The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a fascinating case study for modern hardware. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the game's performance reveals a clear hierarchy of bottlenecks and scaling rules. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the sheer power of the RTX 5090 still manages to push frame rates to remarkable heights, even in a title from a previous generation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a classic, yet extreme, pattern of resolution scaling. As the pixel count rises, the average frame rate drops predictably, but the rate of that drop tells a compelling story about which component is doing the heavy lifting. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 221 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 144 FPS, a significant 34.8% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields 79 FPS, which is another 45.1% drop from the 1440p figure and a 64.3% drop from the 1080p baseline.

This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the rendering load is scaling dramatically with pixel count, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5090 is being tasked with shading an exponentially larger number of pixels, and its performance is the limiting factor. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores, is not the constraint here; it is feeding the GPU data faster than the GPU can process the 4K image.

The contrast between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution further confirms this. At 4K, the difference between Low (121 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) is a massive 95.2% performance swing. This shows that the GPU's compute units, its 21,760 shading units, are the primary resource being consumed by the higher fidelity effects. The fact that the 4K Ultra average of 62 FPS is still perfectly playable confirms the raw power of this card, but the scaling curve suggests that for truly high-refresh-rate 4K gaming, even this flagship GPU has to make concessions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its benchmark data shows a strong single-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960, and a substantial multi-threaded capability with a multi-core score of 42216. This combination of high single-thread and multi-thread performance is ideal for modern gaming, which often relies on a few primary threads while using others for background tasks.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role appears to be that of a capable, uninhibited feeder. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the game can reach an average of 337 FPS on Low settings. This very high frame rate is a strong indicator that the CPU is able to process the game's logic and issue draw calls fast enough to keep the GPU busy. The processor is not bottlenecking the system until frame rates reach extreme levels.

The data shows that the game is not heavily reliant on the CPU's multi-threading capabilities, as the performance difference between resolutions is dictated by the GPU. However, the CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is crucial for ensuring that the game's main thread can execute quickly, preventing any stutters or frame pacing issues. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. This CPU provides a robust foundation that allows the RTX 5090 to perform to its full potential, with the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicating it is a high-end part that won't hold back the GPU.

FAQ

Q: The game is from 2016. Why is the 4K Ultra frame rate not higher than 62 FPS?

A: The data shows that the 4K Ultra preset is extremely demanding. The average FPS drops from 93 on Medium to 62 on Ultra. This indicates that the Ultra preset applies a significant load on the GPU, and even a top-tier card like the RTX 5090, which has a 32 GB VRAM buffer and 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power, is heavily taxed by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The performance drop from 1080p (337 FPS on Low) to 4K (121 FPS on Low) is 64.1%, which is a massive reduction that aligns with the GPU's rendering load. The CPU's performance, as measured by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216, is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's performance in this game compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79605, making the RTX 5090 0.3% faster. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has an average score of 78940, placing it 1.1% behind the RTX 5090. This data indicates that in general compute benchmarks, the RTX 5090 is at the top of its class, but the margin over the nearest rivals is small.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: If the goal is to exceed 144 FPS, the data shows that 2560x1440 is a sweet spot. The High preset at 1440p achieves an average of 144 FPS, while the Medium preset reaches 169 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 221 FPS, which is ideal for 240Hz panels. The 4K resolution, even on Low settings, only averages 121 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance hit comes from enabling Ultra settings compared to High?

A: The performance hit is substantial. At 1080p, the drop from High (221 FPS) to Ultra (173 FPS) is a 21.7% reduction. At 1440p, the drop from High (144 FPS) to Ultra (113 FPS) is a 21.5% reduction. At 4K, the drop from High (79 FPS) to Ultra (62 FPS) is a 21.5% reduction. This consistent percentage suggests the Ultra preset adds a uniform level of additional GPU work across all resolutions.

Q: With 32 GB of VRAM, does the RTX 5090 ever run out of memory in this game?

A: The data provided does not include VRAM usage metrics. However, given that the game is from 2016 and the RTX 5090 has a 32 GB GDDR7 memory buffer with a 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, it is highly unlikely that memory capacity or bandwidth is a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. The performance differences are more likely due to raw compute and shader work.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 holds a combo rank of 35 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 1.2% of all systems tested, which is a clear indication of its elite-level performance. The rank is a holistic measure that considers the system's ability to run the game across all tested resolutions and settings.

This top-tier ranking is a direct result of both components performing at their respective peaks. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is faster than 93% of all processors in the database, providing a strong foundation. The GPU, with its 92nd percentile ranking, is similarly one of the fastest available. When combined, they create a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for this game, ensuring that neither component becomes a significant bottleneck. The rank suggests that very few other hardware combinations can match the overall frame rates and smoothness this pair delivers in The Technomancer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. For the 1920x1080 resolution, the results show a wide range of performance. On Low settings, the system achieves an average of 337 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 259 FPS, with a minimum of 220 FPS and a maximum of 298 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 221 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 173 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still very high but shows the expected scaling. The Low preset averages 220 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 169 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 144 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 113 FPS. These figures show that 1440p remains a very viable option for high-refresh-rate gaming, even with the most demanding settings.

The 3840x2160 resolution marks a significant step down in performance. The Low preset averages 121 FPS, which is still smooth. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 62 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this title is possible, but achieving high frame rates requires lowering the quality presets. The min FPS values for the Medium presets are particularly interesting, showing that frame pacing remains stable even under load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired refresh rate. For a standard 60 Hz 4K display, the Ultra preset is playable, with an average of 62 FPS. However, for a smoother experience, the High preset at 4K, averaging 79 FPS, offers a better balance between visual fidelity and performance. The data suggests that for 4K, the High preset is the most sensible choice, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while still delivering enhanced visuals over the Medium preset.

For gamers with 1440p monitors, the options are more flexible. The High preset, with an average of 144 FPS, is perfectly matched for a 144 Hz display. For those with higher refresh rate displays, the Medium preset, averaging 169 FPS, provides a solid uplift. The Low preset at 220 FPS is excessive for most displays, but the High preset is the clear sweet spot for balancing performance and quality, as the jump to Ultra is not worth the 21.5% performance loss for a marginal visual improvement.

At 1080p, the system is so powerful that it is almost overkill. The High preset, with an average of 221 FPS, is ideal for 240 Hz esports-style monitors. The Ultra preset, at 173 FPS, is still excellent and would be the recommendation for those who prioritize maximum visual quality, as it is still well above the 144 Hz threshold. The Low preset at 337 FPS is unnecessary, as the High preset offers a significantly better visual experience while still maintaining incredibly high frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed star of this performance profile. Its massive specifications, including 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, and 21,760 shading units, are the primary drivers of the high frame rates observed. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its dominance, with a Passmark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355. These scores, while not game-specific, confirm its position as a top-tier graphics processor.

The data for The Technomancer clearly shows the GPU's role as the primary rendering engine. The significant FPS drops as resolution and settings increase are directly attributable to the GPU's workload. The transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings results in a 64.3% drop in performance, which is a classic sign of pixel-pushing limits. The RTX 5090's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is designed to excel at these tasks, and its 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is what allows it to maintain playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates that it is faster than 92% of all graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, are all within a 1.1% margin of its average score, showing that it is at the very pinnacle of compute performance. In this game, the RTX 5090 is the component that determines the absolute ceiling of performance, and the data shows that ceiling is extremely high, enabling playable 4K Ultra and incredibly high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p.