The Technomancer

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz position it as a mid-to-high-end mobile part, though its 28 W TDP suggests a focus on efficiency over sustained raw throughput. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which is modest by desktop standards but reasonable for a mobile chip.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,028 and a single-core score of 1,743. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 24,873 and single-thread score of 3,468 place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. The nearest rivals are remarkably close: the Intel Core i5-14600T scores 32,707 on average (a 0% delta), while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32,662 (0.1% higher). The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H sit at -0.2% and -0.4% respectively, meaning this CPU is effectively in a dead heat with four other parts in aggregate benchmark performance.

For The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, the CPU's role is less about raw multi-threaded muscle and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing. The game is not particularly CPU-intensive by modern standards, but the 16-core/22-thread configuration ensures that background tasks and game logic never starve the main rendering thread. The 24 MB L3 cache is sufficient for the game's asset streaming, while the 4.80 GHz boost clock provides the single-thread responsiveness that older engines often rely on.

The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, this combo achieves 196 FPS average, which is nearly double the 100 FPS at Ultra settings. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor — the GPU takes over as the bottleneck as visual fidelity increases. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 36 FPS, a figure that indicates the CPU is far from being the constraint; the GPU is clearly the determining component at higher resolutions.

Interestingly, the CPU's PassMark physics score of 1,727 is relatively modest compared to its multi-thread score, which hints that the game's physics simulation might not scale well across all 22 threads. The data encryption score of 16,358 and data compression score of 277,353 suggest strong general-purpose throughput, but these metrics have little direct bearing on gaming performance in a title like The Technomancer.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC's 5 nm process, featuring 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die. It comes with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth — a substantial figure that comfortably exceeds the demands of a 2016 title. The GPU's base clock is 2,295 MHz with a boost clock of 2,452 MHz, and memory runs at 1,750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It has 8,960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 32,974 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49,957. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (0.1% lower), Intel Arc A550M (0.4% higher), AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (2% lower), and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (3.1% higher). This positioning indicates the RTX 5070 Ti is a high-end performer, though not at the absolute top of the stack.

For The Technomancer, the GPU's vast resources are almost overkill given the game's age. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 196 FPS average, and even at 4K Ultra, it manages 36 FPS. The 16 GB VRAM is far more than any 2016 title would require, meaning memory capacity is never a limiting factor. Instead, the GPU's raw compute throughput — 43.94 TFLOPS FP32 and a pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s — drives the frame rates observed.

The data reveals an interesting pattern: the frame rate drop from 1080p Low (196 FPS) to 4K Low (70 FPS) represents a 64% reduction, while the drop from 1080p Ultra (100 FPS) to 4K Ultra (36 FPS) is a 64% reduction as well. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings, with the CPU providing adequate headroom even at lower resolutions.

The RTX 5070 Ti's 300 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry part, but for a game from 2016, the GPU is rarely stressed to its limits. The measured FPS at 1440p High (84 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (66 FPS) show that even at high resolutions, the GPU delivers smooth gameplay. The GPU's nearest rival, the RX Vega 64, is a much older architecture, yet the performance delta is minimal in aggregate benchmarks — this suggests that for older games, architectural efficiency matters less than raw fill rate and bandwidth.

# FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 Ti in The Technomancer?

A: No. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 196 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 100 FPS. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking and its nearest rivals all being within 0.4% in aggregate benchmarks indicate it has ample headroom. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra settings points to the GPU as the limiting component.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5070 Ti have, and is it sufficient for this game?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. For The Technomancer, which released in 2016, 16 GB is vastly more than necessary. The game's texture and geometry demands would not approach this capacity, so VRAM is never a constraint in any of the measured configurations.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 150 FPS average with a minimum of 128 FPS. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining visual quality. High settings at 1080p yield 128 FPS, while Ultra drops to 100 FPS. The Medium preset offers the best balance between frame rate and visual fidelity.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1,038 out of 2,825 tested combinations, placing it in the top 37% of all configurations. This is a solid mid-to-high ranking, though not elite, which is surprising given the GPU's 86th percentile performance.

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

A: At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 54 with a minimum of 46. At 4K High, the average is 46 FPS. These are playable but not ideal for competitive gaming. 4K Ultra drops to 36 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the CPU's 28 W TDP limit performance in this title?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU limitation. The 16-core/22-thread configuration with a 4.80 GHz boost clock is more than sufficient for a 2016 game. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings follows a GPU-bound pattern, suggesting the CPU's power envelope is not a factor.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 1,038 out of 2,825 tested combos for The Technomancer, placing it in the 63rd percentile of configurations. This is a notable discrepancy when compared to the individual component rankings — the CPU sits in the 83rd percentile and the GPU in the 86th percentile. The combo rank is lower than either component's percentile, which suggests that the game itself may not be optimized to fully utilize the capabilities of this hardware pairing.

The nearest CPU rivals — the Core i5-14600T, Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, Ryzen 5 7400F, and Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H — all perform within 0.4% of the 155H in aggregate benchmarks. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals, including the RX Vega 64 and Arc A550M, are within 0.4% of the RTX 5070 Ti's average score. This clustering indicates that the combo's rank is influenced more by the game's engine characteristics than by the hardware's raw potential.

For a 2016 Action RPG, the game likely has a single-threaded bottleneck or limited multi-core scaling, which would explain why this high-end combo doesn't rank higher. The 1,038 position out of 2,825 means there are 1,787 combos that perform worse, but also 1,037 that perform better. This places the combo in a strong but not dominant position, suggesting that for The Technomancer, mid-range hardware from a similar era might offer comparable performance at lower cost (though pricing is not discussed here).

The data implies that the combo's rank is primarily determined by the GPU's ability to push frames at higher resolutions, while the CPU's contribution is secondary. At 1080p, the CPU could potentially limit performance in CPU-bound scenarios, but the measured FPS at Low settings (196 FPS) indicates that even this is not a significant constraint.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 196 FPS, Medium delivers 150 FPS (with a minimum of 128), High delivers 128 FPS, and Ultra delivers 100 FPS. For a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience, the Medium preset represents the best trade-off: it maintains a 150 FPS average, which is 76% of the Low preset's performance, while offering substantially better visual quality. High settings at 128 FPS are also viable for 144 Hz displays, but the jump from Medium to High reduces frame rate by 15%.

At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 98 FPS with a minimum of 84, while High achieves 84 FPS and Ultra drops to 66 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting is the recommended choice for a balance of quality and performance, as it stays above 60 FPS even in minimum frame rate scenarios. High settings at 84 FPS are acceptable for 60 Hz monitors but may feel less fluid on 144 Hz displays.

At 4K, the situation changes significantly. Medium settings yield 54 FPS average with a minimum of 46, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Low settings achieve 70 FPS, making them the only 4K preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. High and Ultra drop to 46 FPS and 36 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. For 4K, the Low preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the best frame rate while maintaining acceptable visual quality for a game from 2016.

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best overall experience across all resolutions, as it provides the most significant frame rate improvement over High and Ultra settings while retaining most of the visual fidelity. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low settings at 1080p (196 FPS) or 1440p (128 FPS) are exceptional choices.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160), providing a comprehensive picture of performance.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 196 at Low to 100 at Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173, while High delivers 128 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 46 FPS (23% reduction), while the gap between Medium and High is 22 FPS (15% reduction), and between High and Ultra is 28 FPS (22% reduction).

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 128 at Low to 66 at Ultra. Medium achieves 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113, while High achieves 84 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: Low drops 35% (196 to 128), Medium drops 35% (150 to 98), High drops 34% (128 to 84), and Ultra drops 34% (100 to 66).

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 70 at Low to 36 at Ultra. Medium achieves 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 62, while High achieves 46 FPS. The reduction from 1440p to 4K is steeper: Low drops 45% (128 to 70), Medium drops 45% (98 to 54), High drops 45% (84 to 46), and Ultra drops 45% (66 to 36).

The data shows a remarkably consistent scaling pattern: each resolution step (1080p to 1440p, 1440p to 4K) reduces frame rate by roughly 34-35% and 45% respectively, regardless of the settings preset. This uniformity suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all configurations, with the CPU providing consistent headroom.

# Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component in this combo. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 34-35% across all settings. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is approximately 45% across all settings. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is approximately 64% for every preset: Low drops from 196 to 70 (64% reduction), Medium drops from 150 to 54 (64% reduction), High drops from 128 to 46 (64% reduction), and Ultra drops from 100 to 36 (64% reduction).

This uniform 64% reduction across all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to scale differently at lower resolutions and settings, where the CPU's workload becomes relatively more significant. Instead, the consistent scaling suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti's rendering throughput is the determining factor at every resolution and preset.

The 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K aligns with the pixel count difference: 4K has exactly 4 times the pixels of 1080p, but the frame rate only drops to 36% of the 1080p value. This implies that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound; memory bandwidth and fill rate also play a role. The RTX 5070 Ti's 896.0 GB/s bandwidth and 235.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are substantial, but the game's engine may not be efficiently utilizing these resources at higher resolutions.

The data also shows that the minimum FPS values, where available, follow the same scaling pattern. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 128 FPS, which drops to 84 FPS at 1440p Medium and 46 FPS at 4K Medium. This consistent 35% and 45% reduction in minimum FPS confirms that the GPU's performance characteristics dominate the frame time distribution.

The resolution scaling analysis indicates that for The Technomancer, the RTX 5070 Ti is the clear limiting component, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H provides sufficient CPU performance to avoid becoming a bottleneck even at 1080p Low where frame rates exceed 190 FPS. This suggests that users looking to improve performance in this game would benefit more from GPU upgrades than CPU upgrades, though the current combo already delivers playable frame rates at all settings and resolutions except 4K Ultra.