The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, yet the CPU’s capabilities ensure consistent performance at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal configurations based on the benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, confirming that the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p High, the system delivers an average of 77 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces this to 50 FPS, a 35% decrease. At 4K High, the average plummets to 27 FPS, which is a 65% reduction from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is classic for a GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count increases, the graphics card’s fill rate and memory bandwidth become the decisive constraints.

The ultra preset amplifies this effect. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 60 FPS, which is still playable. However, at 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 39 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 21 FPS. The delta between High and Ultra at each resolution is notable, with the 4K Ultra result being 22% slower than 4K High. This indicates that the Ultra preset’s additional graphical effects place a heavy load on the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of VRAM and 256.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Data from the Medium preset shows a similar trend. At 1080p Medium, the average is 90 FPS, which is 17% faster than High. At 1440p Medium, the average is 59 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 32 FPS. The min FPS values for Medium are telling: at 1080p, the minimum is 76 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. At 1440p, the minimum drops to 50 FPS, and at 4K, it is 27 FPS. These minimums suggest that frame pacing remains consistent, but the overall experience at 4K will feel sluggish.

The low preset offers the only path to high refresh rates at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS, making it the only setting to exceed 100 FPS on average. At 1440p Low, the average is 76 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 42 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is only 10 FPS (from 42 to 32), while the jump from Medium to High is 5 FPS (from 32 to 27). This suggests that the low preset is not just about reducing resolution scaling but also about removing specific GPU-intensive effects that disproportionately impact the 4K performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, based on the Pascal architecture with a GP104 chip, is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The benchmark results indicate that this bandwidth is insufficient for high-resolution textures and effects in The Technomancer. The card’s base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz are not the issue; rather, the raw compute throughput of 6.463 TFLOPS is what holds back higher frame rates.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 9780, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000 (avg score 9803, 0.2% faster) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (avg score 9832, 0.5% faster). This shows that the GTX 1070 sits in a mid-range performance tier. In practical terms, this means it can handle 1080p gaming with ease but struggles with 4K.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 21, which is barely playable. The data suggests that the game is likely exceeding the available VRAM at this setting, causing texture swapping and subsequent stutters. The measured min FPS for 4K Medium is 27, which is higher than the 4K Ultra average, indicating that the Ultra preset’s memory footprint is the primary culprit for the poor performance.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 support is listed as 12 (12_1), which is relevant for a game released in 2016. The PassMark DirectX 12 score for this card is 48, which is lower than its DirectX 11 score of 100. This disparity suggests that the GTX 1070 is more efficient in older APIs, which could explain why The Technomancer, if using a DX11 renderer, performs relatively better than a pure DX12 title would. The GPU’s pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p but become bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). Its base clock is 4.40 GHz and boost clock is 5.50 GHz. This CPU is far more powerful than what The Technomancer requires, as evidenced by its benchmark scores. The Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737, and the single-core score is 6739. The Geekbench multicore score is 22884, with a single-core score of 3041.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 54762, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (avg score 55093, 0.6% slower) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (avg score 54053, 1.3% faster). This shows that the 9900X3D is at the top of the performance hierarchy, meaning it will not bottleneck the GTX 1070 in any scenario.

In The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame generation limit for this game. However, the CPU’s 128 MB of L3 cache and 24 threads ensure that even in complex scenes, there is no frame rate drop due to processor limitations. The 3DMark results support this: the max threads score is 13795, and the single-thread score is 1269, indicating strong both multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s (DDR5 dual-channel) is ample for gaming. The game’s performance is not memory-bound, as the GPU’s 256.3 GB/s bandwidth is the more restrictive path. The Ryzen’s 4 nm process node and 16,630 million transistors contribute to its efficiency, but these factors do not directly influence the game’s FPS. The key takeaway is that the CPU is never the limiting component; all frame rate differences across resolutions and settings are attributable to the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and GTX 1070 ranks 2336 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 17% of all combinations, which is surprising given the CPU’s strength. The ranking reflects the fact that the GTX 1070 is an older, mid-range GPU that cannot fully utilize the CPU’s capabilities. The benchmark data shows that the combo is GPU-bound, meaning the CPU’s high scores are irrelevant to the final FPS.

This ranking is lower than what a newer GPU with the same CPU would achieve, but it is not a reflection of the CPU’s performance. The combo’s percentile is dragged down by the GPU’s 47th percentile ranking. In contrast, the CPU’s 91st percentile ranking indicates that it is a top-tier part. The delta between these two percentiles highlights the imbalance of this pairing.

The nearest rivals for the GPU are all professional or older workstation cards, such as the AMD FirePro W5000 and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, which have similar average scores. This suggests that the GTX 1070 is performing at its expected level for its hardware class. The combo’s rank of 2336/2825 means that there are 489 other combos that perform worse, but the vast majority of modern systems with mid-range or high-end GPUs will outperform this configuration. The data implies that the GTX 1070 is the sole reason for the low ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 77 FPS on average. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is also viable at 60 FPS, but it offers diminishing returns for the performance cost. The Medium preset at 90 FPS is the best choice for competitive play or for users with 144Hz monitors, as it provides a significant frame rate boost with a minor visual compromise. The Low preset at 117 FPS is the only way to hit high refresh rates but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for most users.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with an average of 59 FPS. This is playable, but the min FPS of 50 suggests some stutter in intense scenes. The High preset at 50 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but may feel less responsive. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 76 FPS is the best option for 1440p if frame rate is the primary concern.

For 4K gaming, the data shows that this combo is not suited for high settings. The Low preset at 42 FPS is the only playable option, and even it is marginal. The Medium preset at 32 FPS is a slideshow, and the High and Ultra presets at 27 and 21 FPS, respectively, are unplayable. Users with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept significant visual compromises.

The best overall experience is at 1080p with the Medium preset, which provides 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay without the visual artifacts of the Low preset. For users who prefer visual fidelity, the 1080p High preset at 77 FPS is a solid choice.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average frame rate is 77 FPS. The minimum frame rate is not provided for this setting, but the average indicates smooth gameplay.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the average frame rates are 27 FPS (High), 32 FPS (Medium), and 21 FPS (Ultra). These are below the 30 FPS threshold for acceptable playability. The only option above 30 FPS is the Low preset at 42 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF and 1.3% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. It ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking?

A: The GTX 1070 is in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9780. Its closest rival is the AMD FirePro W5000, which is 0.2% faster.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, providing an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS. This offers a playable experience, while the High preset at 50 FPS is a viable alternative.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2336 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 17% of all combos, primarily due to the GPU’s performance limitations.