The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 across a matrix of resolutions and settings. The data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but one that is also constrained by the GPU's raw power at higher resolutions and quality presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The maximum average FPS observed in the dataset is 245, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 551st out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 123 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 82 FPS. This represents a 41 FPS difference between the two settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 45, which is a dramatic drop from the 82 FPS at 1440p Ultra, indicating the GPU is struggling with the increased pixel count.

Q: What is the only resolution and settings combination that provides a minimum FPS figure?

A: The only entries with min and max FPS data are the Medium settings presets. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 160 FPS and the maximum is 216 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 104 FPS and the maximum is 141 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 57 FPS and the maximum is 78 FPS.

Q: By how much does the CPU's average benchmark score differ from its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, has an average score of 63080, making the Ultra 7 265HX just 0.1% faster.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this configuration, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. Its specifications are formidable, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, which provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's core is clocked at a base of 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The sheer number of compute units, including 21760 shading units and 680 tensor cores, positions it as a top-tier performer, as evidenced by its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of frame rates. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 245 FPS, but this is likely a scenario where the CPU is beginning to become a factor. However, as we move to higher resolutions like 3840x2160, the GPU's workload expands significantly. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is just 45, a stark contrast to the 125 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This indicates that the RTX 5090 is being fully utilized and is the bottleneck at 4K, with its immense processing power being the sole determinant of performance.

The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is another key asset. While The Technomancer is a 2016 title that may not require such a large frame buffer at these settings, the capacity ensures that memory is never a limiting factor, even at the highest resolutions and texture qualities. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that data can be fed to the processing cores quickly, preventing stutters and maintaining smooth frame delivery. The data shows a clear link between the GPU's capability and the game's performance; as the resolution and settings place more demand on the graphics card, the frame rate responds accordingly.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for The Technomancer shows a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance. The High settings preset appears to offer the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers a robust 160 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience. Moving up to 2560x1440, the High preset still maintains a high 105 FPS average, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 3840x2160, the High preset achieves a playable 58 FPS average.

The Ultra preset, while offering the highest visual fidelity, exacts a significant performance cost. At 4K, the frame rate drops to 45 FPS, which may be below the target for some users seeking a 60 FPS experience. At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 82 FPS average is respectable but represents a substantial 23 FPS drop compared to the High preset. For users prioritizing a consistently high frame rate, the High preset provides the best performance per visual step.

The Medium preset serves as a middle ground. It provides a 188 FPS average at 1080p and a 123 FPS average at 1440p, with recorded minimums of 160 FPS and 104 FPS, respectively. At 4K, the Medium preset's 67 FPS average is the most stable option for hitting 60 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual quality; it is best suited for competitive play where frame rate is paramount. Based on the data, the High preset is recommended for the best overall experience, balancing high visual quality with frame rates that remain well above 60 FPS at 1440p and playable at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 places this configuration at rank 551 out of 2825 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This ranking puts the system in the top 19.5% of all tested hardware pairings. While this is a strong showing, it is not the absolute top, suggesting that there are other combinations that deliver even higher frame rates in this specific title.

This rank is somewhat lower than what the individual component benchmarks might suggest. The RTX 5090 sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and the CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The fact that their combined ranking in this game is not higher indicates that The Technomancer's engine may not fully utilize the hardware's potential, or that it is sensitive to other factors like memory latency. The combo's position in the 551st spot highlights that while the hardware is exceptionally powerful, its performance in this specific 2016 title is not at the absolute pinnacle of the database, likely due to the game's age and engine limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data across the three resolutions reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, and then to 3840x2160, results in predictable performance drops. At High settings, the average frame rate decreases from 160 FPS at 1080p to 105 FPS at 1440p, a 34% drop. Scaling further to 4K, the average drops to 58 FPS, a 45% reduction from the 1440p figure.

This scaling behavior indicates that the system is heavily GPU-limited. The RTX 5090 has to render four times as many pixels at 4K compared to 1080p. The fact that the frame rate does not drop by a proportional 75% suggests that there are other bottlenecks, potentially in the game's rendering pipeline or a slight CPU limitation at lower resolutions. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system hits 245 FPS. When moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 160 FPS, and at 4K Low, it's 88 FPS. The diminishing returns as resolution increases point to the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power being the primary constraint at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more relevant. The data shows that the RTX 5090's performance is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured data provides a detailed view of the system's performance.

1920x1080:

• Low: The average FPS is 245.
• Medium: The average FPS is 188, with a minimum of 160 and a maximum of 216.
• High: The average FPS is 160.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 125.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 160.
• Medium: The average FPS is 123, with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 141.
• High: The average FPS is 105.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 82.

3840x2160:

• Low: The average FPS is 88.
• Medium: The average FPS is 67, with a minimum of 57 and a maximum of 78.
• High: The average FPS is 58.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 45.

This breakdown shows that at 1080p, even the Ultra preset provides a frame rate above 120 FPS, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate 1080p displays. At 1440p, the High preset's 105 FPS is the sweet spot for 100Hz+ monitors, while Ultra dips to 82 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset manages to exceed 60 FPS, with Medium at 67 FPS being the highest quality setting that remains playable for a 60 FPS target. The High and Ultra presets at 4K will require a VRR display to be comfortable, as they fall below the 60 FPS mark.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It features 30 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 and a single-core score of 5737, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to manage the game's logic, physics, and draw calls. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU at higher resolutions. This is evident from the frame rate scaling; the system is clearly GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the frame rate peaks at 245 FPS, which is likely approaching the limit of what the CPU can feed to the GPU. The high single-core performance of the Ultra 7 265HX, evidenced by its 5737 Cinebench R23 score, ensures that the game's main thread is handled effectively.

The processor's 20 cores provide substantial multi-threaded headroom, which is beneficial for background tasks and modern game engines that can utilize more than a few cores. Its performance is closely matched with rivals like the Intel Core i7-13790F, which it beats by 0.1%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which is 0.2% faster. This indicates that the Ultra 7 265HX is a top-tier mobile processor, and while it is not the limiting factor in this configuration, its robust performance ensures the RTX 5090 is not starved of data. The CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation, and the benchmark results confirm it does so without becoming a significant bottleneck.