The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, using benchmark data to interpret how this combination handles the game across various settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 245 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, it maintains 105 FPS, and at 3840x2160 with High settings, it drops to 58 FPS. For a balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, 2560x1440 appears to be the sweet spot, as it provides a high frame rate while offering more detail than 1080p.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 245 FPS on Low settings to 125 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality, nearly halving the frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 a bottleneck at 1080p in this game?

A: The data suggests not. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 245 FPS. Given the CPU's benchmark scores, it is more likely that the CPU becomes the limiting factor at this resolution, preventing the GPU from achieving even higher frame rates.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 551st out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 20% of all systems tested.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 155H has an average benchmark score of 32697. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a difference of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is 0.2% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H trails by 0.4%. These are effectively statistical ties in performance.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for the highest settings at 4K?

A: The RTX 5090 is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 45 FPS. While the VRAM is more than sufficient, the performance is low, indicating that the GPU's processing power is the limiting factor at this extreme setting.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the primary driver of frame rates in The Technomancer, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU's performance is characterized by its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its 21760 shading units process the game's geometry and effects. The card's boost clock of 2407 MHz helps maintain high throughput.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes immense. The data shows that with High settings, the average frame rate is 58 FPS. This figure drops to 45 FPS on Ultra settings, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its limits. The substantial drop from 88 FPS on Low to 45 FPS on Ultra at 4K highlights how the RTX 5090's raw compute power is the main factor in determining performance. The 32 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor here, as the game likely does not require that much memory. Instead, the GPU's processing capability is the constraint.

The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 and a Passmark G3D score of 39650, place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. This high standing is reflected in its ability to deliver playable frame rates at 4K, even if Ultra settings prove challenging. The data indicates a clear scaling pattern where the GPU's performance is the dominant variable, with the CPU providing the necessary data to keep it fed at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 551 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the system in the upper echelon of tested hardware, roughly in the top 19.5% of all configurations. This ranking is a holistic measure of the combined performance of the CPU and GPU in this specific game.

This rank is a result of the RTX 5090's high percentile standing (92nd among all GPUs) and the Core Ultra 7 155H's respectable 83rd percentile among all CPUs. The system's position suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier performer, the mobile CPU may be holding back the full potential of the graphics card in this title. The high rank is impressive, but the gap between this combo and the top 550 others indicates that there are systems with more balanced or higher-performing components that can achieve better results. The data implies the RTX 5090 is doing most of the heavy lifting, but the CPU's performance is adequate enough to secure a top-20% overall ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields an average of 245 FPS, while the Medium preset (with a min/max of 160/216) averages 188 FPS. High settings drop the average to 160 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very smooth 125 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains high but shows the expected scaling impact. The Low preset averages 160 FPS, Medium 123 FPS (with min/max of 104/141), and High 105 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 82 FPS, which is still well within the range for a responsive experience.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where the RTX 5090 is truly tested. The Low preset drops to an average of 88 FPS. The Medium preset (with min/max of 57/78) averages 67 FPS. High settings average 58 FPS, and the demanding Ultra preset brings the average down to 45 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent scaling of performance with both resolution and settings, with the most significant frame rate drops occurring when moving to 4K and enabling Ultra features.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a mobile processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. It has a 24 MB shared L3 cache. While the GPU is the primary renderer, the CPU must handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. In The Technomancer, the CPU's performance is critical for maintaining high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The data shows that the Core Ultra 7 155H is a capable processor. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15028, and its single-core score is 1743. These scores put it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms most processors. However, its average benchmark score of 32697 is statistically identical to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T (32707, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F (32750, -0.2% delta).

The CPU's performance is sufficient to drive the RTX 5090 to very high frame rates at 1080p. The jump from 160 FPS at 2560x1440 High to 160 FPS at 1920x1080 High is interesting; it suggests that at 1080p, the CPU may be the limiting factor, as the GPU has more headroom but the frame rate does not increase. This is a common scenario where the CPU cannot process frames fast enough to keep the GPU fully utilized. The 22 threads help with multi-threaded workloads, but single-thread performance is often more critical for game logic.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it delivers an average of 125 FPS. This is well above the threshold for a smooth experience, and there is no need to compromise on visual quality when the hardware is this capable.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance. It provides an average of 105 FPS, which is excellent, while the Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also very playable. The data suggests that High settings at 1440p offer the most stable and high-quality experience without the significant performance hit of Ultra.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset appears to be the most practical choice. It averages 67 FPS, which is playable, whereas the High preset drops to 58 FPS. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is likely too demanding for a consistent experience. The Low preset at 88 FPS is an option for competitive play, but Medium provides a much better visual experience for only a 21 FPS cost. For a single-player Action RPG, maintaining a frame rate above 60 FPS is advisable, making Medium the most sensible default for 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings reduces the average frame rate from 160 FPS to 105 FPS, a 34% drop. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 on the same settings reduces the average from 105 FPS to 58 FPS, a further 45% drop.

This scaling pattern indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The pixel count increases significantly from 1080p to 4K, placing a much greater load on the RTX 5090's shaders and ROPs. The frame rate drop is not linear, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth (1.79 TB/s) and compute power are being saturated.

The fact that the frame rate at 1080p High (160 FPS) is identical to that at 1440p High (105 FPS) is not observed; instead, there is a significant drop. This indicates that even at 1080p, the system is not fully CPU-bound, as the GPU is still able to scale its performance. However, the gap between the 1080p and 1440p results (160 vs 105 FPS) shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU is strong enough to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate drops accordingly. This analysis confirms that for this combo in The Technomancer, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p.