The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU bound scenarios. For the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, the measured data reveals a system that scales predictably with resolution, but whose performance ceiling is heavily dictated by the graphics card at higher settings. This pairing demonstrates a classic modern mid-range configuration, where the CPU’s strong single-threaded capabilities are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute limits become the primary constraint as pixel count and fidelity increase.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and indicates a clear shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 171.6 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to keep frame rates high, as the GPU is not yet saturated. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 108.3 FPS, a 36.9% reduction, which is a substantial decline that points to the GPU beginning to take on more load. The trend continues to 4K Low, where the average FPS falls to 61.5, a further 43.2% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting component.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the High and Ultra presets. At 1080p High, the system produces 110.8 FPS, but this falls to 74.3 FPS at 1440p (a 32.9% decrease) and then to 36.5 FPS at 4K (a 50.9% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with 87.1 FPS at 1080p, 58.3 FPS at 1440p, and a playable-but-challenging 30.1 FPS at 4K. The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are being overwhelmed by the combination of high pixel counts and demanding visual effects. The 4K Ultra result of 30.1 FPS is less than half of the 1080p Low result, highlighting that this configuration is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower fidelity presets.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 968th out of 1656 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested configurations, which indicates a solidly mid-pack performance. The ranking reflects that while the combo is capable of high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, it is not a top-tier performer, likely due to the RTX 4060’s position in the GPU hierarchy rather than any CPU limitation.

The CPU’s performance relative to its peers is strong. The Ryzen 5 5600X holds a 78th percentile ranking against all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 20680 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. For instance, it is only 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and the Intel Core i7-10700, and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-12490F. It is also 0.7% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6325P. This indicates that the processor is not a weak link in this pairing; its six cores and twelve threads are sufficient for the game’s demands. On the GPU side, the RTX 4060 holds a 66th percentile ranking against all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 23181 is very close to its nearest rivals, being 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, while also being 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M. This suggests the graphics card is the performance anchor, with its modest memory bus width and bandwidth limiting the overall system’s ability to push high frame rates at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 the primary bottleneck in The Technomancer?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. While the CPU enables 171.6 FPS at 1080p Low, the frame rate drops drastically to 61.5 FPS at 4K Low, showing that the graphics card cannot maintain performance as pixel count increases.

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

A: It can run at 4K, but only at lower presets. The 4K Low preset produces 61.5 FPS, which is playable, while the 4K High and Ultra presets drop to 36.5 FPS and 30.1 FPS, respectively, which are less smooth experiences.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a balance of visual quality and performance?

A: The sweet spot appears to be 1440p. At 1440p High, the system achieves 74.3 FPS, which is a good balance. The 1440p Medium preset offers a higher 82.9 FPS, while 1440p Ultra still maintains a respectable 58.3 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600X compare to its closest CPU competitors?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X performs almost identically to its nearest rivals. It is only 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700, and 0.5% slower than the Intel Core i5-12490F in average benchmark scores.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M?

A: The RTX 4060 is slightly less powerful, with an average benchmark score that is 0.6% lower than the Radeon RX 6600M. This places the two GPUs in a very similar performance tier.

Q: Is there a large performance gap between the Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the gap is substantial. The 1080p Low preset yields 171.6 FPS, while the 1080p Ultra preset yields 87.1 FPS. This represents a 84.5 FPS difference, showing that Ultra settings significantly tax the GPU even at the lowest resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the 1440p Medium preset at 82.9 FPS offers a strong combination of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay. This setting provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a fluid experience without the performance penalty of Ultra settings. If a higher visual quality is preferred, the 1440p High preset at 74.3 FPS is also an excellent choice, maintaining a high level of detail while still delivering smooth gameplay.

For users with 1080p displays, the High preset at 110.8 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a very high frame rate that takes full advantage of the CPU’s capabilities. The Ultra preset at 87.1 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw speed, but the performance cost is noticeable. At 4K, the only viable preset for smooth gameplay is Low, which produces 61.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 44.6 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive, while the High and Ultra presets at 36.5 FPS and 30.1 FPS are best avoided for action-oriented gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 171.6 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this configuration. The Medium preset delivers 127.9 FPS, while the High preset provides 110.8 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still produces a very playable 87.1 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down predictably. The Low preset yields 108.3 FPS, which is a 36.9% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset achieves 82.9 FPS, and the High preset drops to 74.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing 58.3 FPS, which is still a respectable performance level for 1440p gaming.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low preset is the only setting that maintains a smooth frame rate at 61.5 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 44.6 FPS, and the High preset drops further to 36.5 FPS. The Ultra preset produces the lowest measured average of 30.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, fast-paced gameplay. The data across all resolutions and settings shows a system that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p, but which requires significant graphical compromises to run at 4K.