The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination delivers a playable experience in The Technomancer, but with significant caveats at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear pattern: this pairing excels at 1080p and 1440p with medium-to-high settings, while 4K Ultra pushes the GPU to its limits, resulting in frame rates that dip below smooth-playability thresholds. This analysis breaks down exactly how the CPU and GPU contribute to these results, based solely on measured performance data.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The chip includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial for gaming workloads. Its benchmark scores are strong: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800, along with a Geekbench multicore score of 18413 and a single-core score of 3341.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1212 and 2-thread score of 2394 indicate solid per-core performance, which matters for older Action RPG titles that may not scale perfectly across many threads. The 8-core/16-thread configuration ensures headroom, but the game's engine from 2016 likely doesn't utilize all 16 threads effectively. The data shows the CPU's percentile rank is 90th among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 90% of tested processors. Its average benchmark score of 37780 places it nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6353P (37811, delta -0.1%) and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (37831, delta -0.1%), with the Intel Core i9-13900HK (38020, delta -0.6%) and Core i5-13600KF (38028, delta -0.7%) just ahead.

For this game, the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 194.5, which is far beyond what a GPU-limited scenario would produce. The 9800X3D's high single-thread performance — evidenced by PassMark single-thread score of 4430 — ensures that even at 1080p, the RTX 3070 becomes the limiting factor. The CPU's 120W TDP and 8 cores are more than sufficient for a title of this era, and the data confirms no CPU-related frame drops are present.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip using an 8 nm Samsung process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU clocks at 1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). Its compute capabilities include 5888 shading units and 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The GPU's percentile rank is 72nd among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985, delta 0.9%) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956, delta 1.0%), showing the 3070 sits slightly above these cards.

In The Technomancer, the GPU is the primary performance driver, especially at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for this game's 2016-era textures, and the measured FPS scales predictably with settings. At 1440p Ultra, the card produces 64.3 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 34.5 FPS. This pattern shows the GPU's raw throughput is the limiting factor at 4K. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 256-bit bus are sufficient for the game's data demands, as evidenced by the smooth scaling from Low to Medium settings. At 4K Low, the card still manages 68.2 FPS, indicating that the core compute is capable but the Ultra preset's effects (likely shadow quality, draw distance, and post-processing) overwhelm it.

The RTX 3070's DirectX 12 support (12 Ultimate) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are relevant, as The Technomancer can leverage these modern APIs. The benchmark scores for 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (3162) suggest the card handles DX12 workloads competently, which aligns with the measured in-game performance.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 126.1 FPS, which drops to 81.3 FPS at 1440p High (a 35.5% reduction) and further to 42.5 FPS at 4K High (a 66.3% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline indicates GPU-bound behavior. For Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 194.5 FPS at 1080p, 125.1 FPS at 1440p (down 35.7%), and 68.2 FPS at 4K (down 64.9%). The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~65% drop from 1080p to 4K across settings points squarely at the RTX 3070's fill rate and pixel throughput as the bottleneck.

The CPU's performance does not explain these drops. A CPU-limited scenario would show flat or rising FPS as resolution increases, since the GPU would be waiting less. Instead, the data shows FPS falling roughly proportionally to pixel count (1080p has ~2.07 million pixels, 1440p has ~3.69 million, 4K has ~8.29 million). The 4K to 1440p pixel ratio is 2.25x, and the FPS ratio at High settings is 42.5/81.3 = 0.52, which is inverse-proportional. This confirms the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions, with the 9800X3D providing ample headroom.

At 1080p Ultra, the combo reaches 97.9 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. This suggests that even with the most demanding preset, the CPU+GPU pair can deliver smooth gameplay at 1080p. However, at 4K Ultra, the 34.5 FPS result shows the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates, and the 8 GB VRAM may also be a factor at Ultra settings with high-resolution textures, though the data does not isolate VRAM usage.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 97.9 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while remaining well above the 60 FPS smoothness threshold. If a player prefers even higher frame rates for competitive or high-refresh displays, the High preset at 126.1 FPS offers a significant boost with likely minimal visual difference in this game's art style. The Medium preset at 147.5 FPS is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High is smaller than from High to Ultra.

For 1440p, the High preset at 81.3 FPS is the sweet spot, delivering smooth gameplay with good visuals. The Ultra preset at 64.3 FPS is still playable but approaches the edge of comfort, and the Medium preset at 97.8 FPS sacrifices some quality for a large FPS gain. The data suggests that High at 1440p provides the best balance: it is 26.4% faster than Ultra (81.3 vs 64.3) while still offering the High preset's visual improvements over Medium.

For 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset at 68.2 FPS is the only option that stays above 60, but it sacrifices all visual quality. The Medium preset at 53.6 FPS is borderline, and High at 42.5 FPS is not recommended for smooth play. Given these numbers, 4K gaming on this combo requires dropping to Low settings, which may defeat the purpose of 4K resolution. The data indicates that 1440p High is the best overall experience, as it provides 81.3 FPS with acceptable visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific CPU+GPU combination ranks 777th out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the 47th percentile of all tested systems. This rank reflects the RTX 3070's mid-range positioning relative to other GPUs in the database. The CPU's 90th percentile rank does not compensate for the GPU's 72nd percentile rank, as the game is GPU-bound in most scenarios.

The rank of 777 out of 1656 means there are 879 combos that perform worse and 777 that perform better. This puts the setup in the lower-middle of the performance distribution. For context, the CPU's nearest rivals (Intel Core i9-13900HK and i5-13600KF) would likely pair with faster GPUs to achieve higher ranks, while the GPU's nearest rivals (RX 6600 XT and GTX 980 Ti) would likely pair with slower CPUs, potentially achieving similar or lower ranks. The measured FPS data shows this combo is clearly capable of high frame rates at 1080p, but its 4K performance drags down its overall rank, as the rank likely aggregates performance across all resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance:

1920x1080:

• Low: 194.5 FPS average
• Medium: 147.5 FPS average
• High: 126.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 97.9 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 125.1 FPS average
• Medium: 97.8 FPS average
• High: 81.3 FPS average
• Ultra: 64.3 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 68.2 FPS average
• Medium: 53.6 FPS average
• High: 42.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 34.5 FPS average

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is consistent. At 1080p, Ultra is 49.7% slower than Low (97.9 vs 194.5). At 1440p, Ultra is 48.6% slower than Low (64.3 vs 125.1). At 4K, Ultra is 49.4% slower than Low (34.5 vs 68.2). This consistent ~50% penalty for Ultra settings across all resolutions indicates the GPU's shader and ROP throughput is the limiting factor, not memory bandwidth or CPU. The 4K Low result of 68.2 FPS shows the GPU can handle the resolution with reduced effects, but the Ultra preset's additional pixel work (likely volumetric lighting and shadow resolution) overwhelms it.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU+GPU pair in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Ultra settings achieves 97.9 FPS, while 2560x1440 with High settings achieves 81.3 FPS. For a balance of visuals and smoothness, 1440p High is recommended, as it stays above 60 FPS and offers better clarity than 1080p.

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

A: Only at Low settings, which yields 68.2 FPS. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops to 53.6 FPS, and at High or Ultra it falls to 42.5 FPS and 34.5 FPS respectively. None of the higher presets reach 60 FPS at 4K.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37780. It is 0.1% slower than the Intel Xeon 6353P (37811) and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (37831), and 0.6-0.7% slower than the Intel Core i9-13900HK (38020) and i5-13600KF (38028).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238. It is 0.9% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985), 1.0% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956), and 0.6-1.1% slower than the AMD FirePro S7150 (28409) and Radeon R9 M295X (28541).

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

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 194.5 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 97.9 FPS. This represents a 49.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. From 1080p High (126.1 FPS) to 1440p High (81.3 FPS), the FPS drops by 35.5%, while from 1440p High to 4K High (42.5 FPS), it drops by 47.7%. This scaling follows pixel count increases, indicating GPU-bound performance.