The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that stresses both CPU and GPU in different ways. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, based exclusively on benchmark data. The combination yields specific playability profiles across resolutions and settings, revealing a system that is heavily balanced toward CPU headroom while the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The following sections break down the measured frames per second, the roles of each component, and what the data implies for players seeking the optimal experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers a clear hierarchy of performance based on the four tested settings presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1920x1080, the baseline resolution, the performance range is broad. The Low preset delivers an average of 130 FPS, Medium drops to an average of 100 FPS, High at 85 FPS, and Ultra at 66 FPS. None of these presets at 1080p dip below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and RTX 2060 provides a fluid experience across all settings at this resolution. For players seeking the highest refresh rate, Low is the only choice, but the data indicates that even Ultra remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward. The Low preset produces an average of 85 FPS, maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium averages 65 FPS, with a measured minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS, putting it right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. High averages 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra drops to 43 FPS. The data suggests that at 1440p, the Medium preset is the best choice for maintaining a smooth experience while retaining some visual fidelity, as its average of 65 FPS is the only preset above 60 FPS besides Low. The minimum of 55 FPS does indicate occasional dips, but the overall experience should be largely fluid. High and Ultra are better suited for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate and are willing to accept averages below 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, Medium at 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 24 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches a 60 FPS average. The data suggests that 4K is a demanding environment for this GPU, and the playable experience is limited to lower settings. The Low preset at 47 FPS is the only setting above 45 FPS, making it the sole viable option for a relatively responsive experience. The Medium preset's average of 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS, might be playable for some, but the data indicates a noticeable performance cost. For a consistent experience, the Low preset is the recommended choice at 4K.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset appears to strike the most consistent balance between visual fidelity and measured performance. At 1080p, it offers an average of 100 FPS, which is a significant step up from the High preset's 85 FPS. At 1440p, it is the only preset to maintain an average above 60 FPS. At 4K, it provides a more stable minimum (30 FPS) than High (which has a lower average and no reported minimum). The exception is the 4K resolution, where Low is the only preset that provides a playable frame rate. The Medium preset shows a clear pattern of being the sweet spot for this combination across the board.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1365 MHz, and its boost clock is 1680 MHz. The data indicates that this GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases. The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15290. This places it near other mid-range cards: it is 0.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600, 0.6% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, and essentially tied with the AMD Radeon 680M (0.1% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0% difference).

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a defining characteristic for this game. The Technomancer, released in 2016, likely has a moderate texture footprint, but the data reveals that at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 24, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory resources are overwhelmed. The 4K resolution requires a massive amount of pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth, and the RTX 2060's 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is a constraint. The measured data shows a steep reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K: at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 100 at 1080p to 65 at 1440p and 36 at 4K. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario where the GPU's raw processing power is the limiting factor.

The GPU's boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are moderate for its generation. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (130 FPS) shows that at lower resolutions, the GPU has sufficient headroom, but the scaling to 4K reveals its limits. The GPU's performance in the PassMark G3D test is 14111, while its compute score is 5488. The data suggests that the RTX 2060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p GPU for this game, but it falls short at 4K. The 4K Ultra setting at 24 FPS is the worst-case scenario, and the 4K High at 31 FPS is not much better. The GPU's role is to provide a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but it cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s is a key parameter. At 4K, the pixel throughput demands a high bandwidth to fill the frame buffer. The 6 GB VRAM capacity might also be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the game may be swapping textures. The measured data does not include VRAM usage, but the performance drop at 4K Ultra to 24 FPS suggests that the GPU is not only limited by compute but also by memory capacity and bandwidth. The GPU's transistor count is 10,800 million, and the die size is 445 mm², which is a large die for a mid-range card. The data implies that for The Technomancer, the RTX 2060 is a mid-range card that needs to be paired with a high-quality CPU to achieve its best results, but it will still be the bottleneck at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It has a large 128 MB L3 cache, which is a significant asset for gaming. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which is 0.6% faster, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, which is 1.3% slower. The Intel Xeon 6505P is 2% slower, and the Intel Core i7-14700F is 2.1% slower. This indicates that the 9900X3D is a top-tier CPU, but not the absolute fastest.

In this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU's performance becomes more critical. The measured 1080p Low average of 130 FPS suggests that the CPU can deliver high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739, which is important for game logic and draw calls. The multi-core score of 47737 indicates that the CPU can handle heavy AI and physics workloads.

The CPU's high clock speed and large cache are beneficial for maintaining frame pacing. At 1080p, the difference between Low (130 FPS) and Medium (100 FPS) shows that the game is still GPU-bound at these settings, as the CPU can push beyond 100 FPS with ease. At 1440p, the CPU continues to be a non-issue, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data suggests that the CPU is never the bottleneck in this configuration. Even at the highest settings and resolutions, the GPU is the primary constraint, and the CPU has ample headroom. The CPU's L3 cache of 128 MB is a standout feature, potentially reducing memory latency and helping the game's engine.

The CPU's benchmark data is a strong indicator of its performance. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 4811 and the R20 multi-core of 20049 show a significant multi-threaded capability. The Geekbench single-core score of 3041 and multi-core of 22884 further confirm its strength. For The Technomancer, which is an action RPG with dynamic environments, the CPU's rapid data processing ensures that the GPU is never starved. The data does not show any CPU-specific frame rate limiters, but the high FPS at 1080p indicates that the CPU is more than sufficient. The CPU's 4 nm process node and 16,630 million transistors give it a high performance per watt, but with a TDP of 120 W, it does require adequate cooling.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all within a few percentage points in average benchmark score, indicating that the 9900X3D is a solid choice. For this game, the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than enough, and the game likely uses fewer cores, so the single-thread performance is the key. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz is the highest among the listed rivals, which helps in gaming. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination; the GPU is. The CPU's high performance ensures that the RTX 2060 is the only component holding the system back from higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2911 out of a total of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower half of the database, indicating that while the CPU is a high-end performer, the GPU's mid-range status pulls the overall system ranking down. The combo's rank of 2911 suggests that there are 785 other configurations that outperform it, likely due to more powerful GPUs. The ranking does not detail the distribution, but it is clear that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the CPU's percentile is 91, while the GPU's is 58. The GPU's 58th percentile is a more accurate indicator of the system's performance in this game, as the game is mostly GPU-bound.

The data indicates that the CPU is a significant overachiever in this pairing. The CPU's average benchmark score of 54762 is in the 91st percentile, while the GPU's average score of 15290 is in the 58th percentile. This imbalance suggests that the system is not fully balanced for maximum gaming performance. In The Technomancer, the game's engine likely relies more on GPU throughput, so the high-end CPU does not fully compensate for the mid-range GPU. The combo rank of 2911 out of 3696 is a direct consequence of this mismatch.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data allows for a detailed analysis of how the system scales across resolutions. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 130 (Low) to 66 (Ultra). At 1440p, the range is 85 (Low) to 43 (Ultra). At 4K, the range is 47 (Low) to 24 (Ultra). The drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K is substantial. For the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 100 at 1080p to 65 at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 36 at 4K (a 64% reduction from 1080p). This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling is not linear. The 1440p Medium average of 65 is exactly 65% of the 1080p Medium average of 100. The 4K Medium average of 36 is only 36% of the 1080p average, which is a larger drop than the pixel count increase. This suggests that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are heavily stressed at 4K. The data also shows that the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 30, which is a low 1% low, but the average of 36 indicates that the experience is inconsistent. The resolution scaling shows that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p, but GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU can easily deliver high FPS, but the GPU's limit is around 130 FPS at Low. At 1440p, the GPU's load increases, and the FPS drops. At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated, and the FPS falls below the playable threshold for most users.

The scaling pattern is typical of a mid-range GPU. The CPU's performance does not change with a resolution, but the GPU's workload increases exponentially. The data shows that the limiting component is the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU can deliver 130 FPS, but the GPU can only render 130 FPS at Low. At 4K, the CPU is still capable of the same calculations, but the GPU is only able to produce 47 FPS at Low. This confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for resolution scaling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed measured FPS data is as follows:

1920x1080

• Low: Average 130 FPS
• Medium: Average 100 FPS, Minimum 85 FPS, Maximum 115 FPS
• High: Average 85 FPS
• Ultra: Average 66 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: Average 85 FPS
• Medium: Average 65 FPS, Minimum 55 FPS, Maximum 75 FPS
• High: Average 56 FPS
• Ultra: Average 43 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: Average 47 FPS
• Medium: Average 36 FPS, Minimum 30 FPS, Maximum 41 FPS
• High: Average 31 FPS
• Ultra: Average 24 FPS

The pattern is consistent: Low is always the highest, Ultra the lowest. The Medium preset is the only one with a recorded minimum and maximum, providing a frame range that indicates the game's variable performance. At 1080p, the Medium preset's 85 FPS minimum and 115 FPS maximum show a 30 FPS variance, which is a typical frame pacing in an action RPG. At 1440p, the Medium preset's 55 FPS minimum and 75 FPS maximum show a 20 FPS variance. At 4K, the Medium preset's 30 FPS minimum and 41 FPS maximum show an 11 FPS variance. The variance decreases as the resolution increases, which suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded at higher resolutions, reducing the frame time spikes. The High and Ultra presets do not have minimum or maximum values, but their averages are lower than Medium at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combination at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS is 130, achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080.

Q: At which resolution does the system fail to maintain a 60 FPS average on Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 36 FPS, which is below 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 65 FPS, which is above 60.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the GPU in terms of benchmark percentiles?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is in the 91st percentile of CPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is in the 58th percentile of GPUs.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K for the High preset?

A: The High preset averages 85 FPS at 1080p and 31 FPS at 4K, a drop of 54 FPS.

Q: What is the system's combination rank in The Technomancer?

A: The system ranks 2911 out of 3696 combinations in the game.

Q: Which setting at 1440p is the only one to maintain an average above 60 FPS?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 65 FPS, which is the only preset at that resolution to exceed 60 FPS.