The Technomancer

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile combination ranks 992nd out of 3,696 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the top 27% of all configurations. This is a strong result for a mobile platform, indicating that the pairing delivers well above-average performance in this specific Action RPG. The rank suggests that while this combo is not at the absolute bleeding edge, it sits comfortably in the upper quartile, meaning it will handle the game's demands without breaking a sweat at most settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 992 out of 3,696 tested combinations places it firmly in the upper echelon of performance for The Technomancer. This is a percentile position of roughly 73, meaning it outperforms nearly three-quarters of all recorded setups. The data indicates that this pairing is well-balanced for this title, avoiding the severe bottlenecks that plague lower-ranked configurations.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's average benchmark score of 76,212 places it in the 95th percentile of all processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with a score of 76,155 (a delta of only 0.1%), the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P at 76,492 (delta -0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX at 76,513 (delta -0.4%). The Ryzen 9 9950X3D trails slightly at 75,779 (delta 0.6%). These minuscule deltas show that the 8945HX is performance-identical to some of the most powerful desktop and workstation processors ever tested, which is remarkable for a mobile chip.

The GPU, meanwhile, posts an average benchmark score of 38,349, placing it in the 81st percentile of all graphics cards. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 at 38,299 (delta 0.1%), the RTX 4080 Mobile at 38,135 (delta 0.6%), and the MX570 A at 38,691 (delta -0.9%). The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is also close at 38,706 (delta -0.9%). The fact that the RTX 5080 Mobile is essentially tied with the previous-generation RTX 4080 Mobile in average score is notable, but the measured FPS in The Technomancer shows the newer card pulling ahead in actual gameplay.

The combination of a top-5% CPU and an 81st-percentile GPU results in a combo rank that is slightly lower than the CPU's percentile but higher than the GPU's, suggesting that the game is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU's strength prevents any significant frame drops at lower settings. The overall rank of 992 confirms the synergy of this pairing, showing that neither component holds the other back in a meaningful way for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 98 frames per second. This indicates smooth, highly playable performance for a fast-paced action RPG.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 Mobile compare to the RTX 4080 Mobile in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 38,349, which is a 0.6% improvement over the RTX 4080 Mobile's score of 38,135. The delta is tiny, indicating they are near-identical in raw compute potential.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 8945HX a high-end mobile processor?

A: Yes, it ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs and has an average benchmark score of 76,212. It is within 0.4% of the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and Threadripper PRO 9945WX, which are enterprise-class chips.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 229, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This shows the combo can push extremely high frame rates when graphical load is minimized.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 42. To achieve a locked 60 FPS at 4K, you would need to lower the settings to High, which yields an average of 54 FPS, or Medium, which yields 63 FPS.

Q: How large is the performance gap between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 76,212, which is a 0.1% difference from the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. This makes the two effectively identical in synthetic multi-threaded performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is an impressive range for a mobile part with a 55W TDP. The chip is built on TSMC's 5nm process and features a 64 MB L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 64 KB of L1 per core. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded headroom, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,713 and single-core score of 6,030.

In the context of The Technomancer, a game released in 2016, the CPU's raw power is more than sufficient. The game's engine is unlikely to fully utilize all 32 threads, but the high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often the bottleneck in older titles. The Passmark single-thread score of 3,907 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 607 confirm that this chip excels in lightly-threaded workloads. This means that even when the GPU is not fully saturated, the CPU will not hold back frame generation.

The data suggests that the CPU's role here is to provide a massive safety margin. At 1080p Low settings, where the GPU load is light, the combo hits 229 FPS, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate. The multicore performance, as shown by the Passmark multithread score of 51,405 and Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 17,939, ensures that any background tasks or game logic computations are handled without introducing stutters. The 8945HX is a top-tier mobile processor, ranking in the 95th percentile, and its performance in this game is effectively a non-issue; it provides all the computational power needed and then some.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Technomancer reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo starts at an average of 117 FPS on Ultra settings, climbs to 150 FPS on High, 176 FPS on Medium, and peaks at 229 FPS on Low. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS, showing solid frame pacing.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 77 FPS on Ultra, 98 FPS on High, 115 FPS on Medium, and 150 FPS on Low. The Medium preset at this resolution maintains a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, which is still excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. The jump from 1080p to 1440p shows a typical scaling pattern, with the Ultra preset taking a 34% hit in average FPS (from 117 to 77), while the Low preset drops by 34% as well (from 229 to 150).

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings average 54 FPS, while Medium averages 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS. Low settings at 4K still manage an average of 82 FPS. This data indicates that 4K gaming is viable but requires a trade-off in visual fidelity to maintain higher frame rates. The step from 1440p to 4K is steep, with the High preset dropping from 98 FPS to 54 FPS, a 45% reduction.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 229 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 82 FPS. This is a 64% reduction in performance, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high single-thread score of 3,907 in Passmark ensures it can handle the frame generation at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's workload expands exponentially.

The data shows that the RTX 5080 Mobile begins to struggle as the resolution increases. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms it. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings (98 FPS to 54 FPS) is a 45% drop, which is larger than the 23% drop seen from 1080p to 1440p (150 FPS to 98 FPS). This non-linear scaling indicates that the GPU is reaching its limits.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. The CPU's benchmark scores are in the 95th percentile, and its rivals are desktop-class processors like the Threadripper PRO 9945WX. There is no evidence in the FPS data that the CPU is capping performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across all resolutions at a given setting, but that is not the case. The FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited system. The RTX 5080 Mobile is the constraining factor, particularly at 4K where even Medium settings only average 63 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 117 FPS is a solid choice for those with 120Hz displays, but dropping to High at 150 FPS or Medium at 176 FPS provides a smoother experience for competitive play. The Low preset at 229 FPS is overkill unless chasing maximum refresh rates.

For 1440p, the High preset at 98 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a great balance between visual quality and fluidity. The Medium preset at 115 FPS is also excellent if you prefer higher frame rates, and its minimum of 98 FPS ensures no noticeable dips. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth on high-refresh-rate panels. The Low preset at 150 FPS is there for esports-style play.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset at 42 FPS is not recommended for a game that requires precise timing, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 54 FPS is also borderline. The Medium preset at 63 FPS is the best option for 4K, as it clears the 60 FPS mark and has a minimum of 54 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced exploration. If you prioritize frame rate over fidelity, the Low preset at 82 FPS offers the smoothest 4K experience. The data suggests that Medium settings at 4K provide the best overall experience, delivering a playable 63 FPS average without requiring a significant sacrifice in visual detail. For 1440p, High is the recommended preset for its combination of 98 FPS average and high visual quality, making it the most versatile choice for this powerful mobile combo.