The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an Action RPG from 2016, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveal a system that is primarily constrained by the graphics card, though the powerful processor ensures headroom at lower settings. The data indicates a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p with adjustments, while 4K remains challenging for this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting factor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 101.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 35.2 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 37% reduction in performance when moving from 1440p to 4K, which is a typical indicator of pixel-throughput saturation on the graphics card. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is not the bottleneck here, as the frame rate scales almost exclusively with the resolution-dependent workload.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. At Low settings, the 1080p result of 157.2 FPS drops to 101.3 FPS at 1440p and 56.8 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is 55.9 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 44.5 FPS. This suggests that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K, confirming that the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and the TU104 chip's compute throughput are the primary constraints. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 77.9 FPS at 1080p dropping to 53.7 FPS at 1440p and 27.6 FPS at 4K, a decline of 64.5% from 1080p to 4K.

The data shows that the CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4800, is sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions. The frame rate deltas between resolutions are far larger than any CPU-related variance, pointing to a purely GPU-limited scenario. For users targeting 4K, the average FPS figures below 60 at High and Medium settings indicate that this combo is not suited for that resolution without significant compromises, as even Low settings only achieve 56.8 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results show a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers an average of 120.4 FPS, which is a strong balance for smooth gameplay. However, the High preset at 101.9 FPS is also viable for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it stays above the 100 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 77.9 FPS is still playable but introduces a 23% performance penalty compared to High, which may not be justifiable for the marginal visual gains in a game from this era.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides the best experience, with an average of 80.4 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS target for most displays and represents a 25% improvement over the High preset's 64.5 FPS. The Low preset at 101.3 FPS is the only option that exceeds 100 FPS at this resolution, but it sacrifices too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 53.7 FPS is below the ideal threshold and should be avoided for consistent frame pacing.

For 4K, no preset achieves a fully smooth experience. The Medium preset at 45.6 FPS is the highest average that remains above 30 FPS, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS standard. The data suggests that users should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept a sub-60 FPS experience at 4K. The Low preset at 56.8 FPS is the only 4K option near 60 FPS, but it renders the game at the lowest visual quality, which undermines the purpose of high-resolution gaming. Based on the measured rows, the optimal configuration is Medium at 1440p, which offers a 80.4 FPS average and a reasonable balance of quality and performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800. In the context of The Technomancer, this CPU provides more than enough processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The game, released in 2016, likely utilizes only a fraction of the available threads, and the high boost clock ensures that even single-threaded workloads are handled efficiently.

The 3DMark scores further illustrate the CPU's capability. The 16-thread score of 10081 and the max-thread score of 10067 are nearly identical, indicating that the processor's performance scales well with threaded workloads. However, the game's frame rates do not show any CPU-related stutters or limitations, as the FPS figures are consistently dictated by the GPU's rendering capacity. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data-intensive tasks, but this is not a significant factor for a game that is predominantly GPU-bound at the tested settings.

The nearest rivals to this CPU, such as the Intel Core i9-13900HK and Intel Core i5-13600KF, have slightly lower average benchmark scores, but their deltaPct values are all within -0.7% or better. This means the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is statistically on par with these alternatives in synthetic tests. In practical gaming terms, the data shows that the CPU's role is to provide consistent frame delivery, and it does so without any measurable impact on the average FPS across all resolutions. For this specific game, the CPU is a non-issue; the RTX 2070 SUPER is the sole performance limiter.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1040 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution, which is expected given the GPU's age and tier. The percentile rank of 65 for the GPU indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is outperformed by about 35% of all graphics cards in the database, and this directly influences the combo's overall standing.

The CPU's percentile rank of 90 shows that the processor is in the top 10% of all CPUs, but this does not boost the combo's rank because the game is GPU-limited. The data suggests that pairing a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU from the previous generation creates an imbalance. The RTX 2070 SUPER's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700, have similar average benchmark scores, with deltaPct values of -0.5% and 2.5% respectively. This confirms that the GPU is performing as expected for its class, but it cannot compete with modern graphics cards that would push this combo higher in the rankings.

The rank of 1040 out of 1656 means that roughly 63% of tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. This is not a poor result, but it indicates that users with this combo should not expect top-tier performance. The high CPU score does not compensate for the GPU's limitations, and the combo rank reflects the actual gaming experience. To improve the rank, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a faster graphics card without becoming a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at Medium settings offers the best balance, with an average of 80.4 FPS. At 1920x1080, High settings achieve 101.9 FPS, but the visual upgrade to 1440p justifies the performance trade-off.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that 4K performance is limited. At High settings, the average FPS is 35.2, and at Ultra it drops to 27.6. Only Low settings approach 60 FPS at 56.8, but this requires significant visual compromises.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER?

A: No. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4800 in Cinebench R23 and its 5.20 GHz boost clock ensure it is not the limiting factor. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1040 out of 1656 combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This is primarily due to the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance, which sits at the 65th percentile for all GPUs.

Q: What is the impact of the Ultra preset on performance?

A: The Ultra preset significantly reduces frame rates. At 1920x1080, it delivers 77.9 FPS, which is 24% lower than High at 101.9 FPS. At 4K, Ultra drops to 27.6 FPS, which is below playable thresholds.

Q: Does the CPU's 8-core configuration benefit this game?

A: The game is GPU-bound, so the core count has minimal impact on average FPS. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 shows it can handle multi-threaded tasks, but this does not translate to higher frame rates in The Technomancer.