The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU responsibilities. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 across three resolutions. The data reveals a system where the graphics card is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the processor’s immense headroom only becomes apparent at 1080p. The benchmark results, measured across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra settings, provide a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 117.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 76.6 FPS, a 34.8% reduction. The jump to 4K Low further reduces the average to 38.5 FPS, which is 67.2% lower than the 1080p result. This consistent, dramatic falloff with pixel count is the signature of a graphics card operating at its limit.

The pattern holds across all quality presets. At High settings, the frame rate descends from 74.5 FPS at 1080p to 49.7 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 28.7 FPS at 4K. This scaling indicates that the GTX 1070's rendering throughput is the limiting factor; the CPU is not holding the system back because the workload per frame increases significantly with resolution, leaving the processor with idle capacity. The performance deficit is most pronounced when comparing the 1080p and 4K results, where the average frame rate across all settings is more than halved, underscoring that the GPU’s pixel and texture processing capabilities are the primary determinant of performance in this title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 59712 and a single-core score of 8430. This level of processing power is far beyond what a game like The Technomancer requires. The game’s release in 2016 predates this CPU by nearly a decade, and its engine is not designed to leverage 32 threads effectively.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the system reaches 117.5 FPS. This is the only scenario where the CPU’s potential influence is visible; it is able to feed the GPU quickly enough to reach a high frame rate. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 23.9 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates regardless of resolution, as the processor’s workload would remain constant. Instead, the massive drop from 1080p High (74.5 FPS) to 4K High (28.7 FPS) shows that the GPU is saturated. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking among all processors and its 128 MB of shared L3 cache are irrelevant to this game’s performance, as the graphics card is unable to translate that capability into higher frame rates at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the GTX 1070 ranks 1407 out of 1656 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 15% of all systems tested. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s age and tier relative to the CPU. The GTX 1070, while a capable card in its generation, is now an older mid-range part that is vastly outclassed by the top-tier processors used in other combos.

The ranking is a stark illustration of a mismatched pairing. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 12331 places it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and the GTX 1650 SUPER, which are separated by a delta of only 0.7% and -1.4%, respectively. This shows the GTX 1070 is in a performance tier with other older or lower-end cards. When paired with a CPU that sits in the 96th percentile, the resulting system’s in-game performance is dictated entirely by the weaker component. The combo’s rank is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability, but rather evidence of the fact that a high-end processor cannot compensate for a graphics card that is fundamentally limited in this game’s engine.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The maximum average frame rate is 117.5 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Low?

A: The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 23.9 FPS, which is 79.7% lower than the 117.5 FPS seen at 1080p Low. This demonstrates a severe performance drop as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate scales heavily with resolution, dropping from 74.5 FPS at 1080p High to 28.7 FPS at 4K High. This is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: This combination of AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1407 out of 1656 tested combos, placing it in the lower quartile of all systems.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce an average of 59.4 FPS, which drops to 38.4 FPS on Ultra settings. This is a 35.4% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Medium to Ultra.

Q: Does the processor’s high benchmark score translate to high frame rates in this game?

A: No. Despite the CPU’s strong synthetic scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 59712, the frame rates are limited by the GPU. For example, at 4K High, the system only manages 28.7 FPS, showing that the CPU’s power is not utilized to its potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. The card’s performance in this game is the central factor determining the system’s overall capability. The benchmark results show that its 8 GB of VRAM and raw compute power are insufficient for high-resolution, high-detail play in The Technomancer.

The GPU’s role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the card is able to maintain playable frame rates, with an average of 89.5 FPS on Medium and 74.5 FPS on High. However, its limits are exposed at 1440p and 4K. At 1440p Ultra, the average frame rate falls to 38.4 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to a mere 23.9 FPS. This shows that the GTX 1070’s pixel fill rate and shading power are not adequate for the increased pixel count. The card’s FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS and its 64 ROPs are simply not enough to handle the load. The GPU’s 51st percentile ranking and its close competition with the GTX 1650 SUPER (a -1.4% delta) confirm that it is a mid-range part from its era, and its performance in this game is consistent with that classification. The data makes it clear that the GTX 1070 is the component that defines the performance envelope, and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D has no influence on the outcome at higher resolutions.