The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware, and this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics reveals a clear performance hierarchy. The data, measured directly from this mobile platform, shows a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics solution, with the CPU offering ample headroom that the iGPU cannot utilize. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, interprets the roles of the processor and graphics chip, and provides actionable recommendations based solely on the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a textbook case of GPU-bound scaling. As resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops dramatically across all settings. At the "Low" preset, the system delivers 70 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 46 FPS at 1440p (a 34% reduction), and further plummets to 25 FPS at 4K (a 64% reduction from the 1080p baseline). This steep decline indicates that the rendering pipeline is saturated by the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth demands of higher resolutions, which are the primary bottlenecks for the AMD Radeon 890M.

The trend continues with the "High" preset, where performance drops from 46 FPS at 1080p to 30 FPS at 1440p, and then to 17 FPS at 4K. The scaling factor is consistent; the jump from 1080p to 4K roughly halves the frame rate, which is expected when the GPU's fixed compute resources are spread across four times the number of pixels. This pattern strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU, as a CPU bottleneck would typically show less severe frame rate penalties when resolution increases, since the CPU workload per frame remains relatively constant.

Interestingly, the difference between 1440p and 4K is more punishing than the jump from 1080p to 1440p. For example, at "Medium" settings, the 1080p to 1440p drop is from 54 FPS to 35 FPS (a 19 FPS loss), while the 1440p to 4K drop is from 35 FPS to 19 FPS (a 16 FPS loss). While the absolute FPS loss is similar, the percentage loss is larger at higher resolutions, confirming that the integrated GPU's memory subsystem and shading units are being pushed to their absolute limits. The data implies that 1080p is the only viable resolution for a smooth experience, and even then, only at lower settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 11,875.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,700 in single-core, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. This indicates a highly capable processor that should not be a limiting factor in most gaming scenarios, especially for a title like The Technomancer.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i5-13500HX (deltaPct -0.6). This places the Core Ultra 5 135H in the same performance tier as these established desktop and mobile processors, respectively. Given that the game's FPS scales so heavily with resolution, it is evident that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 70 FPS, which is a respectable frame rate, but the CPU could likely push much higher if the GPU were faster.

The processor's high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 22,422 Passmark multithread score, suggests it can handle game logic, physics, and AI tasks without breaking a sweat. The data implies that the CPU is effectively "waiting" on the GPU at all measured settings. If a more powerful discrete GPU were paired with this CPU, the frame rates would likely increase significantly, as the CPU has the headroom to feed a faster graphics card. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide a solid foundation for game data, but the system's shared memory architecture means the CPU and GPU are competing for the same bandwidth, which can be a hidden constraint in integrated graphics setups.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is the integrated graphics solution based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, featuring 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It has a boost clock of 2900 MHz and relies on System Shared memory, meaning its performance is heavily dependent on the system's RAM speed and configuration. Its average benchmark score of 9,210 places it at the 45th percentile of all GPUs, positioning it as a mid-tier integrated solution.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (deltaPct -0.1), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (deltaPct -0.7), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (deltaPct -0.9). This is a crucial comparison. The 890M performs almost identically to a discrete GTX 960, which was a popular mid-range card from its era. This explains the measured FPS in The Technomancer: it is performing at the level of a ~2015-era discrete GPU. The 890M's 5.939 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is decent for an iGPU, but it is simply not enough to handle 4K resolutions in a demanding title.

The 4 nm process node and 34,000 million transistors packed into a 233 mm² die show that AMD has made strides in efficiency, but the "System Shared" memory bandwidth is the Achilles' heel. The pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that are rarely achieved in real-world gaming due to memory bottlenecks. The measured data confirms this: at 4K, the GPU can only manage 13 FPS on "Ultra" settings, which is essentially unplayable. The GPU's role is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, and its limitations are visible in every single resolution and settings combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system achieves its best results. The "Low" preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, which is smooth and playable. The "Medium" preset yields 54 FPS on average, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, indicating a playable experience with occasional dips. The "High" preset drops to 46 FPS on average, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, resulting in an average of 36 FPS, which may feel stuttery in action sequences.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. The "Low" preset averages 46 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less smooth than at 1080p. The "Medium" preset averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS, making it a marginal experience. The "High" preset averages 30 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. The "Ultra" preset falls to 23 FPS on average, which is not a comfortable gaming experience.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The "Low" preset averages 25 FPS, which is choppy. The "Medium" preset averages 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS, making it effectively a slideshow. The "High" preset averages 17 FPS, and the "Ultra" preset averages just 13 FPS. None of the 4K results are suitable for gameplay. The data shows a clear gradient of performance, with 1080p being the only resolution where the "High" preset can achieve near-60 FPS, and even then, it falls short.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve playable frame rates across multiple settings. At 1080p, the "Low" preset hits 70 FPS, and even the "High" preset manages 46 FPS, which is more viable than any result at 1440p or 4K.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon 890M in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the system is GPU-bound. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a graphics bottleneck. The CPU's high benchmark scores (81st percentile) suggest it has ample headroom, while the GPU's 45th percentile ranking and low FPS at high resolutions confirm it is the limiting factor.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 890M compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The 890M has an average benchmark score of 9,210. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (score 9,221, deltaPct -0.1), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (score 9,273, deltaPct -0.7), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (score 9,294, deltaPct -0.9). This means it performs virtually identically to a desktop GTX 960, which contextualizes its gaming capabilities.

Q: What can I expect for frame rates at 1440p with "Medium" settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 35 FPS at 2560x1440 with "Medium" settings, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. This is a playable, though not ideal, experience, and you may notice stuttering during intense scenes.

Q: Is the "Ultra" preset viable at any resolution?

A: The "Ultra" preset produces an average of 36 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K. While the 1080p result is technically playable, the lower frame rate compared to "High" settings suggests it is not worth the visual upgrade for the performance cost.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 2667 out of 2825 indicate?

A: This means that this specific CPU+GPU combination is in the bottom 6% of all tested combos in the database for The Technomancer. It indicates that the overall performance is relatively low compared to other systems, which aligns with the integrated GPU's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo are a trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, and the data points to a clear sweet spot. For the best experience, the "High" preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 46 FPS, which is a reasonable balance for a game of this type, providing better visuals than "Medium" while maintaining a frame rate that is generally responsive. The 46 FPS average is a significant improvement over the 36 FPS of "Ultra" and is more visually appealing than the "Medium" preset's 54 FPS, which is also viable if you prioritize smoothness.

If a higher frame rate is absolutely necessary, dropping to "Medium" at 1080p yields 54 FPS on average, providing a more fluid experience at the cost of some graphical detail. The "Low" preset at 1080p is the only way to achieve a near-70 FPS experience, but the visual hit is substantial. At higher resolutions, the data suggests avoiding "Ultra" and "High" settings entirely, as they fall below 30 FPS. Even at 1440p "Low" (46 FPS), the experience is less stable than 1080p "High". Therefore, 1080p with "High" or "Medium" settings is the recommended balance for this system.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 890M combination ranks 2667 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 5-6% of all systems tested, indicating that it is a low-performance configuration for this specific game. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU, as the CPU is a strong performer in its own right. The CPU's percentile rank of 81 vs. the GPU's percentile rank of 45 highlights the massive disparity in capability between the two components.

This ranking implies that while the CPU is in the top 20% of all processors, the GPU is in the lower half of all graphics cards. The combination of these two parts creates a system where the CPU's potential is largely untapped. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for playing The Technomancer at lower resolutions and settings, and it will not provide a high-end gaming experience. For users expecting to play modern titles at high detail, this combo would be severely limiting, as evidenced by its position in the 2667th percentile of tested hardware. The system is effectively a competent productivity machine that can handle light gaming, but it is not designed for demanding action RPGs at high fidelity.