The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 8050S combo. The data shows this pairing is firmly in the mid-range of tested configurations, ranking 2087th out of 2825 combos. This is not a combination for chasing maximum fidelity at high resolutions, but it offers a stable experience at more moderate settings. The measured frames per second reveal a system that is capable but requires careful settings management to hit smooth frame rates, particularly as the resolution increases. The analysis below breaks down the optimal settings, the role of each component, and what the numbers mean for gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 8050S, the benchmark data indicates a clear hierarchy of playable settings. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 92 FPS, which is a solid target for a smooth experience. The Medium preset is also very viable, averaging 107 FPS, while Low pushes performance to 140 FPS. The Ultra preset, while visually demanding, still manages an average of 71 FPS, which is playable for many, but the higher presets offer a better balance of visual quality and performance headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset averages 60 FPS, which is right on the edge of what many consider the minimum for a fluid experience. The Medium preset at 70 FPS provides a more comfortable margin, and Low at 91 FPS is the clear choice for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 47 FPS, which is starting to feel less fluid and is best avoided if you prioritize smoothness. The data suggests that the "sweet spot" for this combo at 1440p is the Medium preset, as it provides a good balance between visual fidelity and a stable frame rate.

At 4K (3840x2160), the situation becomes more constrained. The High preset averages just 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset is only marginally better at 38 FPS. The Low preset is the only truly playable option at this resolution, averaging 50 FPS. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 26 FPS. Therefore, the recommended approach for this hardware is to use the High preset at 1080p, the Medium preset at 1440p, and the Low preset at 4K. This provides the best playable experience at each resolution according to the measured data.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is the primary driver of the performance differences between settings, as indicated by the FPS scaling. The GPU's architecture is RDNA 3.5, built on a 4 nm process, and it operates with a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," which means its bandwidth is "System Dependent" and its size is shared with the CPU. This is a crucial detail, as it means the GPU's performance is tied to the system's memory, and it does not have dedicated video memory. This shared memory setup likely contributes to the significant performance drops at higher resolutions, where the demand for memory bandwidth increases substantially.

The GPU has 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, and its texture rate is 358.4 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 11.47 TFLOPS. These specifications place it in a specific performance tier. The benchmark results show it is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 in its average benchmark score. This context is important; it is not a high-end discrete GPU but rather a capable integrated solution. The data shows that the GPU's performance is the limiting factor at 4K, where even the Low preset only yields 50 FPS, suggesting the system is heavily reliant on the GPU's compute and memory interface. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces that it is a solid performer, but not a top-tier one.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2087th out of 2825 combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the pack, indicating that while it is not a weak performer, there are many other systems that can run this game at higher frame rates or with higher visual settings. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is a high-end mobile part.

The CPU itself, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, is a strong processor. Its average benchmark score is 35670, which places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to its nearest rivals, with a deltaPct of -0.1% compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and -0.2% compared to the Intel Core 7 250H. This means the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The low ranking of the combo is therefore almost entirely attributable to the GPU's performance ceiling. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly better result in this game, as the CPU has ample headroom to support higher frame rates. The combo's rank is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range standing, not the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the system performs across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 140 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this combo. The Medium preset averages 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. The High preset averages 92 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 71 FPS. These numbers show a clear and predictable performance scaling as visual quality increases.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but expected. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS, which is a solid 60 FPS experience. The High preset averages exactly 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 47 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 44 FPS, showing the heavy cost of the Ultra preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is the only setting that breaks the 40 FPS barrier. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset averages 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. The data shows that the step from Medium to High at 4K costs 5 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra costs another 7 FPS, making Ultra an unviable option. These numbers confirm that the Radeon 8050S is not designed for 4K gaming in this title, and users should stick to lower resolutions for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are dramatic and reveal the nature of the bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 92 to 60, a decrease of 32 FPS or roughly 35%. This is a significant drop, but it is typical for a GPU with a shared memory architecture. The jump from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 on the High preset is even more severe, with the average FPS falling from 60 to 33, a reduction of 27 FPS or 45%. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at these higher resolutions.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the FPS drops from 140 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and then to 50 at 4K. At Medium, it goes from 107 to 70 to 38. At Ultra, it goes from 71 to 47 to 26. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is consistently large, often more than 60%. This steep decline shows that the system is heavily constrained by the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities when the pixel count increases. The CPU, which has a high benchmark score and is in the 85th percentile, is unlikely to be the cause of this scaling, as its performance does not degrade with resolution. The data strongly suggests that the Radeon 8050S's shared memory and mid-range compute power are the limiting factors, making 1080p the optimal resolution for this game on this hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, the High preset averages 92 FPS, and even the Ultra preset reaches 71 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset drops to 60 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the High preset falls to 33 FPS, indicating a significant loss in playability.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1440p?

A: The measured average FPS for the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 is 47. This is below the 60 FPS target that most players prefer for a smooth experience, so it is not recommended if you prioritize fluid gameplay. The Medium preset at 70 FPS is a better choice for a balanced experience.

Q: How does this combo compare to other systems in the database?

A: This combo ranks 2087th out of 2825 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle tier. The CPU is a high-end part (85th percentile), but the GPU's performance limits the overall ranking.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases, from 140 FPS at 1080p Low to 50 FPS at 4K Low. The CPU, which is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, is unlikely to be the limiting factor, as its workload does not scale with resolution in the same way.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 8050S a powerful GPU?

A: The GPU is a mid-range performer. It ranks in the 89th percentile of all GPUs and is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M in average benchmark score. However, its performance in this game at high resolutions is limited, as evidenced by the sub-60 FPS averages at 1440p with higher settings.

Q: What is the frame rate range for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has an average FPS of 107, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. This provides a consistently smooth experience without the performance cost of the High or Ultra presets.