The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, is a heavy graphics title with a wide range of geometric settings. This combo pairs a 10-core Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with a 16-node AMD Radeon RX 9070, and the measured frame rates show a GPU-centric bottleneck in all resolutions tested. The data is all generated from real-world measurements, not speculation — every frame rate figure below is from the FPS tables in the source pack.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a Desktop-class Arrow Lake-S chip built on TSMC's 3nm process. It provides 10 cores / 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost up to 4.90 GHz. Its cache hierarchy is notable: 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache – a design that helps the CPU avoid waiting on memory when feeding the GPU. The processor sits in the 85th percentile among all rated CPUs, with an average synthetic score of 36,938 across a broad range of tests (Cinebench, Passmark, and others). In Cinebench R23 it scores 2,589 multi-core and 3,655 single-core; in Passmark, the multithread score is 30,459 and single-thread 4,412.

For a 10-core / 10-thread design, these numbers are strong for gaming workloads, especially in titles that scale with single-thread speed. The Core Ultra 5 225 pairs well with the RX 9070 at lower resolutions, but in this game the 120+ field isn't pushing it as the primary bottleneck. The title itself is from 2016, yet the CPU still manages to keep up with a modern GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the peak measured 219 FPS (Low preset). At its launch date (yes, the CPU was released in early 2025, the game much earlier), this is a pairing that puts the burden on the render card.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of a combined pool of 3,696 tested CPU-GPU combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing lands at rank 1114. That places it in the upper third of all recorded builds – specifically, only 1,113 other combos outperform it. Put in context: the system is positioned between entry-level and mid-range in the database, rather than near the top. The 85th-percentile CPU and 69th-percentile GPU ranks (according to their respective averages) confirm a solid, somewhat skewed balance when the GPU also carries significant weight for this game's specific tasks.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the analytics pool draw a clearer picture: the RX 9070 (avg score 23,877) sits within an epsilon of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (avg 23,736, a 0.6% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (avg 24,063, -0.8% delta). This is a moderate GPU, though the game's heavy demand at higher settings means it's a value-neutral place to start. The CPU's nearest rivals – AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (delta 0) and Ryzen 5 5500X3D (delta -0.2%) – reinforce that the 225 is a capable mid-range choice, though the 5600F and 5500X3D all land within a tiny fraction of performance.

Resolution Scaling

Understanding how the combo scales from 1080p to 4K reveals which component is dominating frame delivery. At 1080p, 219 FPS is achieved on the low preset, dropping to 143 FPS at 1440p (–34%), and further to 79 FPS at 4K (–64% from 1080p). This steep rolloff is typical of GPU-heavy rendering: as pixel count quadruples, the GPU alone must do far more work, while the CPU engine remains idle.

For the same preset at Ultra, the frame rates drop from 112 FPS (1080p) → 73 FPS (1440p) → 40 FPS (4K). The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p (which can push the metric) indicates at 1080p the system is not purely GPU-bound – the CPU can handle it, and the GPU isn't the only factor. Then from 1440p to 4K, the drop accelerates, a classic sign that the RX 9070's raster engine is capped. Specifically, 1440p→4K on Ultra is a 33% plunge, while 1080p→1440p is 35%. That balance suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor past 1080p once the quality presets to higher.

The 143 min FPS values confirm elbowroom: at 1440p, Medium, we see a min/max of 94 / 127 FPS; at 1080p Medium, the min is 143 FPS. These points underline that the CPU doesn’t introduce stutter; the GPU just simply runs out of fill rate at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

All exact numbers from the measurement table:

4K (3840×2160):

• Ultra: avg 40 FPS (no min/max given)
• High: avg 52 FPS (no min/max)
• Medium: avg 60 FPS (min 51, max 70)
• Low: avg 79 FPS (no min/max)

1440p (2560×1440):

• Ultra: avg 73 FPS (no min/max)
• High: avg 94 FPS (no min/max)
• Medium: avg 110 FPS (min 94, max 127)
• Low: avg 143 FPS (no min/max)

1080p (1920×1080):

• Ultra: avg 112 FPS (no min/max)
• High: avg 144 FPS (no min/max)
• Medium: avg 169 FPS (min 143, max 194)
• Low: avg 219 FPS (no min/max)

Across the board, the measurements indicate that 1080p is the “sweet zone” for the GPU; even at Ultra, the system holds above 100 FPS, which is fine for smooth play. In the lower presets (Low to High), 1080p frames trend between 144 and 219 FPS. The 1440p results put Ultra at 73 FPS, which is only moderate, and Medium/Low sit at 110/143 FPS to provide a stutter-free experience on a 144 Hz panel. At 4K, only the Low preset crosses 70 FPS (79 FPS), while Medium hits 60 FPS exactly, and Ultra yields just 40 FPS – a dip that makes even offline play look choppy on a typical 4K display.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming on the Core ’Ultra 5 225 + RX 9070?

A: At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 169 FPS (min 143, max 194), which is high and consistent. Ultra still holds at 112 FPS, so if you want maximum quality without falling below 100 FPS, Ultra is recommended.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 4K with competitive frame rates?

A: Only on Low settings does it average 79 FPS; Medium drops to 60 FPS (with a 51 FPS min) and High falls to 52 FPS. Ultra is just 40 FPS, so 4K gaming is not recommended at High/Ultra, but Medium can hold 60 FPS with potential dips under 51.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor here?

A: The data show the GPU is the limit. From 1080p Ultra (112 FPS) down to 4K Ultra (40 FPS), the frame loss scales almost linearly with resolution, while the CPU (which hits 3,655 in single-core R23) never shows waking as the single bottleneck – the FPS at 1080p Low is still 4.9× that of 4K Ultra.

Q: How does the CPU perform in the overall combo ranking?

A: The CPU is placed in the 85th percentile of all rated processors, and the GPU in the 69th percentile of GPUs. Yet the combo’s game-specific rank is 1114th out of 3696 generated, meaning there are ~1,113 stronger pairings in this title’s database.

Q: What is the lowest fps point at 1440p?

A: The absolute lows are visible in the distribution data: at 1440p Medium the min is 94 FPS, indicating frame dips are minimal; on the 1080p Medium preset, the min is 143 FPS. This demonstrates that rare stutter only occurs at the 4K Medium preset.

Q: Is there any incoming bottleneck from the memory or bandwidth?

A: On the CPU side, the system has 16 GB of GDDR6 on the GPU and a 644.6 GB/s memory bus on the GPU, while the CPU itself supports DDR4 dual-channel memory – an optimal combination for the 2016 title. GPU-side bandwidth doesn't clamp given the measured FPS; the 100 fps display of 1440p suggests the pixel and texture rates are sufficient.

Settings Recommendations

If you’re targeting 1080p, the most balanced preset is Medium: it yields an average of 169 FPS (min 143, max 194), far above even a 165Hz screen and not sacrificing too much visual quality. Ultra drops slightly to 112 FPS, which is still smooth for a 60–100Hz display, but Medium’s minimum of 143 guarantees less variance. For a locked 60Hz refresh rate, choosing Ultra at 112 FPS provides a comfortable overdrive, but the sweet spot might be High (144 FPS, 1% low likely higher) to keep frames high.

At 1440p, the strongest ratio of performance to visual impact is Medium: the dataset shows 110nd FPS (94 min / 127 max) – enough for a 120Hz monitor. High at 94 FPS also lands well above 60, but Ultra (73 FPS) can be used tone down. If you have a 144Hz display, go Medium; if you simply want to lock to 60, go High.

At 4K, Medium is the only preset to maintain an 60 FPS average (60, min 51), and its position is solid for cutscenes. Low does exactly the opposite – 79 FPS, though you lose most of the visual detail. The title at 4K Ultra forcibly pulls 40 FPS, which is not acceptable for action-heavy areas; note that the High preset (52 FPS) is not far off but still stutter-prone. Therefore, for 4K, the only reasonable approaches are Medium (solid 60) or Low if you need 60–80.

One last note: the game itself has an implementation on a 10-core CPU that stays under stress – in the this dataset, the CPU ran Medium at 2080p at 169 FPS, indicating the arrowpoint is that the GPU, not the CPU, is the target when you lower the settings to gain higher resolution. Use the graphs: at each resolution, drop from Medium to Low gains about 25% FPS, while dropping from Medium to Ultra sacrifices about 30–40% FPS. No preset – no matter the resolution – drops below the 51 FPS minimum, so the experience is smooth across all tested configurations.