The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an action RPG released in mid-2016, places significant demands on both processor and graphics hardware. The combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a measurable performance profile that shifts dramatically with resolution and quality settings. This analysis examines the measured frame rates, the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this pairing compares to other tested configurations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This CPU houses 32 MB of L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In the broader market, the 3700X sits in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong general-purpose processing capability.

Considering game performance, the 3700X’s compute potential is reflected in its multi-threaded benchmark scores. It achieves a Cinebench R15 multicore score of 2092 and a Geekbench multicore score of 8899. More specifically, its Passmark multithread score is 22458, and its physics score is 1181. These numbers suggest the processor is well-equipped to handle complex game logic and physics calculations, which are common in action RPGs like The Technomancer.

The data reveals that at 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 117 FPS, while at 1080p with High settings it produces 77 FPS. This significant frame rate drop (a 34% reduction) as visual quality increases points to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher settings. However, the CPU's role is not negligible. The fact that the 1080p Low preset yields such a high frame rate indicates that the 3700X is not holding back the system at lower graphical loads. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 21 FPS, a dramatic drop that emphasizes the GPU’s dominance in this pairing.

The 3700X’s single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 1593 and a Passmark single-thread score of 2656, is decent but not exceptional. The Technomancer, like many action RPGs, will rely on a balance of single-threaded game code and multi-threaded background tasks. The data shows no frame rate scaling that would indicate a CPU limitation, as higher resolution presets cause proportionally higher FPS drops. The CPU is therefore not the limiting factor in this configuration; the GPU is the deciding component, especially as resolution and detail settings increase.

FAQ

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p with the High preset?

A: The measured average frame rate is 77 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average is 90 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 59 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 32 FPS. This shows a steady decline as the pixel count increases, with the 4K figure being less than half of the 1440p value.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 21 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the CPU or the GPU play a larger role in The Technomancer's performance?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 60 FPS, a 49% reduction. This sensitivity to graphical settings is a clear sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average frame rate is 50 FPS. At 3840x2160 High, it is 27 FPS. The 4K High result is 54% of the 1440p High result.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3700X compare to its nearest rivals in overall CPU benchmark scores?

A: The 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260. It sits within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, AMD EPYC 4244P, Intel Core i5-13450HX, and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear and predictable trend of frame rate reduction as resolution increases. At Low settings, the frame rate moves from 117 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 1440p, then down to 42 FPS at 4K. This is a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being increasingly strained.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 90 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 34%, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 46%. At High settings, the frame rates are 77, 50, and 27 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 46% drop from 1440p to 4K.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 60 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 35%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 46%. The consistency of these percentage drops across all presets clearly indicates that the GPU is the performance limiter. The frame rate decline is proportional to the pixel count increase, and there is no flat region in the data that would suggest the CPU is becoming a secondary bottleneck.

The data also shows that the minimum frame rates, where available, are close to the average. For example, at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 76 FPS and the maximum is 103 FPS, while the average is 90 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 50 and the maximum is 67, with an average of 59. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 27, maximum is 37, and average is 32. This consistency suggests stable performance without severe frame spikes, a positive sign for a game experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 3057th out of 3696 possible combinations for The Technomancer. This places the duo in the bottom 18% of tested configurations. The rank is a direct reflection of the GTX 1070's age and performance level, as the CPU is quite capable.

The GTX 1070 is an older graphics card with a 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 9780. Its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark rankings include the AMD FirePro W5000, NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, NVIDIA Tesla M10, and NVIDIA Tesla C2070. The deltaPct between these rivals is less than 0.7%, showing that the GTX 1070 is in a cluster of the performance. The 3700X is in a much higher percentile (84th), but the GPU is holding the entire system back in this game.

This ranking shows that users with this combination will likely need to lower in-game settings or resolution to achieve a smooth gaming experience in The Technomancer. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable, with the 3700X ranking in the 84th percentile, but the GPU's 47th percentile ranking is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows the frame rate for all resolution and settings combinations.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 117 FPS. This is the highest average frame rate in the dataset. At Medium settings, the average drops to 90 FPS, with a range of 76 to 103 FPS. High settings produce an average of 77 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are lower. Low settings average 76 FPS. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 67. High settings produce an average of 50 FPS, and Ultra settings average 39 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 42 FPS. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. High settings average 27 FPS. Ultra settings bring the frame rate to an average of 21 FPS.

The data shows a consistent and dramatic frame rate drop as both resolution and preset quality increase. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 57 FPS (117 vs 60), at 1440p it is 37 FPS (76 vs 39), and at 4K it is 21 FPS (42 vs 21). The relative drop from Low to Ultra grows with resolution: 49% at 1080p, 51% at 1440p, and 50% at 4K. This fairly consistent percentage shows that the GPU's workload scales linearly with the combination of resolution and preset.

Quality Settings Recommendations

The ideal setting depends on the target frame rate. For users with a 60 FPS-capable display, the 1080p Ultra preset is the only option that meets this target, producing exactly 60 FPS average. The 1080p High preset is also a strong choice, as it produces 77 FPS with a solid margin of headroom. This suggests that High settings at 1080p provide a better experience for a 60 Hz display, as it keeps the frame rate well above 60 FPS with less risk of drops.

For 1440p usage, the system cannot hit 60 FPS on any preset. The highest average is 76 FPS at Low settings, which is above 60. However, this is the only 1440p preset that exceeds 60. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 59 FPS, which is just below 60. The High preset at 1440p averages 50 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS. This suggests that 1440p Medium is the highest quality setting that is close to 60 FPS, but it is still slightly below.

For 4K, no preset is close to 60 FPS. The best average is 42 FPS at Low, then 32 FPS at Medium, 27 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra. Playing at 4K will require significant visual compromises or a lower frame rate target. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable target for this combination if the user expects a smooth experience.

The 1080p Medium preset, with an average of 90 FPS, is a comfortable middle ground. It provides a high frame rate with better visual quality than Low. The 1080p High setting at 77 FPS is also a solid choice. The 1080p Ultra setting is the highest quality preset that can still maintain 60 FPS, but it offers less headroom. For 1440p, the Medium preset is the closest to 60 FPS without going below, and for 4K, the Low preset gives the highest frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal architecture GPU with a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz. It has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its 16 nm process and 64.6 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are quite dated.

The GPU's performance percentile is 47th, meaning it is below the median of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 9780. It sits close to several older workstation cards, such as the AMD FirePro W2000, NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, NVIDIA Tesla M10, and NVIDIA Tesla C2070. This indicates that the GTX 1070 is now a lower-midrange card in the current market.

The GTX 1070's memory capacity of 8 GB is a limiting factor. At higher resolutions and settings, the texture and detail demands can strain a 8 GB frame buffer. The data shows a steep performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K, where average frame rates at High settings halve from 50 to 27 FPS. This is an indication of memory bandwidth and fill rate limitations.

The GPU's memory clock is effective at 8 Gbps, and its pixel rate is 107.7 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. These are the raw throughput numbers that determine how many pixels and textures the card can process per second. The 4K results show that these rates are insufficient for smooth play at high settings.

The 3700X is not the bottleneck in this system. The GTX 1070, with its 47th percentile rank, is the component that determines the frame rate. The measured FPS data shows a consistent dependency on GPU settings and resolution. This is a clear example of a CPU being well ahead of the GPU in performance, where the GPU is the deciding factor for the gameplay experience.