The Technomancer

The Technomancer is an older Action RPG, but its performance with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 reveals a clear scaling pattern that hinges heavily on resolution. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but one that progressively struggles as pixel count increases, with the GPU becoming the definitive limiting factor at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 118 FPS at 1080p to 77 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 42 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at High settings, indicating that the rendering load scales almost directly with the pixel count.

Looking at the Low settings preset, the scaling is even more dramatic in absolute terms. The system delivers 180 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 118 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 65 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is barely above the 60 FPS threshold, showing that even at the lowest quality settings, the RTX 5060 cannot maintain a smooth experience at 4K for this game. The 115 FPS difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low highlights how much headroom is lost at higher resolutions.

The Medium settings preset provides the most complete data, including minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average is 138 FPS with a minimum of 117 FPS and maximum of 159 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS and maximum of 57 FPS. This data point is particularly telling: the minimum FPS at 4K Medium (42) is lower than the average FPS at 4K High (42), suggesting that the 4K experience is consistently stutter-prone regardless of settings.

The pattern across all settings presets is clear: the RTX 5060 has ample performance for 1080p and 1440p gaming in The Technomancer, but 4K is simply beyond its capabilities for this title. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 35% performance drop, which is expected, but the additional drop from 1440p to 4K is another 45%, pushing the card into unplayable territory at the highest resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong per-core performance.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the FPS data at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 180 FPS, which is well above typical refresh rates. The fact that the system can push beyond 170 FPS at 1080p suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at this resolution. However, the gap between 1080p Low (180 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (92 FPS) is 88 FPS, which is entirely attributable to GPU load, not CPU limitations.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance, as shown by the Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2609 and R20 score of 6317, is more than sufficient for this 2016-era game. The Technomancer was released in 2016 and does not require high core counts; the 10-core configuration of the Ultra 5 225 provides ample headroom. The PassMark multi-thread score of 30459 further confirms that the CPU can handle any background tasks while gaming.

The nearest rivals for the CPU include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36945 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 (-0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093 (-0.4%). These negligible deltas indicate that the Ultra 5 225 performs essentially identically to these alternatives in general compute tasks, meaning the choice of CPU among these options would not meaningfully change The Technomancer's frame rates.

Given that the FPS scaling from Low to Ultra at any resolution shows a consistent 35-50% drop, the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The data indicates that the RTX 5060 is the bottleneck at 1440p and above, while the CPU has enough power to feed the GPU at 1080p without issue.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Technomancer at 4K smoothly?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 65 FPS on Low settings, but Medium drops to 50 FPS and Ultra falls to 33 FPS. Even at Low, the 65 FPS average is barely above 60, and the minimum frame rates at Medium (42 FPS) show that dips below playable levels are common.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings it delivers 77 FPS average, while Medium achieves 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, with all settings presets except Ultra staying above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (delta -0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (delta -0.3%), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (delta -0.8%). These negligible deltas in average benchmark scores suggest that the RTX 5060 performs nearly identically to these cards in overall GPU compute, though the game-specific FPS data would likely follow similar patterns.

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance at 1080p?

A: No. The 180 FPS result at 1080p Low settings indicates the CPU can feed the GPU well above standard refresh rates. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs show it has ample single-core performance for a 2016 title like The Technomancer.

Q: What is the expected performance at 1440p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS is exactly 60 at 2560x1440 Ultra settings. This is technically playable but leaves no headroom for drops. For a more consistent experience, Medium settings at 90 FPS or High at 77 FPS are better choices.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1226 out of 2825 tested combinations, placing it in the 57th percentile. This suggests it performs better than a majority of tested systems for this game, but it is not near the top of the charts due to the GPU's limitations at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1226 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the setup in the upper-middle tier of all configurations tested, roughly in the 57th percentile. This ranking is more reflective of the GPU's performance than the CPU, as the RTX 5060 sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU achieves an 85th percentile ranking.

The relatively modest ranking can be attributed to the GPU's performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 puts it in the same class as the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (delta 1.2%) and slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (delta -0.8%). These are mid-range cards that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well but struggle with 4K.

The CPU's strong benchmark performance, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 30459, does not translate into better game rankings because The Technomancer is not CPU-bound at the resolutions tested. The combo ranking is therefore largely determined by the GPU's ability to render frames, which is where the RTX 5060 shows its limitations.

Compared to the 2825 tested combos, being at rank 1226 means there are 1599 configurations that perform worse and 1225 that perform better. This is a reasonable position for a mid-range CPU and GPU pairing, especially considering the game's age and the fact that it does not benefit from modern upscaling technologies. The ranking would likely improve if the game were played at 1080p exclusively, where the combo's performance is strongest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently strong. Low settings deliver an average of 180 FPS, Medium achieves 138 FPS with a minimum of 117 and maximum of 159, High produces 118 FPS, and Ultra drops to 92 FPS. The 1080p results show that even at Ultra, the system maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS, making this resolution fully playable at any preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but requires more careful settings selection. Low settings hit 118 FPS, Medium averages 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 and maximum of 104, High drops to 77 FPS, and Ultra lands at exactly 60 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting offers the best balance, with a minimum FPS of 77 that ensures smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes.

The 3840x2160 results show significant degradation. Low settings produce 65 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 and maximum of 57, High falls to 42 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 33 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum of 42 FPS is particularly concerning, as it indicates frame pacing issues and noticeable stuttering during gameplay.

The settings scaling at each resolution shows consistent behavior. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 88 FPS (180 to 92). At 1440p, the spread is 58 FPS (118 to 60). At 4K, the spread narrows to 32 FPS (65 to 33). This narrowing at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck, as the settings changes have less impact when the card is already saturated.

The minimum and maximum FPS data points, available only for Medium settings, provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the range is 117-159 FPS, a 42 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 77-104 FPS, a 27 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 42-57 FPS, a 15 FPS spread. This decreasing variance at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is less able to burst above its average, reinforcing the conclusion that it is the limiting component.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo in The Technomancer, the choice of settings depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the data shows that High settings at 118 FPS provide a smooth experience with good visual quality. Ultra at 92 FPS is also viable, but the 26 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual gains. Medium at 138 FPS is the best choice for players with high refresh rate monitors, while Low at 180 FPS offers maximum performance for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings emerge as the best recommendation. The 90 FPS average with a 77 FPS minimum ensures consistent gameplay, while High at 77 FPS is also acceptable. Ultra at exactly 60 FPS is marginal, as any demanding scene could push the frame rate below 60. Low at 118 FPS is an option for players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but Medium provides the best balance of performance and image quality.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that this combo is not ideal for 4K gaming. Low settings at 65 FPS are the only preset that stays above 60 FPS on average, but the visual quality is severely compromised. Medium at 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS will result in noticeable stuttering, and High and Ultra at 42 and 33 FPS respectively are unplayable. For 4K, the recommendation is to either drop to Low settings or reduce the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The overall best settings recommendation for this combo is 1440p Medium. This configuration delivers a 90 FPS average with a 77 FPS minimum, providing smooth gameplay with good visual fidelity. For players with 1080p monitors, High settings at 118 FPS offer the best visual-to-performance ratio. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5060 is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, and users should avoid 4K unless they are willing to accept Low settings and a 65 FPS average.