The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case for modern hardware analysis. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces a dataset that clearly delineates the boundaries between CPU and GPU limitations. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher fidelity levels, while the processor’s capabilities become more apparent at lower resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured data to interpret what these numbers signify for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is classic behavior for a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 220.6 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 189.8 FPS, a reduction of 30.8 FPS. The scaling continues to 3840x2160, where the average falls to 113.8 FPS. This represents a 48.4% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, suggesting that even at the lowest fidelity, the pixel throughput demands of 4K are substantial.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the transition from 1080p (191.9 FPS) to 1440p (136.7 FPS) results in a 55.2 FPS loss, and then to 4K (72.5 FPS) another 64.2 FPS loss. This indicates that while the RTX 5080 is powerful, it is still the limiting component when pushing high pixel counts. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as it maintains over 136.7 FPS on High, while 4K is better suited for slower-paced or visually demanding experiences where 72.5 FPS is acceptable.

The scaling behavior also implies that the CPU is not a significant constraint at 4K. The FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is proportionally larger than from 1080p to 1440p, which is typical when the GPU is saturated. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases. The fact that it does not confirms that the GPU’s rendering load is the dominant factor in this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the star of this benchmark, and its specifications align with the observed performance. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for The Technomancer’s demands, as evidenced by the high average FPS even at 4K Ultra, which hits 59 FPS. The card’s boost clock of 2617 MHz and its 10752 shading units contribute to its raw compute power, rated at 56.28 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

The RTX 5080’s performance percentile is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A570M, which has a deltaPct of 1.6, indicating the RTX 5080 is 1.6% faster in average benchmark scores. This context is useful, but the measured FPS in this specific game shows its real-world capability. The card’s ability to scale from 220.6 FPS at 1080p Low to 59 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates a wide performance envelope.

The data reveals that the RTX 5080 is not being pushed to its absolute limit at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 220.6 FPS average is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame output, as the GPU has ample headroom. However, at 4K Ultra, the card is working much harder, and the 59 FPS average reflects a more balanced workload. The VRAM capacity of 16 GB is not a limiting factor here, as The Technomancer is not a VRAM-intensive title by modern standards.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance versus visual fidelity. For players prioritizing the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 220.6 FPS, which is well beyond what most displays can show. However, this setting likely sacrifices significant visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 200.5 FPS, a mere 20.1 FPS less than Low, suggesting that the step from Low to Medium is relatively inexpensive in performance terms.

At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 160.1 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth and likely the best balance for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. The High preset at 1440p drops to 136.7 FPS, but this is still comfortably above 120 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors without compromising much on visual detail. For 4K, the High preset at 72.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a playable experience that is smoother than the 59 FPS of the Ultra preset, while the difference in visual quality between High and Ultra is often subtle in practice.

The data suggests avoiding the Ultra preset at 4K, as the 59 FPS average dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider optimal for smooth gameplay. Conversely, the Low preset at any resolution is generally unnecessary given the headroom available, except perhaps for competitive play where maximum FPS is paramount. The Medium preset offers the best performance-per-visual trade-off across all resolutions, with 200.5 FPS at 1080p, 160.1 FPS at 1440p, and 85.8 FPS at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the benchmark?

A: The highest average FPS is 220.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 59188, which is 1.6% higher than the Intel Arc A570M, its closest competitor with a score of 58239.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The significant FPS drops from 1440p to 4K suggest the GPU is saturated, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to keep feeding frames.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 189.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 107.3 FPS. This represents a difference of 82.5 FPS between the two extremes.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 85.8, which is a playable frame rate for most single-player games.

Q: How many cores and threads does the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting role in these benchmarks. Its performance is adequate to avoid major bottlenecks at higher resolutions, but the data shows its limits at 1080p. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 20875, which places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has a nearly identical score of 20897, with a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the Ryzen 5 5500 is effectively tied with it in synthetic tests.

In real-world gaming, the Ryzen 5 5500’s single-thread performance is crucial. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 836, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2319. These numbers are respectable, but The Technomancer, being a 2016 title, may not be heavily multithreaded. The CPU’s multi-threaded scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429, indicate it can handle modern workloads, but the game’s engine likely relies more on single-core speed.

The measured FPS at 1080p Low, which peaks at 220.6 FPS, suggests that the CPU is nearing its maximum frame output. At this resolution and setting, the GPU is not fully utilized, and the processor becomes the limiting factor. This is a common scenario for high-end GPUs paired with mid-range CPUs. The data shows that as resolution increases, the CPU has less impact on the average FPS, which is expected as the GPU workload becomes more demanding.

The Ryzen 5 5500’s 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.20 GHz is competitive, and its 65W TDP indicates efficient power usage. While it is not the fastest processor available, its performance is well-matched to the RTX 5080 for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 220.6 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the dataset. The Medium preset follows closely at 200.5 FPS, while High achieves 191.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 160.6 FPS, which is still exceptionally high and demonstrates the GPU’s capability at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 189.8 FPS, a decrease of 30.8 FPS from 1080p Low. Medium at 1440p records 160.1 FPS, while High drops to 136.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p achieves 107.3 FPS, which is a significant step down from the High preset, indicating that Ultra settings are quite demanding at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate. The Low preset averages 113.8 FPS, which is still playable and smooth. Medium at 4K records 85.8 FPS, while High averages 72.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration, yielding an average of 59 FPS. This is the only measured setting that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the least recommended for smooth gameplay.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Medium is relatively small, while the gap between High and Ultra is larger. For example, at 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is 29.7 FPS, but the difference between High and Ultra is 29.4 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces disproportionately heavy visual effects that impact performance more than the step from Medium to High. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown provides a clear picture of the system’s capabilities, highlighting where the sweet spots are for different display resolutions and refresh rates.