The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting challenge for modern hardware. With the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the data reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly powerful for this title, often shifting the bottleneck from the GPU to the CPU at lower resolutions. This analysis examines the measured FPS across various settings and resolutions to understand the performance characteristics of this specific combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings for this combo?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 61. This is the most demanding preset tested and results in the lowest frame rate of the entire dataset.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 36,470 in the Passmark multithread test. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, has an average score of 69,875, placing the 9700F just 0.2% ahead. It also leads the Intel Core i7-14700KF by a 0.2% margin, whose score is 70,163.

Q: Does the GPU's benchmark score indicate it is a top-tier performer?

A: The RTX 4090 has a Passmark G3D score of 38,194 and sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates it is a very high-performing card, though the data shows its closest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a nearly identical average score with a 0% delta.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 215, which drops to 110 on Ultra settings. This represents a significant 105 FPS decrease, showing a strong performance cost for higher graphical fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU's single-threaded performance a potential bottleneck for high-refresh-rate gaming?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has a Passmark single-thread score of 4,691. Given that the FPS at 1080p Low reaches 329, the data suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with a very high number of frames, but the scaling from 1440p to 1080p is not linear, hinting at a growing CPU limitation.

Q: How does the GPU's memory bandwidth compare to its memory size?

A: The RTX 4090 features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, resulting in a total bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This configuration provides both a large frame buffer and very high-speed data transfer for the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its role is defined by its massive 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and high clock speeds, which directly influence the game's performance at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock is 2235 MHz, with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and its memory operates at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective. This memory configuration, across a 384-bit bus, yields a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's influence is most apparent when moving from 1440p to 4K. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 141. When the resolution is increased to 3840x2160 at the same High settings, the average FPS drops to 77. This indicates that the RTX 4090's rendering load increases substantially at 4K, which is expected. However, the GPU is so powerful that it still delivers playable frame rates at the highest resolution and settings. The data shows a clear pattern: as settings are increased, the FPS drops, and this effect is magnified at higher resolutions. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is a 57 FPS drop (118 to 61), while at 1080p, the same settings change results in a 160 FPS drop (329 to 169). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is working closer to its limits, while at 1080p, other factors, likely the CPU, become more significant.

The RTX 4090's benchmark scores, with a Passmark G3D score of 38,194 and an 88th percentile ranking, corroborate its top-tier status. The data shows its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a nearly identical score, but the RTX 4090's performance in this game is clearly sufficient to drive high frame rates. The GPU's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are part of its architecture, though their specific impact on this game's results is not directly measured in the FPS data. The key takeaway is that the GPU provides a robust foundation for high-resolution gaming, but its full potential is only realized when the CPU can keep up.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F serves as the central processor in this test, and its role becomes increasingly critical as resolution decreases. With 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm process, it has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU's Passmark multithread score is 36,470, and its single-thread score is 4,691, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates strong all-around performance, but its impact on this game is nuanced.

The CPU's influence is most evident when observing the FPS scaling from 1440p to 1080p. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average FPS is 215. Dropping to 1920x1080 with Low settings yields an average FPS of 329. This is a substantial increase of 114 FPS, but it is not proportional to the reduction in pixel count (which is roughly 1.78x fewer pixels). If the GPU were the only limiting factor, the 1080p score would likely be even higher. This discrepancy suggests the CPU is beginning to hit its limits in feeding the RTX 4090 frames at 1080p. The data shows a similar pattern at Medium settings, where the FPS goes from 165 at 1440p to 253 at 1080p, and at High settings, from 141 to 216.

This pattern indicates that while the CPU is highly capable, it is the limiting component at lower resolutions. The game, being from 2016, may not be optimized to fully utilize the 16 threads available, which could explain why the high single-thread score of 4,691 is not translating into even higher frame rates. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is close, with it being 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF in average benchmark scores. This shows that the 9700F is a competitive part, but its performance in this specific title is constrained by the game's engine and the GPU's dominance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a combo rank of 60 out of 2,825 tested combos. This places it in the top 2.1% of all systems tested for this game. This high ranking is unsurprising given the raw power of both components, but the rank also reflects how well they work together in this specific title.

The rank of 60 out of 2,825 indicates that while this is an exceptionally fast combination, there are 59 other combos that achieve higher performance. These could be systems with even more powerful CPUs, such as those with higher single-thread performance, or perhaps configurations with more optimized memory. The data suggests that the pairing is not bottlenecking excessively, but the CPU's slight limitation at lower resolutions might prevent it from achieving a higher rank. The fact that it is in the top percentile reflects the RTX 4090's ability to push high frame rates even in a 2016 title. The combo's performance is dominated by the GPU, which is able to maintain high FPS at 4K, and the CPU ensures that frame rates remain very high at 1080p and 1440p, even if it isn't fully saturating the GPU's potential. This rank is a result of the synergy between the two, with the GPU leading the charge at higher resolutions and the CPU providing enough throughput to avoid major stutters or frame drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the user's priority: maximum frame rate or maximum visual fidelity. The data shows a clear trade-off across all resolutions. For a balanced experience that maintains high frame rates while still offering improved visuals over Low, Medium settings appear to be the sweet spot.

At 1920x1080, Medium settings deliver an average FPS of 253, which is only slightly lower than the 329 FPS on Low but significantly higher than the 169 FPS on Ultra. This offers a substantial visual upgrade with a minimal performance penalty. Moving to 2560x1440, Medium settings provide an average FPS of 165, which is still very high and should be smooth on most high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1440p also performs well with an average of 141 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Medium settings yield an average of 91 FPS, which is a good target for 4K gaming. High settings at 4K drop to 77 FPS, and Ultra drops to 61 FPS.

Therefore, the data suggests that Medium settings offer the best experience for users with a 4K display, as it maintains an average FPS above 90. For users with 1080p or 1440p displays, Medium settings provide exceptionally high frame rates that are likely to exceed the refresh rate of most monitors. The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prefer higher visual quality, especially at 1440p where it still averages 141 FPS. The Ultra preset, while visually the most demanding, results in a significant FPS drop at all resolutions and is best reserved for users who prioritize graphics over raw frame rates. The measured min FPS for Medium at 4K is 77, which indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate remains playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the combination performs across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 329 average FPS
• Medium: 253 average FPS, with a min of 215 and max of 291
• High: 216 average FPS
• Ultra: 169 average FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 215 average FPS
• Medium: 165 average FPS, with a min of 140 and max of 190
• High: 141 average FPS
• Ultra: 110 average FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 118 average FPS
• Medium: 91 average FPS, with a min of 77 and max of 104
• High: 77 average FPS
• Ultra: 61 average FPS

These numbers reveal a consistent pattern. At each resolution, the FPS decreases as settings are increased from Low to Ultra. The performance cost between Low and Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 160 FPS (329 to 169). At 1440p, the difference is 105 FPS (215 to 110). At 4K, the difference is 57 FPS (118 to 61). This shows that the absolute FPS drop is larger at lower resolutions, but the relative drop is larger at 4K. For example, at 4K, Ultra is 48% slower than Low (61 vs 118), while at 1080p, Ultra is 49% slower than Low (169 vs 329). This indicates that the GPU is being stressed more consistently at 4K, and the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions is preventing the FPS from scaling as high as it otherwise could.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K provides insight into the limiting component of this system. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 329 at 1080p to 215 at 1440p, a 34.7% decrease. When going from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops from 215 to 118, a 45.1% decrease. This pattern is consistent across all settings. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.8% (253 to 165), and from 1440p to 4K is 44.8% (165 to 91). At High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.7% (216 to 141), and from 1440p to 4K is 45.4% (141 to 77).

This data shows that the FPS drop is not linear with pixel count. The jump from 1440p to 4K (which is roughly 2.25x more pixels) results in a much larger FPS drop than the jump from 1080p to 1440p (which is roughly 1.78x more pixels). This suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is likely limiting the frame rate, preventing it from reaching even higher values. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload increases, and it becomes the limiting factor. The fact that the FPS at 4K Ultra is 61, which is very close to a 60 FPS target, indicates that the GPU is working at near full capacity at that setting. The scaling behavior confirms that the RTX 4090 is the dominant component for this game at higher resolutions, while the Ryzen 7 9700F plays a more significant role at 1080p, where its performance ceiling prevents the system from achieving even higher frame rates.