The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an Action RPG from 2016, presents an interesting test for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a title that is heavily dependent on the graphics card, but with enough headroom at lower resolutions to expose the processor's capabilities. The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance, with the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and high memory bandwidth playing a decisive role in maintaining playability at higher settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, highlighting the GPU as the primary limiting factor. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 141.5 at 1920x1080 to 91.1 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 50.4 FPS, and then further down to 47.6 at 3840x2160. This progression indicates that the RX 6800 XT is being pushed harder as the pixel count increases, with the 4K result being less than half the 1080p score.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 214.9 at 1080p to 139.2 at 1440p and finally to 79.3 at 4K. The ratio between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is roughly 2.7x, which is slightly less than the 3.0x ratio seen at High settings. This suggests that at lower settings, the CPU begins to play a more significant role in limiting performance at 1080p, preventing the frame rate from scaling perfectly with the GPU's raw power.

At 4K, the differences between settings presets become more pronounced in absolute terms. The gap between Low (79.3 FPS) and Ultra (36.4 FPS) is 42.9 FPS, which is a massive swing. This indicates that at this resolution, the GPU is working at its limits, and increasing the graphical load has a direct and significant impact on the output. The 4K data points to a scenario where the RX 6800 XT is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU has ample headroom to feed it frames.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 21 chip, is the dominant component in this pairing. Its performance in The Technomancer is closely tied to its memory subsystem. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This large capacity and high bandwidth are crucial for handling the game's assets at high resolutions and texture settings without stuttering.

Clock speeds also play a role. The GPU has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz. The high boost clock allows the card to maintain strong performance under sustained load. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the card manages an average of 36.4 FPS, which is a demanding scenario. The compute power, rated at 20.74 TFLOPS for FP32, is sufficient to drive these frame rates, but the scaling to 4K shows the card is nearing its performance ceiling in this title.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its standing. It achieves a percentile of 87 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49982. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which has a deltaPct of 2.6, indicating the RX 6800 XT is slightly slower on average. The memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s is a key specification that likely contributes to the consistent frame rates observed in the measured data, particularly when moving from Medium to High settings at 1440p where the FPS drops from 108.5 to 91.1.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 141.5.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT perform at 4K with Ultra settings in this game?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 36.4, which is the lowest recorded score in the data.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it may be at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the FPS is 214.9, but at 1080p Ultra, it is 113.3. The large gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is less than the gap at 4K, indicating the CPU can limit the frame rate at 1080p when the GPU load is lower.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 108.5, while at High settings it is 91.1, a difference of 17.4 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K textures?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. This is a substantial amount of memory that is well-suited for high-resolution gaming. The measured data shows playable frame rates at 4K on Medium (56.5 FPS) and High (47.6 FPS), suggesting the 16 GB capacity is adequate.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 20680, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i5-12490F. Its multi-core score in Cinebench R23 is 18578.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear guide for optimizing the game experience. For a 60 FPS target, the best experience is found at 2560x1440 with High settings, which yields an average of 91.1 FPS. This provides a significant performance buffer and is likely to feel smooth and responsive. Moving to 4K at High settings drops the average to 47.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less fluid experience.

At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, with even Ultra averaging 113.3 FPS. This makes 1080p the resolution to use for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. The data shows that the step from Medium to High at 1080p costs 26.7 FPS (from 168.2 to 141.5), which is a moderate trade-off for improved visuals. The step from High to Ultra costs another 28.2 FPS (from 141.5 to 113.3), which is a more significant hit.

For users with a 4K display, the Medium preset at 56.5 FPS offers the best balance, as it provides a playable frame rate while still maintaining a level of graphical detail. The Ultra preset at 36.4 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, and the Low preset, while faster at 79.3 FPS, would severely compromise visual quality. The optimal configuration is to prioritize frame rate at 1440p High, as it offers a high level of detail and a frame rate well above the standard 60 FPS target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset of measured average FPS is as follows:

1920x1080 (Full HD)

• Low: 214.9 FPS
• Medium: 168.2 FPS
• High: 141.5 FPS
• Ultra: 113.3 FPS

2560x1440 (Quad HD)

• Low: 139.2 FPS
• Medium: 108.5 FPS
• High: 91.1 FPS
• Ultra: 71.7 FPS

3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD)

• Low: 79.3 FPS
• Medium: 56.5 FPS
• High: 47.6 FPS
• Ultra: 36.4 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern. At each resolution, Low is the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The performance cost of increasing settings is not linear. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is 30.7 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 19.4 FPS. This suggests that the scaling of graphical effects has a varying impact on the GPU load. The 4K results show the most dramatic drops, with the RX 6800 XT unable to maintain high frame rates with the most demanding presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, a Zen 3 (Vermeer) processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, provides the processing foundation for this system. Its performance in The Technomancer is secondary to the GPU, but it is not irrelevant. The CPU's boost clock of 4.60 GHz and base clock of 3.70 GHz are important for maintaining high frame rates, especially at 1080p where the GPU is less of a bottleneck.

The CPU's benchmark results show it is a capable processor. It scores 18578 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2622 in single-core. This single-core strength is crucial for games that rely on a few threads. The data from the game suggests that at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 214.9 FPS might be approaching the CPU's limit, as the GPU is likely not fully utilized at that resolution and preset. The scaling to 1440p Low (139.2 FPS) is a 35% reduction, which is more than the pure pixel count increase, hinting that the CPU is no longer the limiting factor and the GPU load is becoming dominant.

In the context of its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 20680, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Xeon 6325P but 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700. The 65W TDP and 32 MB of L3 cache are specifications that contribute to its overall efficiency and gaming performance. While the CPU is not the star of the show in this title at higher resolutions, it is more than adequate to support the RX 6800 XT, ensuring that the graphics card is able to operate at its full potential without being starved of data.