The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a mixed bag of results in The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG. The data shows a combination that is clearly capable of smooth frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to struggle at 4K, particularly when demanding settings are applied. This analysis breaks down the performance of this CPU-GPU pairing based on measured FPS data, component specifications, and benchmark scores.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + AMD Radeon RX 6600 combo ranks at 2872 out of 3696 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the bottom 22%. This is a surprisingly low rank given that the CPU is a top-tier performer in synthetic benchmarks—the Ryzen 7 9700X sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 37,943. The GPU, meanwhile, is more modest, sitting in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 19,036.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is the key story here. The Ryzen 7 9700X is a very capable processor that outperforms competitors like the Intel Core i9-14901E (avg score 37,911) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (avg score 37,904) by just a few percentage points. Its single-core performance is strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3,023 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,280. However, this raw CPU power does not translate into a high in-game rank. The results indicate that the Radeon RX 6600 is the primary limiting factor in The Technomancer, and its performance is what drags the combo down. When the GPU is the bottleneck, even a very strong CPU can't compensate, leading to the low overall rank. The benchmark data suggests that the performance ceiling for this pair is defined by the GPU, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The GPU is the starting point for any analysis. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is based on the Navi 23 chip, using the RDNA 2.0 architecture, and is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The clocks matter here: the GPU has a base clock of 1626 MHz, a game clock of 2044 MHz, and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. The memory runs at 1750 MHz (which translates to 14 Gbps effective).

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is evident in how the frame rates scale. At 1080p, the GPU is still somewhat ahead of the game's demands, producing an average of 130 FPS on Low settings and 100 FPS on Medium. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. At 1440p, the average FPS drops to 85 on High, and at 4K, it falls to 47 on Low. This pattern is a classic sign of GPU limitation, as the workload on the GPU scales with the number of pixels, while the CPU load remains relatively constant. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for this title, but the raw compute power of the chip is not enough for high frame rates at higher resolutions. The GPU's benchmark scores—a PassMark G3D score of 15,096 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 67,623—reflect its position as a mid-range part, and the game's results align with that.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo delivers 130 FPS on Low, 100 FPS on Medium, and 85 FPS on High. That is a strong showing. But at 1440p, these numbers drop to 85 FPS on Low, 65 FPS on Medium, and 56 FPS on High. At 4K, the situation becomes much more strained: 47 FPS on Low, 36 FPS on Medium, and 31 FPS on High.

This scaling is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is not the bottleneck here because the relative differences between settings at each resolution are consistent. For instance, going from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces the frame rate from 85 FPS to 56 FPS, a drop of about 34%. Going from 1440p to 4K at High settings further reduces the frame rate from 56 FPS to 31 FPS, another 45% drop. This is because the GPU is processing more pixels, and its limited throughput is the limiting factor. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is likely not being fully utilized in this game, but the GPU is. The data clearly indicates that the Radeon RX 6600 is the component that holds back the 4K experience, as the CPU has far more headroom than the GPU, which is being pushed to its limits.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings for this combo depend on the resolution and the target frame rate.

At 1080p, the High preset is the best choice for a balanced experience, averaging 85 FPS. This provides a solid frame rate while maintaining visual quality. The Medium preset offers 100 FPS, which is a bit higher, but the visual fidelity may be worth the slightly lower frame rate at High. The Ultra preset, at 67 FPS, is still playable, but the gains from Ultra over High are likely to be minor, and the lower frame rate might be less preferred. The Low preset at 130 FPS is the maximum performance option, but it sacrifices visual quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 65 FPS, which is a good balance. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, which might be too low for some, but is still playable. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the smoothest option, but it reduces visual fidelity. Ultra at 44 FPS is generally not recommended for a smooth experience. The sweet spot is Medium, offering a good balance between visual quality and fluidity.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 47 FPS. The Medium preset at 36 FPS is borderline, and High at 31 FPS is too stuttery for comfortable play. The Medium preset has a min FPS of 31, which indicates that frame times are inconsistent. The Low preset, with an average of 47 FPS, is the best choice for 4K, but it requires sacrificing most visual effects.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's rank in this game compared to all tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 2870 out of 3696 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 28% of performance.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37,943, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-14901E (37,911) and 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37,904). It is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core 5 211E (37,829) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (37,804).

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score, and how does it compare to its rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19,036. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19,030) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (19,049), with a difference of 0.1%. It is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (19,089) and 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (18,954).

Q: How does the FPS scale from 1080p to 4K at the High preset?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS is 85. At 1440p, it drops to 56, and at 4K, it falls to 31. This is a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 45% drop from 1440p to 4K.

Q: What is the best setting to use at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset offers the best balance, averaging 65 FPS, with a min FPS of 56 and a max FPS of 75. The High preset is lower at 56 FPS, and Ultra is 44 FPS.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and base clock?

A: The CPU has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end 8-core, 16-thread processor from AMD's 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed "Granite Ridge") and built on a 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU's cache is a key feature: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9700X excels. It scores 20,485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,211 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 17,906 (multi-core) and 3,023 (single-core). In 3DMark, it scores 9,824 for 16 threads and 1,280 for a single thread. These numbers place it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,943.

Despite this CPU power, the game's performance doesn't reflect the CPU's full potential. The CPU is not the bottleneck in this combo; the GPU is. In this game, the CPU has more capability than the GPU, but the GPU limits the overall FPS. This is a classic bottleneck scenario where a powerful CPU is paired with a weaker GPU, and the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that the CPU is very strong, but the overall combo performance is dragged down by the GPU, which places the combo in the bottom 28% of all tested combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section provides the exact measured FPS data for every resolution and setting.

Resolution: 3840x2160 (4K)

• High: Average FPS 31 (min/max not recorded)
• Medium: Average FPS 36, min 31, max 41
• Low: Average FPS 47 (min/max not recorded)
• Ultra: Average FPS 24 (min/max not recorded)

Resolution: 2560x1440 (1440p)

• High: Average FPS 56 (min/max not recorded)
• Medium: Average FPS 65, min 56, max 75
• Low: Average FPS 85 (min/max not recorded)
• Ultra: Average FPS 44 (min/max not recorded)

Resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p)

• High: Average FPS 85 (min/max not recorded)
• Medium: Average FPS 100, min 85, max 115
• Low: Average FPS 130 (min/max not recorded)
• Ultra: Average FPS 67 (min/max not recorded)

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently has the highest recorded min/max FPS values at each resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 130 FPS, while at 1440p, the Low preset achieves 85 FPS. At 4K, the Low preset is the only one that gets above 40 FPS, at 47 FPS. The Ultra settings are always the lowest, at 67 FPS (1080p), 44 FPS (1440p), and 24 FPS (4K).

The Medium preset at 1440p provides a smooth 65 FPS experience with a min of 56 and max of 75, indicating a stable frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers 100 FPS with a min of 85 and max of 115, which is a great experience. The Low preset at 1080p is 130 FPS, which is extremely smooth, but at a visual cost. The data indicates that the Medium preset is the best overall for a balance of performance and quality, while Low is the best for maximum FPS. The High and Ultra presets provide better visual quality but at a cost of lower FPS, especially at higher resolutions.