The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability test for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, based on measured benchmark data. The combination demonstrates that even a highly capable current-generation GPU can be constrained by an older game's engine, though the results remain exceptionally playable across most settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 secures the 59th position out of 1656 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 3.6% of all configurations tested, a strong showing that reflects the raw power of both components. However, the ranking also reveals that the game does not fully saturate the potential of this hardware, as numerous other combinations—likely featuring newer CPUs or different GPU pairings—manage to achieve higher average frame rates.

The CPU itself sits in the 84th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 27606. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, scores 27535, a negligible 0.3% difference. The data shows the 5800X is also effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE and Intel Core i7-13700H, which score 27708 and 27716 respectively, differing by -0.4%. The Intel Core i5-12600KF trails slightly at 27827, a -0.8% delta. These tight margins indicate that the 5800X is not a bottleneck in this system; its processing power is more than sufficient for the game's demands.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4090 ranks in the 91st percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its nearest rivals in the database are professional workstation cards: the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (66733, -0.4%), the NVIDIA Tesla P40 (66127, 0.5%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (67097, -0.9%), and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (67320, -1.3%). The fact that the 4090 trades blows with these compute-focused cards in synthetic tests, yet the in-game combo rank is not higher, points to a software-side limitation in The Technomancer rather than a hardware deficiency.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features a substantial 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This vast memory pool and bandwidth are far beyond what a 2016 title like The Technomancer requires, ensuring that texture streaming and memory allocation are never a limiting factor. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, while the memory runs at an effective speed of 21 Gbps.

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's role shifts depending on the resolution. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor, with frame rates dropping from 117.2 FPS on Low to 59.6 FPS on Ultra, a spread of 57.6 FPS. This scaling shows the rendering load increasing significantly with settings. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, as evidenced by the smaller performance gap between Low (248.7 FPS) and Ultra (170.2 FPS), a 78.5 FPS difference. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the game's engine and CPU begin to play a more significant role, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The RTX 4090's raw compute power, with its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is more than ample; the game's age is the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a standard 60 Hz display at 4K, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 74.3 FPS on average. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining high visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 59.6 FPS, which is borderline for a 60 Hz panel and would introduce noticeable frame pacing issues. The Medium preset at 92.1 FPS is also viable, but High offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

For 1440p users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or higher), the High preset is again the recommended choice, averaging 141.4 FPS. This nearly saturates a 144 Hz display. The Medium preset at 164 FPS would be ideal for a 165 Hz monitor, offering a minor visual downgrade for a 22.6 FPS uplift. The Ultra preset at 111.8 FPS is still highly playable but leaves performance on the table for competitive play. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, averaging 170.2 FPS. This provides a high-quality experience that far exceeds the refresh rate of most standard monitors and remains well above 144 FPS for high-refresh displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. Every figure below is the average FPS recorded.

1920x1080: The game runs exceptionally well at this resolution. The Low preset achieves 248.7 FPS, Medium reaches 227.7 FPS, and High delivers 214.8 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a very high 170.2 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra is 78.5 FPS, showing that while the GPU is capable, the game engine's draw calls and CPU overhead start to cap performance at these high frame rates.

2560x1440: Performance remains robust at this resolution. The Low preset hits 216.3 FPS, Medium follows at 164 FPS, and High averages 141.4 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 111.8 FPS. The scaling here is more pronounced than at 1080p, with a 104.5 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating the GPU is becoming more of a contributor to the overall frame time.

3840x2160: This is where the RTX 4090's power is most evident, though the game's age still limits results. The Low preset delivers 117.2 FPS, Medium drops to 92.1 FPS, and High averages 74.3 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 59.6 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 57.6 FPS drop, which is the largest relative decrease of the three resolutions, confirming that 4K is where the GPU's rendering load is highest.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, but just barely. The measured average FPS for the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is 59.6 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS mark. For a smoother experience, the High preset at 74.3 FPS is recommended.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 141.4 FPS, which is close to 144 Hz. For a fully saturated 144 Hz experience, the Medium preset at 164 FPS or the Low preset at 216.3 FPS would be better choices.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, where frame rates scale significantly with settings. At 1080p, the performance gap between presets narrows, indicating that the CPU or game engine begins to limit the high frame rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X compare to its immediate rival, the Ryzen 7 5800?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X has an average benchmark score of 27606, which is only 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 7 5800's score of 27535. The performance difference is negligible in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration, and does it matter for this game?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. For a game from 2016, this memory capacity is far more than necessary and does not act as a performance constraint.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for 1920x1080 with the High preset is 214.8 FPS. This indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution, with performance far exceeding the refresh rate of most displays.