The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study when paired with a modern, high-end component combination. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. The data provided offers a clear picture of how this combo handles the game across various resolutions and settings, revealing where the bottlenecks lie and what users can expect in terms of playability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend as resolution increases, but the rate of the drop-off provides critical insight into the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 173 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that average drops to 113 FPS, a significant reduction of 60 FPS. The jump to 2160p (4K) sees a further decline to 62 FPS, another 51 FPS reduction. This scaling pattern indicates that the workload is becoming increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions.

The progression from 1080p to 1440p represents a 34.7% decrease in frame rate, while the move from 1440p to 4K results in a 45.1% decrease. This accelerating drop-off is a classic sign that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the primary limiting component at these higher resolutions. The GPU's rendering workload scales with the number of pixels, and the data suggests that the RTX 5090's immense power is being stretched thinner as resolution increases.

At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings, with Low settings hitting 234 FPS and Medium at 213 FPS. The fact that the difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (234 FPS vs 203 FPS) is a 31 FPS drop, while the difference at Ultra settings is a 60 FPS drop, further confirms this. The higher the settings, the more the GPU is stressed, and the more pronounced the resolution scaling becomes. This data indicates that for users seeking the absolute highest frame rates, 1080p is the optimal resolution, while 4K will still provide a playable experience, albeit at a much lower frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its specifications include a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role appears to be more of a supporting actor than a bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The benchmark results for the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18309 and a single-core score of 2584, demonstrate a capable processor for gaming workloads.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is likely keeping up with the GPU's output, as the frame rates are extremely high. However, the game's engine, being from 2016, may not be able to fully utilize the 12 threads available. The Ryzen 5 5600's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 882, is likely more relevant for this title. As the resolution increases, the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, while the GPU's workload increases, shifting the bottleneck firmly to the graphics card.

The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s provide a solid foundation for game data. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (234 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (173 FPS) shows a 61 FPS difference, which is primarily a GPU-side change. This indicates that even at the lowest settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is still the component that is being pushed harder by higher graphical fidelity. The data shows a CPU that is well-matched for this game, capable of delivering high frame rates without being the primary constraining factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. At 3840x2160 (4K), the High preset yields an average of 79 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 93 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to an average of 62 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Ultra preset is barely playable, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin and a higher average frame rate. The data suggests that Medium at 4K provides the best balance, as it is 14 FPS faster than High and 31 FPS faster than Ultra.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), all presets are highly playable. The Ultra preset averages 113 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 169 FPS and High at 144 FPS are also exceptional choices. Given the high frame rates, users could opt for the Ultra preset to maximize visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, as it still maintains an average above 100 FPS. The Low preset at 203 FPS offers no visual benefit and should be avoided unless chasing maximum refresh rates on a 200Hz+ monitor.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Ultra preset averages 173 FPS, while Medium and High offer 213 and 201 FPS, respectively. The Low preset hits 234 FPS. For most users, the Ultra preset provides the best experience, as it delivers over 170 FPS while offering the highest visual fidelity. The difference between Medium and Ultra is a 40 FPS drop, but the visual improvement is likely worth it. The data indicates that this combination is powerful enough to run the game at maximum settings at 1080p and 1440p with ease, while 4K users should consider dropping to Medium or High for a more consistent frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 190th out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 5.1% of all tested configurations, indicating a very high-performing setup. This strong ranking is likely due to the sheer power of the RTX 5090, which is in the 92nd percentile for all GPUs, and the capable Ryzen 5 5600, which is in the 74th percentile for all CPUs.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 79842 confirms its raw power, and its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a score of 79605, are just a fraction behind. This shows that the RTX 5090 is at the top of the performance heap. The CPU's average benchmark score of 20468 is also respectable, with its closest rival being the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V with a score of 20454, a negligible 0.1% difference.

The combo's rank of 190 out of 3696 suggests that there are only 189 other combinations that perform better in this specific game. Given that the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available, the combos that rank higher likely pair it with even more powerful CPUs, such as the latest flagship processors. The data from the measured FPS indicates that this combo is already delivering exceptional performance, and its high rank confirms that it is a top-tier choice for playing The Technomancer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its role is clearly defined by the data. With a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, it has a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This is more than sufficient for a 2016 game like The Technomancer, and it ensures that memory bandwidth is never a limiting factor. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it features 21760 shading units.

The GPU's benchmark scores are exceptional. It scores 39650 in Passmark G3D and 334370 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 92nd percentile for all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79605, which is a 0.3% difference, showing how close the top-tier GPUs are in raw compute performance. This raw power translates directly into the high frame rates seen in the measured data.

As the resolution increases, the RTX 5090's workload increases, and the data shows that it is the primary driver of the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p, the GPU is so powerful that it can easily render frames faster than the CPU can feed it, but it still manages to produce over 170 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is working much harder, and the average FPS drops to a still-respectable 62 on Ultra. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5090 is the star of the show, with its only limitation being the sheer pixel count at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a range of 234 FPS on Low to 173 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 213 FPS with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. The High preset averages 201 FPS. This resolution offers the highest performance, with all presets well above 170 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 203 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 169 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. The High preset delivers 144 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 113 FPS. This resolution still provides excellent frame rates for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more moderate. The Low preset averages 121 FPS, which is still very high for 4K. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The High preset averages 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to an average of 62 FPS. This resolution is playable at all settings, but the Ultra preset is the only one that dips close to the 60 FPS threshold.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, as it is the only setting with min/max FPS data, suggesting it is a common testing point. The Low and High presets are also viable, while the Ultra preset is the most demanding. The measured FPS numbers provide a comprehensive view of what to expect, with the combination of this CPU and GPU delivering high performance across the board.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings for this combo?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 62 FPS.

Q: Which preset provides the highest frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 yields the highest average FPS at 203 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is still the limiting factor at 1080p, as frame rates vary significantly between Low (234 FPS) and Ultra (173 FPS) settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 190th out of 3696 tested combinations for The Technomancer.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 181 FPS.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 1080p High and 4K High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p High is 201 FPS, while at 4K High it is 79 FPS, a difference of 122 FPS.