The Technomancer

The Technomancer’s performance with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is defined by a stark split: at 1080p the CPU keeps frame rates extremely high, but the GPU becomes the decisive bottleneck as resolution climbs, with the 4K Ultra result falling below 35 FPS. The combo ranks 778th out of 1656 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, yet the data reveals that this pairing is far more capable at lower resolutions and settings than at the extreme end of the spectrum.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that decline is the key story. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 124.9 FPS; moving to 1440p High drops that to 82.4 FPS, a reduction of 34%. At 4K High, the average falls to 47.5 FPS, which is a 62% drop from the 1080p High figure. This steep curve indicates that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are being saturated at higher resolutions, while the Ryzen 9 9900X has ample headroom.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing across all settings. For example, at Ultra settings, 1440p yields 64.8 FPS, but 4K Ultra collapses to 34.2 FPS—a 47% performance loss. This is not a CPU limitation; the processor’s 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for a 2016 Action RPG. Instead, the data points squarely at the GPU, whose 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth are simply overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, allowing the CPU’s high single-thread performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 1286) to push frame rates toward the 200 FPS ceiling at Low settings.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (194.1 FPS) and Ultra (98.5 FPS) is 95.6 FPS, a 49% penalty for maxing out the game. At 4K, the same settings gap is 32.2 FPS (66.4 vs. 34.2), a 48% penalty—proportionally consistent, but absolutely smaller because the GPU is already struggling. This suggests that at 4K, even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution burden, whereas at 1080p, the GPU can absorb the extra load from higher settings.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. The highest 4K result is 66.4 FPS at Low settings, but High settings drop to 47.5 FPS and Ultra falls to 34.2 FPS. Only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1440p offers the best balance, with High settings at 82.4 FPS and Medium at 93.7 FPS. This resolution keeps the GPU well-utilized without the severe frame rate collapse seen at 4K.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 9900X’s high clock speeds (4.40 GHz base, 5.60 GHz boost) and strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1286) allow the RTX 3070 to reach up to 194.1 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor even at lower resolutions.

Q: How does Ultra compare to High in terms of FPS cost?

A: At 1080p, Ultra costs 26.4 FPS over High (98.5 vs. 124.9). At 1440p, the cost is 17.6 FPS (64.8 vs. 82.4). At 4K, the cost is 13.3 FPS (34.2 vs. 47.5). The absolute cost shrinks at higher resolutions, but the percentage impact remains significant.

Q: Is the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data suggests yes, as the GPU’s memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and 8 GB capacity handle the game’s requirements, but the performance drop at 4K implies the memory interface is a limiting factor. The GPU ranks at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, which is respectable but not top-tier.

Q: How does this combo’s rank compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 778th out of 1656 tested combinations, placing it in the 47th percentile. This is a mid-pack result, reflecting the RTX 3070’s position relative to newer or more powerful GPUs in the database.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) with a 4 nm process. Its benchmark scores are formidable: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 46438 and a single-core score of 6555 place it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. For a game like The Technomancer, which is not heavily multithreaded, the single-core performance is what matters most—and the data confirms this. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2519 is strong, and the CPU’s 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures that even demanding scenes at 1080p Low (194.1 FPS) do not expose a CPU bottleneck.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (avg score 54681, delta -0.4%) and the Intel Core i7-14700F (avg score 54097, delta 0.7%). These deltas are minimal, meaning the 9900X’s performance is essentially on par with its closest competitors. In the context of this game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU efficiently, and with 24 threads available, there is no risk of thread saturation. The 64 MB shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth further support smooth data flow, though the game’s age means it likely does not exploit these features fully.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 778 out of 1656 tested combinations places it squarely in the middle of the database. This is a meaningful data point: it means that approximately 47% of tested combos perform better, and 53% perform worse. Given that the RTX 3070 is an end-of-life product (released in 2020) and the Ryzen 9 9900X is a 2024 flagship, the rank reflects the GPU’s age more than the CPU’s capability. The GPU’s percentile rank of 72 is lower than the CPU’s 94, which confirms that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

Comparing to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 28238 is close to the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (27985, delta 0.9%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (27956, delta 1%). This suggests that in raw compute terms, the RTX 3070 is only marginally ahead of much older or lower-tier cards, which explains why the combo does not crack the top half of the rankings. The CPU’s strength cannot fully compensate for the GPU’s mid-range positioning in this game’s benchmark suite.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience measured in the data, 1440p with High settings is the optimal choice, delivering 82.4 FPS—a smooth, playable frame rate that balances visual quality and performance. At 1080p, Medium settings (148.6 FPS) or High (124.9 FPS) are both excellent, with Ultra (98.5 FPS) still being viable for players who prioritize visuals. At 4K, the data strongly recommends Low settings (66.4 FPS) as the only way to approach 60 FPS; Medium (53 FPS) is borderline, while High (47.5 FPS) and Ultra (34.2 FPS) are not recommended for competitive or smooth gameplay.

The measured rows show that the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 45.5 FPS (194.1 to 148.6), which is a 23% penalty for modest visual gains. At 1440p, the same jump costs 31 FPS (124.7 to 93.7), a 25% penalty. At 4K, the penalty is 13.4 FPS (66.4 to 53), a 20% reduction. The data suggests that Medium is a sweet spot for quality-per-frame-rate at all resolutions, but High at 1440p is the best overall compromise for a 60+ FPS experience without sacrificing too much fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings average 194.1 FPS, Medium averages 148.6 FPS, High averages 124.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 98.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 3070 is not fully stressed at 1080p, and the CPU’s high clock speeds allow the GPU to run near its maximum potential. The spread from Low to Ultra is 95.6 FPS, showing that even at the highest settings, the game remains very playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU’s limits. Low settings average 124.7 FPS, Medium averages 93.7 FPS, High averages 82.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 64.8 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% of the frame rate at each setting, which is a significant but expected penalty. Ultra at 1440p is still above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings average 66.4 FPS, Medium averages 53 FPS, High averages 47.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 34.2 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is severe, with Ultra losing 47% of its frame rate (64.8 to 34.2). Even Low settings barely clear 60 FPS, and any higher preset pushes the experience below the playable threshold for most users. This resolution is only recommended for players who prioritize resolution over smoothness.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is an Ampere-architecture GPU with 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is the critical resource for The Technomancer’s resolution scaling. The GPU’s base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost of 1725 MHz, and its FP32 compute of 20.31 TFLOPS places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs in the database.

The benchmark results show that the RTX 3070 is a competent mid-range card, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (avg score 27985, delta 0.9%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (avg score 27956, delta 1%). This means the 3070 is only 0.9% faster than the RX 6600 XT, which is a significantly newer and cheaper card. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 is solid, but the 4K results in this game make it clear that the 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit interface are not enough to handle 3840x2160 at high settings without a substantial frame rate penalty.

The GPU’s 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are features that The Technomancer, a 2016 title, does not utilize, so its ray tracing and DLSS capabilities are irrelevant here. What matters is raw rasterization performance, and the data shows that the RTX 3070 delivers strong 1080p and 1440p results but fails to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s end-of-life status and 220 W TDP suggest that it is a mature product at the end of its relevance for new, demanding titles, but for this game, it remains a capable choice at lower resolutions.