The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test bed for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily influenced by graphics settings and resolution, with the CPU providing ample headroom while the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher presets. This analysis breaks down the benchmark data to show exactly how each component contributes to the final experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide substantial single-thread and multi-thread performance. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 46,438 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6,555 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This high percentile indicates that the processor is not a limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

The data from The Technomancer supports this conclusion. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 178.6 FPS, a figure that is far beyond the refresh rate of most displays. Even with the graphical load increased to High settings at the same resolution, the frame rate remains high at 115.9 FPS. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 1,286 score in 3dmark_single_thread and 4,672 in Passmark single-thread, ensures that the game's primary game logic and draw call processing are handled with ease.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 9900X holds its own. Its average benchmark score of 54,450 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, which is only 0.4% faster. It is also just 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700F. This suggests that while the CPU is extremely capable, its performance is not uniquely superior to its closest competitors in this title. However, the 12 cores and 24 threads provide significant headroom for background tasks and future titles that may utilize more threads, making it a robust foundation for the system.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2600 MHz and game clock of 2495 MHz drive 2,560 shading units. The GPU's performance is reflected in its 79th percentile ranking, with a Passmark G3D score of 20,700. This places it as a solid mid-to-high range card, but its limitations become apparent in The Technomancer.

The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is a key asset. At 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the game demands significant memory, and the card's capacity is sufficient to avoid major stuttering, though the average frame rate of 30.4 FPS is below the smooth threshold. The card’s 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is also crucial for feeding the shaders at high resolutions. However, the compute power is the primary constraint; the 13.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings.

The RX 6750 XT's nearest rivals show a tight cluster of performance. It sits just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600M and is only 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. This indicates that its performance is well-known and consistent, but it is not a performance outlier. In The Technomancer, this translates to a GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 115.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 79.1 FPS, a 31.7% decrease. Jumping to 4K further reduces performance to 39.9 FPS, a 49.6% drop from the 1440p figure and a 65.6% drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as the pixel count increases.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the frame rate goes from 178.6 FPS at 1080p, to 116.4 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 67.1 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, the numbers are 91.7 FPS, 61.8 FPS, and 30.4 FPS, respectively. The consistent proportional drops suggest that the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would plateau or drop less steeply at higher resolutions, as the GPU load increases but the CPU work remains the same.

The data strongly points to the GPU as the primary limiter at 4K. The RX 6750 XT simply does not have the raw pixel-pushing power to maintain high frame rates at that resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the system is well-balanced, with the GPU able to handle the load without being severely constrained. The 4K Ultra performance of 30.4 FPS is the most telling data point, showing that this combination is not suited for maximum settings at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this hardware combination. The sweet spot for a high-refresh-rate experience is at 1080p with High settings, yielding 115.9 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience. For those who prefer maximum visual quality, Ultra at 1080p still delivers a playable 91.7 FPS.

At 1440p, the data suggests that High settings offer the best balance, with an average of 79.1 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the 61.8 FPS achieved on Ultra, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in this title is often minimal. Pushing to 4K requires significant compromises. The only playable option is Low settings, which yields 67.1 FPS. Medium settings at 4K drop to 52.1 FPS, and High falls to 39.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The data shows that the "Ultra" preset is disproportionately demanding. Compared to High settings, Ultra reduces performance by 20.9% at 1080p (from 115.9 to 91.7 FPS), 21.9% at 1440p (from 79.1 to 61.8 FPS), and 23.8% at 4K (from 39.9 to 30.4 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset includes settings that are not well-optimized. For the best experience, users should prioritize High settings across all resolutions, and only consider Low settings if they are targeting 4K gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for the smoothest gameplay?

A: According to the measured data, 1080p with High settings provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, yielding an average of 115.9 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a responsive experience.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The only settings that produce a smooth frame rate at 3840x2160 are Low, which averages 67.1 FPS. Higher settings drop performance to below 52.1 FPS, which is not ideal for fast-paced action.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 115.9 FPS at 1080p to 79.1 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 36.8 FPS or approximately 31.7%. This indicates a significant load increase on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's high percentile rank (94th) and the steep frame rate drops as resolution increases point to the graphics card being the bottleneck, especially at 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D?

A: In overall average benchmark score, the Ryzen 9 9900X scores 54,450, which is only 0.4% lower than the 9900X3D's score of 54,681. This indicates their performance is virtually identical in this context.

Q: What is the performance impact of the Ultra preset compared to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 61.8 FPS, while High averages 79.1 FPS. This represents a 21.9% performance penalty for enabling the highest settings, with a marginal visual gain in most cases.