The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study in hardware scaling. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card produces a wide range of performance outcomes depending on the resolution and quality settings selected. The measured data reveals a configuration that is distinctly capable at 1080p and 1440p, but which becomes increasingly constrained at 4K, particularly when chasing the highest visual fidelity. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this specific pairing, interpreting the benchmark results to understand the role each component plays.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is a desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This processing power is supported by a cache hierarchy that includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a substantial 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor communicates with the rest of the system via a dual-channel DDR4 memory bus, and its PCIe Gen 4 interface with 20 lanes provides ample bandwidth for modern components. In synthetic benchmarks, the 5800X scores 15,476 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 11,036 in Geekbench multi-core, and 27,732 in Passmark multithread. Its single-thread performance is also strong, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3,445. On the 3DMark suite, it achieves 7,586 points in the 16-thread test and 943 in the single-thread test, indicating a well-rounded performance profile that excels in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game's simulation logic. The high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its benchmarks, is often crucial for older game engines that may not scale perfectly across many cores. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration ensures that even if the game does utilize multiple threads, there is ample headroom to avoid bottlenecking. The data suggests that at lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU. The measured frame rates at 1080p, which reach up to 169 FPS at Low settings, indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in these scenarios. The processor's position in the 81st percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29,123, places it well ahead of the competition. For instance, it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H, 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT, and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX. This level of performance ensures that in The Technomancer, the CPU provides a solid foundation for the GPU to operate at its full potential, especially at higher resolutions where the graphical load is more demanding.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the graphics engine in this pairing, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip. It operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with memory running at an effective speed of 17 Gbps. The card is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This configuration is supported by 3,072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The GPU also features 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS features, though their impact on a 2016 title may be limited. In terms of raw compute, the RTX 4060 delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as 19,545 in Passmark G3D and 9,213 in Passmark GPU Compute, place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 17,639 is notably close to, and in some cases slightly below, several rival cards. For example, it is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790, 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M, and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 460.

In The Technomancer, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate, particularly as resolution and settings increase. The 8 GB of VRAM is a key factor at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the game may require more than 8 GB of memory for textures and assets, which could explain the significant performance drop to 31 FPS. The card's 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but they can become a bottleneck at 4K when the demand for texture data increases exponentially. The benchmark data shows the GPU's capabilities clearly: it achieves an average of 169 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 31 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is a substantial reduction and highlights that while the RTX 4060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, it is not designed for maximum settings at 4K in this title. The card's performance is more consistent at lower resolutions, where it can fully utilize its shading units and texture units without being constrained by memory bandwidth or capacity.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of how the system scales under increasing graphical load. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 111 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 40 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44% drop when moving from 1440p to 4K. The trend is similar for Medium settings, where the average FPS goes from 130 at 1080p, to 85 at 1440p, and finally to 47 at 4K. Even at Low settings, the performance degrades from 169 FPS at 1080p to 110 FPS at 1440p and 61 FPS at 4K. The most dramatic scaling is seen at Ultra settings, which starts at 86 FPS at 1080p, drops to 56 FPS at 1440p, and plummets to just 31 FPS at 4K.

This scaling pattern is indicative of a system that becomes GPU-limited as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU are well balanced, allowing for high frame rates. However, the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become increasingly stressed as the resolution climbs. The substantial drop to 31 FPS at 4K Ultra strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, struggling to render the higher pixel count and manage the larger texture sets. The fact that even at Low settings, the 4K frame rate (61 FPS) is lower than the 1080p Ultra frame rate (86 FPS) reinforces this conclusion. The CPU, with its strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, is not the bottleneck here; it is the GPU's raw throughput and memory subsystem that cannot keep pace with the demands of 4K rendering in this game. The data shows a classic pattern: the frame rate drop is disproportionate to the resolution increase, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For a smooth gaming experience at 60 FPS or higher, the data points to specific presets at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets except Ultra achieve an average frame rate of 111 FPS or higher. High settings at 111 FPS offer a great balance of visual quality and performance, while Medium at 130 FPS provides an even higher refresh rate. Low at 169 FPS is for maximum competitive performance, but the visual compromise may be too significant. Ultra at 86 FPS is still playable and offers the best image quality, but the 86 FPS average is noticeably below the other presets.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. Medium settings achieve an average of 85 FPS, which is a solid target for a high-refresh-rate monitor. High settings at 72 FPS are also very playable and offer better visual details. Low settings at 110 FPS provide the fastest experience. Ultra settings, however, drop to an average of 56 FPS, which may be below the desired threshold for some users, but it is still a playable frame rate. At 3840x2160, the system is clearly stressed. Only Low settings achieve an average above 60 FPS, with a 61 FPS average. Medium settings at 47 FPS and High at 40 FPS are playable but may feel less smooth. Ultra at 31 FPS is generally not recommended for a comfortable experience.

The best experience per the measured rows appears to be High settings at 1920x1080 or 2560x1440. At 1080p, High settings provide a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a high average of 111 FPS. At 1440p, High settings still deliver a respectable 72 FPS, offering a good balance of resolution and detail. For those with 144Hz monitors, Medium at 1080p (130 FPS) or Low at 1440p (110 FPS) would be more suitable. At 4K, Medium settings at 47 FPS is the highest visual quality that remains reasonably playable, making it the best option for 4K users who prioritize image quality over maximum smoothness, though Low at 61 FPS is the only preset that consistently hits the 60 FPS mark.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 achieves a rank of 1984 out of 3696 total tested combos. This places it in the 54th percentile of all configurations tested for this game. This ranking indicates that while this is not a top-tier setup for The Technomancer, it is also far from being a low performer. It is a mid-range combination that sits comfortably in the upper half of the performance spectrum.

This rank should be interpreted in the context of the hardware's individual positions. The CPU, with its 81st percentile ranking, is a high-end part, while the GPU, at the 61st percentile, is a more mid-range component. The combination's overall rank of 1984 is lower than what the CPU's percentile alone might suggest, which reinforces the analysis that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The combo's performance is determined by the weaker link, which in this case is the RTX 4060. The rank suggests that other combinations with a stronger GPU would perform better, while those with a weaker CPU or GPU would perform worse. The data indicates that this is a balanced but not exceptional pairing, where the CPU's headroom is not fully utilized due to the GPU's constraints at higher resolutions. The combination is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, but its overall standing in the benchmark database is pulled down by its 4K performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the most comfortable resolution, with all presets except Ultra achieving an average of 111 FPS or higher. 2560x1440 is also viable, with Medium and High presets averaging 85 and 72 FPS respectively, but 3840x2160 is only playable at Low settings, which averages 61 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X a bottleneck for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p, where CPU load is typically highest, the system achieves very high frame rates (up to 169 FPS at Low). The significant frame rate drops at 4K are more attributable to the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth constraints than to CPU limitations.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 111 FPS at 1920x1080 to 40 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a 64% reduction in performance, showing how heavily the GPU is stressed at 4K.

Q: Can this system play The Technomancer at 4K with a smooth 60 FPS?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieves an average of 61 FPS. Medium settings average 47 FPS, and High settings average 40 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings average only 31 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested setups for The Technomancer?

A: This combination of the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 4060 ranks 1984 out of 3696 tested combos for the game, putting it in the upper half of all tested systems but not near the top.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: Medium settings at 1920x1080, which averages 130 FPS, would be the best choice. Low settings average 169 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a frame rate high enough to take advantage of a 144Hz display.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is the complete measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination in The Technomancer.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS of 61.
• Medium: Average FPS of 47, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 53.
• High: Average FPS of 40.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 31.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS of 110.
• Medium: Average FPS of 85, with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 97.
• High: Average FPS of 72.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 56.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS of 169.
• Medium: Average FPS of 130, with a minimum of 110 and a maximum of 149.
• High: Average FPS of 111.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 86.