The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, shows surprisingly demanding performance characteristics when paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The measured data reveals a configuration that delivers high frame rates across all resolutions, yet the scaling patterns indicate a complex balance between CPU and GPU limitations depending on the settings chosen.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K follows distinct patterns that shift based on the quality preset. At 1080p Low, the system produces 244 FPS average, dropping to 212 FPS at 1440p and further to 129 FPS at 4K. This represents a 47% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, suggesting that even at the lowest quality, the GPU becomes significantly more taxed as resolution increases.

For Medium settings, the scaling shows 222 FPS at 1080p, 180 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper here, with a 45% decrease, while the 1080p to 1440p transition costs only 19% of performance. High settings follow a similar trajectory: 210 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p, and 85 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure represents a 60% reduction from the 1080p result, indicating that High settings at 4K push the rendering load substantially harder.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling curve. At 1080p the system manages 184 FPS, which drops to 120 FPS at 1440p and 66 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is only 36% of the 1080p Ultra performance, demonstrating that The Technomancer's highest preset scales poorly with resolution. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is notable: 99 FPS versus 66 FPS, a 33% difference that suggests Ultra applies rendering features that disproportionately impact higher resolutions.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component across all settings, as frame rates cluster between 184 and 244 FPS regardless of quality level. The GPU has headroom at this resolution, and the Ryzen 7 5700X's single-thread performance caps the output. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, with the RTX 5090 D's rendering capabilities determining the final frame rates. The 1440p results represent a transition zone where neither component is fully saturated.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 89th out of 2,825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the configuration in the top 3.2% of all tested systems, indicating that this pairing delivers near-elite performance for this specific title. The rank of 89 out of 2,825 combos means the system outperforms the vast majority of alternatives, though it does not reach the absolute top tier.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 27,578 places it in the 79th percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12600K with an identical average score of 27,578 and a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 at 27,535 with a 0.2% difference, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X at 27,636 with a -0.2% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H at 27,507 with a 0.3% delta. These near-identical scores indicate that the 5700X sits at a performance plateau where multiple competitors achieve essentially the same results.

For the GPU, the RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, placing it in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76,904 with a 1.1% delta, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78,940 with a -1.6% delta, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79,396 with a -2.1% delta, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605 with a -2.4% delta. These data points suggest the 5090 D is competitive with, but not decisively ahead of, these particular alternatives in synthetic benchmarks.

The combination rank of 89 suggests that the synergy between this specific CPU and GPU works well for The Technomancer. The 5700X provides sufficient processing power to feed the 5090 D at most settings, and the 5090 D's massive rendering capabilities handle the game's graphical demands effectively.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 architecture processor built on TSMC's 7 nm process node, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz can boost up to 4.60 GHz, and it carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache along with 512 KB of L2 cache per core. These specifications position it as a capable mid-range processor for gaming workloads.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role becomes evident at 1080p where frame rates nearly double from 4K results. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 244 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 129 FPS. The 1080p result is likely constrained by the CPU's single-thread performance, as the 5700X scores 921 in the 3dmark single-thread test and 1,499 in Cinebench R23 single-core. The game appears to have a single-thread bottleneck at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from reaching higher frame rates.

The 5700X's multi-threaded capabilities, shown by its 13,184 Cinebench R23 multi-core score and 6,858 3dmark 16-thread result, are sufficient for this game's requirements. The Technomancer, released in 2016, likely does not leverage more than 8 threads effectively, so the 5700X's 16 threads provide ample headroom. The processor's 79th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms it sits above the average processor for general performance.

The Ryzen 7 5700X's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, achieves a nearly identical average benchmark score of 27,578 with a 0% delta. This suggests that in The Technomancer, the 5700X performs equivalently to the i5-12600K, meaning the game does not strongly favor AMD's Zen 3 architecture over Intel's competing designs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong performance across all settings. Low produces 244 FPS average, Medium achieves 222 FPS with a minimum of 188 and maximum of 255, High reaches 210 FPS, and Ultra manages 184 FPS. The range from Low to Ultra spans 60 FPS, indicating that quality settings have a moderate impact at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum of 188 FPS and maximum of 255 FPS shows some frame time variance, but the overall experience remains smooth.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show more separation between settings. Low delivers 212 FPS, Medium averages 180 FPS with a minimum of 153 and maximum of 207, High reaches 154 FPS, and Ultra drops to 120 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra expands to 92 FPS at this resolution, demonstrating that the GPU is beginning to feel the increased pixel count. The Medium preset's minimum of 153 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains playable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. Low produces 129 FPS, Medium averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 114, High reaches 85 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is now 63 FPS, but the absolute values are much lower. The Medium preset's minimum of 84 FPS is still comfortably above playable thresholds, while Ultra's 66 FPS average approaches the edge of what many users would consider acceptable for a smooth experience.

The data shows that the 1440p resolution offers the best balance of quality and performance. At High settings, the system delivers 154 FPS, which is 81% of the 1080p High result while providing significantly more visual detail. The 4K results, while lower, remain playable at every setting, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a 66 FPS average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC's 5 nm process, featuring 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units. Its base clock runs at 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it includes 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The GPU carries 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role becomes dominant at 4K resolution. The 66 FPS result at 4K Ultra represents the lowest measured frame rate in the dataset, indicating that the 5090 D is working near its limits with this game's highest settings at this resolution. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking against all GPUs confirms it is a high-performing part, but The Technomancer's 4K Ultra demands are substantial.

The RTX 5090 D's memory configuration of 32 GB GDDR7 appears more than sufficient for this game, as The Technomancer from 2016 is unlikely to require even a fraction of this capacity. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that memory bandwidth is never a limiting factor, allowing the GPU's shading units to operate at full efficiency.

The GPU's 2407 MHz boost clock, combined with its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, explains why the system can achieve 244 FPS at 1080p Low. The 5090 D's raw compute power is more than capable of handling this game's geometry and pixel workloads at lower resolutions. The performance drop at 4K reflects the increased pixel count rather than any architectural inefficiency.

The nearest rivals to the 5090 D, including the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT with a 1.1% delta and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT with a -1.6% delta, show that the 5090 D's synthetic benchmark scores are competitive with these alternatives. However, in actual gaming performance, the 5090 D's substantial memory bandwidth and high shader count likely provide advantages that synthetic tests may not fully capture.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the most balanced experience. This combination produces an average of 180 FPS with a minimum of 153 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The 180 FPS average is 85% of the 1080p Medium result while providing significantly more visual detail than the lower resolution.

For users prioritizing visual quality over raw frame rate, the High preset at 1440p delivers 154 FPS average, which remains well above the 120 FPS threshold that most gamers consider smooth. This setting provides better visual fidelity than Medium while sacrificing only 26 FPS, a 14% reduction that is unlikely to be noticeable in actual gameplay.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, offering 99 FPS average with a minimum of 84 FPS. This maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target while providing decent visual quality. The High preset at 4K drops to 85 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the additional graphical features. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 66 FPS average, should be avoided unless users have a high refresh rate display and can tolerate occasional frame rate dips.

The Low preset is not recommended at any resolution, as the visual quality reduction is substantial while the frame rate gains are modest beyond 1080p. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 244 FPS, but the visual compromise is not worth the performance increase over Medium's 222 FPS. For competitive play, the 1080p Medium or High settings provide the best combination of visual clarity and high refresh rate performance.

FAQ

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

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with High settings provides the best balance, delivering 154 FPS average. This represents 73% of the 1080p High performance while offering significantly more visual detail. The 4K resolution is also playable, with Medium settings achieving 99 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D perform relative to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, placing it in the 92nd percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76,904 with a 1.1% delta, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605 with a -2.4% delta.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5700X a bottleneck at 1080p in this game?

A: Yes, at 1080p the frame rates cluster between 184 and 244 FPS across all settings, suggesting the CPU limits performance. The 5700X's 921 3dmark single-thread score and 1,499 Cinebench R23 single-core score indicate that single-thread performance caps output at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 184 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 66 FPS. This represents a 64% reduction, indicating that Ultra settings scale poorly with resolution and heavily tax the GPU at 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5700X compare to the Intel Core i5-12600K?

A: The two processors have identical average benchmark scores of 27,578, with a 0% delta. In The Technomancer, this means users can expect equivalent performance from either processor when paired with the same GPU.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum frame rate recorded is 84 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. This ensures that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.