The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for modern hardware. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics presets. The measured data reveals a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, but one that transitions into a more demanding 4K experience where the graphics card becomes the primary constraint. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, scaling behavior, and provides specific recommendations based on the benchmark results.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, drawing a 65W TDP. With a 32 MB shared L3 cache, this CPU provides ample processing power for gaming workloads. Its benchmark scores position it well within the desktop landscape, achieving an average benchmark score of 36945 and ranking in the 85th percentile against all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance relative to its peers.

In the context of The Technomancer's results, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 202 FPS. This high frame rate, which exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate of many monitors, suggests that the Ryzen 5 5600F is more than capable of feeding frames to the RTX 4070 SUPER. The CPU's single-threaded performance, reflected in its Passmark single-thread score of 2872, is likely a key factor in maintaining these high frame rates, as older games like The Technomancer often rely heavily on a few cores for game logic and draw calls.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight grouping. The Ryzen 5 5600F's average score of 36945 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, deltaPct 0). It also sits within a negligible margin of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, deltaPct -0.4), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, deltaPct -0.5). This indicates that the 5600F is performing exactly as expected for its class, and any frame rate differences in the game are unlikely to be caused by a CPU performance deficit compared to these alternatives.

The CPU's role is further defined by the frame rate scaling. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 202 to 169. At 4K Low, it drops further to 93 FPS. This scaling pattern is a classic sign of the GPU becoming more involved as resolution increases. The CPU is likely capable of producing more frames than the GPU can render at these higher resolutions, meaning the system is becoming GPU-bound. The CPU's performance is therefore sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 SUPER until the graphical load becomes extremely heavy, at which point the GPU takes over as the primary performance limiter.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the clear workhorse in this configuration. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, it features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its core clocks are listed at 1980 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost. The GPU's raw compute power is substantial, with 7168 shading units and a FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS. This hardware positions it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223.

The benchmark results clearly demonstrate the GPU's dominance in The Technomancer. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system delivers 170 FPS, and even at the demanding Ultra preset, it maintains a strong 133 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the RTX 4070 SUPER is rarely stressed, easily handling the game's workload. The GPU's performance is also reflected in its DirectX benchmarks, scoring 273 in Passmark's DirectX 11 test, which is relevant for a game released in 2016 that would primarily use DX11.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is consistent. The RTX 4070 SUPER's average score of 43223 is effectively tied with the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43262, deltaPct -0.1) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43268, deltaPct -0.1). It is also within 1% of the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (43301, deltaPct -0.2) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (43667, deltaPct -1). This data confirms that the desktop RTX 4070 SUPER is performing at the expected level for its specifications.

The GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 4K, the demands on the GPU escalate significantly. The data shows a clear progression: at 4K Ultra, the system averages just 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting factor at this resolution and preset. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game, but the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 overwhelms the GPU's processing power. This is a typical scenario where a high-end GPU still struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings in a game that is not well-optimized for modern hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales across resolutions. The performance drops are most dramatic when moving from 1440p to 4K, indicating a significant increase in GPU load. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 111 at 2560x1440 to 61 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 45%. This steep decline highlights that 4K is a much more demanding target for this GPU.

The scaling pattern reveals the system's bottleneck. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings, ranging from 133 FPS at Ultra to 202 FPS at Low. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 69 FPS, which is substantial but not as large as the gap seen at other resolutions. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is more involved, and the GPU is not fully saturated. The performance difference between presets is more pronounced at 1440p, where the gap between Low (169 FPS) and Ultra (87 FPS) is 82 FPS, showing the GPU is starting to feel the pressure.

The 4K results clearly identify the GPU as the limiting component. At 3840x2160, the FPS drops are massive. The difference between Low (93 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) is 45 FPS, and even the High preset only manages 61 FPS. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is likely providing frames at a rate higher than the GPU can render, making the RTX 4070 SUPER the sole constraint on performance. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the user must select the Medium preset, which achieves an average of 71 FPS, or be content with the High preset's 61 FPS average.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this setup?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the best choice for high refresh rate. Even at the Ultra preset, the system averages 133 FPS, and at High settings, it reaches 170 FPS, which is well above 144Hz.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The system can achieve playable frame rates at 4K, but not at the highest settings. The Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, which may be below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset, averaging 71 FPS, is the recommended option for a smooth 4K experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the main bottleneck at 4K. The FPS drops significantly from 1440p to 4K at all settings, even on Low, which suggests the GPU is unable to keep up with the increased pixel workload.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its closest rivals in overall performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F is performance-neutral with its nearest rivals. Its average benchmark score is within 0.5% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 82 FPS. The system averages 169 FPS on Low and 87 FPS on Ultra, showing a significant performance cost for maximum graphical fidelity.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER ranks in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a high-performing part that outperforms the majority of the graphics cards in the benchmark database.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data offers clear guidance for the best gaming experience. The primary goal is to achieve a stable frame rate that matches the user's display refresh rate, typically 60 FPS or higher.

For 4K resolution, the Medium preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target, and it has a minimum FPS of 61, indicating that it can maintain a smooth experience without significant dips. The High preset at 61 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset provides more headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, which is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. It achieves an average of 111 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS is also very playable, but High offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. The data for Low (169 FPS) and Medium (130 FPS) shows that these presets are also viable, but High provides a significant visual upgrade for a relatively small performance cost.

At 1080p, the system is powerful enough to run the Ultra preset without issue. The average of 133 FPS is well above the 60 FPS target and is still high enough for 120Hz displays. Even if a user prefers maximum visual fidelity, the performance remains excellent. The High preset (170 FPS) is there for those with 165Hz or 240Hz monitors who want to push the frame rate as high as possible.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following tables provide the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 202 FPS
• Medium: Average 183 FPS (minimum 156, maximum 211)
• High: Average 170 FPS
• Ultra: Average 133 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 169 FPS
• Medium: Average 130 FPS (minimum 111, maximum 150)
• High: Average 111 FPS
• Ultra: Average 87 FPS

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 93 FPS
• Medium: Average 71 FPS (minimum 61, maximum 82)
• High: Average 61 FPS
• Ultra: Average 48 FPS

The data shows a consistent and expected pattern: as resolution and settings increase, the average FPS decreases. The system's overall rank in the game is 547 out of 2825 tested combinations, placing it in the top 20% of all tested hardware configurations for this title. This indicates that the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination is a strong performer for The Technomancer, capable of delivering a great experience at 1080p and 1440p, with solid, playable performance at 4K on Medium settings.