The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings, with the GPU typically acting as the primary bottleneck at higher presets. This analysis walks through the benchmark results to clarify how this specific hardware pairing performs across the tested scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and clearly indicates a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 153 FPS at 1920x1080 to 100 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further down to 55 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings, a scale that points directly at the graphics card's rendering limits rather than any CPU constraint.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 202 at 1080p to 152 at 1440p, then to 83 at 4K. The relative drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe (45.4% reduction) than from 1080p to 1440p (24.8% reduction), which is typical for a GPU that becomes increasingly saturated as pixel count grows. The 4K resolution demands roughly 2.25 times the pixel throughput of 1440p, and the measured results reflect that growing burden on the Radeon RX 9070 XT.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average FPS goes from 119 at 1080p to 78 at 1440p, and finally to 43 at 4K. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is particularly telling: 55 FPS versus 43 FPS, a 21.8% performance hit for the increased visual fidelity. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that disproportionately tax the GPU at high pixel counts, whereas at 1080p the difference between High (153 FPS) and Ultra (119 FPS) is a smaller 22.2% penalty in relative terms.

The data shows that the limiting component shifts depending on resolution. At 1080p, with frame rates reaching 202 FPS on Low, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes a factor, but the Ryzen 5 5600F with its 6 cores and 12 threads still manages to keep the system above 119 FPS even at Ultra. Once the resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's raw fill rate and shading power become the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the steep frame rate declines that scale almost linearly with pixel count.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 48 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1660 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2970 MHz. These specifications directly influence the measured results, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and pixel throughput become critical.

The GPU's 128 ROPs and 4096 shading units are the key drivers behind the pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s. This is what allows the card to maintain 55 FPS at 4K High settings, a scenario that demands significant pixel fill. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for The Technomancer, even at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate still reaches 43 FPS. The data does not show any signs of VRAM capacity limiting performance, as the frame rate drops are consistent with compute and bandwidth limitations rather than memory spills.

The memory clock of 2518 MHz, translating to 20.1 Gbps effective, delivers the 644.6 GB/s bandwidth. This figure is crucial for the 4K results. At 4K High, the GPU must move massive amounts of texture and geometry data, and the measured 55 FPS average suggests the memory subsystem is keeping up adequately. However, the jump to Ultra at 4K, which likely increases texture resolution and shadow complexity, pushes the average down to 43 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are both heavily loaded.

Interestingly, the GPU's benchmark scores place it in a peculiar position. Its Passmark G3D score is 26795, yet its percentile vs all GPUs is only 55. The nearest rivals listed include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, NVIDIA P106-090, and AMD Radeon Pro 555, all of which are significantly older or lower-tier parts. This discrepancy suggests that the average benchmark score of 13543 is dragged down by other tests, but the measured gaming performance in The Technomancer is clearly far beyond those rivals, as the FPS data demonstrates.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset delivers the best experience for a given target frame rate. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset stands out as the sweet spot. It achieves an average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS while still offering improved visuals over Low. The High preset at 4K drops to 55 FPS average, which is playable but may feel less smooth on high refresh rate displays. Ultra at 4K falls to 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players target.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers an excellent 100 FPS average, making it the recommended choice for a balance of visual quality and performance. Medium at 1440p offers 117 FPS average, which is higher but comes with reduced visual fidelity. Ultra at 1440p dips to 78 FPS average, still playable but not as fluid as High. For players with 144Hz monitors, the Low preset at 152 FPS average would be the only option to fully utilize the refresh rate, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 1080p, the situation is more flexible. The High preset achieves 153 FPS average, which is ideal for high refresh rate gaming. Medium reaches 179 FPS average with a minimum of 152 FPS, making it a strong contender for competitive play. Ultra at 119 FPS average is still well above 60 FPS and offers the best visual quality, but the gap between High and Ultra is only 34 FPS, so High is generally the better pick unless maximum fidelity is the priority. Low at 202 FPS is only useful for extreme refresh rate displays or benchmarking.

The data suggests that Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and High or Ultra at 1080p are the optimal choices. The Medium preset at 4K provides a 16.4% FPS improvement over High while still looking noticeably better than Low. This is the most balanced configuration in the entire measured set, as it keeps the average above 60 FPS while maintaining acceptable minimums.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates scale predictably with settings. Low produces 202 FPS, Medium 179 FPS with a minimum of 152 and maximum of 205, High 153 FPS, and Ultra 119 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 83 FPS, indicating that the settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum of 152 FPS is notably high, suggesting that even the most demanding scenes stay well above 144 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. Low yields 152 FPS, Medium 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 and maximum of 134, High 100 FPS, and Ultra 78 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 74 FPS, but the relative drop from Low to Ultra is now 48.7%, up from 41.1% at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases. The Medium preset's minimum of 99 FPS is still respectable, but it's clear that maintaining 144 FPS at 1440p requires Low settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low averages 83 FPS, Medium 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74, High 55 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 55 FPS matches the High preset's average exactly, which is a useful reference for understanding the consistency of performance. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire set, and it's clear that 4K Ultra is only suitable for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate.

The 4K Medium results deserve special attention. The average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS shows a relatively tight range, with the maximum of 74 FPS indicating that the GPU can handle less demanding scenes well. This consistency makes Medium the most reliable 4K option, as it avoids the dips that might occur with High or Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 733 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the top 25.9% of all configurations, which is a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the overall performance across all measured settings and resolutions, weighted by the average frame rates.

Looking at the CPU's performance relative to its rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600F sits in a tight cluster. Its average benchmark score of 36945 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at 36938 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093 (-0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i9-12900T at 37112 (-0.5% delta). This means the CPU is not a differentiator in this game; the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

The GPU's own benchmark ranking is less impressive. Its average benchmark score of 13543 places it in the 55th percentile, with nearest rivals like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536, 0.1% delta) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, 0.2% delta). These are vastly older GPUs, which underscores that the Passmark average score is not representative of the RX 9070 XT's gaming capability in this title. The measured FPS data tells a far more accurate story of its performance.

The combo rank of 733 suggests that while the RX 9070 XT is powerful, its pairing with the Ryzen 5 5600F may not be optimal for every scenario. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU could become a slight bottleneck, but the measured frame rates of 119-202 FPS indicate this is not a practical issue. At higher resolutions, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, and the CPU's role diminishes. Overall, this combo performs admirably, ranking in the top quarter of all tested systems.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p High settings deliver 100 FPS average, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. For 4K, Medium settings at 64 FPS average are the most playable option, while 1080p High reaches 153 FPS for high refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the RX 9070 XT handle 4K in this game?

A: At 4K, the GPU produces 83 FPS on Low, 64 FPS on Medium, 55 FPS on High, and 43 FPS on Ultra settings. Only the Medium preset maintains an average above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below that threshold.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600F a bottleneck for the RX 9070 XT?

A: At 1080p, the CPU may limit frame rates, as evidenced by the 202 FPS ceiling on Low settings, but this is not a practical concern. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting component, and the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to avoid major bottlenecks.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 4K Medium?

A: The 4K Medium preset averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. The range of 19 FPS indicates reasonably consistent performance, with no severe drops.

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

A: This combination ranks 733 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the top 25.9% of all configurations. The CPU's performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with deltas of less than 1% against the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rate?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 202 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. The next highest is 179 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 153 FPS at 1080p High and 152 FPS at 1440p Low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, with 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core. Its 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are standard for this generation.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's demands up to a point. The 202 FPS average on Low settings suggests that the CPU is not heavily taxed at this resolution, but the drop to 119 FPS on Ultra indicates that the increased draw calls and physics calculations do impact CPU performance. However, the frame rates remain high enough that the CPU is never the primary bottleneck in a practical sense.

The Ryzen 5 5600F's Passmark multithread score of 19236 and single-thread score of 2872 place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals show that it is very closely matched with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (delta 0%), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (delta -0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (delta -0.5%). This means that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would yield virtually identical performance in this game.

At higher resolutions, the CPU's influence wanes. The 4K results show frame rates that are almost entirely determined by the GPU. The 55 FPS average at 4K High and 43 FPS at 4K Ultra are consistent with what the RX 9070 XT can deliver on its own, and the CPU's 12 threads are more than adequate for the game's demands. The data indicates that the Ryzen 5 5600F is a capable partner for the RX 9070 XT, providing enough processing power to avoid limiting the GPU at any resolution where the frame rates are already high.