The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the AMD Radeon RX 570. The measured frame rates reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the modern CPU provides enough headroom for smoother gameplay only at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the performance data to guide settings and expectations for this specific hardware combination.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and playability for this combo is the Low preset at 1920x1080, yielding an average of 68 FPS. This is the only tested configuration that achieves a frame rate comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the definitive choice for smooth, responsive gameplay. The step up to Medium at 1080p is significant, but the drop to 53 FPS average (with a minimum of 45 FPS) suggests that while it is playable, it will be more susceptible to noticeable stuttering in busy scenes.

For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, the High preset at 1920x1080 (45 FPS average) is a viable compromise. It offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low while remaining in a playable range. However, the data clearly shows that pushing to Ultra at 1080p (35 FPS average) is not recommended, as the frame rate dips into a territory that compromises the fluidity of an action RPG. At higher resolutions, the choices become more limited. At 2560x1440, the Low preset (45 FPS) is the only playable option; Medium (34 FPS) and High (29 FPS) are borderline, while Ultra (23 FPS) is too slow. At 3840x2160, all presets, from Low (25 FPS) to Ultra (13 FPS), fall below the minimum playable threshold for a game that requires timely dodges and attacks.

The performance scaling suggests that the RX 570 is the primary bottleneck. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 33 FPS, a massive cost for the highest settings. Therefore, the most practical approach is to start with the Low preset at 1080p and, if the visual quality is too sparse, incrementally adjust individual settings upwards, monitoring performance to stay near the 60 FPS target. The data indicates that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming with this game, and sacrificing settings is necessary to achieve a consistent and responsive experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data strongly indicates 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. At this resolution, the Low preset achieves 68 FPS and Medium achieves 53 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops the average FPS significantly across all settings, and 3840x2160 is unplayable, with the highest average being just 25 FPS on Low.

Q: Can this system handle the Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: No. The measured average FPS for the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 is 35 FPS. While this is technically above the 30 FPS console-like standard, it is too low for a fast-paced Action RPG where smooth camera movement and responsive combat are critical. The significant performance cost of Ultra settings is not justified by the playability it provides.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 performs nearly identically to its closest rivals. Its average benchmark score is 48995, which is just 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. It is slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The benchmark results point to the GPU as the definitive bottleneck. At 1080p, lowering settings from High to Low yields a 23 FPS performance increase (from 45 to 68 FPS). This drastic change in frame rate with graphical settings is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but the RX 570 cannot render frames fast enough to keep up, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: What does the combo rank say about this system's overall performance?

A: The combo ranks 2712 out of 2825 tested combinations for this game. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested systems, indicating that this is a low-performance pairing for The Technomancer. It is a clear indication that while it can run the game at lower settings, it is far from a high-end configuration for this title.

Q: Given the GPU's age, what is a realistic expectation for visual fidelity?

A: The data shows that the GPU, an end-of-life product, is best suited for the Low or Medium presets at 1080p. The Low preset provides a playable 68 FPS, while Medium offers a slightly better visual experience at a still-acceptable 53 FPS. Pushing beyond these settings will result in frame rates that are too low for a satisfying action game experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, confirming the RX 570 as the primary limiting factor. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 45 FPS at 1920x1080 to 29 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 35.6%. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate plummets to 16 FPS, which is only 35.6% of the 1080p performance. This pattern is consistent across all settings, showing that the GPU's rendering capabilities are overwhelmed by the pixel count.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is severe, losing roughly a third of the performance. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, effectively halving the already-low 1440p frame rates. For instance, at the Medium preset, the frame rate goes from 53 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 1440p and then to just 19 FPS at 4K. This demonstrates that the 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and the Polaris 20 chip's raw compute power are insufficient for the demands of higher resolutions in this title.

This behavior is a textbook example of a GPU-bound system. The CPU's performance is consistent regardless of resolution; it is the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth that dictate the final frame rate. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its high single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648), is not the cause of these frame rate drops. Instead, the data suggests that to achieve a stable 60 FPS, the resolution must remain at 1080p, and even then, only the Low preset achieves that target. Any attempt to play at 1440p or 4K will result in a sub-30 FPS experience at best, which is not suitable for an action-oriented game.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 570 combination is ranked 2712 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 4% of all configurations, which is a very low standing. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling. While the CPU is a modern, capable processor, the RX 570 is an older, end-of-life graphics card that significantly drags down the overall gaming potential of the system.

This ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather the GPU's inability to keep pace. The RX 570's benchmark scores are modest, and its performance is closely matched by rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 470, which is 0.8% faster in average benchmark score. The data suggests that this combo is a legacy or budget-oriented pairing, where the CPU is ready for a future GPU upgrade, but the current graphics card limits the experience in modern or demanding titles like The Technomancer. For context, the combo's rank is a clear indicator that most other CPU-GPU pairings will deliver a better frame rate in this specific game.

The performance delta between this and more capable systems is substantial, given the GPU's low percentile (74th) among all GPUs. The 4 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are not sufficient for high-resolution textures, contributing to the low rank. In practical terms, a user with this system will be restricted to the lowest graphical presets to achieve playable frame rates, a conclusion fully supported by the measured FPS data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a powerful modern CPU, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and its benchmark scores, such as 32924 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4648 in single-core, are robust. However, in this game's benchmark results, its role is secondary to the GPU.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p, when the GPU is less stressed, the frame rates are respectable (68 FPS on Low). If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant. Instead, we see a massive drop in performance when resolution increases, which is a direct result of the GPU's limitations.

The Core Ultra 5 245 provides enough processing power to handle the game's logic and physics, but the RX 570 simply cannot render the frames fast enough to utilize the CPU's full potential. The performance is essentially capped by the graphics card. For this game, the CPU is overqualified, meaning the user could upgrade the GPU to a significantly faster model without needing to worry about the CPU becoming a new bottleneck. The 14 cores and high boost clock are more than sufficient for this 2016 title, leaving all the performance headroom on the GPU side, which it is unable to fill.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact average FPS measurements at each resolution and settings preset for this specific hardware combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 68 FPS average
• Medium: 53 FPS average (minimum 45, maximum 60)
• High: 45 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 45 FPS average
• Medium: 34 FPS average (minimum 29, maximum 40)
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 23 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 25 FPS average
• Medium: 19 FPS average (minimum 16, maximum 22)
• High: 16 FPS average
• Ultra: 13 FPS average

The data clearly shows a consistent and expected pattern: performance degrades with higher resolutions and higher quality presets. The most notable takeaway is the sheer magnitude of the performance cost at 4K, where even the Low preset fails to reach 30 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low preset is marginally playable. The only resolution that offers a fully playable experience is 1080p, and even there, the Ultra preset is too demanding. These numbers provide a definitive guide for users, demonstrating that this combo is strictly for 1080p gaming with adjusted settings.