The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, exhibits a wide performance spectrum when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. The measured data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but one that begins to strain under the demands of 4K Ultra settings. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy of performance dictated by resolution and preset, with the combination ranking 599th out of 1656 tested combos in this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a system that is primarily GPU-limited at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 144.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 89.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 37.8%. Moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) High shows a further drop to 48 FPS, which is a 46.5% decrease from the 1440p result. The scaling pattern suggests that the RX 6800 XT is the limiting factor as pixel count increases, with the CPU having less influence at these higher loads.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 215.3 FPS at 1080p to 138.4 FPS at 1440p, and then to 75.8 FPS at 4K. This indicates that even when the graphical load is minimized, the transition to 4K still imposes a significant penalty on the rendering pipeline. The data implies that for 4K gaming, the GPU is the bottleneck, while at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to allow the CPU to push frame rates much higher, as evidenced by the 215.3 FPS Low result.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its benchmark scores show strong single-threaded performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3603. This strength in single-threaded tasks is relevant for The Technomancer, which, like many Action RPGs, often relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and physics. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz is a key factor in achieving these high single-thread scores.

In this game, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 215.3 FPS, a figure that suggests the processor is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to reach very high refresh rates. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 7585 and the max threads score of 7590 indicate that the CPU’s multi-threading capabilities are also robust, but the game may not be able to fully utilize all 12 threads. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rates are much lower, which implies the CPU is not the primary constraint; instead, the GPU’s rendering capacity is the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, is a high-end card from the RDNA 2.0 architecture. Its 4608 shading units and boost clock of 2250 MHz provide substantial raw compute power, reflected in its passmark_g3d score of 24980. The GPU’s performance percentile of 87 indicates it is positioned well above the majority of other graphics cards in the database.

The GPU’s role in The Technomancer is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. The frame rate drop from 144.1 FPS at 1080p High to 48 FPS at 4K High is a direct consequence of the GPU’s workload increasing with pixel count. The 16 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra settings, so the limitation is more likely the raw shader throughput and memory bandwidth. The data suggests that while the GPU is powerful, it is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where it only manages 37.8 FPS. The card’s performance is more comfortable at 1440p, where it can deliver over 100 FPS on Medium and High settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This particular combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and RX 6800 XT ranks 599th out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 36.2% of all tested combinations, indicating that it performs better than the majority of setups in this specific game. The rank is a composite measure of the system’s overall capability across all tested resolutions and settings.

The CPU alone has a percentile of 85 against all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230, with average scores within 0.3% of each other. The GPU’s percentile is 87, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which has a 2.6% higher average score. The fact that both components are in the mid-to-high 80s percentile range but the combo ranks in the 36th percentile of combos suggests that the game’s performance is not perfectly correlated with the component’s general benchmark scores, possibly due to specific engine optimizations or bottlenecks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 215.3 FPS on Low, 165.3 FPS on Medium, 144.1 FPS on High, and 112.3 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a smooth degradation of performance as the preset quality increases, with a 47.8% difference between Low and Ultra settings.

At 2560x1440, the results are 138.4 FPS on Low, 107.3 FPS on Medium, 89.7 FPS on High, and 70.9 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p results in a 35.7% performance drop on Low settings, but a slightly smaller 37.7% drop on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the system produces 75.8 FPS on Low, 60.4 FPS on Medium, 48 FPS on High, and 37.8 FPS on Ultra. The transition from 1440p to 4K is more severe, with a 45.2% drop on Low and a 46.7% drop on Ultra, highlighting the GPU’s struggle at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Technomancer?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 215.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at 4K with Low settings it achieves 75.8 FPS, and at Medium settings it achieves 60.4 FPS. However, at High and Ultra settings, frame rates drop to 48 FPS and 37.8 FPS respectively, which may be less ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU scores 3603 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 25525 in multi-core. This shows a strong single-thread result, which is beneficial for games like The Technomancer, while the multi-core score indicates robust overall processing capability.

Q: What is the most significant performance bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as frame rates drop significantly compared to 1440p, while the CPU’s performance remains constant. The GPU’s rendering workload at this resolution is the primary constraint.

Q: How does the GPU rank compared to other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT has a percentile of 87 against all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 87% of the graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which has a 2.6% higher average benchmark score.

Q: Are the frame rates at 1080p High sufficient for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: Yes, the system achieves 144.1 FPS at 1080p High, which is sufficient for a 144Hz monitor. The Low setting even reaches 215.3 FPS, which would support a faster display.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance is found at 1440p Medium or High. At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 107.3 FPS, while High settings produce 89.7 FPS. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold and offer a good experience. For users with a 1080p display, High settings at 144.1 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers 112.3 FPS, which is also playable.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low settings at 75.8 FPS is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS, while Medium at 60.4 FPS is borderline. High and Ultra settings at 48 FPS and 37.8 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that for the best experience at 4K, users should select Medium settings, while for the highest fidelity at playable frame rates, 1440p High is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.