The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, is not a typical modern stress test, but the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a dataset that reveals a great deal about where the performance bottlenecks lie in this specific title. The measured results show a pairing that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates exceptionally high at 1080p. The data indicates that this combo ranks 11th out of 2825 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top fraction of a percent of all systems tested. That rank is a strong statement about the overall capability of this pairing, even for a game that is several years old. The following analysis breaks down the GPU and CPU roles, how the system scales across resolutions, and which settings will provide the best experience based on the measured frames per second (FPS) data.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame field places this specific configuration at rank 11 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This is an exceptional standing, putting the system in the 99.6th percentile of all tested pairings. The data shows that this is not merely a high-end system; it is one of the most performant combinations recorded for this title. The rank is a direct result of the synergy between the RTX 5090 D’s massive rendering power and the Ryzen 5 9600X’s ability to feed it frames at high rates, especially at lower resolutions. For context, the GPU alone sits in the 92nd percentile when compared against all other GPUs in the database, and the CPU is in the 81st percentile against all CPUs. When combined, they push the system to the 11th spot overall, which suggests that the pairing is greater than the sum of its parts for this game. The measured FPS data supports this ranking, showing that at 1080p and 1440p, the system delivers frame rates that are far beyond what most displays can even show. At 4K, it still maintains very playable numbers, which reflects the GPU’s capabilities. The ranking is not just about raw compute; it is about how well these two components work together in this specific game’s engine. The Ryzen 5 9600X’s high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and strong single-thread performance likely prevents it from becoming a limitation, allowing the RTX 5090 D to stretch its legs. The result is a combo that sits near the very top of the leaderboard, with only ten other tested systems out of 2825 managing to outperform it. This is a clear indicator that for The Technomancer, this hardware combination is a top-tier choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant force in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the high frame rates observed. The GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and uses a GB202 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It boasts a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This enormous memory pool and bandwidth are critical for high-resolution gaming, ensuring that textures and geometry can be streamed quickly without becoming a bottleneck. The base clock is 2017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, which are the operating frequencies that drive its 21,760 shading units. The card also features 680 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 176 render output units (ROPs), which handle the pixel and texture processing. The raw compute capability is listed at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, which is a staggering number and explains why the card can push such high frame rates in The Technomancer. In the benchmark data, the GPU’s average benchmark score is 77712, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which has a deltaPct of -1.6, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which is -2.4 percent behind. This indicates that the RTX 5090 D is at the top of its class, with only a few other cards matching its performance.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s role is most evident at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 85 FPS. When settings are dropped to Low, the average jumps to 129 FPS, and at Medium, it is 99 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 66 FPS. These numbers show that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate scales inversely with the graphical load. The GPU’s 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any setting in this game, so there is no memory capacity issue. The performance differences are purely a result of the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth being taxed by higher settings. The GPU’s high texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s are the specs that enable it to handle the increased shading and texture work required by higher presets. The data confirms that while the CPU is capable, the RTX 5090 D is the component that determines the ceiling for frame rates at higher resolutions. Its performance is so strong that even at Ultra settings on 4K, it maintains an average FPS that is above 60, which is the standard for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling reveals that the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU starts to play a more significant role in setting the maximum frame rate. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 236. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 154, a 34.7 percent reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS further drops from 154 to 85, a 44.8 percent reduction. This substantial drop at 4K indicates that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, as the number of pixels to render increases exponentially. The pattern is similar for other settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 329 at 1080p, to 235 at 1440p, and down to 129 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.6 percent, and from 1440p to 4K is 45.1 percent. This consistent reduction of roughly 45 percent when moving from 1440p to 4K strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component at these resolutions.

The story changes somewhat at 1080p. The high average FPS numbers, such as 329 FPS at Low settings and 276 FPS at Medium settings, are so high that they are likely beyond what the CPU can consistently sustain. The data shows that the frame rate does not scale perfectly with the GPU load at this resolution. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low (329 FPS) and High (236 FPS) is 93 FPS, which is a 28.3 percent drop. However, the difference between High (236 FPS) and Ultra (184 FPS) is 52 FPS, a 22 percent drop. This non-linear scaling suggests that at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 9600X is starting to become a limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of rendering frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls. The CPU’s 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and passmark_single_thread score of 4570 are strong, but they have a finite limit. The 1080p results, with an average of 329 FPS at Low, are indicative of a system where the CPU is reaching its maximum frame output capacity. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is not as pronounced as the scaling from 1440p to 4K, which further supports the idea that the GPU is the main bottleneck at higher resolutions. In summary, the data shows that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, while the Ryzen 5 9600X becomes a more significant factor at 1080p, capping the maximum achievable frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different settings presets impact performance, allowing for a recommendation based on the desired experience. For a player using a 4K display, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers an average of 85 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K produces an average of 66 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 4K yields 99 FPS, but the visual fidelity is lower than High. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a comfortable frame rate advantage over Ultra. The Low preset at 4K, with 129 FPS, is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 120 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1440p produces 154 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often noticeable in a game like The Technomancer. Since the system can easily maintain over 100 FPS at 1440p on Ultra, there is no reason to compromise on settings. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 180 FPS, but this is unnecessary for most displays, and the visual downgrade is not worth the extra frames. The Low preset at 1440p, with 235 FPS, is again only for those seeking the absolute highest frame rates. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is also the best choice. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 184 FPS, which is more than enough for any 1080p monitor, even those with high refresh rates. The High preset at 1080p offers 236 FPS, but the difference between High and Ultra is noticeable in shadow quality and texture detail. Since the system delivers 184 FPS on Ultra, it is the recommended setting. The Medium preset at 1080p (276 FPS) and Low preset (329 FPS) are unnecessary, as the Ultra preset already provides a frame rate that exceeds most display capabilities. In all cases, the measured data shows that the system has enough performance to run the game at its highest visual settings while maintaining high frame rates, with the only exception being a potential preference for High over Ultra at 4K to gain more performance headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the best overall performance ranking for this CPU and GPU combination in The Technomancer?

A: The combo ranks 11th out of 2825 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top fraction of a percent of all systems tested.

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, has an average score of 76904, which is a deltaPct of 1.1 percent behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6 percent behind with a score of 78940, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1 percent behind with a score of 79396.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K resolution with the High settings preset?

A: The measured data shows an average FPS of 85 at 3840x2160 resolution with the High settings preset.

Q: At which resolution does the CPU start to become a more significant limiting factor?

A: The data indicates that at 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high (e.g., 329 FPS on Low), and the scaling between settings is less linear, suggesting that the Ryzen 5 9600X is starting to cap the maximum frame rate. At higher resolutions, the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the High and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 154 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 120 FPS. This is a difference of 34 FPS, with Ultra providing higher visual fidelity at the cost of some frame rate.

Q: Is the 32 GB of VRAM on the RTX 5090 D a limiting factor in this game?

A: No. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is more than sufficient for any settings preset in The Technomancer. The performance differences between presets are due to the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth load, not memory capacity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the supporting component in this pairing, but its specifications ensure that it does not hold back the RTX 5090 D. The CPU is part of the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the codename Granite Ridge. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The high boost clock is particularly important for gaming, as many game engines rely on single-thread performance. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. This cache hierarchy helps reduce memory latency and improves performance in games that have a working set that fits within the cache. The CPU is manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC, and it has a TDP of 65 W, making it a power-efficient choice. In terms of benchmark scores, the Ryzen 5 9600X achieves a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4570. These scores are indicative of strong single-core performance, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates in games that are not heavily multi-threaded.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, which has a deltaPct of 0.2, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, which is -0.5 percent behind. The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. For The Technomancer, a game released in 2016, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system can achieve an average of 329 FPS on Low settings. This is an extremely high frame rate, and it is likely that the CPU is the limiting factor at this point. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 7585 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 17528.5 show that the CPU has solid multi-threaded performance, but the game’s engine may not be able to utilize all 12 threads efficiently. The fact that the frame rate does not scale perfectly with settings at 1080p, with the difference between Low and High being 93 FPS but the difference between High and Ultra being 52 FPS, suggests that the CPU is reaching its per-frame processing limit. When the resolution is increased to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU has enough headroom to maintain its performance. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 9600X is a capable partner for the RTX 5090 D, providing enough single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecking at 1440p and 4K, and only becoming a limiting factor at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS.