The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study when paired with a modern flagship setup consisting of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU begins to play a more significant role in limiting performance. The data shows a clear scaling pattern across the four tested presets and three resolutions, allowing for a detailed analysis of where the bottleneck lies and how to best configure the game for an optimal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating that the RTX 5090 D's rendering workload is the primary factor governing frame rates at higher resolutions. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 236 FPS at 1920x1080 to 154 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 82 FPS. Moving further up to 3840x2160, the average falls to 85 FPS, which is 151 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This scaling is typical of a scenario where the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become increasingly taxed as the number of pixels rendered multiplies.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p, the combo achieves an exceptionally high average of 325 FPS, but this drops by 90 FPS to 235 FPS at 1440p. The 4K result of 129 FPS represents a significant 196 FPS deficit compared to the 1080p figure. This suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the sheer pixel count at 4K overwhelms the GPU, making it the definitive limiting component. The difference between the 1080p and 1440p results is smaller than the difference between 1440p and 4K, highlighting the exponential increase in rendering cost as resolution climbs.

At the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, the scaling remains consistent. The system averages 184 FPS at 1080p, which is still very high, but this number craters to 120 FPS at 1440p and further to 66 FPS at 4K. The 52 FPS difference between the 2K and 4K results underscores the immense pressure placed on the GPU. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D, despite its formidable specifications, is the bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rates at this resolution are less than half of those at 1080p across all settings. This is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, where the CPU has ample headroom to process game logic and draw calls, but the GPU cannot keep up with the rasterization workload.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing performs exceptionally well. The benchmark database ranks this combo at position 12 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top fraction of a percent of all systems, indicating that it is one of the most capable configurations for this title. The percentile ranking reflects its status as a top-tier performer, though the game's age and engine limitations prevent it from being ranked even higher. The fact that 11 other combos outrank it suggests that there are specific hardware configurations—likely with even higher clocked CPUs or more game-optimized memory setups—that extract slightly more performance, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is more relevant.

The combo's rank reflects the raw power of both the CPU and GPU. The RTX 5090 D, with its 92.2 billion transistors and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, is one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. Its performance percentile of 92 against all GPUs confirms its place at the high end. Similarly, the Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, performs in the 89th percentile against all CPUs. When combined, these two components create a system that is only bested by a handful of other pairings in this specific game's benchmark. The data suggests that for The Technomancer, this combo is nearly at the pinnacle of achievable performance, with the small delta to the top spots likely being determined by minor frequency differences or memory latency rather than any fundamental architectural advantage.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with the High preset, the system averages 154 FPS, which is an excellent balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. While 4K is playable at an average of 85 FPS on High, 1440p provides a significantly higher frame rate that will better utilize a high-refresh-rate monitor. For maximum fluidity, 1080p at High yields 236 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D perform at 4K in this game?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU delivers an average of 129 FPS on Low settings and 66 FPS on Ultra settings. The Medium preset yields an average of 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, while the High preset averages 85 FPS. This indicates that 4K gaming is very feasible, but the Ultra preset will require a VRR display to handle the lower frame rates comfortably.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 bottleneck the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The scaling data suggests that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at 1440p or 4K. However, at 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (e.g., 325 FPS on Low), indicating that the CPU is nearing its limit in feeding the GPU. The benchmark results show that the CPU is strong enough to support high frame rates, but it becomes the primary limiter only when the GPU's workload is lightened by a lower resolution and preset.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets?

A: Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset demands a substantial performance cost over High. At 1080p, the average frame rate drops from 236 FPS on High to 184 FPS on Ultra, a 52 FPS difference. At 1440p, the difference is 34 FPS (154 vs. 120), and at 4K, it is 19 FPS (85 vs. 66). This suggests the Ultra preset enables significantly more demanding visual effects.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra?

A: The difference is considerable. At 4K, the Low preset averages 129 FPS, which is nearly double the 66 FPS average of the Ultra preset. At 1440p, the gap is 115 FPS (235 vs. 120), and at 1080p, it is 141 FPS (325 vs. 184). This shows that the Low preset significantly reduces the rendering load on the GPU.

Q: Is this hardware combo ranked among the best for this game?

A: Yes, the data places this combo at rank 12 out of 2825 tested combinations. This puts it in the top 0.4% of all tested systems, indicating it is one of the most powerful configurations for The Technomancer, though not the absolute fastest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. Starting at 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset achieves an average of 325 FPS, which drops to 276 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 235 FPS and maximum of 317 FPS). The High preset averages 236 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 184 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is well beyond the territory of standard displays, and even the most demanding preset is easily playable on any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. The Low preset averages 235 FPS, while Medium averages 180 FPS (min 153, max 207). The High preset delivers a smooth 154 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very playable 120 FPS. The 1440p results show a balanced system where the GPU is starting to work harder, but the frame rates are still high enough for competitive or fast-paced gameplay without any compromises. The minimum FPS figures for the Medium preset (153 FPS) also show that frame time consistency is good, with no severe dips.

At 3840x2160, the true test of the GPU begins. The Low preset averages 129 FPS, which is still very fluid. The Medium preset averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, providing a solid 4K experience. The High preset averages 85 FPS, which is on the cusp of high-refresh-rate territory and is perfectly smooth for most players. The Ultra preset, however, brings the average down to 66 FPS. While this is still playable, it is the only configuration where the frame rate drops below the 70 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is being fully taxed by the game's maximum settings at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this system for The Technomancer, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the massive pixel throughput required at 4K. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32, is more than enough to handle the game's rendering effects, but the data shows that even this behemoth is challenged by the Ultra preset at 4K. The measured frame rates at 4K are significantly lower than at 1080p, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, are high for a flagship card. The performance percentile of 92 against all GPUs confirms its elite status, yet the benchmark results for this specific title show it performing in a manner consistent with its position relative to rivals. The nearestRivals data shows it is just 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which are mobile parts; this confirms the game's age and its potential reliance on brute-force rasterization rather than modern features. The RTX 5090 D's strength is undeniable, but The Technomancer's engine does not appear to scale perfectly with the immense resources of the Blackwell architecture. The VRAM capacity of 32 GB is far beyond what this game requires, but it ensures no memory-related stuttering will occur.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its influence on performance is most visible at 1080p. With 14 cores and 14 threads running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic. The benchmark results show that the CPU's performance is in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (score 46030, 0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (score 46098, 0.1% slower). This indicates that the CPU is a solid mid-to-high-range performer that won't hold back most games.

The data suggests that the CPU begins to limit performance at 1080p on the Low preset, where the frame rate reaches 325 FPS. At this point, the GPU is not the bottleneck, and the CPU's ability to process draw calls and game physics becomes the limiting factor. The fact that the frame rate drops from 325 FPS at Low to 184 FPS at Ultra at 1080p shows that the GPU is still doing most of the heavy lifting, but the CPU is keeping pace sufficiently. The CPU's cache hierarchy, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache, is adequate for this title. The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is likely the key contributor to the high single-thread performance needed for the game's main thread, ensuring that the system doesn't experience severe frame drops in complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance targets. For a 4K display, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 85 FPS, which is smooth and provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, drops to 66 FPS, which may be less desirable for players who prefer a frame rate above 70 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers a solid 99 FPS average with a minimum of 84 FPS, making it a great choice for those prioritizing fluidity over maximum detail.

For 1440p, the Ultra preset is the best experience, as it provides an average of 120 FPS, which is well within the range of high-refresh-rate monitors. This allows players to enjoy the game's maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 1440p is also excellent, offering 154 FPS for those with 144Hz or 165Hz displays. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, as the 184 FPS average is more than sufficient for any display on the market. The data shows that the system has enough power to run the game at its highest settings at 1080p and 1440p without compromise, and only at 4K does a choice between High and Ultra become necessary. The Low preset is generally not recommended unless the user is trying to maximize frame rate for a 240Hz+ monitor at 1440p or 4K, where it still provides 235 FPS and 129 FPS, respectively.