The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for modern hardware. With the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the data reveals a configuration that is thoroughly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the sheer power of the CPU ensures that even at 1080p, frame rates remain exceptionally high. The benchmark results show a clear scaling pattern where the graphical load dictates performance, making this combo a solid, if not spectacular, performer in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the measured data is the dramatic impact of resolution on performance. The frame rate drops are significant and linear, moving from the high refresh-rate territory at 1080p to a barely-playable state at 4K with maximum settings. This scaling pattern is the definitive signature of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 128 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average drops to 84 FPS, a reduction of 44 frames. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to 46 FPS. This represents a 64% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at High settings. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti’s rendering pipeline is being saturated by the pixel count, and the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 196 FPS at 1080p to 128 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 70 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, the drop is from 100 FPS at 1080p to 66 FPS at 1440p and down to 36 FPS at 4K. In every case, the 4K result is less than half of the 1080p result. This consistent halving of performance as resolution doubles is a classic indication of a GPU-limited scenario.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data at all resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in performance at lower resolutions, with 1080p and 1440p results being much closer together. Instead, the consistent and large gaps between resolutions confirm that the RTX 5070 Ti is the component determining the final frame rate. The game, being from 2016, likely does not leverage the multi-threading capabilities of the 16-core CPU, but its high single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030, ensures it does not hold the system back.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the choice of settings is a direct trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data provides a clear hierarchy of viable options. At 4K, the only preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 70 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K falls short with an average of 54 FPS, making it a less ideal choice for high-refresh-rate displays, though its minimum of 46 FPS may still be acceptable for some.

At 1440p, the options are more flexible. The High preset delivers a solid 84 FPS average, which is a strong candidate for a balanced experience. The Medium preset provides a higher 98 FPS average, but the High preset offers a better visual quality per the data. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 66 FPS, is also viable for those who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rates, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it achieves an average of 100 FPS. This allows for maximum visual detail without sacrificing the high frame rates that competitive or fast-paced gameplay might benefit from. The High preset at 128 FPS is also excellent, but the data shows that the hardware has enough headroom to run the game at its highest settings while still providing a triple-digit frame rate.

The most balanced experience across all resolutions appears to be the High preset. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low and Medium, as indicated by the FPS differences, while still providing playable frame rates at 4K (46 FPS), excellent rates at 1440p (84 FPS), and very high rates at 1080p (128 FPS). The data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for this GPU, as it avoids the performance cliff of Ultra while providing a substantial visual improvement over the lower presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the central component in this analysis, and its characteristics directly explain the observed performance. The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. While the game is from 2016 and may not need this much memory, the high bandwidth is crucial for handling the large texture sets and rendering overhead at 4K resolution, which is where the GPU struggles most.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2452 MHz, are high, but the benchmark data shows they are not enough to overcome the demands of The Technomancer at higher resolutions. The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 8960 shading units and a FP32 performance of 43.94 TFLOPS. However, the game's engine appears to be heavily reliant on raw pixel throughput and fill rate, which is where the RTX 5070 Ti's 96 ROPs and 235.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are tested. The drop from 70 FPS at 4K Low to 36 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates that the increased shading and texture work at Ultra settings is more than the GPU can handle in this title.

The RTX 5070 Ti's performance in this game is consistent with its overall benchmark scores. Its Passmark G3D score of 32974 places it in the 86th percentile, and its average benchmark score of 49957 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which has a delta of -0.1%. This suggests that in this particular title, the RTX 5070 Ti performs at a level comparable to older, high-end cards, possibly due to the game's engine not fully utilizing the newer architecture's features. The GPU is the clear limiting factor at 4K, as the data shows a steep performance drop that can only be attributed to its rendering capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is ranked 1038 out of 2825 tested combos for this game. This places it in the upper third of all configurations, indicating that it is a capable pairing, but not the absolute top-tier for this title. The rank suggests that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs, are able to achieve higher frame rates, especially at 4K.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is a key factor in this ranking. The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which puts it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has an almost identical average score of 76155, a delta of just 0.1%. This indicates that the CPU is not a weak link in the chain. The data shows the CPU is performing at a level that should not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

However, the combo rank of 1038 out of 2825 is more likely determined by the GPU's performance relative to other tested graphics cards. The RTX 5070 Ti, while powerful, is not at the top of the GPU hierarchy. Its average benchmark score of 49957 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has a delta of -2%, and it is outclassed by other high-end cards. In a game like The Technomancer, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, the combo's rank is heavily influenced by the fact that many other tested configurations likely include faster GPUs that can push higher frame rates at 4K and Ultra settings. The 1038 rank is respectable, but it shows that for this specific title, the pairing is good, not great.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a powerhouse of a mobile processor, and its specifications suggest it should be more than capable of handling any game. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, it offers immense multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713. Its single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030, which is crucial for gaming.

The data indicates that the CPU's role in The Technomancer is to provide a stable foundation that does not interfere with the GPU's work. At 1080p, where the CPU is typically more stressed, the frame rates are extremely high, reaching up to 196 FPS at Low settings. This high ceiling shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor. In fact, the performance scaling from lower to higher resolutions is so consistent that it confirms the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them, except in the most demanding scenarios.

The game, being from 2016, is unlikely to use all 16 cores effectively. However, the Ryzen 9 8945HX's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that it can handle the game's single-threaded demands with ease. Its performance is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, with a delta of only 0.1%, and it is slightly faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which has a delta of 0.6%. This parity with top-tier desktop processors, despite being a mobile part, ensures that the CPU is a non-factor in this game's performance, allowing the RTX 5070 Ti to be the sole determinant of the final frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frame rates provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 70, making it the only 4K setting to break the 60 FPS barrier.
• Medium: The average FPS is 54, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62. This shows significant variance, indicating the GPU is working hard.
• High: The average FPS is 46, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.
• Ultra: The average FPS drops to 36, which is the lowest score recorded for this combo and is generally considered too low for a smooth experience.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: The average FPS is 128, providing a very smooth experience.
• Medium: The average FPS is 98, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113, showing consistent performance.
• High: The average FPS is 84, which is a good result for this quality setting.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 66, which is right at the edge of the ideal 60 FPS target.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: The average FPS is 196, showcasing the CPU's ability to push extremely high frame rates.
• Medium: The average FPS is 150, with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173, indicating a very fluid experience.
• High: The average FPS is 128, which is excellent for a high-quality preset.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 100, which is a perfect result for a 100Hz or 120Hz display.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy of performance, with 1080p offering the highest frame rates and 4K the lowest. The Medium preset at 1440p is the only configuration with a reported minimum and maximum FPS, showing a range of 84 to 113, which suggests some scenes are more demanding than others. Overall, the numbers paint a picture of a combo that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly on the Ultra preset.