The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile across a matrix of resolutions and settings. The data reveals a system with substantial headroom, but also highlights the specific bottlenecks that emerge as visual fidelity and pixel count increase.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 150 FPS at 1080p to 98 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%, which is a substantial performance cost.

This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 5080 Mobile, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being pushed harder as the pixel count increases. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is even steeper, indicating that the GPU is nearing its limits at the highest resolution. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system has ample GPU headroom, but at 4K, the graphics card is working near its maximum capacity.

The pattern holds across all settings. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 229 FPS at 1080p to 150 FPS at 1440p, and then to 82 FPS at 4K. This is a 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is nearly identical to the High preset's scaling. The consistency of this scaling across presets reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, regardless of the graphics settings. The CPU, while capable, is not the primary bottleneck in this scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and RTX 5080 Mobile combination ranks 992nd out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the 73rd percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it performs better than roughly three-quarters of all systems tested for this game. This is a strong showing, but it is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy.

The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The RTX 5080 Mobile is a high-end mobile GPU, but the Core Ultra 7 155H, while a capable 16-core processor, is not the absolute fastest CPU available. The combination's rank suggests that while the GPU is powerful enough to deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions, the overall system performance is moderated by the CPU's capabilities. The 992nd rank out of 3696 combos indicates a well-balanced system that is more than capable for this title, but it is not in the top tier of all possible pairings. This is consistent with the CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the central component in this performance profile. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory is ample for The Technomancer, even at 4K resolution, where memory capacity can become a limiting factor in some titles. The memory bus width of 256 bit and the resulting 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth provide substantial throughput, which is crucial for feeding the GPU's 7680 shading units at high resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 975 MHz and a boost of 1500 MHz, are relatively modest for a high-end part, but the architecture's efficiency compensates for this. The 23.04 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is a significant resource, and the data shows that it is fully utilized at 4K resolution. The GPU's benchmark scores are also telling. Its Passmark G3D score of 27711 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4952 are strong indicators of its raw performance. The GPU's percentile rank of 81 versus all GPUs confirms that it is a high-performing part, but the measured FPS data in this specific game shows that it is not invincible at the highest settings.

The performance at the Ultra preset illustrates this point. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is not a failure of the GPU, but rather a reflection of the extreme demands of the Ultra preset at 4K. The GPU is being pushed to its absolute limit, and the frame rate reflects that.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance at all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 229 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The Medium preset averages 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS. The High preset averages 150 FPS, and even the Ultra preset maintains an average of 117 FPS. At 1080p, this system is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate displays at any setting.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. The Low preset averages 150 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. The High preset averages 98 FPS, which is still smooth. The Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, which is playable but no longer hits the 100+ FPS territory seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 82 FPS, which is respectable. The Medium preset averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS. The High preset averages 54 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows a clear gradient: at 4K, the user must trade off settings to achieve acceptable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this game with this hardware?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves over 117 FPS at all settings, making it the best resolution for high-refresh-rate gameplay. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 98 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly, with the High preset averaging 54 FPS.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, the average frame rate is 82 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 63 FPS. The High preset averages 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 42 FPS. Users seeking 60 FPS at 4K should use the Medium preset.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, which is 21 FPS lower than the High preset's average of 98 FPS. The performance cost of the Ultra preset is significant.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 229 FPS, which is very high. The fact that frame rates scale down consistently as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, not the CPU.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 54 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Medium preset. This is the only measured setting where the minimum FPS drops below 60.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This combination ranks 992nd out of 3696 tested combos, placing it in the 73rd percentile. This indicates it performs better than most, but not all, tested systems.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset is the recommended choice. At 1920x1080, it delivers an average of 150 FPS, which is excellent. At 2560x1440, it maintains a smooth 98 FPS average. The High preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while only incurring a modest frame rate penalty.

The Ultra preset provides a marginal visual improvement over High but comes with a substantial performance cost. At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, which is a 21% reduction from High. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 42 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Given these results, the Ultra preset is only recommended for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate and are playing at 1080p, where it still achieves 117 FPS.

For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset is the optimal choice. It averages 63 FPS at 3840x2160, which is above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Low preset achieves a higher average of 82 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 4K provides the best compromise between image quality and playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz provide solid single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743. The multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for the demands of The Technomancer.

In this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. At 1080p, the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rates are high across all settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 229 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this title. However, the CPU's performance is adequate to keep the GPU well-utilized at higher resolutions.

The CPU's benchmark scores and its 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate that it is a capable processor. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with a delta of 0%. This suggests that the Core Ultra 7 155H is a well-rounded processor that does not hold back the RTX 5080 Mobile in this game. The system's 992nd rank out of 3696 combos confirms the balanced nature of this pairing; neither component is a weak link that severely hampers the other's performance.