The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT provides a clear picture of where the bottlenecks lie and how to best configure the game for a smooth experience. The benchmark results show a system that is capable of high refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, yet struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 128 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 84 FPS, a reduction of 44 frames. This 34% decrease is substantial and clearly illustrates the added pixel load on the Radeon RX 7700 XT.

The most dramatic falloff occurs when stepping up to 3840x2160. At this 4K resolution with High settings, the average FPS plummets to just 46. This represents a 45% drop from the 1440p figure and a 64% drop from the 1080p figure. The pattern holds across all settings presets. For instance, at Medium settings, the average frame rate descends from 150 FPS at 1080p, to 98 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, indicating that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being saturated by the sheer number of pixels.

This performance profile strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The consistent and significant frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are a classic sign of GPU limitations. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its high single-thread performance, is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain its throughput as the resolution increases. The data shows that at 1080p and even 1440p, the system is capable of delivering a high-refresh-rate experience, but at 4K, the user must be prepared for a significant compromise in frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is central to understanding these results. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is a critical resource, especially at higher resolutions where texture data demands are higher. The benchmark data suggests that this memory configuration is sufficient for the game's needs at 1080p and 1440p, but the performance collapse at 4K indicates the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are under maximum stress.

The GPU's clock speeds also play a role. With a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, the card is designed to operate at high frequencies. The RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, allows for this high-frequency operation. The measured FPS data reflects the GPU's ability to sustain these clocks under load. The 54 ray accelerators and 3456 shading units are the workhorses for rendering the game's scenes, and their performance is directly reflected in the average FPS numbers.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22547 places it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. This suggests it is a mid-to-high-range performer. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (0.5% faster) and the RTX 4060 Mobile (0.8% slower). This data indicates that the desktop RX 7700 XT is positioned in the same performance tier as these mobile solutions, which is a notable data point. The RTX 2080 is also close, with the RX 7700 XT being 1.5% faster. In the context of The Technomancer, this GPU performance tier translates to excellent 1080p performance, good 1440p performance, and only marginal 4K capability.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combo at 1920x1080 with High settings is 128 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 46 FPS on High and 36 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 70 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile in synthetic benchmarks?

A: According to the average benchmark scores, the RX 7700 XT is 0.8% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile, making them near-identical in raw compute performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers an average of 66 FPS. This is a 32 FPS difference.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests not. The frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent and large, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is sufficient to not constrain the GPU at these lower frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60+ FPS experience on High settings?

A: Both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 provide average frame rates above 60 FPS on High settings, with 128 FPS and 84 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, High settings only average 46 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear matrix for selecting the optimal settings preset for a given resolution. The primary goal for most users is to maintain a frame rate at or above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra delivers an average above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 100 FPS, making it the best choice for users who want maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing high refresh-rate performance.

At 2560x1440, the options narrow. The Low and Medium presets average 128 FPS and 98 FPS, respectively, while the High preset averages 84 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 66 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that the High preset offers a strong balance, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium while still retaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset is the only option that comes close to the 1080p High experience.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The Ultra preset averages just 36 FPS, and High averages 46 FPS. Both are below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is closer but still not quite 60 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, averaging 70 FPS. For 4K gaming, the data indicates that the Low preset is the only way to achieve a playable, smooth experience. Given the 54 FPS average of the Medium preset, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, it presents a borderline case that may be acceptable for users who prefer visual quality over a locked 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 196 FPS average
• Medium: 150 FPS average (min 128, max 173)
• High: 128 FPS average
• Ultra: 100 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 128 FPS average
• Medium: 98 FPS average (min 84, max 113)
• High: 84 FPS average
• Ultra: 66 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 70 FPS average
• Medium: 54 FPS average (min 46, max 62)
• High: 46 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

The data shows a consistent scaling factor. Dropping from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS by roughly 30-35% across all settings. The jump from 1440p to 4K is more severe, with a reduction of approximately 45-50%. This non-linear scaling is a key characteristic of the GPU's performance limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting but crucial role in these results. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability, but its architecture is designed for efficiency and high single-core speed. The core clock speeds, with a base of 3.50 GHz and a boost of 5.10 GHz, are instrumental in ensuring the GPU is fed with data. The CPU's performance in Cinebench R23, with a multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, indicates it is a very strong processor.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures that the main game thread is processed quickly, which is often the most critical factor for maintaining high frame rates. The benchmark data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. At 1080p, where frame rates are highest (196 FPS on Low), the CPU is still able to keep up. The fact that the frame rate scales down so smoothly with resolution indicates that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting factor.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and its 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms its capability. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% slower) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8% faster), show that it is in the top tier of desktop processors. This performance headroom means that in this specific game, the CPU will not hold back the RX 7700 XT, and the user's experience will be dictated entirely by GPU performance and the chosen settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT holds a rank of 1038 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all system configurations. While it does not achieve a top-tier ranking, this position reflects a balance between a high-end CPU and a mid-to-high-end GPU.

This ranking of 1038 out of 2825 is a meaningful indicator. It shows that while this combo is more powerful than the majority of systems tested (over 60%), there are many other pairings that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. The ranking implies that the RX 7700 XT, despite being a capable card, is the component that ultimately limits the combo's overall standing. Systems with more powerful GPUs would naturally rank higher, regardless of their CPU.

The data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 provides a solid foundation, ensuring that the system's performance is not artificially capped by a weak processor. The 1038th rank is therefore a direct reflection of the GPU's 67th percentile standing. In essence, this combo performs as expected: it leverages the CPU's strength to fully utilize the GPU's capabilities, resulting in a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, but which will require significant settings reductions to achieve playable frame rates at 4K.