The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability challenge for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination. The measured data shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions but begins to strain under the load of 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this specific pairing, focusing on where the bottlenecks lie and how to optimize the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p High settings, the system delivers an average of 112 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces this to 72.3 FPS, a 35% decrease. The jump to 4K High is even more punishing, with the average FPS falling to 40.5, which is a 64% reduction from the 1080p figure. This pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 4060’s compute and memory bandwidth are the primary limiting factors as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At 1440p Medium, the system produces 82.9 FPS, but at 4K Medium, it drops to 43.8 FPS. This near-halving of performance suggests that the GPU is running out of fillrate and memory bandwidth, a common trait for a card with an 8 GB GDDR6 memory buffer and a 128-bit bus. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 5600GT is not the constraint here; its 12 threads and high boost clock are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at these lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 166.5 FPS result at 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is most prominent.

The trend continues with Ultra settings. The 4K Ultra result of 29.1 FPS is the only sub-30 FPS score in the entire dataset, confirming that this resolution and preset combination is beyond the comfortable reach of this hardware. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is a massive 32.7 FPS, whereas at 1080p, the same settings gap is 77.5 FPS. This compressed scaling at 4K indicates that even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the raw pixel throughput required, reinforcing that the RTX 4060 is the definitive bottleneck at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth and visually rich experience, the data points to 1440p High as the sweet spot. At 72.3 FPS, it offers a significant improvement over the 4K High result of 40.5 FPS while maintaining a level of visual fidelity that is substantially better than Low. This configuration balances the load, allowing the RTX 4060 to work efficiently without being overwhelmed by the 3840x2160 pixel count.

At 1080p, the system is exceedingly capable. High settings yield 112 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced action, and Medium pushes that to 130.2 FPS. For competitive play or maximum fluidity, 1080p Low at 166.5 FPS is possible, but the visual sacrifices are considerable. The data suggests that 1080p Ultra at 89 FPS is a viable option for users who prioritize image quality over achieving the highest possible refresh rate, as it still remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

The 4K resolution should be approached with caution. The only playable setting is Low, which produces an average of 61.8 FPS. While this is technically playable, the visual downgrade is severe. High settings at 4K produce a sub-60 FPS experience at 40.5 FPS, and Ultra is effectively unplayable at 29.1 FPS. Therefore, the recommendation is clear: stick to 1440p for the best balance, or drop to 1080p for high refresh rate scenarios. The 4K Low option is a fallback for those who must use a 4K display, but it is not the ideal way to experience the game.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K 60 FPS?

A: No. The highest average FPS recorded at 4K is 61.8 with Low settings. At High settings, the average drops to 40.5 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 29.1 FPS. The hardware cannot sustain a 60 FPS average at 4K with medium or higher presets.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p is the optimal resolution. It provides a substantial visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining high frame rates, with High settings achieving 72.3 FPS and Medium reaching 82.9 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600GT bottlenecking the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 166.5 FPS, indicating the CPU can push frames well above 60 FPS. The significant FPS drops at higher resolutions are consistent with a GPU limitation, as the RTX 4060 struggles with the increased pixel load.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1440p?

A: The gain is substantial. At 1440p, the average FPS increases from 56.4 on Ultra to 107.6 on Low, a performance uplift of 51.2 FPS. This shows that settings have a major impact on performance at this resolution.

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

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 112. This provides a very smooth experience that is well-suited for the game’s action-oriented combat.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: According to the data, the RTX 4060’s average benchmark score is 23181. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, has an average score of 23321, which is a 0.6% difference. The Intel Arc B580 is 0.7% slower, while the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% faster.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: 29.1 FPS
• High: 40.5 FPS
• Medium: 43.8 FPS
• Low: 61.8 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: 56.4 FPS
• High: 72.3 FPS
• Medium: 82.9 FPS
• Low: 107.6 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: 89 FPS
• High: 112 FPS
• Medium: 130.2 FPS
• Low: 166.5 FPS

The data clearly shows a tiered performance structure. At 1080p, every preset is playable and most are exceptionally smooth. At 1440p, the system remains fluid, but the gap between Low and Ultra widens. At 4K, only Low settings approach a consistent 60 FPS, and Ultra falls below 30 FPS, rendering it unplayable. The progression of scores highlights the RTX 4060’s 8 GB memory capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth as the key factors limiting high-resolution performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this pairing for The Technomancer. Its role is defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. These specifications directly correlate with the measured performance. At 1080p, the card’s 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is more than adequate, resulting in high frame rates. However, as the resolution increases, the demand on the memory subsystem grows, and the card’s bandwidth becomes a limiting factor.

The GPU’s clock speeds also play a part. With a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, the card can sustain high throughput when not memory-limited. The benchmark results show the RTX 4060 sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 23181. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23321, a mere 0.6% difference, indicating that the 4060 is performance-competitive with its peers. However, the game’s engine appears sensitive to memory bandwidth, as seen in the sharp FPS drops at 4K.

The RTX 4060’s 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs are also relevant. The pixel fill rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 29.1 FPS suggests these units are saturated. The card’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is the API used in modern benchmarks, but the game’s 2016 release date means it likely relies on older rendering paths. The data indicates that the GPU is the clear performance arbiter, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The system’s overall rank of 970 out of 1656 combos places it in the upper half, reflecting a balanced but not top-tier gaming experience.