark G3D score of 34245, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

In The Technomancer, the RTX 4080 SUPER's role is to render the game at high resolutions with maximum detail. The data shows that it is more than capable of handling the game's demands. At 4K with Ultra settings, it maintains an average of 54 FPS, which is a demanding workload. At 1080p with Low settings, it achieves 161 FPS, but this is likely limited by the CPU.

The GPU's performance is best showcased at 4K, where it is the primary bottleneck. The difference between the High and Low presets at 4K is 36 FPS (70 to 106), showing that the GPU has significant headroom. Its 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K with high-resolution textures. The GPU's compute performance, as indicated by its Passmark GPU compute score of 19822, is also strong, though The Technomancer does not appear to be a compute-heavy title.

The RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly the dominant component in this pairing. Its performance is so high that it is often waiting for the CPU to provide more work. This confirms its power, but it also highlights the mismatch with the older Ryzen 5 2600. The GPU is the reason this combo ranks as well as it does, and it is the component that enables playable 4K performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table breaks down the exact measured FPS values for each resolution and settings preset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 (4K) | Ultra | 54 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 (4K) | High | 70 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 (4K) | Medium | 82 | 69 | 94 |

| 3840x2160 (4K) | Low | 106 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 (1440p) | Ultra | 99 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 (1440p) | High | 120 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 (1440p) | Medium | 127 | 108 | 146 |

| 2560x1440 (1440p) | Low | 140 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 (1080p) | Ultra | 127 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 (1080p) | High | 138 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 (1080p) | Medium | 146 | 124 | 168 |

| 1920x1080 (1080p) | Low | 161 | N/A | N/A |

4K Analysis: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 54 FPS. This is the only preset that fails to hit 60 FPS. The High preset is the best for a smooth experience, with 70 FPS. The Medium preset provides a stable 82 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, making it the safest choice for consistent performance. The Low preset is the fastest at 106 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant.

1440p Analysis: All presets are well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 99 FPS is the recommended choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 120 FPS is excellent for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset offers 127 FPS, and the Low preset peaks at 140 FPS. The performance difference between Ultra and Low is 41 FPS, showing the GPU is becoming more involved.

1080p Analysis: The system is CPU-limited here. The Ultra preset still manages 127 FPS, and the Low preset only reaches 161 FPS. The delta between the two is just 34 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is the bottleneck, as the GPU cannot fully stretch its legs. The Ultra preset is the best choice, as it offers the highest visual quality with only a modest FPS penalty compared to Low.