The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test case for the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing. The data positions this combination at rank 1016 out of 1656 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this specific title. This is noteworthy because the CPU is a high-end Zen 4 part, yet the overall performance ranking suggests the GPU is the primary constraint in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank for this CPU and GPU combination in The Technomancer?

A: The combo is ranked 1016 out of 1656 tested combinations, placing it in the 61st percentile. This suggests that while it is not a bottom-tier setup, a significant number of other hardware pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 7800X3D compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-12700F?

A: The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has an average benchmark score of 31580, which is only 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-12700F's score of 31543. This indicates near-identical overall processing capability between the two chips in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the closest GPU rival to the RTX 2070 SUPER based on average benchmark scores?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A400 is the closest rival, with an average score of 22307 compared to the RTX 2070 SUPER's 22206. The RTX 2070 SUPER is actually 0.5% behind the RTX A400 in this metric. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 is further behind, with the RTX 2070 SUPER leading it by 2.5%.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 158.9, achieved with the Low settings preset. This drops significantly to 82.9 FPS at the Ultra preset, showing a large performance cost for maximum visual fidelity.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance more consistent with its percentile ranking or its raw score?

A: The GPU's percentile rank is 65, yet its average benchmark score of 22206 is near the 50th percentile of all scores. Its PassMark G3D score of 18169 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1651 are more telling of its mid-range standing. The 65th percentile suggests it outperforms a majority of GPUs, but the raw scores reveal it is not a high-end part by modern standards.

Q: How much faster is the combo at 1080p Medium compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 121.4, which is roughly 3.8 times higher than the 32.1 FPS average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This massive gap highlights the extreme load that 4K resolution places on the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card's base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, which are the primary drivers for its frame rendering capabilities. These specifications are typical for a high-end GPU from the GeForce 20-series era, but they are now several generations old.

The data shows that this GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, even dropping from High to Low settings only yields an increase from 34.4 FPS to 57 FPS. This is a substantial gain, but it indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated regardless of the graphical complexity. The GPU's performance in The Technomancer aligns with its average benchmark score of 22206, and its closest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A400, which scores 22307. This close margin shows the RTX 2070 SUPER is a competent, if aging, performer. Its PassMark G3D score of 18169 further confirms its position, as it is a solid mid-range score but nowhere near the top tier.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is a critical factor. While The Technomancer may not be the most VRAM-hungry title, the combination of high resolution and texture settings can quickly encroach on this limit. The fact that the 4K High preset (34.4 FPS) and 4K Ultra preset (32.1 FPS) are so close in performance suggests that the GPU is not just limited by compute but potentially by memory capacity or bandwidth, preventing the higher preset from delivering a meaningful improvement.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and RTX 2070 SUPER combo achieves a rank of 1016 out of 1656 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places it in the 61st percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 61% of all tested setups. This is a solidly mid-pack result, but it is arguably underwhelming given the CPU's standing. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is in the 87th percentile for all CPUs, while the RTX 2070 SUPER is in the 65th percentile for all GPUs. The combo's overall rank of 61% is lower than both individual percentiles, indicating that the pairing does not reach its full potential.

This discrepancy is a clear sign of a bottleneck. The GPU, being the weaker component, is holding back the system. While the CPU has the headroom to push far more frames, the GPU's limits are hit first. The result is a combination that ranks below what the CPU alone might suggest, as the system's overall performance is tethered to the slower component. The data implies that pairing this powerful CPU with a more capable GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, while the current pairing leaves performance on the table.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo is very capable. The Low preset averages 158.9 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium settings average 121.4 FPS, and High settings average 102.4 FPS. Even the demanding Ultra preset manages an average of 82.9 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This resolution shows the combo can handle the game with ease, and the CPU's strength is evident in the high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 99.9 FPS, dropping to 78.1 FPS on Medium and 68.9 FPS on High. The Ultra preset falls to 52.8 FPS, which begins to show the strain on the GPU. This is where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, as the frame rate drops are more pronounced with each settings increase.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 57 FPS. Medium averages 43.8 FPS, High averages 34.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to a stuttery 32.1 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this combo with high or ultra settings, as the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and compute power are insufficient to maintain smooth frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a Zen 4 architecture processor from the 7000 series, built on a 5 nm process. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its defining feature is the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is designed to boost gaming performance. The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29149 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2725.

In this game, the CPU's role appears to be one of providing a solid foundation, but not being the deciding factor in performance. The data shows that the combo's rank is lower than the CPU's own percentile, which indicates the CPU is not the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has more than enough headroom to feed the RTX 2070 SUPER at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates at that resolution. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload rises, and the CPU's importance diminishes.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7980 and the single-thread score of 959 suggest a balanced performance profile. The CPU is not just a multi-core monster; it also has strong single-thread performance, which is often critical for game logic and draw calls. This means that even if the GPU were not the bottleneck, the CPU would not struggle to keep up. The data suggests that the CPU is a future-proofing element in this combo, capable of supporting a much more powerful GPU without becoming a limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080 users, the High preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 102.4 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. While the Ultra preset is playable at 82.9 FPS, the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game from 2016 is likely minimal, and the 20 FPS drop is not worth it. The Medium preset at 121.4 FPS is an option for those with high refresh rate monitors, but High offers a better balance.

For 2560x1440 users, the High preset is the best choice for a 60 FPS experience, averaging 68.9 FPS. The Medium preset at 78.1 FPS is also viable and provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 52.8 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for many players, so it is not recommended. The Low preset is unnecessary, as the system has enough power to handle higher settings.

For 3840x2160 users, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that maintains an average above 50 FPS, at 57 FPS. This is playable but sacrifices significant visual quality. The Medium preset at 43.8 FPS might be acceptable for those who prioritize image quality over smoothness, but it is a compromise. High and Ultra presets are not viable, with averages of 34.4 FPS and 32.1 FPS respectively, making them too choppy for a responsive experience. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings reductions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 158.9 at 1080p to 99.9 at 1440p, a 37% decrease, and then to 57 at 4K, a further 43% decrease. This consistent drop indicates the GPU is being pushed harder at each step, but it still has some headroom at lower settings.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more dramatic. The average FPS falls from 82.9 at 1080p to 52.8 at 1440p, a 36% decrease, and then to 32.1 at 4K, a 39% decrease. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is less than 40% of the 1080p Ultra figure. This shows that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are completely saturated at 4K, leaving no room for the high-end settings to be processed efficiently.

This pattern confirms that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component. The CPU's performance does not scale with resolution in the same way, as its workload remains relatively constant. The data implies that the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is more than capable of processing the game's logic at any of these resolutions, but the GPU's rendering capabilities are exhausted. The result is that the system's performance is dictated by the GPU, and users seeking higher resolutions or settings would need to upgrade that component to see a significant improvement.