The Technomancer

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosts up to 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU sits in the 79th percentile when compared to all processors in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 21765. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (0.6% slower), AMD EPYC 9554P (0.6% faster), AMD EPYC 9534 (0.6% faster), and Intel Core i7-11700F (0.9% faster). The Ryzen 5 5600's single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 882, while its multi-threaded capabilities scale effectively through 12 threads, with 3DMark scores of 5641 at 16 threads and 5659 at max threads.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is largely to maintain a consistent frame delivery floor. The measured data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo of Ryzen 5 5600 and RTX 3070 achieves 190.9 FPS average. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings, where the rendering load is light. However, the game is an Action RPG from 2016, and its engine likely does not heavily utilize more than a few cores. The Ryzen 5 5600's 6 cores with 12 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and game logic, but the benchmark results indicate that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18309 and single-core score of 2584 demonstrate a balanced capability that can handle both lightly-threaded game engines and more demanding multitasking scenarios. The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the RTX 3070 at 1080p, but the scaling data shows diminishing returns at higher resolutions where the GPU workload dominates.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and boosts to 1725 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3070 holds the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro S7150 (0.6% faster), AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (0.9% slower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (1.0% slower), and AMD Radeon R9 M295X (1.1% faster).

In The Technomancer, the RTX 3070's performance is the primary driver of frame rates across all measured configurations. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K Ultra settings where the average FPS drops to 33.9. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not cause stuttering, though the frame rates at 4K Ultra indicate a heavy rendering load. The GPU's FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are substantial, but the game's engine appears to be demanding on the shading units and ROPs, particularly at higher settings. The RTX 3070's boost clock of 1725 MHz provides the raw throughput needed for the 1080p results, where it achieves 127.5 FPS at High and 99.9 FPS at Ultra. The data supports a clear trend: the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing, as the CPU's performance remains consistent while the GPU's workload scales with resolution and settings.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a systematic decline as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 190.9 FPS, dropping to 125.4 FPS at 1440p Low (a 34.3% decrease), and further to 65.4 FPS at 4K Low (a 65.7% decrease from 1080p). This pattern holds across all settings. At High settings, the progression is 127.5 FPS at 1080p, 83.3 FPS at 1440p (a 34.7% decrease), and 47.8 FPS at 4K (a 62.5% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU's frame generation capability is not being taxed differently at higher resolutions.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a relatively uniform reduction of roughly one-third across all settings, which aligns with the increase in pixel count from approximately 2.07 million to 3.69 million. The jump from 1440p to 4K (8.29 million pixels) produces a more severe drop, with High settings falling from 83.3 FPS to 47.8 FPS (a 42.6% decrease). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 66.5 FPS at 1440p to 33.9 FPS at 4K (a 49.0% decrease). This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 3070's memory bandwidth and shading throughput are increasingly strained as the pixel count grows, confirming the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, maintains its output without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 190.9 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low, which far exceeds typical display refresh rates.

# FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average FPS is 190.9, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in multi-thread performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 21765, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER's 21635, and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-11700F's 21957 (the i7 is actually 0.9% faster).

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 125.4 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 66.5 FPS, a difference of 58.9 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 outperform its nearest rival in the GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 28238 is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's 27985, but 0.6% lower than the AMD FirePro S7150's 28409.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rates drop significantly (e.g., 47.8 FPS at High) while the CPU's 6-core architecture would not be strained by the increased resolution.

Q: What is the best FPS result at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 127.5 FPS average, which is above the 99.9 FPS at Ultra but below the 150.6 FPS at Medium.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings yield 190.9 FPS, Medium settings yield 150.6 FPS, High settings yield 127.5 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 99.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 91.0 FPS, indicating that the RTX 3070 has substantial headroom at this resolution. The step from Low to Medium is 40.3 FPS, from Medium to High is 23.1 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 27.6 FPS. This shows that each setting tier imposes a meaningful rendering cost, with the largest absolute drop occurring between Low and Medium.

At 2560x1440, the results are 125.4 FPS for Low, 96.9 FPS for Medium, 83.3 FPS for High, and 66.5 FPS for Ultra. The total spread is 58.9 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p due to the increased pixel count. The differences between tiers are 28.5 FPS (Low to Medium), 13.6 FPS (Medium to High), and 16.8 FPS (High to Ultra). The 1440p High result of 83.3 FPS is still comfortably above 60 FPS, while Ultra remains playable at 66.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the data shows 65.4 FPS for Low, 51.8 FPS for Medium, 47.8 FPS for High, and 33.9 FPS for Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 31.5 FPS. The tier differences are 13.6 FPS (Low to Medium), 4.0 FPS (Medium to High), and 13.9 FPS (High to Ultra). Notably, the gap between Medium and High at 4K is only 4.0 FPS, which is the smallest tier-to-tier difference across all resolutions. This suggests that the High preset's additional effects are not as costly as the transition from Medium to High at lower resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 33.9 FPS is the only measured configuration that falls below 30 FPS, making it marginal for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium result of 51.8 FPS is the lowest setting that maintains above 50 FPS at this resolution.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings provide playable frame rates, with Low at 190.9 FPS, Medium at 150.6 FPS, High at 127.5 FPS, and Ultra at 99.9 FPS. The High preset offers a 27.6 FPS improvement over Ultra while still delivering 127.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. For most players at 1080p, High is the recommended preset as it balances visual quality with a large performance margin, while Ultra remains viable at 99.9 FPS for those prioritizing image quality.

At 2560x1440, the measured results are 125.4 FPS for Low, 96.9 FPS for Medium, 83.3 FPS for High, and 66.5 FPS for Ultra. The High preset at 83.3 FPS is the best choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it stays comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra at 66.5 FPS is also playable, but the 16.8 FPS drop from High may not justify the visual gains for most users. Medium at 96.9 FPS is the option for those who prefer higher frame rates, though it sacrifices some graphical detail.

At 3840x2160, the data shows 65.4 FPS for Low, 51.8 FPS for Medium, 47.8 FPS for High, and 33.9 FPS for Ultra. The Low preset is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS at 4K, while Medium at 51.8 FPS is the best balance for a playable experience with improved visuals. High at 47.8 FPS is still acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but the 4.0 FPS difference between Medium and High makes Medium the more efficient choice. Ultra at 33.9 FPS is not recommended for consistent 60 FPS gameplay, and the significant 13.9 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects are disproportionately expensive at 4K. For this resolution, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability.