The Technomancer

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 1781st out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer according to the measured data. This places the combination in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is far from the top tier of systems tested, it is also not at the very bottom. The percentile positioning for the GPU alone (60th percentile versus all GPUs) and the CPU (89th percentile versus all CPUs) suggests a system where the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this specific title, yet the overall combo ranking is dragged down by the game's demands. In practical terms, this rank means the system is positioned within a large cluster of mid-range hardware, capable of running the game but requiring careful settings management to achieve smooth frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the combo is better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming than to 4K, where the measured frame rates fall below the generally accepted threshold for fluid gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 149 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 27 FPS on Ultra settings to 54 FPS on Low settings. Only the Low preset approaches playability, while Medium and High are below 60 FPS, and Ultra is well below.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is essentially identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX, and 0.2% faster than both the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Ultra and Low settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 98 FPS on Low settings to 50 FPS on Ultra settings, a reduction of 48 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU's performance closely matched with any other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's average benchmark score of 17083 is very close to its nearest rivals. It is 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, 0.4% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, and 0.9% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla M4.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded at Medium settings?

A: The minimum frame rate recorded at Medium settings is 35 FPS at 3840x2160, 64 FPS at 2560x1440, and 98 FPS at 1920x1080. These are the only settings and resolutions with min FPS data in the pack.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The CPU's large L3 cache of 24 MB shared and per-core L2 cache of 3 MB are notable for gaming workloads. While the game The Technomancer is an Action RPG from 2016, it can still benefit from a strong single-core performance, which is where the Ultra 5 235 excels relative to its own multi-core output.

Looking at the CPU's synthetic benchmarks, its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2085, which is a strong result, and its multi-core score is 14769. The PassMark single-thread score is 4516, and the multithread score is 37816. The high single-thread performance suggests the CPU can handle the game's main game logic and physics threads without bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios. The data shows a PassMark physics score of 2570, which is a specific test that can be relevant to game physics calculations.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is almost perfectly neutral. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is within 0.2% of its closest competitors, including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX. This means the choice between these processors would likely have a negligible impact on frame rates in The Technomancer. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces that it is a high-end processor by general standards, but the game's performance is not solely dependent on it.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support is adequate, but it is not a standout feature. In a game like The Technomancer, which is likely not heavily dependent on memory bandwidth, this is unlikely to be a limiting factor. The CPU's 65W TDP and 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes are more relevant to system design and expansion than to in-game performance metrics. Overall, the CPU is a capable performer that provides a solid foundation, but the measured FPS data indicates that the graphics card is the primary determinant of playability at the tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the combo performs across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is generally capable of high frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 149 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, indicating a smooth experience. The High preset drops to 98 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS. At 1080p, all presets are above the 60 FPS threshold, making the game fully playable even at maximum quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected. The Low preset still performs well at 98 FPS, but the Medium preset averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, which is just at the edge of a 60 FPS target. The High preset averages 64 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS. At 1440p, the system is still playable, but the Ultra preset requires a compromise on smoothness, as 50 FPS may not be ideal for all players.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, which is close to playable but not quite there. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, indicating noticeable stuttering. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 27 FPS. At 4K, the combo is not suitable for a smooth gaming experience at any setting, as even the lowest preset fails to reach a consistent 60 FPS. The data shows a clear progression where the system is limited by the GPU's ability to render at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS at High settings drops from 98 to 64, a reduction of 34.7%. From 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings drops from 64 to 35, a reduction of 45.3%. This progressive decline is steeper at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU is working harder to fill more pixels.

The scaling is more pronounced at lower settings. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 149 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (a 34.2% reduction) and then to 54 at 4K (a 44.9% reduction from 1440p). This suggests that at lower settings, the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks. The frame rate reductions are not linear, which is typical for games that have varying levels of geometric complexity and texture detail as resolution increases.

The fact that the CPU's performance is much higher relative to its peers (89th percentile) compared to the GPU (60th percentile) strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. The resolution scaling curve confirms this, as the FPS drops are consistent with a graphics card that is being overwhelmed by pixel count rather than a CPU that is struggling to feed the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller FPS drop at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant. The data shows the opposite, reinforcing the conclusion that the RX 7600 XT is the primary constraint on performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is viable with an average of 77 FPS, providing the best visual quality while remaining above the 60 FPS threshold. For players who prioritize higher refresh rates, the Medium preset at 115 FPS offers a good balance, though the High preset at 98 FPS is also a strong choice if visual fidelity is preferred over the extra frames.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 64 FPS, which is just above the standard 60 FPS target. This is the recommended preset for a balance of quality and performance at this resolution. The Medium preset at 75 FPS provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is a safer choice for ensuring smooth gameplay, especially in scenes with heavy action. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less fluid experience.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve a 60 FPS average. The Low preset at 54 FPS is the only option that comes close to playability, but even this may be subject to noticeable frame drops. The Medium preset at 41 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are not playable. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the system is not capable of delivering a satisfactory experience in The Technomancer, and players should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or below. The frame time consistency, as shown by the min FPS at Medium settings, is a concern at 4K, with the minimum dropping to 35 FPS, indicating potential stutters.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is a mid-range graphics card based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, with a Navi 33 chip. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz. Its 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are modest by modern standards, but the 32 RT cores and 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are adequate for older titles.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed picture. Its PassMark G3D score of 17132 places it at the 60th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which it is 0.3% faster than, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which is 0.7% faster. This close grouping indicates that the RX 7600 XT performs at a level similar to that of older high-end cards from previous generations. The GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score is 65, which is relatively low, and its DirectX 11 score is 167, suggesting that the card may be better optimized for older APIs.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is central to the game's performance, as the resolution scaling data clearly shows. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as it likely does not require more than a few gigabytes even at 4K. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is adequate but not exceptional, and at 4K, the data suggests that the card is unable to keep up with the pixel fill rate demands. The FPS drop from 1440p High to 4K High is 45.3%, which points to the GPU's rendering capabilities being the limiting factor. The card's 190W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its performance class, but the benchmark results indicate that for a demanding title like The Technomancer, it is best paired with a 1080p or 1440p display to achieve playable frame rates.