The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU responsibilities. This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 across a range of resolutions and settings, using measured frame rate data to characterize the behavior of this specific combination. The data indicates a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but which demonstrates a more balanced profile at 1080p, where the processor's capabilities become more relevant.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, a pattern that strongly suggests the GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 78.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 48.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 38%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields an average of just 26.8 FPS, which is a 66% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU operating at its capacity limits; the pixel throughput demands of 4K simply overwhelm the 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and the GP104 chip's processing power.

The transition from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution provides further insight into this bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the spread between Low (116.8 FPS) and Ultra (62.3 FPS) is a massive 54.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same spread narrows to 37.6 FPS (from 79 to 41.4 FPS). By the time the resolution reaches 3840x2160, the spread compresses to just 18.5 FPS (from 40.8 to 22.3 FPS). This compression of performance variance at higher resolutions is a textbook sign of a GPU bottleneck: the graphics card is so saturated with pixel work that the relative cost of different visual effects becomes less impactful on the final frame rate.

Benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 5 4600G has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The 116.8 FPS result at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is not holding back the system in these less demanding scenarios. However, the steep decline at 4K, where even Low settings only produce 40.8 FPS, confirms that the GeForce GTX 1070's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors for this combo's high-resolution performance. The data clearly shows that for a smooth 60 FPS experience, this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p requiring a compromise in settings.

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 benchmark scores show a solid multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 13593 and a Geekbench multicore score of 6093. The single-thread performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 score of 1919, is adequate for gaming workloads. The processor's 3DMark scores scale well with thread count, rising from 1430 with 2 threads to 4889 with the maximum thread count, indicating good scaling in synthetic workloads.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, feeding the GPU with instructions. The measured FPS data suggests that the 4600G is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. At 1080p High, the system achieves 78.3 FPS, and at Low it reaches 116.8 FPS, which are frame rates that would be difficult to achieve if the CPU were severely limiting the system. The processor's 12 threads provide ample parallelism for modern game engines, and its strong multi-core scores in Cinebench R20 (5709) and Passmark (15992) support this.

The fact that the FPS drops dramatically when moving from 1080p to 4K, even at Low settings (from 116.8 to 40.8 FPS), is a clear indication that the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 5 4600G's performance is sufficient to keep up with the GTX 1070 in this title. Its percentile ranking of 75 among all CPUs, while not top-tier, is more than adequate for a mid-range graphics card. The data does not show any evidence of a CPU-induced frame rate cap or stutter, as the FPS scales smoothly with resolution changes, which would not be the case if the processor were the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the workhorse of this pairing, and its specifications dictate the overall performance envelope. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The core clocks are 1506 MHz base and 1683 MHz boost. Its compute capabilities are defined by 1920 shading units and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. These specifications are from the Pascal architecture, and while they were once high-end, they now place the card at the 51st percentile among all GPUs.

The measured FPS data directly reflects the GTX 1070's capabilities. The card struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 3840x2160, with an average of just 26.8 FPS at High settings. The 8 GB VRAM buffer, while sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, is likely a limiting factor at 4K with higher texture settings. The performance at 2560x1440 is more respectable, with an average of 48.8 FPS at High and 61.7 FPS at Medium, showing that the card can handle this resolution with some settings adjustments.

At 1920x1080, the GTX 1070 shows its strength, delivering an average of 78.3 FPS at High and 92.4 FPS at Medium settings. This is the resolution where this GPU can truly stretch its legs, and the data shows it is capable of providing a smooth experience in The Technomancer. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 13498, place it in the middle of the pack, outperforming rivals like the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 by 0.7% in average score. However, it trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER by 1.4%, showing that it is in a competitive performance tier for its age. The card's 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the engine that drives the frame rate, and the data shows it is the primary determinant of performance in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1382 out of 1656 total combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower 20% of tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and position in the market. The ranking reflects that while the CPU is reasonably capable, the overall system performance is dragged down by the graphics card's inability to handle high resolutions and settings.

This rank is more a statement about the GPU than the CPU. The GTX 1070's performance is the limiting factor, and its 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs aligns with the combo's overall position. The system is not an outlier in either direction; it performs as expected given its components. The data suggests that for this game, a more modern GPU would be required to significantly improve this combo's ranking. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking shows it has headroom to support a more powerful graphics card, but in this specific configuration, it is held back.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals show how close the performance margins are. The GTX 1070 is just 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M. This indicates that the performance tier is tightly packed, and the combo's rank is not an anomaly but rather a reflection of being in a crowded mid-range field. For a player targeting 1080p gaming, this rank is acceptable, but for those expecting high-refresh or 4K performance, the data clearly shows this combo falls short.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average frame rates for this system in The Technomancer, organized by resolution and settings:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 116.8 FPS. This is the highest frame rate achieved in the entire test suite, indicating a scenario where the CPU and GPU are both working efficiently without a significant bottleneck.
• Medium: 92.4 FPS. A substantial drop from Low, showing the cost of increased visual fidelity on the GTX 1070.
• High: 78.3 FPS. This is a very playable frame rate for an Action RPG, providing a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz monitor.
• Ultra: 62.3 FPS. The system just manages to maintain a 60+ FPS average at the highest settings, but with little headroom for demanding scenes.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 79 FPS. The frame rate drops significantly from the 1080p Low result, confirming the GPU's pixel throughput limits.
• Medium: 61.7 FPS. This is a playable average, though it may dip below 60 FPS in intense combat sequences.
• High: 48.8 FPS. The system begins to struggle at this resolution and settings level, requiring a reduction in quality for a consistent experience.
• Ultra: 41.4 FPS. The performance is not smooth, indicating that this is not a viable settings configuration for 1440p.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 40.8 FPS. Even at the lowest settings, the GTX 1070 cannot achieve a 60 FPS average at this resolution.
• Medium: 30.6 FPS. The frame rate dips below the 30 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the minimum for playable console-like performance.
• High: 26.8 FPS. This is not a playable experience, with noticeable stutter and lag.
• Ultra: 22.3 FPS. The lowest recorded frame rate, making the game nearly unplayable at these settings.

The data shows a clear pattern: the system is well-suited for 1080p gaming, capable of handling 1440p with reduced settings, and not suitable for 4K gaming. The GTX 1070's 8 GB of VRAM and compute power are simply not enough for the demands of 4K in this title, while the Ryzen 5 4600G proves to be a capable partner at lower resolutions.