The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, shows surprising scaling demands on modern hardware. With the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, the data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but shows the CPU's strength at 1080p. This combination ranks in the 89th percentile out of 1656 tested configurations in this title, indicating top-tier performance, though the game's age and engine quirks create specific bottlenecks.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 296.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 194.3 FPS at 2560x1440, a decline of about 34%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 105.1 FPS, representing a 64% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern clearly indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component as pixel count rises; the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

The scaling factor becomes even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The 1080p Ultra average of 152.8 FPS drops to 102.2 FPS at 1440p, then plummets to 53.9 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution, suggesting that the game's higher detail levels introduce effects that disproportionately tax the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading resources. At 4K Ultra, the system delivers just above the 60 FPS threshold, but barely, making it a borderline playable experience.

Notably, the difference between 1080p and 1440p is smaller in percentage terms than the jump from 1440p to 4K. For instance, at Medium settings, 1080p produces 230.7 FPS, while 1440p yields 150 FPS, a 35% drop. The 4K Medium average of 80.5 FPS is another 46% lower than 1440p. This nonlinear scaling points to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 256-bit bus becoming saturated as the render target expands, with the 736.3 GB/s bandwidth being a critical factor.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 7900X provides a formidable foundation, with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz are high by any standard, and the benchmark data supports its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 43695 in multicore and 6168 in single-core tests, while Geekbench shows 17830 multicore and 2952 single-core scores. These numbers place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 50556.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 296.2 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the processor can feed the GPU efficiently even in less demanding scenes. The 3DMark tests further illustrate this: the 16-thread score of 10972 is robust, but the single-thread score of 1093 is comparatively modest. This game, released in 2016, likely does not utilize all 24 threads effectively, so the high boost clock is what matters most for maintaining minimum frame pacing.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 7900X is essentially tied. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average score of 50598, a mere 0.1% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT scores 50738, just 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i9-13980HX is 0.8% ahead with 50944. This means the 7900X is not the absolute fastest, but within a negligible margin of error for gaming workloads. The PassMark multithread score of 51406 and single-thread score of 4238 confirm its balance, though the game's performance at 4K will be dictated by the GPU regardless.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER is a powerhouse built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, with 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz and 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provide a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. The GPU's raw compute is substantial, with 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 6600, and its PassMark G3D score is 34245, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K. At 4K Ultra, the average of 53.9 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that the card's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are being pushed to their limits. The texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s are high, but The Technomancer's Ultra settings likely include heavy post-processing and shadow effects that stress the ROPs. The drop from 4K High (67.4 FPS) to 4K Ultra (53.9 FPS) is a 20% performance hit for the visual upgrade.

At 1080p, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor. The 1080p High average of 196.8 FPS and Medium at 230.7 FPS show the card has massive headroom. However, the 1080p Low score of 296.2 FPS suggests the CPU or game engine might cap performance near 300 FPS, as the GPU could theoretically push higher. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489 in average benchmarks, a 0.2% delta, so the 4080 SUPER is essentially level with that card in synthetic tests, but the NVIDIA card's driver optimizations may give it an edge in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system excels across all settings. Low delivers 296.2 FPS, Medium 230.7 FPS, High 196.8 FPS, and Ultra 152.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at Ultra, the game runs far above any high-refresh-rate monitor's capability, making this resolution ideal for competitive play or maximum visual fidelity without compromise.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain strong. Low produces 194.3 FPS, Medium 150 FPS, High 130.1 FPS, and Ultra 102.2 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is particularly notable, as it stays above 100 FPS, providing a smooth experience on 144Hz displays. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 35-40% reduction across settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more variable. Low averages 105.1 FPS, Medium 80.5 FPS, High 67.4 FPS, and Ultra 53.9 FPS. The 4K Low result is playable on 60Hz monitors, but Ultra falls short of the 60 FPS mark. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 51.2 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset's additional effects are costly. The data suggests that 4K Ultra is only for those who prioritize image quality over frame rate, while 4K High offers a better balance at 67.4 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K 60 FPS?

A: At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 67.4, which exceeds 60. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 53.9 FPS, so you must use High or lower settings to maintain a 60 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1440p?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The 1440p Ultra average of 102.2 FPS is well below what the CPU could theoretically support, given its 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its closest rival in this game?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has a 0.2% higher average benchmark score, but the measured FPS data for this specific game shows the 4080 SUPER delivering playable frame rates at all resolutions, so the delta is negligible in practice.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz 1440p monitor?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 yields 102.2 FPS, which is above 100 but below 144. The High preset at 130.1 FPS is closer to the refresh rate, while Medium at 150 FPS exceeds it, making Medium the best choice for full 144Hz utilization.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the GPU matter for this game?

A: The 16 GB capacity is more than sufficient for this title, as even at 4K Ultra, the bottleneck appears to be compute and bandwidth rather than memory capacity. The 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is the more critical spec.

Q: Why is the 1080p Low FPS so high at 296.2?

A: This figure suggests the game engine or CPU is near its threading limit, as the GPU has far more capacity. The Ryzen 9 7900X's boost clock of 5.60 GHz helps, but the 2016 game engine likely caps performance around this range.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The 152.8 FPS average is more than enough for any monitor, and the visual improvements over High are worth the 44 FPS drop. Even at Ultra, the system has massive headroom, so there is no reason to compromise on quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best measured experience. It delivers 150 FPS, which matches the refresh rate of most high-end 144Hz monitors, while the High preset at 130.1 FPS is also viable if you prefer slightly better visuals. The Ultra preset at 102.2 FPS is playable but does not fully utilize a 144Hz panel. For 60Hz displays, High is the sweet spot, as it provides 130.1 FPS with a significant quality boost over Medium.

At 4K, the High preset is the most balanced. It produces 67.4 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on standard monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 53.9 FPS, which is noticeable and not recommended unless you have a 60Hz display and prioritize fidelity over smoothness. The Medium preset at 80.5 FPS is another strong option, offering a 19% performance increase over High with a modest visual downgrade. Avoid Low at 4K, as the 105.1 FPS average does not justify the visual compromise when Medium provides nearly as much speed. In summary, the data suggests using High at 4K, Medium at 1440p for high-refresh displays, and Ultra at 1080p for the best balance of performance and image quality.