The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. This combination yields a measured dataset that reveals a system heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU demonstrates sufficient headroom at 1080p. The data indicates a playable experience at 1440p, but 4K pushes the hardware to its limits, requiring significant settings compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance curve as resolution increases, a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 103 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p High drops this to 67 FPS, a 35% reduction. Moving to 4K High further reduces the average to 37 FPS, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p figure and a 64% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component in this configuration.

The trend holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 157 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 101 FPS, showing that even when graphical load is minimized, the jump to 4K nearly halves performance. At Medium settings, the averages are 120 FPS (1080p), 79 FPS (1440p), and 43 FPS (4K). For Ultra settings, the figures are 80 FPS, 53 FPS, and 29 FPS respectively.

The data reveals that the performance penalty for moving from 1440p to 4K is consistently steeper than the penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p. For example, at High settings, the 1080p-to-1440p drop is 36 FPS, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 30 FPS. At Ultra settings, the drops are 27 FPS and 24 FPS respectively. This suggests that the game's rendering load scales super-linearly with pixel count, placing an outsized burden on the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears to be a critical factor at 4K. The jump from 1440p to 4K increases the pixel count by 2.25 times, and the measured FPS drops align closely with this scaling, confirming that the GPU is working at its absolute limit. At 1080p, the system clearly has more headroom, as evidenced by the 157 FPS at Low settings, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall processing capability.

For The Technomancer, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 157 FPS, which is the highest measured average across all configurations. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to its maximum output at this resolution. The fact that the FPS drops consistently with increased resolution and settings, rather than fluctuating due to CPU limitations, suggests the game is not heavily CPU-bound in this pairing.

The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads provide ample multi-threading capability for a 2016 title, which likely does not scale perfectly across many cores. The single-core performance, highlighted by the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 368 and R20 score of 891, is more relevant for game logic and draw call processing. The 4.90 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled swiftly.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225's average benchmark score of 36938 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta) and slightly higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta). This indicates that in general compute tasks, the CPU performs on par with these alternatives. However, the game's measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking, as the performance scales predictably with GPU load.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support is sufficient for feeding the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates. At higher resolutions, the GPU's memory subsystem becomes the limiting factor, not the CPU's. The measured data shows a smooth degradation of performance as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for The Technomancer, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks at position 1620 out of 2825 tested combos. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of configurations but is not in the upper echelon.

This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier status rather than the CPU's capabilities. The RTX 2070 SUPER, with its average benchmark score of 20282, sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, -1% delta), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, -1.2% delta), and Intel Arc B570 (20556, -1.3% delta), all of which are within 1.5% of its performance. This tight clustering suggests the GPU is competitive with these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks.

The combo's rank of 1620 out of 2825 indicates that while the CPU is a top-tier performer (85th percentile), the GPU holds the overall system back. Many combos ranked higher likely pair a similar CPU with a more powerful GPU. Conversely, the ranking also suggests that many lower-ranked combos have weaker CPUs or GPUs.

The measured FPS data for this combo shows it can handle 1080p gaming very well, with averages ranging from 80 FPS at Ultra to 157 FPS at Low. At 1440p, it remains playable, with averages from 53 FPS at Ultra to 102 FPS at Low. The 4K results, ranging from 29 FPS at Ultra to 56 FPS at Low, are the weakest link and drag the overall rank down relative to systems that can handle 4K more comfortably.

The gap between the CPU's high percentile (85) and the combo's moderate rank (57th percentile) highlights the imbalance in this pairing. A more balanced system would have a GPU closer to the CPU's performance tier to avoid leaving performance on the table at lower resolutions or being unable to handle higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this system performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. Here is the full breakdown:

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 56 FPS average
• Medium: 43 FPS average, with a minimum of 37 FPS and maximum of 50 FPS
• High: 37 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 102 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 FPS and maximum of 91 FPS
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 53 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 157 FPS average
• Medium: 120 FPS average, with a minimum of 102 FPS and maximum of 139 FPS
• High: 103 FPS average
• Ultra: 80 FPS average

At 1080p, the system delivers a highly playable experience across all settings. Even at Ultra, the 80 FPS average is smooth, and the Low preset's 157 FPS indicates significant headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset shows a 120 FPS average with a minimum of 102 FPS, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

At 1440p, the system remains playable but requires settings management. The High preset at 67 FPS is acceptable for most players, while the Medium preset at 79 FPS offers a better balance. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which may be borderline for those sensitive to frame pacing. The Low preset at 102 FPS shows the system can still push high frame rates at this resolution if visual fidelity is sacrificed.

At 4K, the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 56 FPS is the only playable option, while Medium (43 FPS) and High (37 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 29 FPS is not recommended for serious gameplay. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 37 FPS, indicating potential stuttering in demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 56 FPS. Medium (43 FPS), High (37 FPS), and Ultra (29 FPS) all fall below 60 FPS, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60+ FPS average?

A: At 1080p, all settings presets exceed 60 FPS, with averages ranging from 80 FPS at Ultra to 157 FPS at Low. At 1440p, only the Low (102 FPS) and Medium (79 FPS) presets break the 60 FPS barrier.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta) and slightly higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta).

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data suggests yes. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, from 157 FPS at 1080p Low to 56 FPS at 4K Low, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the CPU.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values are 37 FPS at 4K Medium and 102 FPS at 1080p Medium. The other presets do not have min FPS data available.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: It ranks 1620 out of 2825 tested combos, placing it in the 57th percentile of all configurations tested for The Technomancer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 103 FPS average offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. Players with high-refresh-rate monitors may prefer the Medium preset at 120 FPS, which sacrifices some visual fidelity for a 17% performance boost. The Ultra preset at 80 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 79 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience while maintaining decent visual quality. The High preset at 67 FPS is acceptable for those who prefer higher fidelity, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 102 FPS is the best option for competitive play or if frame rate consistency is paramount.

For 4K, the Low preset at 56 FPS is the only option that approaches playability. The Medium preset at 43 FPS is playable but may suffer from noticeable frame pacing issues. High and Ultra presets at 37 FPS and 29 FPS respectively are not recommended for active gameplay, as they fall well below the 60 FPS target.

The overall best experience for this system is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, delivering a 79 FPS average with a minimum of 67 FPS. This configuration balances visual fidelity with smooth gameplay, taking advantage of the GPU's capabilities without overextending its limits. For players with 1080p displays, the High preset offers the best compromise, while 4K users should stick to Low settings to maintain acceptable performance.