The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070. Data measured for this combination places it at rank 1179 out of 2825 tested combos, positioning it in the upper-middle tier of systems. The benchmark results show a CPU that performs near the top of its class, alongside a GPU that is solidly mid-range, and together they deliver playable frame rates across most settings, with clear trade-offs at the highest resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062. It sits within a tight cluster of competitors: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 (0.1% faster), and the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 (0.2% slower). The AMD EPYC 7303 also trails by 0.2% with a score of 45960.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking for The Technomancer?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 achieves rank 1179 out of 2825 tested combos in this game. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested system pairings, indicating a solidly above-average configuration for this title.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 98. This is the most demanding preset at this resolution, and it still delivers a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold. For comparison, the High preset at the same resolution yields 125 FPS average.

Q: Is the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The measured data shows a significant drop in performance at 3840x2160. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 35, while the High preset manages only 45 FPS. The Low preset at 4K reaches 69 FPS. This substantial reduction across all settings suggests the GPU is heavily taxed at this resolution, with the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth likely contributing to the constraint.

Q: How does the RTX 3070's performance compare to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's score of 17083. It also leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037) by 1.0% and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019) by 1.1%. However, it trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468) by 1.5%.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a balance of quality and performance at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average FPS of 96, with a minimum of 82 and maximum of 110. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better visual quality than the Low preset, which hits 125 FPS. The High preset at 82 FPS is also viable, but Medium offers the best headroom for demanding scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data for this system in The Technomancer shows a combo rank of 1179 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 3070 pairing in the 58th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a majority of configurations. This is a respectable position for a game released in 2016, as it indicates the hardware is well-matched to the title's demands without being overkill.

The rank suggests that while this combo is not at the top of the charts, it delivers a consistently playable experience. The CPU's percentile rank of 89 against all CPUs indicates it is a high-performing processor, while the GPU's percentile rank of 61 against all GPUs shows it is more modestly positioned. This asymmetry means the CPU has headroom to spare, while the GPU is more likely to be the performance limiter in demanding scenarios. The data confirms this: at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 35, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay, while at 1920x1080 Ultra, it reaches 98 FPS.

Comparing to other combos, this system's rank is influenced by the GPU's mid-range standing. The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is only slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), which are its nearest rivals. The CPU, however, is a standout performer, with its average score of 46062 nearly matching the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098) and exceeding the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030). This combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU yields a balanced system that performs well in most scenarios but cannot compete with high-end GPU pairings at extreme settings.

The rank also reflects the game's age and optimization. The Technomancer is not a particularly demanding title by modern standards, so even a mid-range GPU like the RTX 3070 can push high frame rates at lower resolutions. The fact that this combo still lands in the 58th percentile suggests that many tested systems either use older hardware or are configured with higher-end GPUs that excel in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture using a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB L1 cache per core and 3 MB L2 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The processor is rated at a 65 W TDP and uses the Intel Socket 1851.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is critical for maintaining frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is less likely to be the bottleneck. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 191 FPS average, while at 3840x2160 with Low settings, it drops to 69 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to sustain very high frame rates. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide substantial processing power for the game's AI, physics, and game logic, which are typical CPU-intensive tasks in an Action RPG.

The CPU's benchmark scores further illustrate its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14769 in multi-core and 2085 in single-core tests. In Passmark, it achieves a multi-thread score of 37816 and a single-thread score of 4516. These numbers place the Core Ultra 5 235 in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms most processors on the market. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098), have nearly identical average scores, confirming that this CPU is at the top of its performance tier.

For The Technomancer, the CPU's high single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The game, released in 2016, likely relies on fewer threads for its core logic, making the 5.00 GHz boost clock advantageous. The data supports this: the system maintains high frame rates even at 1080p Ultra (98 FPS), suggesting the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's ability to sustain high clocks on a few cores, combined with its 14-core count for background tasks, ensures smooth gameplay without stuttering.

The cache hierarchy also plays a role. The 24 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, reducing latency for frequently accessed data. The 3 MB L2 cache per core provides fast access to working sets. For a game like The Technomancer, which involves managing multiple characters and environments, this cache configuration helps maintain consistent frame times. The DDR5 memory support, with its 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, ensures that the CPU can quickly access game assets, further reducing potential bottlenecks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo spans three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 191 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth for any display. The Medium preset drops to 147 FPS average, with a minimum of 125 FPS and a maximum of 169 FPS. The High preset yields 125 FPS average, and the Ultra preset still manages 98 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the most demanding preset stays well above 90 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. The Low preset delivers 125 FPS average, which is still excellent for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset achieves 96 FPS average, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, providing a smooth experience with some headroom. The High preset drops to 82 FPS average, which is still playable but closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset falls to 64 FPS average, which is just above the minimum for smooth gameplay but may experience dips in demanding scenes. This resolution represents a sweet spot for this combo, where the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased pixel count without severe performance degradation.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset achieves 69 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for a 4K display. The Medium preset drops to 53 FPS average, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, indicating noticeable dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset manages only 45 FPS average, and the Ultra preset falls to 35 FPS average. These results show that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo at higher settings, as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is likely insufficient for the texture and geometry demands at this resolution, leading to the significant frame rate drops.

The data also reveals a consistent pattern across resolutions: the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial. At 1080p, the gap is 93 FPS (191 vs 98), at 1440p it is 61 FPS (125 vs 64), and at 4K it is 34 FPS (69 vs 35). This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom becomes less relevant when the GPU is overwhelmed. The Medium preset consistently provides a balanced experience, with average FPS of 147 at 1080p, 96 at 1440p, and 53 at 4K, making it the most versatile option across all resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung's 8 nm process node. It features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU has 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz, with a 256-bit bus width providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU is rated at 220 W TDP and uses a 1x 12-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is central to the frame rates achieved. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the system's performance drops significantly compared to lower resolutions. At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 35, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering with high-quality textures. The 256-bit memory bus, while providing solid bandwidth, cannot compensate for the sheer volume of data required at 4K. The GPU's pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are also taxed heavily at this resolution, leading to the observed frame rate drops.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 excels. The GPU's 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than enough for a 2016 game at 1080p. The Ultra preset achieves 98 FPS average, indicating that the GPU has plenty of headroom. The High preset reaches 125 FPS, and the Medium preset hits 147 FPS. These numbers confirm that the RTX 3070 is a capable GPU for this title at mainstream resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM is also sufficient at 1080p, as the game's textures and assets do not exceed this capacity at lower resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide additional context. It has a Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 112821. Its average benchmark score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), are closely matched, showing that the RTX 3070 is a mid-range performer. However, the GPU's ray tracing and tensor cores, while not heavily utilized in this older game, provide future-proofing for more modern titles. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are not expected to be fully leveraged by The Technomancer, but they do not hinder performance either.

The GPU's memory configuration is a key factor in its 4K performance. The 8 GB VRAM is a limiting factor at 3840x2160, as the game's high-resolution textures can exceed this capacity, causing the GPU to spill over to system memory and incurring a performance penalty. This is reflected in the low frame rates at 4K High (45 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) settings. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is also insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering, where the GPU must access more data per frame. For users aiming to play at 4K, this combo is not recommended, as the data clearly shows frame rates below playable levels at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings presets provide playable frame rates, but the Ultra preset offers the best visual quality while maintaining 98 FPS average. This is a smooth experience for most displays, and the GPU has enough headroom to handle demanding scenes. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the High preset at 125 FPS average or the Medium preset at 147 FPS average would be preferable, as they provide higher frame rates with minimal visual compromise. The Low preset at 191 FPS is excessive for most monitors and sacrifices too much visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers 96 FPS average, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience. The High preset at 82 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers more headroom for demanding scenes, as indicated by the minimum FPS of 82 versus the High preset's average of 82. The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is on the edge of playability, and dips below 60 FPS are possible in intense moments. The Low preset at 125 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual fidelity for little practical benefit at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for the game at higher settings. The Low preset achieves 69 FPS average, which is marginally playable, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Medium preset at 53 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel less smooth. The High and Ultra presets, at 45 FPS and 35 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a playable experience. For 4K gaming with this combo, users should either lower the resolution or accept the Low preset, which is the only one that approaches playable frame rates.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize the Medium preset for most scenarios, as it provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across resolutions. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is a better choice due to the high frame rates, but for 1440p and 4K, Medium is the sweet spot. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, so users should adjust settings accordingly. For a consistently smooth experience, targeting 1920x1080 with Ultra settings or 2560x1440 with Medium settings will yield the best results, with average FPS of 98 and 96, respectively. This combo performs best when the GPU is not pushed to its limits, and the settings recommendations reflect that reality.