The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution and graphical presets. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, the benchmark data reveals a configuration that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, capable at 1440p, but ultimately limited by the GPU at 4K. The measured results show a clear hierarchy where the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game's engine.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 has a dramatic impact on frame rates, illustrating the heavy toll that 4K resolution takes on the RTX 3060 Ti. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 115 FPS at 1080p to 75 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction in performance. Moving to 4K, the average plummets to 41 FPS, which is a 64% decrease from the 1080p figure and a 45% drop from the 1440p result. This steep decline strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 175 at 1080p, to 115 at 1440p, and down to 63 at 4K. Similarly, at Ultra settings, the averages are 90, 59, and 32 FPS for the three respective resolutions. The ratio of performance loss between 1080p and 4K is roughly 2.7x across the different presets, which is close to the pixel count difference of 4x. This suggests that while the scaling is steep, it is not purely linear, implying that the CPU and memory subsystems are still contributing some overhead even at lower resolutions.

The data shows that 1080p is clearly the sweet spot for this combination to achieve high frame rates, with even the most demanding Ultra preset delivering an average above 90 FPS. At 1440p, the configuration remains viable, with High settings hitting 75 FPS and Medium at 88 FPS, but Ultra dips to 59 FPS, which may not be smooth enough for all players. At 4K, the RTX 3060 Ti is overwhelmed, with only the Low preset managing to stay above 60 FPS. The frame pacing data for Medium settings further confirms this: at 4K, the minimum FPS is 41 and the maximum is 56, showing a narrow band that is barely playable, while at 1080p, the range is much wider (114 to 155), indicating more consistent performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance for this hardware combo is the High preset at 1440p. This configuration yields an average of 75 FPS, which is generally considered smooth for an Action RPG, while providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 13 FPS (from 88 to 75), but the visual improvement is typically worth the trade-off for a more immersive experience.

For users prioritizing a locked 60 FPS experience at 1440p, the Ultra preset falls short with an average of 59 FPS and is therefore not recommended. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a more comfortable margin, with an average of 88 FPS and a minimum of 75 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutters. At 1080p, the High preset is the clear winner, providing an average of 115 FPS, which provides a substantial buffer for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1080p also performs admirably at 90 FPS, making it a viable choice for those who want maximum visual quality without sacrificing too much speed.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset is the only setting that achieves a playable average frame rate of 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 48 FPS and a minimum of 41 FPS, would likely feel sluggish and inconsistent, while the High preset at 41 FPS is not recommended for anything other than screenshots. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not a practical target for this GPU in this title, regardless of settings, and users should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept the visual compromise of the Low preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This modern CPU, with its L3 cache of 24 MB shared, is more than capable of handling the demands of The Technomancer. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing, as evidenced by the significant frame rate increases when lowering the resolution from 4K to 1080p.

The game, being from 2016, is unlikely to scale perfectly across all 14 cores, but the high single-core performance of the Ultra 5 245 is crucial for maintaining high frame rates. The CPU's passmark single-thread score of 4394 is strong, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 further confirms its capability in tasks that rely on fewer threads. The game's engine likely benefits from the high clock speeds and the efficient architecture, ensuring that the GPU can operate to its full potential at lower resolutions.

The data indicates that at 1080p Low settings, the combination achieves 175 FPS, which is a high value that could potentially be limited by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU, but it is still a very playable result. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all presets, which suggests that the CPU overhead is not creating an unusual bottleneck at any specific setting. The Core Ultra 5 245's performance percentile of 90 versus all CPUs also places it in the top tier, making it a strong match for a mid-range GPU like the RTX 3060 Ti.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti achieves a rank of 1375 out of 2825 combos. This places it in the 49th percentile, meaning it performs better than about half of all other tested configurations for this specific game. This is a solid mid-pack result, reflecting the balanced nature of the pairing.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU's performance, which is not top-tier. The RTX 3060 Ti's passmark G3D score of 20349 places it in the 59th percentile versus all GPUs, showing that it is a competent but not high-end card. The CPU, on the other hand, is a high performer, with its average benchmark score of 48995 placing it in the 90th percentile. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the overall rank is held back by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

The combo's rank of 1375 suggests that while the system is capable, there are many other combinations that deliver better performance in this specific title. This is likely due to the game's heavy reliance on GPU throughput. The CPU's performance is not in question, but the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and its compute capabilities are the primary determinants of the final ranking. The data shows that this is a reasonable pairing for a mainstream gaming PC, but not one that will top the charts in a demanding title like The Technomancer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, based on the Ampere architecture, is the primary driver of the gaming experience in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 1665 MHz is typical for the model, and its 4864 shading units are the main engines for rendering the game's graphics.

The benchmark data clearly shows the GPU's influence. At 4K, the frame rates drop to 41 FPS at High settings and 32 FPS at Ultra, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated. This is further corroborated by the GPU's average benchmark score of 16129, which places it in the 59th percentile versus all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 3060 Ti's average score is only 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9060 and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, showing that it is in a very competitive performance tier.

The GPU's role is also evident in the scaling patterns. The performance difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with an average of 175 FPS versus 90 FPS at 1080p. This indicates that the game's visual effects, which are handled by the GPU, have a major impact on frame rates. The RTX 3060 Ti is a capable card for the game's era, but it is not powerful enough to handle the highest resolutions with maximum settings. The data suggests that for a smooth 4K experience, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the current card is clearly the bottleneck in this configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers excellent performance across all presets. The Low setting achieves an average of 175 FPS, providing an extremely smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 114 and a maximum of 155 FPS, indicating good frame pacing. The High preset delivers 115 FPS, which is still very high and ideal for competitive play. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still manages a respectable 90 FPS average, making it a viable option for those who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong, though the impact of the higher resolution becomes apparent. The Low setting averages 115 FPS, which is still smooth. The Medium preset provides an average of 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS, ensuring a stable experience. The High setting delivers 75 FPS, which is the recommended target for a good balance. The Ultra preset drops to 59 FPS, which is on the edge of playability but may be acceptable for some users.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is taxed heavily. The Low setting is the only one that maintains a playable average, at 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, which would result in noticeable stuttering. The High setting averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 32 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth gaming experience. The data makes it clear that 4K is not a suitable target for this hardware combination in The Technomancer, and users should expect to lower the resolution to maintain playable frame rates.