The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination. The measured data reveals a pairing that is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics across resolutions and settings, compares the results to near-identical hardware rivals, and contextualizes the CPU and GPU roles in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER as the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 103 FPS. Moving to 1440p reduces that average to 67 FPS, a substantial 35% decrease. The step to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to 37 FPS, which is a further 45% reduction from the 1440p result. This pattern of steep, consistent declines with each resolution increase is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The scaling behavior directly reflects the rendering load on the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and the TU104 chip. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU, allowing the RTX 2070 SUPER to operate near its peak potential. As the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, the fill-rate and shading demands on the GPU escalate, and the frame rate plummets accordingly. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700F's 8 cores and 16 threads are not the limiting factor here; the GPU is simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels at higher resolutions.

The differences between Low and Ultra settings also widen with resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (157 FPS) and Ultra (80 FPS) is 77 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 49 FPS (102 FPS vs. 53 FPS). At 4K, the gap is just 27 FPS (56 FPS vs. 29 FPS). This compression at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is so saturated at 4K that even significant reductions in graphical fidelity cannot fully compensate for the pixel-count penalty. The game becomes less sensitive to settings and more sensitive to resolution, confirming a hard GPU limit.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the gameplay experience. For a target of 60 FPS, the data indicates that 1440p with High settings is the optimal balance point, delivering an average of 67 FPS. This combination provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Pushing to Ultra at 1440p drops the average to 53 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter for some users, making High the safer choice for consistent performance.

At 1080p, users have considerable flexibility. The High preset at 103 FPS is an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. For those seeking the absolute maximum frame rate, the Low preset achieves 157 FPS, although this comes with a substantial reduction in visual quality. Medium at 120 FPS presents a strong middle ground, offering a significant boost over High with a minor visual trade-off. The Ultra preset at 80 FPS is still very playable, but the 23 FPS gain from dropping to High suggests that High is the more efficient setting for most users at 1080p.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. The Ultra preset is not viable, with an average of just 29 FPS. High settings are also below the 60 FPS target at 37 FPS. The Low preset at 56 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches playability, but it still falls short of a locked 60 FPS. The data suggests that for a smooth 4K experience, users would need to accept Low settings and a frame rate in the mid-50s, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a much better performance-to-quality ratio.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Technomancer?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 157 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain a stable 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Yes, with the High settings preset, the average FPS is 67. However, the Ultra preset dips to an average of 53 FPS, so High is required for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER capable of running the game at 4K?

A: The GPU can run the game at 3840x2160, but performance is limited. The best average FPS at 4K is 56 with Low settings. High and Ultra presets produce averages of 37 and 29 FPS, respectively, which are below the ideal playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. This is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700K. It is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset yields an average of 157 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 80 FPS. This represents a 77 FPS difference, indicating a significant impact from graphical settings at this resolution.

Q: Is the GPU's performance in this game likely limited by its memory?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. While the data does not show a direct memory usage metric, the significant frame rate drops at 4K resolution are consistent with a GPU that is constrained by its memory capacity and bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) when handling the high-resolution textures and geometry.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels.

1920x1080

At the standard Full HD resolution, the combo shows strong performance across all presets. The Low setting achieves the highest average at 157 FPS. The Medium setting averages 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS. The High setting averages 103 FPS. The Ultra setting is the most demanding, producing an average of 80 FPS.

2560x1440

Stepping up to Quad HD, the performance scales down predictably. The Low setting now averages 102 FPS. The Medium setting averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. The High setting averages 67 FPS. The Ultra setting drops to an average of 53 FPS.

3840x2160

At 4K Ultra HD, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low setting produces an average of 56 FPS. The Medium setting averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. The High setting averages 37 FPS. The Ultra setting is the most demanding, yielding an average of just 29 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive component in this game's performance profile. Its benchmark data shows a Passmark G3D score of 18169, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This position is reflected in its in-game performance; it is strong enough for high-refresh 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 1% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is 1.2% higher.

The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In The Technomancer, this configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the playable frame rates. However, the 4K results suggest that the memory subsystem, combined with the TU104 chip's raw compute power (9.062 TFLOPS FP32), is overwhelmed. The clock speeds of 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost are typical for this class of card, and the data shows they are not enough to overcome the pixel fill-rate demands at 3840x2160.

The GPU's architecture, Turing, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for modern game features. However, in this 2016 title, the primary challenge is raw rasterization performance. The scaling data clearly indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the component that dictates the performance ceiling at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F plays a supporting but essential role in this configuration. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it provides ample processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 are strong, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This headroom is evident in the 1080p results, where the GPU is able to achieve 157 FPS on Low settings, suggesting the CPU is feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmark database are all within a 1% performance delta. It scores 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while being 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700K. This indicates that for a purely computational task, the 9700F performs on par with these high-end desktop and mobile processors.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data shows that it performs this role effectively. At 1080p, the performance difference between the Low and Ultra settings (77 FPS) is significant, but the fact that the system can hit 157 FPS at all indicates that the CPU is not limiting the maximum frame rate. As the resolution increases, the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, but the GPU's workload increases, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is ranked 1620 out of 2825 tested combos for this game. This places the system in the 42.7th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms a significant portion of the database but is outclassed by a majority of high-end systems. This ranking is consistent with the component-level data: the CPU is in the top 6% of all processors, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (94) and the GPU's lower percentile (65) confirms that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing. A system with a more powerful GPU would likely rank significantly higher, as the CPU has demonstrated it has the headroom to support it. The combo's overall rank is a direct reflection of the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance ceiling, which is the primary determinant of frame rates in this GPU-intensive title.

The measured FPS data supports this ranking. While the system can deliver an excellent 1080p experience, its 4K performance is mediocre. This is a typical profile for a mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU from its generation. The rank of 1620 suggests that many other tested combinations, likely featuring newer or higher-tier GPUs, are capable of producing higher average frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it provides a strong performance-per-frame experience relative to its position in the database.