The Technomancer

# The Technomancer with AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070. The measured data shows this combination ranks 556th out of 1,656 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested. With frame rates ranging from a playable 39.5 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 217.6 FPS at 1080p Low, this pairing demonstrates both the GPU's raw power and the CPU's ability to feed it at lower resolutions. The following analysis breaks down how this system behaves across the measured spectrum.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable yet revealing pattern. At Ultra settings, the drop is steep: 110.6 FPS at 1080p falls to 72.4 FPS at 1440p, then further down to 39.5 FPS at 4K. That represents a 64.3% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count grows. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly pronounced, with a 45.4% performance loss, suggesting the Radeon RX 9070's 16 GB memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed hard at the highest resolution.

Low settings tell a different story. At 1080p Low, the system produces 217.6 FPS, which drops to 143.8 FPS at 1440p (a 33.9% decline) and then to 79.7 FPS at 4K (a 44.6% further drop). The fact that 1080p Low exceeds 200 FPS suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution — the Ryzen 7 5800X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads with a 4.50 GHz boost clock are sufficient to keep the GPU fed. However, the increasingly large percentage drops as resolution climbs point to the GPU becoming the limiting component, a classic signature of a balanced system with a strong CPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070, built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with 3,584 shading units and 128 ROPs, carries the bulk of the rendering workload in this game. Its boost clock of 2520 MHz and game clock of 2070 MHz contribute to a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s. These specifications explain why the GPU can deliver 50.2 FPS at 4K High but only 39.5 FPS at 4K Ultra — the extra visual fidelity in Ultra settings demands more from the 16 GB GDDR6 memory and its 644.6 GB/s bandwidth.

The GPU's FP32 throughput of 36.13 TFLOPS is notable for a 2016 title like The Technomancer, which likely cannot fully utilize such modern compute power. The benchmark results show a passmark G3D score of 25,381 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,290, placing this GPU in the 79th percentile of all GPUs. This suggests the RX 9070 has ample headroom, yet the 4K Ultra results show the game's settings can still stress it effectively. The transition from High to Ultra at 4K costs 10.7 FPS (from 50.2 to 39.5), a 21.3% penalty that highlights how The Technomancer's Ultra preset includes particularly demanding effects.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D brings a unique configuration to this test: 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, with a 96 MB shared L3 cache. This large cache is the processor's defining feature, and it appears to benefit The Technomancer's engine, which was released before the CPU's 2022 launch. The processor's benchmark scores — Cinebench R23 multicore at 24,063 and single-core at 3,397 — place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26,574.

The CPU's role becomes evident when examining the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 217.6 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output. The nearest CPU rivals — the AMD EPYC 8024P (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-11900K (0.1% faster), AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (0.2% slower), and Intel Core i9-12900HK (0.4% slower) — all sit within a narrow performance band, indicating the 5800X3D is well-matched for this workload. However, at 4K Ultra, the CPU's influence diminishes, as the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The 3DMark multi-thread score of 7,299 and single-thread score of 884 suggest consistent performance across thread counts, which helps maintain smooth frame delivery in a game that may not scale perfectly across all 16 threads.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High delivers 95.8 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS while maintaining visual quality. At 4K High, the system still manages 50.2 FPS, making 1440p the sweet spot for smooth gameplay with high settings.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Ultra produces 72.4 FPS while High achieves 95.8 FPS — a 23.4 FPS difference. This 24.4% penalty for Ultra settings may not justify the visual gains, given that High already delivers near-100 FPS performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, it achieves 79.7 FPS, and at 4K Medium, 61.9 FPS. For 4K High (50.2 FPS), the experience is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. 4K Ultra drops to 39.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The 1080p Low result of 217.6 FPS suggests the GPU is the primary limiter, as the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration with a 4.50 GHz boost clock is capable of feeding frames beyond 200 FPS. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking supports this interpretation.

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

A: The combination ranks 556th out of 1,656 combos, placing it in the top 33.6% of all tested configurations. This is a strong showing for a system pairing a 2022 CPU with a 2025 GPU in a 2016 game.

Q: What settings should be avoided for consistent 60+ FPS?

A: At 4K, Ultra settings (39.5 FPS) and High settings (50.2 FPS) fall below 60 FPS. For a guaranteed 60+ FPS experience, 4K Medium (61.9 FPS) is the minimum, while 1440p Ultra (72.4 FPS) offers higher fidelity with a comfortable margin.

How This Combo Ranks

This system's 556th place out of 1,656 combos places it in the upper third of all tested configurations, a result that reflects the balance between the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Radeon RX 9070. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 79th percentile ranking are closely aligned, suggesting neither component dramatically outperforms the other in this pairing. The measured data confirms this balance: the system delivers playable frame rates at all tested resolutions when settings are adjusted appropriately.

The rank becomes more meaningful when considering the game's age. The Technomancer launched in 2016, and modern hardware like this combo often excels in older titles due to high single-thread performance and ample GPU resources. The 5800X3D's 96 MB L3 cache may provide an advantage in this game's level streaming, while the RX 9070's 16 GB memory ensures no VRAM limitations at any resolution. The gap between this combo's rank and the top performers likely stems from games that scale better with even newer architectures, but for The Technomancer specifically, the data shows a well-balanced system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield 217.6 FPS, Medium drops to 169.5 FPS (a 22.1% reduction), High achieves 143.3 FPS (a further 15.5% drop), and Ultra bottoms out at 110.6 FPS. This progression shows a 49.2% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant but not overwhelming burden on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low produces 143.8 FPS, Medium delivers 111.5 FPS, High reaches 95.8 FPS, and Ultra manages 72.4 FPS. The percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p are consistent across settings: Low loses 33.9%, Medium loses 34.2%, High loses 33.1%, and Ultra loses 34.5%. This uniformity suggests the game's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload increases substantially. Low achieves 79.7 FPS, Medium delivers 61.9 FPS, High reaches 50.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39.5 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe: Low loses 44.6%, Medium loses 44.5%, High loses 47.6%, and Ultra loses 45.4%. This steeper decline indicates that 4K resolution pushes the RX 9070 closer to its limits, particularly with higher settings that increase memory pressure on the 16 GB GDDR6 buffer.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to 1440p High as the optimal configuration. This setting delivers 95.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while maintaining high detail levels that showcase the game's art direction. The 1440p Medium setting at 111.5 FPS offers additional headroom for players who prefer higher frame rates, while 1440p Ultra at 72.4 FPS remains playable for those who prioritize maximum visual fidelity.

At 1080p, the recommendations depend on the player's priority. Competitive players seeking maximum frame rates should use Low settings at 217.6 FPS, while those wanting a balance would find Medium at 169.5 FPS or High at 143.3 FPS more suitable. The 1080p Ultra setting at 110.6 FPS still provides a smooth experience and represents the best visual option for players with 1080p displays.

For 4K displays, the choices are more constrained. Medium settings at 61.9 FPS provide the minimum recommended performance for a playable experience, while High at 50.2 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay. Ultra at 39.5 FPS falls below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider the absolute minimum for playability, making it unsuitable for most gaming scenarios. Players with 4K monitors should prioritize Medium settings to maintain consistent frame delivery.