The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that can deliver playable performance at 1080p but struggles to maintain smoothness at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the data points to characterize the balance between the CPU and GPU, the impact of settings, and the overall standing of this hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a significant and predictable drop in average frame rates as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the “High” settings preset, the average FPS falls from 85 at 1080p, to 56 at 1440p, and finally to 31 at 4K. This represents a 34% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 45% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The scaling indicates that the rendering load is escalating sharply with pixel count, a clear sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at “Ultra” settings, the average FPS drops from 66 at 1080p, to 43 at 1440p, and down to 24 at 4K. Similarly, at “Low” settings, the frame rate goes from 130 at 1080p, to 85 at 1440p, to 47 at 4K. This uniform decline across presets confirms that the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions is the fill-rate and shading throughput of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, rather than any CPU limitation.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p is particularly steep, with a roughly one-third reduction in FPS across the board. This is a substantial hit and suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and processing power are being taxed heavily by the additional pixels. The move from 1440p to 4K, while also significant, is less severe in relative terms for some presets, but the resulting frame rates are often too low for a comfortable experience, with the “Ultra” preset at 4K producing only 24 FPS.

These results indicate that the system is well-balanced for 1080p gameplay, where the RTX 2060 has enough headroom to push high frame rates. However, at 1440p, the GPU's limitations become apparent, and at 4K, it is clearly overwhelmed. The CPU’s capability is not the primary constraint in this scaling; the data points to the GPU as the component that dictates performance as resolution climbs.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a defining feature, designed to improve gaming performance by reducing memory latency. In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU’s role appears to be providing a stable foundation that does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions.

At 1080p, the average FPS of 130 at “Low” settings is likely a point where the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with draw calls becomes more relevant. However, the consistent frame rates across the resolution spectrum suggest that the processor handles the game’s logic and physics without becoming a limiting factor. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 2941 and multithread score of 20363 indicate a capable processor for gaming workloads.

The CPU’s benchmark performance places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37018. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which is 0.2% faster, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, which is 0.2% slower. These closely matched scores suggest that the 5500X3D’s performance is on par with modern mid-range options, providing sufficient processing power for a game like The Technomancer.

Given that the frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, it is evident that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. The GPU is the limiting component, particularly at 1440p and 4K. The CPU’s role is to ensure that frame times remain consistent and that the GPU is not waiting for data, a task it appears to handle effectively, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the “High” preset delivers an average FPS of 85, which is a smooth and responsive experience for most players. The “Ultra” preset, at 66 FPS, is also playable but offers diminishing returns for the performance cost. The “Medium” preset at 100 FPS and “Low” at 130 FPS provide higher frame rates, but the visual fidelity is reduced.

For players targeting 1440p, the recommendations change. The “High” preset produces 56 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, while “Medium” offers a more comfortable 65 FPS. The “Ultra” preset at 43 FPS and “Low” at 85 FPS are less balanced, with “Ultra” sacrificing too much smoothness and “Low” sacrificing too much visual quality. The data suggests that “Medium” is the sweet spot at 1440p, balancing frame rate and visual fidelity for this GPU.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The “Low” preset yields 47 FPS, which is playable, while “Medium” drops to 36 FPS, which is marginal. The “High” preset at 31 FPS and “Ultra” at 24 FPS are not recommended for a fluid experience. The best experience at 4K would be the “Low” preset, as it is the only setting that consistently approaches a playable frame rate.

The overall analysis points to the “High” preset at 1080p as the best balance of visual quality and performance, providing an 85 FPS average. At 1440p, “Medium” is the recommended choice, offering 65 FPS. At 4K, the “Low” preset is the only viable option, with 47 FPS. These recommendations are based solely on the measured average FPS data, prioritizing a stable and smooth gameplay experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination is ranked 2212 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of systems benchmarked for this game. The rank indicates that while this hardware can run the game, a significant portion of other tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates.

The combo’s rank is likely influenced by the GPU’s performance, as the RTX 2060 is an older generation card. Its average benchmark score is 15290, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which has a 0% delta, and the AMD Radeon 680M, which is 0.1% faster. The RTX 2060’s performance is closely matched with these other components, but it is far from the top of the performance charts.

The CPU’s high percentile ranking (85th) does not compensate for the GPU’s mid-range standing in this specific game’s benchmark results. The combination’s overall rank of 2212 out of 2825 suggests that it is a competent but not exceptional performer for The Technomancer. The data indicates that the system is more suited to 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates, but will fall behind other combos at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as it is the only resolution where the average FPS exceeds 60 across all settings presets, with the “High” preset delivering 85 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more of a bottleneck at 4K?

A: The frame rate drops from 47 FPS at “Low” to 24 FPS at “Ultra” at 4K, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Which settings preset should I use at 1440p for a smooth experience?

A: The “Medium” preset is recommended at 1440p, as it provides an average FPS of 65. The “High” preset at 56 FPS is also an option, but “Medium” offers a higher frame rate buffer.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rival, the GTX 580?

A: The benchmark data shows a 0% delta in average score between the RTX 2060 and the GTX 580, indicating they have nearly identical performance in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with “Ultra” settings?

A: The measured data shows an average FPS of 66 at 1920x1080 with the “Ultra” settings preset.

Q: Does the CPU’s large cache help in this game?

A: While the CPU has a 96 MB L3 cache and a high 85th percentile ranking, the frame rate scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary performance limiter, so the cache’s impact is not directly visible in the FPS data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average frames per second measured for this hardware configuration. Minimum and maximum FPS were only recorded for the “Medium” settings preset at each resolution.

1920x1080

• Low: 130 FPS
• Medium: 100 FPS (min 85, max 115)
• High: 85 FPS
• Ultra: 66 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 85 FPS
• Medium: 65 FPS (min 55, max 75)
• High: 56 FPS
• Ultra: 43 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 47 FPS
• Medium: 36 FPS (min 30, max 41)
• High: 31 FPS
• Ultra: 24 FPS

The data shows a clear progression of performance loss as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates, but at 4K, only the “Low” preset achieves a playable frame rate. The “Medium” preset’s min and max values show some frame time variance, but the averages are consistent with the overall trend.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing architecture GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. The GPU’s 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs are key to its rendering capabilities. Its Passmark G3D score is 14111, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s role in The Technomancer is the primary determinant of frame rate at higher resolutions. The 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the processing power is the limiting factor. The data shows that as resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its limits. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, which explains the struggle at 4K.

The RTX 2060’s performance is closely matched with its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which is 0.8% faster. This indicates that the GPU is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not designed for high-end 4K gaming. In this game, it provides a good experience at 1080p, a playable experience at 1440p with adjusted settings, and a poor experience at 4K. The GPU is clearly the component that defines the performance envelope for this system in The Technomancer.