The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and preset selection, with performance ranging from highly playable at 1080p to demanding at 4K. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing offers a wide performance envelope, but the experience is contingent on the user's display and quality expectations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is significant and speaks to the GPU's role as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with the High preset, the system achieves an average of 146.6 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 96.4 FPS, a decrease of roughly 50 FPS. This indicates that the transition to 1440p places a substantially heavier load on the rendering pipeline.

The jump to 3840x2160 (4K) at High settings is even more punishing, with the average frame rate plummeting to 52.3 FPS. This represents a 44.1 FPS drop from the 1440p result, and a 94.3 FPS drop from 1080p. This steep decline suggests that the RTX 3080, while powerful, is the limiting component at 4K, as the pixel throughput demand outpaces the CPU's ability to feed the GPU. The data shows that the 5800X has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes increasingly saturated as pixel count rises.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe than from 1440p to 4K. For instance, at Low settings, the 1080p average is 221.5 FPS, which drops to 146.6 FPS at 1440p (a 74.9 FPS difference). However, the 1440p Low result drops to 79.1 FPS at 4K (a 67.5 FPS difference). This pattern confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint, especially at 4K, where even the Low preset struggles to maintain a high refresh rate. The benchmark results indicate that for a 60 FPS target, the High preset at 4K is borderline, while the Medium and Low presets are more viable options.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the central figure in these results, and its capabilities are directly reflected in the frame rates. The GPU's memory configuration, consisting of 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This high bandwidth is crucial for feeding the shader units at high resolutions, and the data suggests it is sufficient to handle the 4K workload, though not without significant performance cost.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1440 MHz and a boost of 1710 MHz, are the engine behind its compute power. The FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS is a key metric, and the benchmark results show that this raw power translates into playable, but not exceptionally high, frame rates at 4K Ultra. The Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the standard for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the game's Ultra settings impose a heavy load that even a high-end GPU like the RTX 3080 cannot overcome at 4K.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 80 versus all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 35787, place it in the upper echelon of graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, is only 0.9% ahead in average score (36101 vs 35787), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile is 1% behind (35435). This data suggests that the RTX 3080 is a competitive performer, and its measured FPS in The Technomancer are consistent with its standing in the broader benchmark landscape. The GPU's role is clearly to provide high frame rates at 1440p, but at 4K, the user must make compromises in settings to achieve a smooth experience.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset is 115.4 FPS.

Q: How does the performance at 4K High compare to 1440p High?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 High is 52.3 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 96.4 FPS average at 2560x1440 High.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 a limiting factor at 4K?

A: Yes, the benchmark results suggest the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. For example, the Ultra preset at 4K averages only 41 FPS, while the Low preset averages 79.1 FPS, showing the GPU's workload is the main constraint.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 221.5 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X perform relative to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600KF?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X has an average benchmark score of 27606, while the Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average score of 27827, placing the Intel part 0.8% ahead in the data.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset is 111.7 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak capabilities. The Low preset achieves an average of 221.5 FPS, while Medium reaches 171.8 FPS, and High hits 146.6 FPS. The Ultra preset, while demanding, still produces a smooth 115.4 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU combination has significant headroom, allowing for maximum settings without compromising frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 146.6 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High result, highlighting the resolution's impact. The Medium preset delivers 111.7 FPS, while High manages 96.4 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 75.7 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a balance between visual fidelity and performance for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly stressed. The Low preset averages 79.1 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 63.6 FPS, while High drops to 52.3 FPS. The Ultra preset yields a 41 FPS average, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. This breakdown shows that 4K gaming with this setup requires careful preset selection; users targeting 60 FPS will need to use Medium or Low settings, while those with 120 Hz displays will be limited to Low.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as the 115.4 FPS average is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming. Even the most demanding settings do not tax the system significantly, and the visual benefits of Ultra are worth the performance cost. The High preset at 146.6 FPS is also viable for users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, offering a slight performance boost over Ultra.

For 2560x1440 monitors, the High preset at 96.4 FPS is a strong recommendation, as it provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. Users with 144 Hz displays may prefer the Medium preset at 111.7 FPS to get closer to the refresh rate limit. The Ultra preset at 75.7 FPS is still playable and is suitable for users who prioritize image quality over a high frame rate, but it may not be ideal for competitive play. The Low preset at 146.6 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as even the High preset offers a playable experience.

For 3840x2160 displays, the recommendations are more constrained. The Low preset at 79.1 FPS is the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the best choice for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 63.6 FPS is also viable for a 60 FPS target, but it leaves little headroom for frame time spikes. The High preset at 52.3 FPS is playable but will be noticeable to users sensitive to frame rate, and the Ultra preset at 41 FPS is best avoided unless a 30 FPS experience is acceptable. The data suggests that to get the most out of the RTX 3080 at 4K, users should accept the visual compromise of the Low or Medium presets.