The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination. The measured FPS data across resolutions and settings reveals a system that is capable of high frame rates at 1080p but begins to show its limitations as resolution increases. The data suggests a balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 3D V-Cache provides a strong foundation for frame pacing at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, clearly indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 102.1 at 1920x1080 to 69.5 at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 32%. Moving to 4K, the Ultra preset drops further to 37.9 FPS, which is a 63% decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is classic evidence that the rendering load is overwhelming the graphics card as pixel count increases.

The trend is similar at High settings, where the frame rate goes from 131.5 at 1080p to 86.8 at 1440p, and finally to 46.8 at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K remains substantial, with the 4K result representing a 46% drop from the 1440p figure. This suggests that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB of memory and 256-bit bus are being saturated at 4K, as the game's texture and shading demands exceed what the card can efficiently process. The 4K numbers, while not unplayable, are far from the high-refresh-rate territory that the 1080p and 1440p results occupy.

Interestingly, the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a similar pattern. At 4K, the difference between Low (71.5 FPS) and Ultra (37.9 FPS) is a 47% performance penalty. This wide spread indicates that the game's settings have a massive impact on GPU load, with the higher presets likely enabling effects that heavily tax the shader units and memory bandwidth. The data indicates that for smooth 4K gameplay, users would need to rely on the Low or Medium presets, which still offer playable frame rates. The scaling behavior clearly points to the GPU as the limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU's role becomes more prominent at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, with its 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth, is the dominant component in this pairing for The Technomancer. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is able to push frame rates well above 100 FPS on most presets, with the Low setting hitting 203 FPS. This high throughput confirms the card's raw compute power, which includes 6144 shading units and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The card's 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than sufficient to handle the game's geometry and lighting at this resolution.

However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a clear bottleneck at 4K. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields only 37.9 FPS, which is a severe drop from the 102.1 FPS at 1080p. This suggests that the game at 4K Ultra is likely exceeding the memory capacity, forcing the card to swap data in and out of the GDDR6X memory, which severely impacts performance. The card's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6700, show a similar average benchmark score, but the RTX 3070 Ti's performance in this specific title is clearly tied to its memory subsystem.

The card's 192 texture mapping units and 96 ROPs are also relevant. The texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s is high, but at 4K, the sheer number of pixels that need to be shaded and textured overwhelms the ROPs. This is reflected in the 4K High result of 46.8 FPS, which is only slightly better than the Ultra result. The data implies that while the GPU has the shader power to handle complex scenes, its memory bandwidth and ROP throughput are insufficient for the highest resolutions in this game. The card's overall percentile rank of 74 versus all GPUs indicates it is a solid performer, but The Technomancer's specific demands highlight its limitations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides a strong foundation for this game, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. The CPU's 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a key feature, as it likely helps with the game's asset streaming and physics calculations. The 3.00 GHz base clock and 4.10 GHz boost clock are moderate, but the cache architecture allows for consistent performance. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 203 FPS, which suggests that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in this scenario.

The CPU's benchmark scores support its capability. A Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22366 and a single-core score of 3157 indicate a strong processor. Its percentile rank of 82 versus all CPUs places it in the upper tier of processors. The 3D V-Cache technology, while not explicitly named in the data, is the likely reason for the 96 MB L3 cache, which is significantly larger than typical CPUs. This cache can reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for games that rely on large datasets.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most evident when looking at the scaling from 1080p to 1440p. At 1440p High, the system produces 86.8 FPS, which is a 34% drop from the 1080p High result of 131.5 FPS. This drop is less severe than the one seen when moving from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU adequately at 1440p. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1360P, has a similar average score, but the Ryzen's cache advantage is likely what allows it to maintain high frame rates in this specific title. The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor until the GPU is fully saturated, which happens at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 667 out of 1656 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the upper 40th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solid, above-average setup for this game. The rank is influenced by both components, but the GPU's performance at higher resolutions is the primary driver of this position. The combo is not in the top tier, which would be reserved for systems with more powerful GPUs that can handle 4K Ultra settings, but it is well above the median.

The CPU's high percentile rank of 82 suggests that many of the combos ranked above this one are likely using more powerful GPUs, rather than faster processors. The GPU's percentile rank of 74 is slightly lower, confirming that the graphics card is the more average component in this pairing. The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver excellent frame rates. At 4K, it falls into the mid-range of performance, with the Ultra preset being particularly demanding.

The rank of 667 out of 1656 is a strong showing, but it also highlights the potential for improvement. If the goal is to play at 4K with maximum settings, a different GPU would be required. However, for the majority of gamers who play at 1440p or below, this combo represents a very capable system. The data shows that the system is balanced, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other, except at the extreme resolution of 4K. The combo's performance is consistent with its component parts, offering a reliable high-refresh-rate experience at mainstream resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is perfectly viable, with an average of 102.1 FPS. This frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the High preset at 131.5 FPS is an excellent choice, as it offers a significant boost in frame rate with a likely minimal visual impact. The Low preset at 203 FPS is overkill unless aiming for maximum competitive performance.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 86.8 FPS, which is ideal for a 60-75 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 69.5 FPS is also playable and offers the best visual quality, but it is close to the lower bound of what is considered a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 103.2 FPS provides a great balance, offering a high frame rate while still maintaining decent visuals. For 1440p, the data suggests that High or Medium are the sweet spots, with Ultra being a viable option for those who prioritize visuals over raw frame rate.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 46.8 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 54.2 FPS is a better option, providing a more stable frame rate. The Low preset at 71.5 FPS is the only setting that consistently delivers a smooth experience at 4K. The Ultra preset at 37.9 FPS should be avoided, as it falls below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The data clearly recommends using Low or Medium settings at 4K, with High being a marginal choice. The best experience per the measured rows is achieved by targeting 1080p Ultra or 1440p High, where the system's performance is most robust.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rates, with the Ultra preset averaging 102.1 FPS. 2560x1440 is also excellent, with High settings averaging 86.8 FPS. 4K is playable but requires lower settings.

Q: How does the CPU's cache affect performance in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D has a 96 MB shared L3 cache. This large cache likely reduces memory latency, helping to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22366 supports its strong performance.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB memory enough for 4K?

A: The data indicates that 8 GB is a limiting factor at 4K. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages only 37.9 FPS, while the Low preset achieves 71.5 FPS. This suggests the memory capacity is strained at higher settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 667 out of 1656 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This places it in the upper percentile of systems, indicating a strong performance level for this game.

Q: What is the difference in performance between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 86.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 69.5 FPS. The difference is 17.3 FPS, which represents a significant performance trade-off for the extra visual fidelity.

Q: Can this system maintain a stable 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset (71.5 FPS) consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset (54.2 FPS) falls below this threshold, and High (46.8 FPS) and Ultra (37.9 FPS) are significantly lower. A stable 60 FPS at 4K is not achievable on the higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080

• Low: 203.0 FPS
• Medium: 158.8 FPS
• High: 131.5 FPS
• Ultra: 102.1 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 128.3 FPS
• Medium: 103.2 FPS
• High: 86.8 FPS
• Ultra: 69.5 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 71.5 FPS
• Medium: 54.2 FPS
• High: 46.8 FPS
• Ultra: 37.9 FPS

The data shows a clear progression, with 1080p Low being the fastest configuration and 4K Ultra being the slowest. The spread between the lowest and highest settings at each resolution is substantial, highlighting the importance of preset selection for achieving the desired performance. The 1440p results offer a good middle ground, with the High and Medium presets providing a solid balance of visual quality and frame rate.