The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an intriguing test case for modern high-end hardware. The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 7 265HX processor and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile GPU is a formidable pairing. The measured FPS data reveals how this duo handles a game from a previous generation, offering insights into scaling, bottlenecks, and overall system balance. This analysis examines the raw numbers to understand the performance profile of this specific configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable trend: as resolution increases, average FPS decreases significantly. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves an average of 153 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 100 FPS, and at 4K, the average falls to 55 FPS. This represents a 35% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is not entirely GPU-bound, as the drops are not perfectly linear.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p is particularly telling. A pure GPU-bound scenario would typically see a more modest drop, but the 34.6% reduction in FPS indicates that the CPU's role is diminishing as the GPU takes on more work. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K shows a steeper decline, suggesting the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at the highest resolution. This pattern implies that at 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is able to feed frames quickly enough that the GPU becomes the bottleneck, but the gap narrows as pixel count increases.

The data also reveals how different settings presets scale across resolutions. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial: 84 FPS versus 43 FPS, a 95% improvement for Low. At 1440p, the spread is from 153 FPS (Low) down to 78 FPS (Ultra). At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 234 FPS, while Ultra still manages 120 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 4090 Mobile is powerful enough to handle even the most demanding preset at 1080p, but the gap widens considerably at 4K, where the GPU's raw processing power becomes the deciding factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a high-end mobile processor, and its benchmark scores reflect its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 40,642 in multi-core and 5,737 in single-core tests. These scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is among the top processors available.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 234 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of processing game logic and draw calls quickly enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The 153 FPS at 1080p High further supports this, as the CPU handles the increased workload without significant frame drops. The processor's strong single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R20 score of 2,409, is crucial for games that rely on a few primary threads.

However, the data also shows that the CPU's advantage diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K, the FPS drops significantly, indicating that the GPU is now the limiting factor. The CPU is no longer the primary constraint, but it still provides enough headroom to ensure consistent performance. The PassMark multithread score of 47,985 confirms the processor's ability to handle multiple tasks, but in gaming, the single-thread performance often matters more. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is a strong indicator of its capability in this regard, allowing it to handle the game's primary thread efficiently.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance target. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 120 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay. There is little reason to drop to High (153 FPS) or Medium (180 FPS) unless aiming for extremely high refresh rates, as the visual fidelity benefit of Ultra is substantial. The Low preset at 234 FPS is excessive for most displays and sacrifices too much visual quality.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset achieves 78 FPS, which is on the cusp of high-refresh-rate territory. For a smoother experience, the High preset at 100 FPS offers a better balance, providing a significant FPS boost with a modest reduction in visual quality. The Medium preset at 117 FPS is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High is only a 17 FPS difference, making High the better choice for the visual upgrade. The Low preset at 153 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it undermines the game's visual presentation.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which may be below the threshold for some players. The High preset at 55 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset, with an average of 65 FPS and a minimum of 55 FPS, offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 84 FPS is the smoothest option, but it significantly reduces the graphical detail. For most users at 4K, the Medium preset provides the most consistent experience without major visual compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 100 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 234 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 120 FPS. This means the Low preset is 95% faster than Ultra.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 Mobile the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data suggests yes. The FPS drops from 100 FPS at 1440p High to 55 FPS at 4K High, a 45% reduction that aligns with the increased pixel workload, indicating the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 55 FPS, with a maximum of 74 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 5,737 in single-core and 40,642 in multi-core. The multi-core score is roughly 7 times higher, reflecting its 20-core design, but the single-core score is strong enough for gaming.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 120. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 43. This represents a 64% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is a top-tier mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1335 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. Its PassMark G3D score of 27,212 places it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, and its performance rivals are workstation-class cards like the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 and the RTX A6000.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is most apparent at higher resolutions and settings. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this game, ensuring there are no memory-related stutters or texture pop-ins. The GPU's raw compute power, measured at 32.98 TFLOPS, allows it to handle the game's rendering demands with ease. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as the CPU can keep up with its output, resulting in high frame rates across all settings.

The bottleneck shifts to the GPU at 4K. The data shows a clear progression: from 84 FPS at Low to 65 FPS at Medium, 55 FPS at High, and 43 FPS at Ultra. This scaling is consistent with the GPU's workload increasing as more pixels are rendered and more effects are enabled. The memory clock of 2250 MHz and 18 Gbps effective speed ensure that the GPU's memory subsystem is not a constraint, allowing it to operate at its full potential. The RTX 4090 Mobile's performance here demonstrates that it is a powerful GPU, but even it is challenged by 4K Ultra settings in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 234 FPS, Medium averages 180 FPS with a minimum of 153 FPS and a maximum of 207 FPS, High averages 153 FPS, and Ultra averages 120 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 114 FPS, showing a wide performance range at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease. The Low preset averages 153 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS, High averages 100 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 75 FPS, indicating the GPU is starting to become a factor.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are significantly lower. The Low preset averages 84 FPS, Medium averages 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 41 FPS, and the system is clearly GPU-bound at this resolution. The data shows a consistent pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the dominant performance limiter.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile ranks 821st out of 3,696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the top 22% of all systems tested, indicating that it performs well but is not at the very top of the leaderboard. The rank suggests that while the hardware is powerful, other combinations may offer even higher performance in this specific game.

The CPU's benchmark performance is strong, but its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13790F, which has an average score that is 0.1% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G is 0.2% lower, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 is 0.5% higher. These are very close scores, indicating that the CPU is well within the performance envelope of its peers. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, has a 0.9% higher average score, while the Quadro M6000 is 0.8% lower.

The 821st rank out of 3,696 combos is a strong showing, suggesting that this system is well-balanced for The Technomancer. The high CPU and GPU performance ensures that neither component is a significant bottleneck, resulting in the solid frame rates observed in the measured data. This rank indicates that while this combo is not the absolute fastest, it is firmly in the upper echelon of tested systems, delivering a smooth and capable gaming experience.