The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT pairing. This combination produces a wide spectrum of frame rates depending on how the game is configured, and the data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphics preset. The benchmark results show that while the GPU is a dominant force, the CPU can also become a limiting factor under certain conditions, creating a nuanced performance profile.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured data is how average FPS scales with resolution. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 166.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 110.1 FPS, a significant 34% reduction in frame rate. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to 60.1 FPS. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K shows that the Radeon RX 7900 XT is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, as the number of pixels being rendered quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across other settings. With Low settings, the frame rate drops from 191.4 FPS at 1080p to 165 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 89.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a larger relative decline than what is seen at High settings. This suggests that at lower settings, the GPU is more fully utilized, and the resolution increase has a more pronounced effect on performance.

What is curious is the relationship between the 1440p and 4K results. At High settings, the drop from 1440p to 4K is a 45% reduction (110.1 to 60.1 FPS), while at Medium settings it is a 47% reduction (127.9 to 67.7 FPS). The data indicates that the limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is likely more of a bottleneck, as the GPU can produce frames faster than the processor can feed it. As resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, which explains the consistent and significant FPS drops at 4K.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end graphics card with substantial resources, including 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz. These specifications are more than sufficient for a 2016 title like The Technomancer, which was designed for hardware of that era.

The GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the 4K results. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 43.5, which is below the 60 FPS target many players consider ideal. This indicates that even with its 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs, the GPU is being pushed to its limits by the combination of 4K resolution and maximum settings. The texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s are high, but The Technomancer at Ultra 4K still manages to stress the card.

The data shows that the GPU is less of a limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 63 FPS (191.4 vs 128.4), showing that the GPU has ample headroom to handle the increased graphical load without a massive performance penalty. However, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46.2 FPS (89.7 vs 43.5), which is a more substantial relative gap, further confirming that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for most users would be to play at 1440p with High settings, which yields an average of 110.1 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while still delivering a high level of visual fidelity. The 4K High setting is also playable at 60.1 FPS, but it is right at the edge of the 60 FPS line, and any demanding scenes could cause noticeable dips.

For those with a 1080p monitor, Ultra settings are achievable with an average of 128.4 FPS. This is a strong result, showing that the combo can handle maximum settings at this resolution with ease. The Low setting at 1080p yields 191.4 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or for users with high refresh rate monitors, but it sacrifices visual quality for raw speed. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced 171.6 FPS, which is a good middle ground.

At 4K, the choice is more constrained. High settings at 60.1 FPS is the only preset that hits the 60 FPS mark. Ultra at 43.5 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, while Low at 89.7 FPS is playable but loses much of the visual detail that 4K can offer. The data suggests that 4K High is the sweet spot for this resolution, providing a playable frame rate without sacrificing too much graphical quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed measurements provide a clear picture of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 128.4 at Ultra to 191.4 at Low. The High preset sits at 166.4, and Medium is at 171.6. The spread is relatively narrow, with about a 33% difference between the lowest and highest frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the results show a wider gap. Ultra drops to 86.7 FPS, while High is at 110.1. Medium achieves 127.9, and Low reaches 165. The difference between Low and Ultra is now 78.3 FPS, showing that the preset has a larger impact at this resolution compared to 1080p. The 1440p results indicate a system that is well-balanced, with the GPU handling the increased pixel count effectively.

The 3840x2160 results show the most dramatic shifts. Ultra is the only setting that falls below 60 FPS, at 43.5. High is just above the line at 60.1, while Medium reaches 67.7. Low is the standout at 89.7, which is impressive for a 4K resolution. The data shows that at 4K, the choice of settings is critical, as the difference between Ultra and Low is 46.2 FPS, representing a 106% performance increase.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing ranks 384 out of 1656 combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 23% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a strong performer for this game. The rank reflects the overall capability of the Ryzen 5 4600G and RX 7900 XT combination, which can handle high resolutions and settings with playable frame rates.

The GPU's individual performance is also notable. Its average benchmark score of 38358 places it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest competitors, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile and the NVIDIA CMP 70HX, have near-identical average scores, with delta percentages of 0 and 0.3 respectively. This shows the RX 7900 XT is a top-tier card, though the data also reveals it is closely matched with some mobile and specialized variants.

The CPU, while not as dominant, still performs respectably. Its average benchmark score of 17489 puts it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and the Intel Core i5-12450H, have nearly identical scores with delta percentages of 0 and 0.1. This suggests that the CPU is a solid mid-range performer, which is sufficient for this game but not a primary driver of the high frame rates seen in the measurements.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 191.4, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only with High settings, which produces an average of 60.1 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 43.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the frame rate drops from 166.4 FPS at 1080p to 60.1 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 106.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17489, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12450H, with a delta percentage of 0.1.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded?

A: The lowest average FPS is 43.5, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Is this combo ranked highly for The Technomancer?

A: Yes, it ranks 384 out of 1656 tested combos, placing it in the top 23% of all systems tested for this game.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its 8 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards, but it is sufficient for a game from 2016. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 13593 and a single-core score of 1919, indicate it is a capable mid-range processor.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are high across all settings, with even Ultra hitting 128.4 FPS. This suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at this resolution. However, the relatively small gains from lowering settings at 1080p (from 128.4 to 191.4 FPS) hint that the CPU may be providing a slight bottleneck, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU is less of a concern. The large frame rate drops when increasing resolution show that the GPU is the limiting factor. For instance, at 4K with Low settings, the frame rate is 89.7 FPS, which is still high, indicating that the CPU is not holding back the system. The CPU's passmark multithread score of 15992 and its 75th percentile ranking support the conclusion that it is a balanced partner for the RX 7900 XT in this title, providing enough processing power to avoid being a major bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU workload is more demanding.