The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the combo’s standing among 2,825 tested configurations, and interprets what the numbers imply about the hardware’s capabilities in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p, then falls further to 34 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is nearly identical for Low settings, which start at 143 FPS at 1080p, drop to 93 FPS at 1440p, and bottom out at 51 FPS at 4K. Such a steep decline indicates that the rendering pipeline is heavily dependent on the GPU’s pixel throughput, with the RX 7600’s 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate becoming the limiting factor as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling behavior also reveals that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 143 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that a weaker processor would likely cap performance. However, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with its 14 cores and 14 threads, boosting to 5.10 GHz, has ample headroom. The fact that frame rates continue to scale nearly linearly with resolution—even at Low settings where CPU overhead is minimal—confirms that the Radeon RX 7600 is the component determining performance. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 70 FPS (143 vs 73), which further points to GPU shader and memory bandwidth limitations rather than any CPU constraint.

At 4K, the picture becomes even clearer. The Ultra preset yields only 26 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Even the Low preset at 4K manages just 51 FPS, indicating that the RX 7600’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 2160p rendering in this title. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K (39 to 34 FPS) is modest, suggesting that the GPU is already saturated and additional graphical features have diminishing returns. The data implies that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in The Technomancer, regardless of quality settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip, plays the dominant role in these benchmark results. Its 8 GB VRAM capacity is a key factor, especially at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 26, and the lack of min/max data for that setting suggests the frame pacing may be inconsistent. The 128-bit memory bus, paired with 18 Gbps effective memory clocks, delivers 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This figure is modest by modern standards and likely contributes to the significant performance cliff between 1440p and 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2655 MHz and game clock of 2250 MHz are relatively high, but they cannot compensate for the memory bandwidth shortfall at 2160p.

The RX 7600’s benchmark profile places it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, scores 15199, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the RX 7600 is virtually tied with that card. This context is useful for interpreting the measured FPS: the RX 7600 is a mid-range GPU, and The Technomancer’s engine appears to be well-optimized for it at 1080p but not at higher resolutions. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are adequate for 1080p and even 1440p, but the 4K results (34 FPS High, 26 FPS Ultra) show that the GPU runs out of compute and memory resources simultaneously.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support is relevant, but The Technomancer launched in 2016, predating many modern API features. The measured framerates across settings suggest that the game is not leveraging the RX 7600’s newer architectural advantages, such as its 32 ray accelerators, which remain idle in this title. Instead, the bottleneck is raw fill rate and bandwidth. The gap between Low and Medium at 1080p (143 to 110 FPS) is 33 FPS, while between Medium and High (110 to 94 FPS) it narrows to 16 FPS. This diminishing return pattern indicates that each additional setting tier taxes the GPU’s memory subsystem increasingly, with VRAM capacity becoming a concern at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 1959th out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the 69th percentile of all configurations. This rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU’s strong benchmark scores—the Core Ultra 5 245 sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs with an average score of 48995. The GPU, however, is only in the 57th percentile, which drags the overall combo ranking down. This suggests that the combo’s performance in this game is heavily weighted toward the GPU, and the CPU’s considerable power is largely untapped.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context for its potential. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, just 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, 0.5% higher. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and Core i5-14600K are 0.6% and 0.8% lower, respectively. These small deltas mean that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would yield virtually identical performance in this game, since the GPU is the limiting factor. The combo rank of 1959 indicates that there are 866 combos that perform better, but many of those likely pair higher-end GPUs with similar CPUs. The data implies that this particular pairing is balanced for 1080p gaming but leaves performance on the table at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s nearest rivals further illustrate the situation. The RTX 3050 OEM is 0.2% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X is 0.6% slower. The integrated AMD Radeon 680M is 0.7% faster in average benchmark score, though that comparison is misleading for gaming, as the 680M lacks the dedicated VRAM and bandwidth of the RX 7600. The combo’s rank in the lower half of the upper-third of all combos suggests that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is far from the bottom. For a game like The Technomancer, which is not notoriously demanding, this rank indicates that the combo can handle the title at reasonable settings, but users seeking 4K performance would need to look at combos ranked much higher.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 143 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium drops to 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 and maximum of 126. High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with even Ultra settings remaining playable. The 70 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p shows that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game’s full feature set, though the jump from High to Ultra (94 to 73 FPS) is a 22% performance hit.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 93 FPS, which is exactly the same as 1080p High. Medium averages 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 82. High averages 61 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 48 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, but High at 61 FPS is acceptable. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is consistent: Low drops 50 FPS, Medium drops 38 FPS, High drops 33 FPS, and Ultra drops 25 FPS. The decreasing absolute drops as settings increase suggest that at higher quality presets, the GPU is already working harder, so the resolution increase has a proportionally smaller effect.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low averages 51 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 45, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. Only Low crosses the 50 FPS threshold, and even that is marginal. The lack of min/max data for Low, High, and Ultra at 4K means only the Medium preset provides a range, which shows a 12 FPS spread. This suggests that frame times are inconsistent at 4K, likely due to VRAM capacity issues with 8 GB. The 4K Medium result of 39 FPS is the only 4K data point with a full min/max range, and it indicates that the game is playable but not smooth, with dips to 33 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with all settings achieving at least 73 FPS average. At 1440p, only Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS (93 and 72 FPS respectively), while High and Ultra fall to 61 and 48 FPS. 4K is not recommended as only Low reaches 51 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages only 26 FPS, and even Low averages 51 FPS. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth appears insufficient for 4K rendering, as frame rates drop sharply compared to 1440p, with the Medium preset showing a min of 33 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 limiting performance in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom, as evidenced by 143 FPS at 1080p Low. The frame rate scaling with resolution indicates the GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU’s 90th percentile benchmark ranking supports this conclusion.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1959th out of 2825 combos, placing it in the 69th percentile. This is lower than the CPU’s 90th percentile, indicating the GPU holds the combo back. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, show deltas under 1%, so CPU choice has minimal impact.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 143 FPS while Ultra averages 73 FPS, a difference of 70 FPS. This represents a 49% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the game support modern graphics APIs that benefit this GPU?

A: The RX 7600 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, but the game released in 2016. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of ray tracing benefits, and the GPU’s 32 RT cores are likely unused, as performance scales consistently with traditional rasterization settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers the best balance, averaging 94 FPS. This is 36 FPS higher than Ultra (73 FPS) while still providing enhanced visual quality over Medium (110 FPS). The jump from High to Ultra costs 21 FPS, which is a significant 22% penalty for what is typically a marginal visual improvement in most games. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Medium preset at 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS ensures no dips below 90 FPS, making it the safest choice for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, averaging 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate never drops below 60 FPS, which is the threshold for smooth gameplay. High averages 61 FPS, but without min/max data, there is a risk of dips below 60 FPS. Ultra at 48 FPS is not recommended for action RPGs, as the lower frame rate can affect gameplay responsiveness. Low at 93 FPS is viable but sacrifices too much visual quality for the additional 21 FPS over Medium.

At 3840x2160, no setting provides a consistently smooth experience. Low averages 51 FPS, which is the only preset above 50 FPS, but the lack of min/max data means there is uncertainty about frame dips. Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The data suggests that users should avoid 4K with this combo, or if they must use 4K, accept the Low preset at 51 FPS as the only option that approaches acceptable playability. The Ultra preset at 26 FPS is effectively unplayable, and High at 34 FPS is only marginally better.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in The Technomancer, as the game’s engine does not appear to be heavily multithreaded. The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads, based on the Arrow Lake architecture, provide substantial compute capability, but the measured FPS data shows that this power is not fully utilized. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 143 FPS, which would challenge many CPUs, but the Core Ultra 5 245’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648, ensures that the game’s main thread is never a bottleneck. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is particularly relevant for older games like The Technomancer, which often rely on high single-core clock speeds.

The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide low-latency access to game data, which helps maintain consistent frame times. The Passmark single-thread score of 4394 places it in the upper echelon of processors, and its 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its strength. However, the benchmark results for this game show that even a much weaker CPU would likely produce identical frame rates at 1440p and 4K, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 with a delta of -0.5%, would perform nearly identically in this game, reinforcing that the GPU dictates the outcome.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface is more than sufficient for feeding the GPU. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes provides high bandwidth for data transfer, though the RX 7600 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is still ample for this workload. The CPU’s integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU is irrelevant for this gaming scenario, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering. The data implies that the Core Ultra 5 245 is overqualified for The Technomancer, but this is not a drawback—it ensures that the system will have plenty of headroom for CPU-intensive tasks outside of gaming, and it future-proofs the platform for more demanding titles.