The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales steeply with resolution. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a playable experience at 1440p and 1080p but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a classic resolution scaling curve, with the most significant performance drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 146 FPS at 1080p to 96 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 34.2%. The jump to 4K is more punishing, with the average dropping to 52 FPS, a 45.8% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 3080’s rendering pipeline is being saturated by the 4K pixel count.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the performance drops from 223 FPS at 1080p to 146 FPS at 1440p and further to 80 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64.1% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trend, moving from 171 FPS at 1080p to 112 FPS at 1440p and finally 61 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with frame rates falling from 114 FPS at 1080p to 75 FPS at 1440p and a barely playable 41 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the system is not entirely GPU-bound. The 146 FPS at 1080p High and 223 FPS at 1080p Low indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates. However, the dramatic drop at 4K, where even Low settings only achieve 80 FPS, confirms that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of VRAM and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at this resolution. The frame time data from the Medium preset supports this: the gap between average and minimum FPS widens from 25 FPS at 1080p to 17 FPS at 1440p and 9 FPS at 4K, showing increased variance as the GPU struggles.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, which is critical for game logic and frame pacing. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648. This strong single-core showing is reflected in the game’s performance at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s capability is further evidenced by its Passmark multi-thread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394. These scores place the processor in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end part. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 223 FPS, which is a frame rate that is often CPU-limited in many titles. This suggests the Core Ultra 5 245 has enough headroom to avoid being the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, even with a powerful GPU like the RTX 3080.

The Core Ultra 5 245’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensure that data can be fed to the GPU efficiently. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, has an average benchmark score that is 0.8% lower, placing the Ultra 5 245 at a slight advantage. In the context of this game, the CPU’s role is to maintain a high enough frame rate ceiling that the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1440p High, the system achieves 96 FPS, which is still a high frame rate, and the bottleneck shifts entirely to the GPU when moving to 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. With a boost clock of 1710 MHz and 8704 shading units, the GPU is built for high-throughput rendering. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, which is substantial but becomes a constraint at 4K resolution. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 25086 places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s performance characteristics are directly visible in the measured FPS. At 1080p, the GPU is able to deliver high frame rates, with 146 FPS at High settings. The fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 223 FPS shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution; the CPU is likely the limiting factor. However, when resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU’s workload increases, and the frame rate at High settings drops to 96 FPS. This is a 34.2% reduction, which is proportional to the increase in pixel count.

The 4K results clearly demonstrate the GPU’s limitations. The 52 FPS average at High settings is just above the threshold for smooth gameplay, but the Ultra preset’s 41 FPS shows the GPU is overwhelmed. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor, as 4K textures can exceed this amount. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, has an average benchmark score that is 0.3% lower, indicating that the RTX 3080 is performing as expected. The data shows that the RTX 3080 is the primary component determining performance at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to keep up.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The average frame rate of 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS, provides a smooth and consistent experience that is well above the 60 FPS target. The minimum FPS of 95 indicates that the system maintains good frame pacing, avoiding significant stutters. This is a more stable option than the High preset at 1440p, which averages 96 FPS but lacks the minimum FPS data to confirm consistency.

For users with 1080p displays, the High preset at 146 FPS is an excellent choice. This provides high visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is well-suited for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves a respectable 114 FPS, but the performance gain from High to Ultra does not justify the significant drop in frame rate for this game’s visual style. The Low preset at 1080p, at 223 FPS, is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset at 61 FPS is borderline, and the High preset at 52 FPS may result in noticeable dips during intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that the RTX 3080 is not powerful enough for high-fidelity 4K gaming in The Technomancer. Therefore, the best experience is found at 1440p Medium, which offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a high and stable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 758th out of 2825 tested combos in this game. This places the system in the top 26.8% of all configurations, which is a strong result given the age of the game and the hardware. This ranking is likely influenced by the game’s CPU demands, where the Core Ultra 5 245 excels, and the GPU’s ability to handle high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The ranking suggests that this combo is well-balanced for The Technomancer, but it is not a top-tier configuration. The high rank is primarily due to the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, which is a critical factor for this game’s engine. The GPU, while powerful, is not the absolute fastest, and its 4K performance is a limiting factor in the overall ranking. The fact that the combo is in the 758th position out of 2825 indicates that there are many other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 4K.

The data shows that the combo’s performance is highly dependent on resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the system performs admirably, likely ranking much higher than 758. At 4K, however, the GPU’s limitations drag the overall score down. The ranking is a composite measure, and the system’s inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K prevents it from being in the top 500. Nevertheless, a 758th rank out of 2825 is a solid performance, confirming that this hardware pairing is capable of delivering a good experience in most scenarios.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with the Medium preset provides the best experience, with an average of 112 FPS and a minimum of 95 FPS. This offers a smooth, high-quality experience without the performance drop seen at 4K.

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

A: At 4K, the system can only achieve a playable frame rate at Low settings, with an average of 80 FPS. The High and Ultra presets drop to 52 FPS and 41 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The bottleneck shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the high frame rates (up to 223 FPS on Low) suggest the CPU is the limiting factor. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, with performance dropping significantly.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its nearest rival in terms of CPU performance?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score that is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K, and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32924.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the High preset averages 146 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 114 FPS. This is a performance drop of 32 FPS, or roughly 21.9%, when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: Does the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: The data implies that the GPU’s memory and bandwidth are limiting factors at 4K. The average frame rate at 4K High is only 52 FPS, which is significantly lower than at 1440p, suggesting the GPU is struggling with the increased memory load.