The Technomancer

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 883rd out of 2,825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the configuration in the top 31.3% of all tested combinations, a solid mid-to-upper tier result for a game released in 2016. The ranking reflects the combination's ability to handle the game's engine, which was designed for older hardware but still responds well to modern compute resources.

The percentile positioning of the individual components reinforces this standing. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands in the 86th percentile among all graphics cards. Both components are high performers in their respective pools, yet the game's age and engine limitations mean the combined result does not break into the top echelon. The data shows that the combo's rank is more constrained by the GPU's relative position than the CPU's, as the GPU's 86th percentile is the lower of the two.

When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the picture becomes clearer. The Ryzen 9 8945HX averages a benchmark score of 76,212, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX at 76,155 — a mere 0.1% difference. The AMD chip also edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 0.6% (75,779 average). However, it trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4% each (76,492 and 76,513 averages, respectively). These sub-1% deltas indicate that the CPU is operating in a tightly contested performance band, with no clear leader among its closest competitors.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080 averages 54,247 in benchmark scores, sitting just 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209). It falls behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% (54,828), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6% (55,698), and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.7% (55,757). This clustering suggests that the RTX 4080 is at the lower edge of a performance group, which directly impacts its ability to push the combo ranking higher in a game that is not particularly demanding by modern standards.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a substantial amount of video memory for a 2016 title, and the data indicates that memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any tested resolution. The GPU's base clock runs at 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, while the memory operates at 1400 MHz (or 22.4 Gbps effective). These clocks are high enough to drive the game's rendering pipeline efficiently, even at 4K resolution.

The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace on a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. The 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores are present but largely unused in The Technomancer, as the game does not feature ray tracing or DLSS. The raw compute throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 is more than sufficient for the game's rasterization workload.

Benchmark results show the GPU's strengths and weaknesses. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 6,567. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 214,739, and the Vulkan score is 263,779. Passmark results show 34,457 in G3D, 20,671 in GPU compute, and lower scores in older DirectX versions: 314 in DirectX 11, 132 in DirectX 12, 370 in DirectX 9, and 204 in DirectX 10. These older API scores are relevant because The Technomancer uses DirectX 11, and the GPU's performance in that specific benchmark is modest relative to its other metrics.

The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 39 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Dropping to 4K High raises the average to 50 FPS, and 4K Medium reaches 59 FPS. At 4K Low, the average jumps to 77 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that the GPU's raw power is being taxed at higher settings, and the game's engine does not efficiently utilize the RTX 4080's modern features.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At High settings, the average FPS is 92, while Medium delivers 107 FPS. 4K is playable but requires lower settings to maintain smooth frame rates.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1080p Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 109. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates that the combo can handle the highest settings at this resolution without issue.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 39 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 214 FPS. The CPU's high benchmark scores (95th percentile) and 16 cores/32 threads are not fully utilized by this 2016 title.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for Medium settings?

A: For Medium settings, the minimum FPS are 50 at 3840x2160, 91 at 2560x1440, and 139 at 1920x1080. These figures indicate that even at 4K, the combo does not drop below 50 FPS on Medium.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER in average benchmark scores (54,247 vs 54,209). This is a negligible difference, and in-game performance would be nearly identical.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K High, the average is 50 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 59 FPS. For a smoother experience, 4K Low delivers 77 FPS, but visual quality is reduced.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a complete picture of the combo's performance in The Technomancer.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results show a clear hierarchy. Low settings produce an average of 77 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings average 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 68 FPS. High settings average 50 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload increases significantly with each settings tier. The minimum FPS data for Medium shows that even at 4K, the frame rate does not dip below 50 FPS, which is acceptable for most players.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance is more comfortable. Low settings average 140 FPS, which is more than double the 4K Low result. Medium settings average 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS and maximum of 123 FPS. High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings average 72 FPS. All settings at 1440p exceed 60 FPS, making this the most versatile resolution for the combo. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 68 FPS, showing a wider spread than at 4K, which suggests the GPU is less constrained at this resolution and the settings have a more pronounced effect.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo delivers exceptional performance. Low settings average 214 FPS, which is the highest recorded result across all tests. Medium settings average 164 FPS with a minimum of 139 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS. High settings average 140 FPS, and Ultra settings average 109 FPS. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is nearly double the 60 FPS target, indicating that the combo is severely overqualified for 1080p gaming in this title. The minimum FPS at Medium is 139, which is higher than the average FPS at 4K Ultra, highlighting the performance difference between resolutions.

The data also reveals that the game scales well with settings changes. At each resolution, the difference between Low and Ultra is significant, with 1080p showing a 105 FPS spread, 1440p showing 68 FPS, and 4K showing 38 FPS. This suggests that lower resolutions benefit more from settings adjustments, while at 4K the GPU is already near its limits.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a mobile processor from the 8000 series, built on Zen 4 architecture with the Dragon Range codename. It features 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU's 55W TDP is relatively low for a 16-core part, reflecting its mobile design. It uses the AMD Socket FL1 and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In benchmark tests, the CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R15 multicore score is 4,305, while the single-core score is 607. In Cinebench R20, the multicore score is 17,939 and single-core is 2,532. The Cinebench R23 results show 42,713 in multicore and 6,030 in single-core. These scores place the CPU in the 95th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 76,212.

Passmark results further illustrate the CPU's capabilities. The multithread score is 51,405, with a single-thread score of 3,907. Data compression scores 677,755, encryption scores 40,836, and extended instructions score 49,823. Floating point math reaches 117,453, integer math 195,180, and physics 2,168. Random string sorting scores 78,781, and finding prime numbers scores 262. These varied benchmarks show a processor that excels at both integer and floating-point workloads.

For The Technomancer, the CPU's role is less critical than the GPU's. The game was released in 2016, and its engine does not utilize 16 cores effectively. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz helps with single-threaded game logic, but the measured FPS data shows that resolution and settings have a much larger impact on performance than CPU load. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 214 FPS, which suggests that even at lower settings, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s is sufficient for the game's data streaming needs, and the 64 MB L3 cache helps reduce latency.

The CPU's nearest rivals show that it is well-matched against other high-end processors. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is only 0.1% behind in average score, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is 0.6% behind. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX are both 0.4% ahead. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, and the CPU's performance is not a limiting factor in The Technomancer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players prioritizing smooth gameplay at 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 109 FPS, which is more than sufficient. There is no need to lower settings at this resolution, as even the highest quality preset maintains a high frame rate. For those seeking maximum frame rates, Low settings at 214 FPS or Medium at 164 FPS are viable, but the visual trade-off is not necessary given the Ultra performance.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to High or Medium. High settings average 92 FPS, which is solid for most displays. Medium settings provide 107 FPS, offering a small performance boost with minimal visual impact. Ultra at 72 FPS is also playable, but the 20 FPS drop from Medium may be noticeable. The data shows that High is the sweet spot, balancing visual quality and performance.

For 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Ultra at 39 FPS is not recommended due to the sub-60 FPS average. High at 50 FPS is borderline, and Medium at 59 FPS is the best option for a near-60 FPS experience. Low at 77 FPS is the only 4K setting that exceeds 60 FPS, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 50, which indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS, but this is the most balanced 4K configuration.

Overall, the combo is best suited for 1440p gaming at High or Medium settings, where it delivers a comfortable performance margin. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, while at 4K, Medium settings offer the best trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. The data shows that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of VRAM is more than adequate for this game, and the CPU's high core count is not a limiting factor. Players should prioritize resolution and settings based on their display's refresh rate, with 1440p High being the recommended default for most users.