The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination. The measured data shows a system capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, yet one that struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K with maximum settings. The benchmark results indicate a clear performance hierarchy across the four tested presets, with the GPU acting as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving a stable 60 FPS with this hardware?

A: The data shows that at 1440p with High settings, the system achieves an average of 75.1 FPS. This is the highest resolution where all tested settings except Ultra (59.7 FPS) maintain an average above 60 FPS, making it the optimal target for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance cost?

A: At every resolution, the Ultra preset significantly reduces average FPS compared to High. At 1080p, the drop is from 113.9 to 90.6 FPS. At 1440p, it falls from 75.1 to 59.7 FPS, and at 4K, it drops from 37.8 to 28.3 FPS, representing a substantial performance hit for the highest visual fidelity.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming with this title?

A: The data indicates 4K is only playable at Low settings, where it averages 62.6 FPS. At Medium (46.6 FPS), High (37.8 FPS), and Ultra (28.3 FPS), the average frame rates fall below the commonly desired 60 FPS threshold, indicating a performance bottleneck.

Q: How large is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The gap is significant. At 1080p, Low settings produce an average of 173.2 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 90.6 FPS. This represents a difference of 82.6 FPS, showing that the visual preset choice has a dramatic impact on performance.

Q: What is the system's overall rank for this game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 916 out of 1656 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this specific title.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at 4K. The average FPS is relatively low across all settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high benchmark scores, including a 46438 multi-core score in Cinebench R23, are unlikely to be the limiting factor at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 113.9 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS target and leaves headroom for a smoother experience on high refresh rate monitors. While the Ultra preset is usable at 90.6 FPS, the performance cost of 23.3 FPS over High is substantial for the incremental visual improvements it provides.

At 1440p, the High preset becomes the clear recommendation, as it is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 75.1 FPS. The Medium preset (86.1 FPS) is also a strong contender, offering higher frame rates with a moderate reduction in graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset, at 59.7 FPS, falls just short of the 60 FPS target and is best avoided for consistent smoothness.

For 4K gaming, the options are more constrained. The data shows that only the Low preset (62.6 FPS) achieves a playable average frame rate. The Medium preset's 46.6 FPS and High preset's 37.8 FPS are likely to result in a less fluid experience. Therefore, for 4K, the Low preset is the only viable choice for maintaining a stable 60 FPS, while Medium could be considered by users who prioritize visual detail over frame rate and can tolerate the lower average.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 113.9 at 1080p to 75.1 at 1440p, a 34% decrease, and then to 37.8 at 4K, a 67% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, where the rendering resolution has a direct and significant impact on frame rate.

The data for Low settings shows a similar pattern. The average FPS falls from 173.2 at 1080p to 110.4 at 1440p, and then to 62.6 at 4K. Even with reduced graphical load, the 4K resolution still cuts the frame rate by more than half compared to 1080p. This indicates that the RX 6700 XT's processing power, with its 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern suggests that the CPU, with its 24 threads and high single-core performance, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at all tested resolutions. The consistent and expected frame rate drops correlate with the increase in pixel count, rather than any CPU-side limitations. The game's engine appears to scale predicatively with resolution, placing the entire burden of higher resolutions on the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates high performance. The Low preset leads with an average of 173.2 FPS, followed by Medium at 131.2 FPS. The High preset produces 113.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 90.6 FPS. All presets deliver frame rates well above 60 FPS, making 1080p a very smooth experience regardless of settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased resolution. The Low preset averages 110.4 FPS, and the Medium preset follows at 86.1 FPS. The High preset maintains a playable 75.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 59.7 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance for users with 1440p monitors, provided they are willing to adjust settings for higher frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes significant. The Low preset is the only one to average above 60 FPS, at 62.6 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 46.6 FPS, and the High preset manages only 37.8 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of just 28.3 FPS. This resolution clearly pushes the RX 6700 XT to its limits, and only the lowest settings provide a consistently smooth frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT's role in The Technomancer is defined by its memory capacity and clock speeds, which directly influence its performance ceiling. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth. This is sufficient for the game's textures and data at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it may be strained at 4K, where the performance drops are most pronounced.

The GPU's clock speeds are a key factor in its performance. With a base clock of 2321 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz, the RX 6700 XT is capable of high processing rates. This is reflected in its 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s. These specifications explain why the card can achieve 173.2 FPS at 1080p Low, but also why it cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, where the pixel fill rate and shading demands become overwhelming.

The benchmark results for the GPU show its overall capability. With a Passmark G3D score of 19786 and a percentile rank of 77 against all GPUs, the RX 6700 XT is a solid mid-to-high-range performer. However, its average benchmark score of 33721 places it in a competitive field, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.7% higher score) and the NVIDIA RTX A5000 (1.3% higher score). These data points indicate that while the GPU is capable, it is not at the top of the performance hierarchy, which aligns with its struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K in this specific game.