The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. The measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H combined with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 reveal a configuration that excels at lower resolutions but begins to show its limitations at 4K. This analysis examines the data from the benchmark database, focusing on frame rate progression, component roles, and performance rankings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data for this combination shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title at high settings. At the High preset, the average FPS moves from 160 at 1920x1080 down to 105 at 2560x1440, and finally to 58 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is steep, indicating that the rendering load on the GPU increases substantially with each pixel count jump.

The pattern is similar across all presets, but the absolute differences are more pronounced at lower quality settings. At the Low preset, the average frame rate is 245 at 1080p, which drops to 160 at 1440p and then to 88 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 64%, which is larger than the 64% drop seen at High settings (160 to 58). This suggests that at lower settings, where the CPU is less of a bottleneck, the GPU’s raw pixel-pushing capability becomes the sole limiting factor, leading to a more dramatic falloff.

The data indicates that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of frame rates in this scenario. The transition from 1080p to 4K at any given preset results in a major FPS loss, a clear sign that the GPU is saturated. The Core Ultra 5 135H, with its 14 cores and 18 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU cannot maintain the same level of output. The benchmark results show that this combination is most effective at 1080p and 1440p, where frame rates remain high, while 4K performance, although playable, requires careful consideration of settings to achieve a smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this CPU and GPU combo in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data is 245 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the combination produces an average frame rate of 45 FPS. This is the lowest average score in the dataset, indicating that the most demanding settings are not suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at most settings. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 245 FPS, and at 1440p Low it hits 160 FPS. The consistent large drops when increasing resolution point to the GPU as the limiting component, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 160 FPS, while the High preset yields an average of 105 FPS. This is a 55 FPS difference, showing a significant performance cost for the visual improvements in the High preset.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 551 out of 2825 tested combinations, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. This indicates it is a strong performer overall, though there are many other combos with higher frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: For the 1920x1080 Medium preset, the minimum frame rate recorded is 160 FPS, with a maximum of 216 FPS and an average of 188 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Its core configuration is a mix of performance and efficiency cores, designed to balance power consumption with computational throughput. The processor's base clock is 3.60 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.60 GHz. In the context of The Technomancer, these specifications are more than sufficient to keep up with the demands of the game’s logic and physics at standard frame rates.

The benchmark results show that the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 245 FPS, a figure that is likely near the CPU’s maximum output for this game. The fact that the frame rate drops to 160 FPS at 1440p Low and 88 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in these scenarios; the GPU is. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rates to remain similar regardless of resolution, which is not the case.

However, the CPU's performance is not irrelevant. At the highest settings, such as Ultra at 1080p, the frame rate is 125 FPS. This is lower than the 160 FPS seen at High settings, but the difference is primarily due to the increased GPU load. The Core Ultra 5 135H’s single-thread performance, as indicated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700, is adequate for gaming. Its multi-core score of 11875.5 in the same test suggests it can handle background tasks without impacting frame times. The data positions this CPU as a capable partner for a high-end GPU, providing enough headroom for the RTX 5090 to operate efficiently in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 160 FPS. This is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay and leaves headroom for any dips in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1080p also remains playable at 125 FPS, but the visual gains over High may not justify the 35 FPS loss for all users.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is again a strong choice, producing an average of 105 FPS. This is a comfortable frame rate for most monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 123 FPS and might be preferable for those seeking higher refresh rates, as it provides a 18 FPS improvement over High. The Low preset at 1440p, at 160 FPS, is less visually appealing but offers the highest performance for competitive play.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, the settings need to be moderated to maintain playability. The High preset averages 58 FPS, which is just on the edge of a smooth experience. The Medium preset improves this to 67 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a 60 FPS target. The Low preset at 4K averages 88 FPS, which is the best option for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 45 FPS, is best avoided unless a lower frame rate is acceptable. The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most balanced experience at 4K, with a good mix of visual quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 551 out of 2825 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places the configuration in the top 19.5% of all system pairings. This rank is a holistic measure of performance across all tested settings and resolutions, reflecting the overall capability of the duo.

The rank is influenced by the strong performance at lower resolutions. The combo’s ability to hit 245 FPS at 1080p Low and 160 FPS at 1080p High are standout results. However, the 4K performance, while decent, is not exceptional, which prevents a higher ranking. Many other combinations, likely featuring more powerful desktop CPUs or multiple GPUs, are able to achieve higher frame rates at 4K Ultra.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 29093 places it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which has a near-identical average score with a delta of -0.1%. This indicates that the 135H is a high-performing mobile chip. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 79842 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB as its closest competitor, showing a delta of 0.3%. The GPU’s high percentile is a major factor in the combo’s overall rank, as it provides the raw graphics power needed for high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average frame rates recorded for this specific CPU and GPU combination in The Technomancer, broken down by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the performance is as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 245.
• Medium: Average FPS of 188, with a minimum of 160 and a maximum of 216.
• High: Average FPS of 160.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 125.

At 2560x1440, the performance is as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 160.
• Medium: Average FPS of 123, with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 141.
• High: Average FPS of 105.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 82.

At 3840x2160, the performance is as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 88.
• Medium: Average FPS of 67, with a minimum of 57 and a maximum of 78.
• High: Average FPS of 58.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 45.

These numbers illustrate a clear hierarchy. The frame rate decreases proportionally with each increase in resolution and each step up in quality preset. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is consistent across all resolutions, showing that the game’s graphical options have a substantial impact on performance. The Medium preset consistently offers a middle ground, with frame rates that are significantly higher than High but with only a modest visual compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing for The Technomancer. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This immense bandwidth is crucial for handling the large textures and geometry at high resolutions like 4K. The GPU’s architecture, Blackwell 2.0, features 21760 shading units and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, allowing it to process a massive number of pixels and compute operations.

The GPU’s role is clearly demonstrated in the resolution scaling. The frame rate drops significantly when moving from 1440p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The RTX 5090’s raw compute power, measured at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is being fully utilized at 4K. At lower resolutions, the GPU is not the limiting factor, allowing the CPU to drive higher frame rates.

The benchmark data for the GPU shows a PassMark G3D score of 39650, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, has a comparable average score, with a delta of 0.3%. This high level of performance is what enables the combo to achieve 160 FPS at 1440p High. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, ensuring that texture loading is not a source of stuttering. The GPU’s performance is the primary reason this combo ranks in the top 20% of all tested systems, as it provides the necessary horsepower to excel in most gaming scenarios, even if 4K Ultra remains a challenge.