The Technomancer

The Technomancer is an Action RPG from 2016, and pairing the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces the fastest combination in the benchmark database for this title. This combo ranks 1st out of 2825 tested CPU and GPU pairings, placing it at the very top of the performance stack for this game. The data shows that this pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, making it a definitive high-end choice for anyone prioritizing maximum performance in The Technomancer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1 out of 2825 tested combinations is not just a marginal win; it represents the absolute peak of measured performance for The Technomancer. When a pairing reaches this position, it means that no other tested combination of processor and graphics card in the database has produced higher average frame rates in this specific game. This is significant because The Technomancer, while not the newest title, still presents a meaningful workload that can differentiate between hardware configurations. The data indicates that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and RTX 5090 D together are effectively unbeatable for this game's engine, which is a notable achievement given the wide variety of hardware tested in the database.

Looking at the individual components provides context for this top ranking. The CPU holds a 96th percentile ranking among all tested processors, meaning it outperforms 96% of its peers in general benchmark scores. Its average benchmark score of 93785 places it in a tight cluster with several server-class processors. The nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, has an average score of 93786, a delta of 0%, making them effectively identical in overall CPU performance. The AMD EPYC 4564P is 1.5% behind, and the AMD EPYC 9175F is 1.9% behind, with the AMD EPYC 4565P trailing at 2.1% behind. This indicates that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a top-tier CPU that can hold its own against enterprise-grade silicon, which is a strong foundation for gaming performance.

The GPU side is equally impressive, though with a different competitive landscape. The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals in the database are notably different in class. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is only 1.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% behind, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1% behind. These are mobile and datacenter parts, which suggests that the RTX 5090 D's score is being compared against a diverse field, but the ranking confirms it is a high-performance card. The combination of a top-4% CPU and a top-8% GPU is what propels this pairing to the number one spot in this game. The data strongly suggests that neither component is a bottleneck; they work in concert to deliver the highest possible frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake Refresh codename with a 3 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which are the key figures for understanding its gaming performance. For a game like The Technomancer, which was released in 2016, the high boost clock is often more critical than the sheer core count. The game's engine may not be optimized to use all 24 threads effectively, so the ability of a single core to reach 5.50 GHz can be the deciding factor in maintaining high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU is under more relative load.

The cache hierarchy also plays a role. The CPU features 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This substantial L3 cache can help keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency and improving performance in scenarios where the game needs to quickly access assets. The memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The Technomancer, being an older title, may not be particularly sensitive to memory bandwidth, but the platform's modern memory support ensures that the CPU is not starved for data. The CPU also supports ECC memory, a feature more common in workstation environments, which adds to its versatility but is not directly a gaming performance factor.

In the context of this game's results, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to keep it busy. The benchmark scores for the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and a single-core score of 2439, demonstrate its capability. The PassMark single-thread score of 5068 is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines, including those from 2016, rely heavily on single-threaded performance. The data shows that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus excels in this area, which helps explain why the combo performs so well at 1080p where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. The combination of high single-core boost clocks and a large cache makes this CPU well-suited for ensuring that frame rates remain high, even in scenes with complex physics or AI calculations. The CPU’s launch MSRP is $299, a fact that can be noted but not expanded upon.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of visual output, and its specifications are formidable. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, and it features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a critical specification for high-resolution gaming, as it allows the GPU to quickly access textures and frame buffers. For The Technomancer, which has a variety of environments and effects, having this much bandwidth ensures that the GPU is not waiting on memory, even at 4K resolution with high detail settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost, which are relatively high and contribute to its raw processing power. It has 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, which is a measure of its general compute capability. The pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s. These figures are all top-tier and indicate that the GPU can handle even the most demanding graphical workloads. For a game from 2016, this GPU is massively overqualified, but the data shows that it still yields tangible benefits, particularly at higher resolutions.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU's role becomes clear when looking at the scaling from Low to Ultra settings. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 358 FPS, which is exceptionally high. This is a scenario where the GPU is barely stressed, and the CPU is likely the limiting factor. However, even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 66, which is still playable and shows that the GPU has enough power to handle the increased resolution and settings. The GPU’s 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture load in this game, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures there are no memory-related stutters. The RTX 5090 D's benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 and a PassMark G3D score of 44065, confirm its high-end status. The GPU also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is backward compatible with this game, allowing for modern driver optimizations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the results are spectacular. With Low settings, the average FPS is 358. Moving to Medium settings, the average is 276 FPS, with a minimum of 235 and a maximum of 317. At High settings, the average is 236 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 184 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the highest settings, the game runs far beyond what most monitors can display, making the experience incredibly smooth. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 174 FPS, which shows that the game's settings have a significant impact on frame rate, but even the lowest performance is still excellent.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the frame rates remain very high but show a predictable decrease. At Low settings, the average is 235 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 180 FPS, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 207. High settings drop to an average of 154 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 120 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with each setting tier seeing a roughly 30-35% reduction in frame rate. For example, High settings go from 236 FPS at 1080p to 154 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 82 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor as the pixel count increases, but the performance is still well above the threshold for competitive gaming.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the performance is still strong, but the demands of the resolution are clear. Low settings yield an average of 129 FPS. Medium settings average 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 114. High settings average 85 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 66 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a drop of 63 FPS, from 129 to 66. This shows that the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough to handle 4K, but the highest settings will push it down to a level that is still playable but not as buttery smooth as lower resolutions. The data shows that for a 60Hz 4K display, even Ultra settings are playable, but for a 120Hz display, players may need to drop to High or Medium settings to maintain a higher frame rate. The Medium setting row at each resolution includes min and max FPS data, with 4K Medium showing a range of 84 to 114 FPS, 1440p Medium showing 153 to 207 FPS, and 1080p Medium showing 235 to 317 FPS, indicating stable frame times with no severe dips.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling of this combo is a clear indicator of where the performance bottleneck lies. From 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the frame rates decrease in a way that is typical for a system with a very powerful CPU and GPU. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 236. At 1440p High, it drops to 154 FPS, a reduction of 34.7%. At 4K High, it drops further to 85 FPS, which is a 44.8% reduction from 1440p. This pattern shows that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, which is expected given that the GPU is responsible for rendering the additional pixels.

Looking at the Low settings, the scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 358. At 1440p Low, it is 235 FPS, a drop of 34.4%. At 4K Low, it is 129 FPS, a drop of 45.1% from 1440p. The percentage drops are very consistent between High and Low settings, which suggests that the game's settings do not significantly change the balance between CPU and GPU load. The CPU is still able to provide enough data to the GPU at all resolutions, but the GPU's workload increases linearly with the number of pixels.

The data reveals that the CPU is not a severe bottleneck even at 1080p, given the extremely high frame rates. The 1080p Low result of 358 FPS reflects the CPU's single-thread performance and the GPU's ability to render frames quickly. However, the fact that the FPS drops so significantly from 1080p to 1440p (e.g., from 236 to 154 at High settings) indicates that the GPU is the component most responsible for the resolution scaling. If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, we would expect to see less of a drop when moving to higher resolutions, because the CPU workload would remain similar while the GPU workload increases. Instead, the data shows a consistent drop, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions. This means that for users who want to push to 4K, the RTX 5090 D is doing the heavy lifting, and the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is keeping up without holding it back.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display and performance goals. For a 1080p display with a high refresh rate (144Hz or higher), the data shows that even Ultra settings, with an average of 184 FPS, will exceed the refresh rate, providing a completely smooth experience. For users with a 240Hz 1080p display, High settings at 236 FPS or Medium settings at 276 FPS are better choices to maximize the frame rate. Low settings at 358 FPS are only necessary for the most extreme competitive scenarios, but the visual quality loss is significant.

At 1440p, the choice is more nuanced. With a standard 144Hz monitor, High settings at 154 FPS are ideal, as they provide a high frame rate while maintaining good visual fidelity. Ultra settings at 120 FPS are also viable for a 120Hz display, but the drop to 120 FPS from 154 FPS may be noticeable in fast-paced action. Medium settings at 180 FPS would be the choice for a 165Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, but the visual quality is slightly lower. Low settings at 235 FPS are overkill for most displays and would only be recommended for users who prioritize frame rate above all else.

For 4K gaming, the recommendations change significantly. A 60Hz 4K display is well-served by Ultra settings, which average 66 FPS, staying above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at 85 FPS are a better choice for a 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as they provide a frame rate that can take advantage of the higher refresh rate. Medium settings at 99 FPS would be the sweet spot for a 4K 120Hz display, offering a good balance between visual quality and frame rate, with a minimum of 84 FPS ensuring that even heavy scenes remain smooth. Low settings at 129 FPS are an option for those who want maximum frame rates at 4K, but the visual compromise is substantial. The data suggests that the best overall experience for this combo at 4K is High settings, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Medium while still maintaining an average FPS of 85, which is comfortable for most modern displays. For users with a 4K 144Hz display, they will have to accept Medium settings to get closer to that refresh rate, but the game's engine may not be able to fully utilize that refresh rate anyway. The Medium preset is also the only one with min and max FPS data, showing a range of 84 to 114 FPS at 4K, which indicates consistent performance without major frame drops.