The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is capable of high frame rates at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limits at 4K, particularly with the most demanding visual presets. This analysis examines the measured performance data to determine the optimal settings, the role of each component, and how this specific pairing stacks up against other tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the performance envelope for this combo. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally powerful, with the Ultra preset achieving an average of 98 FPS. This is well above the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that players can max out the game’s settings at this resolution without concern. The High preset at this resolution jumps to 125 FPS, which is beneficial for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Medium and Low reach 147 and 191 FPS, respectively. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best experience, as it offers the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate that is more than adequate for a responsive and visually rich Action RPG.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. This makes it a viable option for players who prioritize visual quality. However, the High preset provides a more comfortable margin, with an average of 82 FPS. This setting offers a significant performance headroom that ensures smoother frame pacing and better handling of demanding scenes. Given that the Ultra preset is only marginally above the 60 FPS threshold, the High preset at 1440p appears to be the "sweet spot" for this resolution. It provides a substantial performance boost of 18 FPS over Ultra while likely offering a visually similar experience, making it the recommended choice for a balance of quality and performance.

The 3840x2160 resolution presents a significant challenge. Here, the Ultra preset drops to an average of 35 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users and would result in a poor experience. The High preset fares better with an average of 45 FPS, but this is still not ideal for a fluid gaming experience. The Medium preset is the first to cross the 60 FPS threshold, achieving an average of 53 FPS. While this is not a locked 60 FPS, it is the only preset at 4K that provides a playable frame rate. The Low preset, with an average of 69 FPS, is the only 4K option that offers a truly smooth experience. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests that players must significantly lower their graphical expectations. The best experience at this resolution would be the Low preset for a smooth 69 FPS, or the Medium preset for a better visual balance at 53 FPS, accepting that frame rates will fluctuate as indicated by the minimum of 45 FPS. The Ultra and High presets are effectively not recommended for 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest graphical preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or more at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset is the highest graphical setting to achieve this, with a measured average of 98 FPS. This indicates that the combination of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and RTX 3070 has ample performance headroom to max out the game at 1080p.

Q: How does the performance at 2560x1440 compare to 1920x1080 on the High preset?

A: At 1440p, the High preset averages 82 FPS, which is 43 FPS lower than the 125 FPS seen at 1080p. This represents a 34.4% decrease in performance, highlighting the significant impact that rendering at a higher resolution has on the system.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 3840x2160 with this hardware?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 35, which is below the generally accepted 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that this setting is not suitable for a good experience at this resolution.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Medium presets at 3840x2160?

A: The Low preset achieves an average of 69 FPS, while the Medium preset achieves an average of 53 FPS. This is a 16 FPS difference, which is substantial at 4K and represents the difference between a smooth and a potentially stutter-prone experience.

Q: According to the benchmark data, what is the limiting factor for this combo in The Technomancer at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rates scale significantly with resolution and preset changes, which is characteristic of a system constrained by graphics processing power rather than CPU performance.

Q: How does this combo's overall ranking in the game compare to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1179 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, indicating that it is a capable performer for this game, but not at the very top tier.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture. It features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In the context of The Technomancer, a game from 2016, this processor provides a significant amount of computational power. Its benchmark scores are notable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. The processor's 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a defining feature of the X3D series, and while the game may not be heavily dependent on cache, this large pool of fast memory can help maintain high minimum frame rates in complex scenes.

The data from the measured FPS suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck for this combination, especially at lower resolutions. For instance, at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the system achieves an average of 191 FPS. This incredibly high frame rate indicates that the processor is feeding the GPU more than enough data to render frames. Even at the Ultra preset at 1080p, the 98 FPS average is still high enough to suggest that the CPU has more headroom. The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark single-thread score of 4704 and a multi-thread score of 41318, reinforces its capability to handle the game's logic and physics without being a limiting factor. The processor's high core count and clock speeds are more than sufficient for a game of this era, ensuring that the focus of performance scaling is squarely on the graphics card. The data implies that a less powerful CPU could likely achieve similar frame rates when paired with this GPU, as the RTX 3070 becomes the primary constraint as resolution and graphical load increase.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a rank of 1179 out of 2825 total combos. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than the majority of combinations in the database. This is a solid result, indicating that while the RTX 3070 is not the most powerful modern GPU, its performance paired with this top-tier CPU is enough to place the system in the upper-middle echelon of all tested configurations.

The rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and settings. The CPU is a top performer in its own right, with a percentile rank of 92% among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 58386 puts it in very close competition with its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and Intel Core i9-14900, with delta percentages of 0.1% and 0.5% respectively. This shows that from a CPU standpoint, the system is among the best available. The GPU, conversely, has a percentile rank of 61% among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, is only 0.7% ahead in score. This contrast is key to understanding the combo's overall rank. The system is likely held back by the GPU's performance relative to the CPU. A more powerful GPU paired with the same CPU would almost certainly result in a significantly higher rank. The 1179 rank is therefore evidence of the CPU's strength, but also a clear indicator that the RTX 3070 is the component that defines the system's overall performance ceiling in this game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected trend of performance decreasing as resolution increases. At the High preset, the system delivers an average of 125 FPS at 1920x1080. This drops to 82 FPS at 2560x1440, a 34.4% decrease. Moving up to 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 45, which is a further 45.1% decrease from the 1440p figure and a 64% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the limiting component in this system. The dramatic drop in performance as pixel count increases is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that are more consistent across resolutions, particularly at lower settings. However, the data shows massive scaling. For instance, at the Low preset, the FPS goes from 191 at 1080p to 125 at 1440p, and then to 69 at 4K. This consistent and significant drop with each resolution increase indicates that the graphics card is working at its full capacity and is unable to keep up with the increasing rendering load. The CPU, with its high core count and clock speeds, has the power to prepare frames at a rate far exceeding what the GPU can render, especially at higher resolutions. The implication is that players seeking higher frame rates at 1440p or 4K would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than a CPU upgrade, as the Ryzen 7 9850X3D has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the average FPS measured for this combination, organized by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. With the Low preset, it achieves an average of 191 FPS. The Medium preset averages 147 FPS, with a minimum of 125 and a maximum of 169 FPS. Moving to High, the average is 125 FPS. Finally, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 98 FPS. All settings at this resolution are highly playable, with even the most demanding preset providing a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. The Low preset averages 125 FPS. The Medium preset averages 96 FPS, with a minimum of 82 and a maximum of 110 FPS. The High preset averages 82 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one to dip near the 60 FPS line, with an average of 64 FPS. This makes High the recommended setting for a smooth experience at this resolution, as it provides a comfortable buffer over the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 is clearly challenged. The Low preset is the only one that provides a truly smooth experience, with an average of 69 FPS. The Medium preset drops to an average of 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 61 FPS, indicating noticeable frame dips. The High preset averages 45 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of only 35 FPS. This data shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises in graphical settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the graphics card in this system, and its role is defined by its memory and clock specifications. It comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This is a crucial specification for a game like The Technomancer, which can have large textures. The 8 GB capacity is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming with high settings, but at 4K, the game’s demands can approach this limit, potentially causing performance issues if textures need to be swapped in and out of the slower system memory. The card's base clock is 1500 MHz, with a boost clock of 1725 MHz.

The benchmark data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance in this game. The significant frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K are directly attributable to the GPU's rendering capabilities. The RTX 3070's overall performance, as indicated by its 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, is solidly mid-range. While it is not a top-tier card, its scores are competitive, with its average benchmark score of 17208 placing it just 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. In The Technomancer, the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU is powerful enough to feed the GPU at all settings, but the GPU's ability to process pixels and execute shaders is what ultimately caps the frame rate. This is especially evident at 4K with the Ultra preset, where the 35 FPS average indicates the GPU is struggling to maintain a playable frame rate. The card's 8 GB of VRAM may also be a contributing factor to the performance drop at 4K, where higher resolution textures can exceed this capacity.