The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a component balance that shifts dramatically depending on the graphical load. This analysis breaks down the data, showing where the CPU and GPU each take the lead, and what that means for a builder considering this exact combination for this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about which component is the limiting factor at each step. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces a very high 231 FPS average. This is a CPU-bound scenario; the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of far more frames than the Ryzen 5 7500X3D can feed, so the CPU becomes the bottleneck. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 151 FPS. That is a significant 80 FPS reduction, but the system is still likely CPU-limited at this point, as the GPU has enough headroom. The real shift occurs at 4K. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 83. This is a 68 FPS drop from the 1440p result, a much steeper decline than the 1440p to 1080p step, indicating that the GPU is now the primary constraint.

The scaling pattern across the High settings preset reinforces this. From 1080p High (152 FPS) to 1440p High (99 FPS), there is a 53 FPS drop. From 1440p High to 4K High (54 FPS), the drop is 45 FPS. The consistent, large reductions at each step show that the game is heavily GPU-dependent as resolution increases. The data for Medium settings provides a complete picture: 1080p Medium averages 178 FPS, 1440p Medium averages 116 FPS, and 4K Medium averages 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS. The frame rates at 4K across all settings are the most telling. The RTX 3080 Ti is being pushed to its limits, with the 4K Ultra average dropping to just 43 FPS. This confirms that at 4K, the GPU is the sole limiting factor, and the CPU’s performance is no longer relevant to the final frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers a 99 FPS average, which is a smooth experience. At Medium settings, it provides a 116 FPS average. While 1920x1080 offers higher frame rates (152 FPS on High), 1440p provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance, as the GPU is still capable of high refresh rates without being as CPU-limited as it is at 1080p.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. The measured data shows that at 4K, only the Low settings preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS, with an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset averages 64 FPS, which is playable. High settings (54 FPS) and Ultra settings (43 FPS) will be below a 60 FPS target. A user would need to lower settings to maintain a consistent frame rate at this resolution.

Q: Is the game more demanding on the CPU or the GPU?

A: The benchmark data indicates that The Technomancer is heavily GPU-bound, especially at higher resolutions. This is evident from the large frame rate drops as resolution increases. For example, moving from 1080p High to 4K High results in a 98 FPS average loss. The CPU’s influence is most pronounced at 1080p with lower settings, where the Ryzen 5 7500X3D’s performance caps the maximum frame rate at 231 FPS on Low, suggesting a CPU limit rather than a GPU one.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance?

A: The cost of Ultra settings is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 152 on High to 119 on Ultra, a 33 FPS loss. At 2560x1440, the drop is from 99 FPS on High to 77 FPS on Ultra, a 22 FPS loss. At 3840x2160, the drop is from 54 FPS on High to 43 FPS on Ultra, an 11 FPS loss. The relative cost of Ultra is highest at lower resolutions where the CPU is more of a factor.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only preset with a reported minimum FPS is Medium. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 151 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 99 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 54 FPS. These minimums are identical to the average FPS of the High preset at the respective resolutions, suggesting that the Medium preset’s minimum frame rate is a solid baseline for performance.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7500X3D compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has an average benchmark score of 44573. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, scores 44466, which is a 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i9-13950HX scores 44342, a 0.5% difference, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 scores 44309, a 0.6% difference. The Intel Core i5-14600 scores 44889, which is 0.7% higher. This shows the 7500X3D is statistically tied with its closest competitors in general processing power.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture. It has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its most significant feature is the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is designed to improve gaming performance. The CPU’s role in The Technomancer is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 231, which is a high number but likely limited by the CPU’s single-thread performance or memory latency rather than the GPU. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score is 3494, and its Passmark multithread score is 25047. These scores, while strong, are not exceptionally high, and the game seems to be able to saturate the CPU’s capabilities at these settings.

The CPU’s performance is less of a factor as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and the CPU has ample headroom. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor in achieving the 4K frame rates listed. The CPU’s 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth are standard for its class. Its 5 nm process node and 11,270 million transistors indicate a modern, efficient design. The CPU’s percentile rank of 89 against all CPUs means it outperforms 89% of all tested processors, which is a strong result. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and Intel Core i9-13950HX, have near-identical average benchmark scores, confirming that the 7500X3D is a top-tier performer for gaming and general tasks, but its specific L3 cache advantage does not translate into a major lead in this particular title based on the measured FPS data.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks at 687 out of 2825 total combos. This places it in the top 24.3% of all tested systems, which is a solid result. The rank reflects the combined capability of the CPU and GPU. Given the GPU’s age and the CPU’s relatively recent release, this ranking reflects the RTX 3080 Ti’s continued relevance. The combo rank is a holistic measure, but the individual component rankings provide more context. The GPU’s percentile rank is 83, meaning it is better than 83% of all GPUs. The CPU’s percentile rank is 89, meaning it is better than 89% of all CPUs. The combo’s rank of 687 is lower than what the individual percentile scores might suggest, indicating that the GPU is holding the combo back in this specific, GPU-intensive game.

The ranking shows that while this is not a top-tier combo, it is far from a low-end one. Out of 2825 combinations, a rank of 687 places it in the upper quartile. This suggests that the system is capable of running most games well, but it may not be the best choice for maximum settings at 4K in the most demanding titles. The data for The Technomancer shows that the combo is better suited for 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates on High settings. The rank is a useful metric for comparing this specific pairing to others, but it should be considered alongside the measured FPS data for a complete picture of its performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its role becomes more pronounced as resolution and settings increase. It is based on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. Its 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs are substantial, and it also includes 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 34.10 TFLOPS, which is a strong figure. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 41187, and its percentile rank is 83, meaning it outperforms 83% of all GPUs.

In The Technomancer, the GPU’s performance is the deciding factor for the playable experience. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is fully utilized at 4K, with the 4K Ultra preset yielding only 43 FPS. The GPU’s memory capacity of 12 GB is likely sufficient for this game, but the raw compute power is what limits performance at high resolutions. The comparison to its nearest rivals is interesting. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 has an average score of 40870, which is 0.8% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41707, 1.2% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897, 1.7% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40377, which is 2% lower. This shows that the RTX 3080 Ti is in the same performance bracket as these cards in synthetic benchmarks, but its real-world gaming performance in this title is what matters. The GPU’s 350W TDP and suggested 750W PSU are important considerations for a build, but they are not reflected in the FPS data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides the definitive performance picture. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 231 FPS, Medium settings produce 178 FPS (with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS), High settings produce 152 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 119 FPS. This shows a clear scaling pattern, with a 112 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The CPU is likely the limiting factor at this resolution, especially at Low and Medium settings, as the frame rates are very high.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 151 FPS, Medium settings produce 116 FPS (with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 134 FPS), High settings produce 99 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 77 FPS. The drop from 1080p is consistent, with the GPU becoming more of a bottleneck. The performance at 1440p High (99 FPS) is still very good, offering a smooth experience on high refresh rate monitors. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 83 FPS, Medium settings produce 64 FPS (with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS), High settings produce 54 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 43 FPS. This is where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The frame rates at 4K High and Ultra are below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be a concern for some users. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 40 FPS difference, highlighting the heavy performance cost of the Ultra preset.

The data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS values are a useful indicator of the system’s frame time stability. At 1080p, the minimum is 151 FPS; at 1440p, it is 99 FPS; and at 4K, it is 54 FPS. These values are identical to the average FPS of the High preset at the same resolution, which suggests that the Medium preset is a reliable benchmark for the system’s floor performance. The maximum FPS values for the Medium preset are 204 FPS at 1080p, 134 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K. The gap between minimum and maximum FPS at 4K (19 FPS) is larger than at 1080p (53 FPS) when considered as a percentage, indicating more frame time variance at higher resolutions. The overall data shows that this combo is capable of excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, and only struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with the most demanding settings.