The Technomancer

# The Technomancer with Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting benchmark case for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a game that scales heavily with GPU load, yet also shows distinct CPU limitations at lower resolutions. The data suggests this combination delivers a wide performance envelope, from playable 4K Ultra to extremely high refresh rate 1080p gaming, with the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM and high core counts proving decisive in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 195 FPS at 1920x1080 to 128 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 70 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 4080 is being increasingly taxed as pixel count rises. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with Low settings showing the sharpest absolute drop: from 298 FPS at 1080p down to 195 FPS at 1440p and 107 FPS at 4K.

The shape of this scaling curve suggests that at 1080p, the system is not purely GPU-bound. The jump from 195 FPS (High) at 1080p to 128 FPS at 1440p is a 34% reduction, while the subsequent drop from 1440p to 4K (128 to 70 FPS) is a 45% reduction. This non-linear behavior implies that at lower resolutions, the CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are contributing significantly to frame generation, but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra average of 55 FPS, compared to 70 FPS at High, shows that the Ultra preset adds substantial rendering complexity that heavily impacts the GPU.

The measured minimum FPS values, available only for Medium settings, reinforce this analysis. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 70 FPS with a maximum of 94 FPS, while at 1440p Medium the range is 127-172 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it spans 194-263 FPS. These minimums indicate that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains playable frame rates at all resolutions up to 4K Medium, but the Ultra preset at 4K drops below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this system for The Technomancer, particularly at higher resolutions. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample memory capacity and throughput for a 2016 title that likely does not require excessive VRAM. The GPU's 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide substantial raw compute power, reflected in its 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance.

The clock speeds are notably high, with a base of 2205 MHz and boost up to 2505 MHz. These aggressive clocks, combined with the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency, explain why the card can push 298 FPS at 1080p Low settings. The memory clock of 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) ensures that texture bandwidth is not a constraint even at 4K Ultra, where the 55 FPS average suggests the GPU's compute units are the primary limitation rather than memory throughput.

The RTX 4080's benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209 (0.1% difference), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (-1.1% delta). This indicates the 4080 is positioned at the upper mid-range of GPU performance, capable of handling modern titles at high settings, but the data for The Technomancer shows it still struggles with the most demanding presets at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K Ultra settings smoothly?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 55 FPS, which is below the common 60 FPS target. While playable, it may not provide the smoothest experience. Dropping to High settings at 4K yields 70 FPS average, which is more comfortable.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system achieves 195 FPS average, and at Low settings it reaches 298 FPS. Even at 2560x1440 High, the average is 128 FPS, making 1440p a viable option for 120Hz+ displays.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in general benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54247 on average benchmarks, which is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209 (0.1% difference). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, putting it 1.1% higher.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM sufficient for The Technomancer?

A: The data shows no VRAM-related performance issues. The 16 GB GDDR6X memory with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate for a 2016 title, even at 4K Ultra settings.

Q: What CPU performance level does the Core Ultra 5 245 offer?

A: The CPU scores 32924 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4648 in single-core, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios.

Q: Does lowering settings from Ultra to High provide a significant FPS boost at 4K?

A: Yes, the average FPS increases from 55 at Ultra to 70 at High, a 27% improvement. At 1440p, the jump is from 100 to 128 FPS, and at 1080p from 152 to 195 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 4K, High delivers 70 FPS average, which is playable for most users, while Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers 82 FPS average, which is smoother but with reduced visual fidelity. The data shows that the gap between Medium and High is smaller than between High and Ultra, suggesting diminishing returns from the Ultra preset.

At 2560x1440, High settings provide 128 FPS average, making it an excellent choice for high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p still achieves 100 FPS, so users with 100Hz+ displays could opt for Ultra without significant compromise. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings reach 152 FPS average, allowing for maximum visual quality on standard 144Hz monitors, while High pushes to 195 FPS for competitive play.

The Low preset is only recommended for extreme frame rate targets, as it delivers 298 FPS at 1080p and 195 FPS at 1440p. The Medium preset with its recorded minimum FPS values (194 at 1080p, 127 at 1440p, 70 at 4K) shows consistent performance without major dips, making it a reliable choice for users who prioritize stability over maximum visuals.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 213 out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the top 5.8% of all systems benchmarked for this game. This high ranking reflects the strong overall performance of both components, with the RTX 4080's 86th percentile GPU score and the Core Ultra 5 245's 90th percentile CPU score working together effectively.

The ranking suggests that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested for this title, which is expected given the RTX 4080's position near the top of the GPU hierarchy. The 213th rank out of 3696 indicates that only 212 combinations achieve higher frame rates in this game, likely featuring more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generations. The data implies that for most users, this combo provides near-top-tier performance in The Technomancer, with the only limitations appearing at 4K Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS values are: Low 107, Medium 82 (min 70, max 94), High 70, and Ultra 55. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance by roughly 15-20 FPS, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding. The minimum FPS at Medium (70) equals the High average, suggesting that Medium offers more consistent frame pacing relative to its average.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 195, Medium 149 (min 127, max 172), High 128, and Ultra 100. The Medium preset's minimum of 127 FPS indicates that even the most demanding scenes at this resolution remain well above 120 FPS, providing a smooth experience for high refresh rate gaming. The step from Medium to High (149 to 128 FPS) is a 14% reduction, while High to Ultra (128 to 100 FPS) is a 22% reduction, showing that the Ultra preset is disproportionately demanding.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low 298, Medium 229 (min 194, max 263), High 195, and Ultra 152. The 298 FPS at Low approaches the limits of most displays, while even Ultra at 152 FPS exceeds typical 144Hz refresh rates. The Medium preset's minimum of 194 FPS is higher than the High average of 195 FPS, indicating that Medium provides extremely consistent performance at this resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent 35-40% reduction in FPS across settings, while the 1440p to 4K transition results in a 45-50% reduction, highlighting the increasing GPU load at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a nuanced role in The Technomancer's performance. With 14 cores and 14 threads, the CPU offers substantial parallel processing capability, though the lack of hyperthreading means its thread count equals its core count. The base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate it is well-suited for gaming workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and Passmark multithread score of 38706 show strong multi-threaded capability, while the single-thread score of 4394 (Passmark) ensures responsive gameplay. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995, places it in the upper echelon of processors, though its nearest rivals show close competition: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196 (-0.4% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228 (-0.5%), and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618 (0.8%).

In The Technomancer, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions. The fact that 1080p Low settings achieve 298 FPS suggests the CPU can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them at this resolution. However, the scaling pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, with the CPU's role diminishing. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (102.4 GB/s bandwidth) provide adequate data throughput for the game's demands, ensuring the CPU does not starve the GPU of data at higher resolutions.