The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Technomancer, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and presets. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher settings, while the modern 6-core processor ensures the CPU never becomes the primary bottleneck in this 2016 Action RPG.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?*

A: Based on the measured FPS rows, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all four settings presets achieve an average of at least 71 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 47 FPS, and at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 50 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2741 out of 3696 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower third of the database. This percentile reflects the GPU's age and its 59th percentile standing among all GPUs, despite the CPU's strong 81st percentile ranking.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is clearly the limiting component. The average FPS drops from 139 at Low settings to 71 at Ultra settings, a change of 68 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, this settings-based scaling would be far less pronounced.

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

A: The measured data shows a 44 FPS difference. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 47 FPS. The Medium preset sits between them at 70 FPS, and High averages 60 FPS.

Q: Does the game support high refresh rates at 4K with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 50 at Low settings. The High preset averages 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 26 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and is it sufficient?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. Given that the game's Ultra preset at 4K yields only 26 FPS, the data indicates that the GPU's compute limits are hit before memory capacity becomes a reported issue.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 3.90 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The processor has 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data suggests this is handled with ease. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 139 FPS, a figure that is unlikely to be limited by the processor. The CPU's single-thread performance, indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2923, provides a strong foundation for the game's engine.

The CPU's multi-threading capability, shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17528.5, is more than adequate for a game from 2016. The data shows that the performance delta between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p is 68 FPS. This scaling is driven by the GPU's workload, not the CPU. The processor's 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 and 2-thread score of 2456 further indicate that the game's primary thread is well-served.

The Ryzen 5 9600X's 65 W TDP and 4 nm process node suggest it operates efficiently, but the game's performance is not constrained by the CPU's power limits. The processor's nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE with a delta of 0.2%, show that the 9600X is competitive in synthetic benchmarks, but those scores do not translate to a bottleneck here. The game's frame rates are dictated by the graphics card, especially as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2741 out of 3696 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places the system in the 26th percentile of all tested combos, meaning that roughly three-quarters of tested systems perform better. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's standing.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has a percentile of 59 among all GPUs, indicating that it outperforms just over half of the graphics cards in the database. Its average benchmark score is 16361. The CPU, in contrast, has a percentile of 81 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29713. The disparity between the CPU's high ranking and the GPU's mid-range ranking explains the overall combo position.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with a delta of 0.1% and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with a delta of -0.3%. These are professional or workstation-class parts, not direct gaming competitors. The CPU's nearest rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H with a delta of -0.5%, are also different market segments. The combo's rank is a product of pairing a top-tier modern CPU with a mid-tier GPU from the previous generation.

The data indicates that the combo's performance is not anomalous. It sits where the GPU's capabilities dictate. For users with this CPU, upgrading the graphics card would yield a substantial improvement in rank. For users with this GPU, the CPU is not the limiting factor in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset averages 139 FPS, the High preset averages 91 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 71 FPS. The Medium preset averages 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 and a maximum of 123 FPS. This shows a clear, linear progression of performance as settings are reduced.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is the same as the High preset at 1080p. The High preset at 1440p averages 60 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 47 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, the Medium preset averages 38 FPS with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44 FPS, the High preset averages 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS.

The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings remains consistent. At 1080p, the difference is 68 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 44 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 24 FPS. This narrowing gap indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power becomes the dominant factor, and the settings-based workload differences have less relative impact.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture and uses the Navi 10 chip on a 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines.

The GPU's memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. This configuration is a defining characteristic of the card's performance in The Technomancer.

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 26 FPS, which is a demanding workload for a card with a 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The card's PassMark G3D score of 16277 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2134 provide context for its compute capabilities.

The GPU's pixel rate is 121.9 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s. These figures explain why the card's performance degrades so steeply at 4K. The data shows the GPU's percentile of 59, which is a mid-range position. The card's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 with a delta of -0.3%, are not typical gaming cards, but they have similar average benchmark scores.

The GPU's TDP is 225 W, and it requires a 550 W power supply. The card's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a critical resource. The fact that the Low preset at 4K yields 50 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 26 FPS, indicates that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are both saturated at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how each preset performs. For users prioritizing a smooth experience, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that exceeds 130 FPS, averaging 139 FPS. This is ideal for high refresh rate displays.

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the most sensible choice. It averages 91 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 107 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often worth the 16 FPS cost in this game.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 60 FPS, which is the minimum for a playable experience. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, providing a better safety margin. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 47 FPS, which is too low for consistent smoothness. The Low preset at 1440p averages 91 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial.

At 3840x2160, no preset provides a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to averages of 33 and 26 FPS respectively. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires accepting Low settings or lowering the resolution.

The best overall experience, per the data, is the High preset at 1920x1080. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining an average FPS of 91. For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset is the best option, as it provides an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are steep and consistent. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 91 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p and 33 at 4K. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 45% drop from 1440p to 4K.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 139 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and 50 at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K. This consistency across settings is a strong indicator of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data shows that the scaling is nearly linear with pixel count. From 1080p to 1440p, the pixel count increases by 78%, and the FPS drops by roughly 35%. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 125%, and the FPS drops by roughly 45%. This relationship suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting resources.

The CPU's role in this scaling is negligible. The Ryzen 5 9600X has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores. The game's frame rate at 1080p Low is 139 FPS, which is high but not CPU-limited. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain flat across resolutions.

The conclusion from the data is that the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the definitive limiting component. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game, but its compute power is not. The 26 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a direct result of the GPU's 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 performance being overwhelmed. Users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need to reduce settings to Low, which yields 50 FPS, or consider a more powerful GPU.