The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 produces a set of results that clearly define its position in the current performance landscape. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is capable of smooth 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but one that will require careful settings management to achieve a fluid experience at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, comparing the combination against the broader database of tested combos and examining the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the final output.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination sits at rank 1721 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer, placing it in the 39th percentile of all systems tested. This ranking indicates that while this pairing is far from the top of the performance chart, it is by no means a weak performer, landing in the lower-middle tier of the overall distribution. The position suggests that a significant portion of tested configurations deliver higher frame rates, but it also outperforms a large number of older or less balanced pairings.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU shows a much stronger relative standing than the overall combo rank might suggest. The Core Ultra 5 235 holds an 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor in the broader market. Its average benchmark score of 46062 places it in close competition with several notable rivals. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, a mere 0.1% difference, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, putting the Ultra 5 235 just 0.1% behind. The AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303 score 45970 and 45960, respectively, placing them 0.2% behind the Ultra 5 235. These results show the CPU is performing at a level consistent with high-end mobile and desktop parts from previous generations, demonstrating that it is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

The GPU, conversely, demonstrates a more modest standing. The RTX 5050 holds a 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, which is a solid, mid-range position. Its average benchmark score of 21035 places it in a tight grouping with several older or mobile-oriented graphics cards. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, a 0.6% difference, while the AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, a 1% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, putting it 1.6% behind the RTX 5050, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379, a 1.6% difference. This proximity to older architectures in synthetic benchmarks suggests that while the RTX 5050 is a current-generation part, its raw compute performance is comparable to mid-range offerings from several years ago, which directly influences its standing in a game like The Technomancer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB207 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The card features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. These specifications define its raw processing capabilities. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, providing the core with a substantial frequency headroom. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, which delivers a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a critical factor in The Technomancer, affecting how quickly textures and geometry can be streamed to the GPU.

In the context of The Technomancer, the RTX 5050’s role is the primary determinant of frame rate at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but the increasing memory pressure and fill-rate demands at 4K cause the card to struggle. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are solid figures, yet they prove insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is a measure of its shader throughput, and the data shows that this level of compute is what determines the average FPS in the game's more demanding settings.

The RTX 5050’s performance is further contextualized by its nearest rivals, which include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL and the older Radeon HD 8970M. The fact that the RTX 5050’s average benchmark score of 21035 is within a 1% margin of these older parts suggests that its architectural advantages do not translate into a massive leap in raw performance for a title like The Technomancer. The card’s 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces this, positioning it as a competent mid-range solution that is well-suited for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, but which will hit a hard performance ceiling when pushed to 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance scaling across the three tested resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 98 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 34 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average plummets to 35 FPS, a further 29 FPS drop. This scaling indicates that the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises. The relative performance loss from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1080p to 4K it is 64%. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits.

The scaling pattern is similar across other settings, though the absolute numbers differ. At Medium settings, the average frame rate is 115 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 40 FPS, and from 1080p to 4K is 74 FPS. At Low settings, the average is 150 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 52 FPS, and from 1080p to 4K is 96 FPS. These numbers show that even at the lowest settings, the 4K resolution is too demanding for the RTX 5050 to maintain a high frame rate.

The scaling behavior strongly suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its high 89th percentile ranking, is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU at 1080p. The fact that the frame rate drops so dramatically as resolution increases points to the GPU’s rendering capabilities as the limiting factor. The data shows that the RTX 5050 is a 1080p-class graphics card for this game, capable of delivering high frame rates at that resolution, but its performance degrades significantly at 1440p and becomes marginal at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 35% performance hit at High settings, which is a substantial loss that users will notice. The further drop to 4K makes the game unplayable at high refresh rates, with averages dipping below 60 FPS across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For a smooth and responsive experience at 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for fluid gameplay, and it provides a significant visual improvement over the Medium and Low presets. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 115 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High is a worthwhile trade for the improved image quality, given that the frame rate remains high. The Ultra preset, at 77 FPS, is also playable, but the 21 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual gains, especially for users with 144Hz monitors who will prefer the higher frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the High preset remains the most balanced option, delivering an average of 64 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target, providing a playable experience, though there is little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset, at 75 FPS, offers a more comfortable margin and is a better choice for users who prioritize a stable frame rate over maximum detail. The Low preset, at 98 FPS, is the smoothest option, but it sacrifices a considerable amount of visual quality. The Ultra preset, at 50 FPS, dips below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. For 1440p gaming, the Medium or High settings are the sweet spot, depending on the user's tolerance for frame rate fluctuations.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets deliver a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset, at 54 FPS, is the only one that comes close to 60 FPS, but it requires a significant reduction in visual fidelity. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, and the High preset drops to 35 FPS, making them both less than ideal for action-oriented gameplay. The Ultra preset, at 28 FPS, is not a viable option for playable frame rates. For 4K, the data suggests that the RTX 5050 is not powerful enough to render The Technomancer at high settings with acceptable performance. Users who insist on 4K will need to use the Low preset and accept sub-60 FPS performance, or they should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a much better experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for this configuration provides a detailed picture of its performance characteristics. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 150 FPS on Low settings, 115 FPS on Medium, 98 FPS on High, and 77 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, indicating some variance, but the overall performance is strong. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combination of the Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5050 is more than capable of handling the game with high frame rates, even at the most demanding Ultra preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 98 FPS on Low, 75 FPS on Medium, 64 FPS on High, and 50 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. The data here reveals a clear step down from 1080p, with the Ultra preset now dipping below the 60 FPS mark. The High preset, at 64 FPS, is still playable, but it is close to the edge. The Low preset, at 98 FPS, remains very smooth, showing that the game is still quite playable at this resolution if the user is willing to lower settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The average frame rates are 54 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on High, and 28 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. None of these averages reach the 60 FPS target, making the 4K experience a compromise. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, but it still falls short. The data clearly shows that 4K is beyond the comfortable reach of this GPU for The Technomancer, and users should target 1080p or 1440p for a satisfactory experience. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 26 FPS drop, which illustrates the significant cost of the higher detail presets.

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, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel interface. These specifications point to a powerful and modern processor, and its benchmark results confirm this. The Core Ultra 5 235 achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085, showing strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data and handle the game's logic and AI. The high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in games that are not heavily multi-threaded. The 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that the processor is in the top tier of performance, and it is unlikely to be a bottleneck in most scenarios. The PassMark single-thread score of 4516 further reinforces this, showing that the CPU excels in tasks that require high per-core performance.

The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, shows that it is essentially on par with these high-end parts, with a deltaPct of only 0.1%. This means that in terms of raw CPU processing power, the Ultra 5 235 is not a limiting factor. The measured FPS data supports this assessment, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 150 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU. The fact that the frame rate drops so consistently when the GPU workload increases indicates that the RTX 5050 is the component that determines the final performance, not the CPU. The Core Ultra 5 235 provides a solid foundation, allowing the RTX 5050 to perform to its full potential, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.