The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, using the provided benchmark data to understand the balance between CPU and GPU limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 93.4 FPS, which drops to 62.5 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 30.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the render resolution is the dominant factor limiting performance.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with the average FPS falling by nearly half (from 62.5 to 30.6). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is operating near its limits, with the pixel count increase overwhelming the RTX 2060 SUPER's capabilities. Conversely, the jump from 1080p to 1440p shows a more moderate drop of 33%, still substantial but indicating a less severe bottleneck.

At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough (93.4 FPS on High) to suggest that the CPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution. The data shows that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has ample headroom, as even at 1440p the combo maintains playable frame rates above 60 FPS on Medium settings. The resolution scaling analysis points to the GPU as the limiting component, especially at 4K where even Low settings only produce 54.1 FPS, barely crossing the playability threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process, is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with 2176 shading units, define its raw compute capability. The benchmark results show this GPU scores 16462 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19774.

The GPU's role in The Technomancer is clearly central, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 24, which is below the playable threshold, highlighting the GPU's struggle with high pixel counts and demanding settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's needs at these settings, though the data does not indicate any VRAM-related stuttering or limitations. The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN with an average score of 19706 (0.3% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with 19680 (0.5% ahead), showing the RTX 2060 SUPER is competitive within its class.

The boost clock of 1650 MHz allows for consistent performance across scenes, but the data shows that the GPU's compute resources are the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 142.6 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the GPU can handle lower resolutions with ease. However, the drop to 54.1 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU or memory subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer), features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. It has a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a key feature for gaming performance. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its strong multi-threaded capabilities: it scores 24063 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3397 in single-core, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 28309 and a single-thread score of 3234. Its average benchmark score is 26574, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 142.6 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads provide ample processing power for the game's logic and physics, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 8024P with an average score of 26555 (0.1% ahead) and the Intel Core i9-11900K with 26546 (0.1% ahead), indicating the 5800X3D is closely matched with other high-end parts.

The data shows that even at 1440p High, the combo maintains 62.5 FPS, which is a reasonable frame rate for a demanding game. The CPU's high boost clock of 4.50 GHz helps ensure that frame times remain consistent, avoiding stuttering that could occur with a weaker processor. The 96 MB L3 cache is particularly beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data access patterns. However, the measured FPS data does not show any significant CPU-bound scenarios, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor across all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1201st out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position (63rd percentile) combined with a high-end CPU (83rd percentile), resulting in a system that is ultimately limited by its graphics card.

The combo's rank is more indicative of the GPU's performance than the CPU's, as the RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is positioned below systems with more powerful GPUs, such as those with RTX 2070-class cards. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 2070, has an average score that is 0.5% higher, which would likely translate to better performance in The Technomancer, especially at 4K where the GPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU's high ranking (83rd percentile) does not boost the combo's overall position, as the game's performance is predominantly GPU-bound. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo can achieve high frame rates (up to 142.6 FPS on Low), which would be competitive with other systems. However, at 4K, the combo's performance drops to 30.6 FPS on High, which is below the 60 FPS target that many users prefer. This ranking suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it can deliver smooth frame rates without the need for a more powerful GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 93.4 FPS, which is a smooth and playable experience. For users seeking higher frame rates, the Low preset achieves 142.6 FPS, providing a competitive advantage in fast-paced scenes. The Medium preset at 108.6 FPS offers a balanced compromise, while the Ultra preset at 71.4 FPS still maintains playability.

At 2560x1440, the High preset produces 62.5 FPS, which is marginally above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 72.7 FPS provides a slight headroom, while the Low preset at 93.2 FPS offers the most comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at 49 FPS is below 60 FPS and may result in noticeable frame drops during intense action sequences.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 54.1 FPS is the only setting that approaches playability, but it is still below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 39.9 FPS and High preset at 30.6 FPS are playable but not ideal for a smooth experience, while the Ultra preset at 24 FPS is not recommended for serious gameplay. For the best experience at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, users should be prepared for a less fluid frame rate.

For users prioritizing a smooth experience, the recommended setup is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, both of which deliver average frame rates above 60 FPS. The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1080p gaming, where it can handle Ultra settings at 71.4 FPS, and is capable of 1440p gaming with moderate settings. At 4K, the combo is limited, and users should expect to lower settings to Low to achieve acceptable performance.