The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, using only the provided benchmark data. The results show a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-threaded performance becomes a factor for achieving triple-digit frame rates at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At High settings, it achieves an average of 116 FPS, which is more fluid than the 64 FPS average at 4K, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, the average frame rate drops from 271 FPS on Low to 139 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of nearly half. At 4K, the drop is from 97 FPS on Low to 50 FPS on Ultra, showing that the Ultra preset is very demanding at high resolutions.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX capable of running this game at 4K?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The data shows playable frame rates at 4K on High (64 FPS average) and Medium (75 FPS average) presets. However, the Ultra preset drops to a 50 FPS average, which may feel less smooth.

Q: How does this specific CPU and GPU combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combination ranks at 326 out of 2825 tested combos for this game. This places it in the top 12% of all systems tested, indicating strong overall performance.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the components in this build?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has a launch MSRP of $257. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX has a launch MSRP of 999 USD.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most consistent frame time experience?

A: The Medium preset appears to offer the most consistent experience, as it is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS data. For instance, at 1440p, the Medium preset shows a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, suggesting stable frame pacing compared to the averages provided for other presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a dominant force in The Technomancer, and its specifications clearly dictate the performance ceiling. The card is equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for a title from 2016, ensuring that texture streaming and memory allocation are unlikely to be bottlenecks at any resolution tested. The 24 GB frame buffer is particularly overkill for this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the primary limitation is the GPU's compute throughput, not its memory capacity.

The GPU's clock speeds are high, with a game clock of 2365 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. This allows the 6144 shading units to operate at a rapid pace. The measured results show a clear scaling pattern tied to these clocks. At 3840x2160, the card produces an average of 97 FPS on Low settings, indicating a massive amount of raw horsepower. However, the performance cost of the "Ultra" preset is steep, dropping the average to 50 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset likely enables features that heavily tax the GPU's compute units, possibly advanced lighting or post-processing effects that scale with resolution.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 64 versus all GPUs is interesting. While its average benchmark score of 19410 is high, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and the NVIDIA TITAN Xp, with deltas of 0.4% and 1.2% respectively. This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7900 XTX's performance is closer to these older cards than one might expect, but in the real-world gaming test of The Technomancer, its 24 GB VRAM and modern architecture likely provide a significant advantage, particularly at 4K where the older cards would run out of memory. The data for this specific game shows it is a very capable 4K card for this title, as long as settings are kept at High or below.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 326 out of 2825 tested combos, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX sits comfortably in the top tier of systems for The Technomancer. This places it in approximately the 88th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings. This high ranking confirms the synergy between the modern CPU and the flagship GPU.

The ranking reflects the ability of this combination to deliver high frame rates even at demanding resolutions. For instance, achieving a 116 FPS average at 2560x1440 with High settings is a feat that many other combos in the database likely cannot match. The gap in performance is most evident when considering the 4K results. The ability to maintain a 64 FPS average at 3840x2160 on High settings is a strong indicator of the system's overall capability and explains its position in the top 326.

This rank is not just about the GPU; it also reflects the CPU's ability to keep up. While the RX 7900 XTX is the primary driver of frame rates at 4K, the Core Ultra 5 235's strong single-threaded performance ensures that it does not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions where frame rates are much higher. The combination's position at 326 is a result of this balanced performance, allowing the system to excel across all tested settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the clear recommendation. This configuration delivers an average of 116 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. It provides a significant visual improvement over the Medium preset while maintaining a frame rate that is more than double that of the 4K High preset. This is the optimal spot for a high-refresh-rate monitor, striking a perfect balance between image quality and performance.

If a player prioritizes maximum visual fidelity and has a 4K display, the High preset at 3840x2160 is the best option, yielding a 64 FPS average. This is playable and offers a great visual experience. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 50 FPS average, should be avoided for a consistently smooth experience, as the visual jump from High to Ultra does not justify the significant performance hit.

For competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, the Low preset provides an astonishing 271 FPS average, ensuring maximum fluidity. However, for most players, the Medium preset at 1080p is a better choice, offering a 209 FPS average and a substantial improvement in visual quality over Low. The Medium preset is also the only one with min/max FPS data, showing a range from 177 to 240 FPS at 1080p, which indicates a very stable and enjoyable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of the system's scaling across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is incredibly fast. The average frame rates are 271 FPS on Low, 209 FPS on Medium, 178 FPS on High, and 139 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 177 FPS and a maximum of 240 FPS, highlighting the system's ability to maintain high, consistent frame rates. Even at Ultra settings, the average of 139 FPS is more than sufficient for a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, making this resolution a non-issue for the hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent. The average frame rates scale down predictably: 177 FPS on Low, 136 FPS on Medium, 116 FPS on High, and 91 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again shows a stable range with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. The High preset, with its 116 FPS average, is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a great combination of visual quality and speed. The Ultra preset, at 91 FPS, is also a very viable option for those who want maximum detail at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to feel the load. The average frame rates are 97 FPS on Low, 75 FPS on Medium, 64 FPS on High, and 50 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset provides a stable experience with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. The High preset's 64 FPS average is at the edge of what many consider "smooth" for a 4K experience. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is the weakest result, demonstrating that this setting is too demanding for a target of 60 FPS at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a crucial, but secondary, role in The Technomancer. With 14 cores and 14 threads, its multithreaded capabilities are substantial, but this 2016 title is unlikely to fully utilize all of them. The CPU's real strength lies in its single-core performance, highlighted by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085. This is critical for a game like The Technomancer, which likely has a primary game logic thread that can become a bottleneck if the CPU is not fast enough.

The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz is a key factor in this strong single-threaded performance. This allows the game's main thread to execute instructions very quickly, ensuring that the GPU is fed with data and draw calls. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. However, at 1080p, the CPU's performance is what enables the incredibly high frame rates of 271 FPS on Low. If the CPU were weaker, these frame rates would be capped much lower, regardless of the GPU's power.

The benchmark data confirms the CPU's position. Its average benchmark score of 46062 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, both of which have average scores within 0.1% of the Core Ultra 5 235. This indicates that the 235 offers top-tier processing power, which, when paired with the RX 7900 XTX, ensures that the system is well-balanced for both high-resolution gaming and high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming in The Technomancer. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps in keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency and further aiding in-game performance.