The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, is not a modern title, but that does not mean it runs effortlessly on every system. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 produces a wide range of performance depending on how you configure the game. The data shows that this pairing is capable of delivering highly playable frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but it struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at the absolute highest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance of this specific CPU and GPU combo across a range of resolutions and quality presets, providing a clear picture of what to expect and how to optimize your experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination holds a rank of 1709 out of 2825 tested combos for this specific game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of all possible pairings, which might seem underwhelming for a modern system. However, this ranking is heavily skewed by the game's age and the fact that many of the top-ranked combos are likely using much more powerful desktop-grade hardware. It is crucial to interpret this rank within the context of the game's release date; The Technomancer was released in 2016, and the benchmark database includes a vast array of historical and modern components. A rank of 1709 indicates that while this combo is not at the top of the charts, it is far from the bottom, and its actual measured performance tells a more nuanced story about its capabilities in this specific title.

The benchmark results indicate that the bottleneck shifts depending on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU is likely doing more of the heavy lifting, which explains the large performance gap between low and high settings. As you move to 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, and the frame rates converge to a narrower range. The combo's rank is a composite measure, but it does not fully capture the playable experience available at lower resolutions. For a player with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combination is far more competitive than the overall rank suggests, delivering performance that is well above the minimum playable threshold. The rank is a useful metric for a broad overview, but the specific FPS measurements are far more informative for making a purchasing or configuration decision.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the driving force behind the visual output in this combo. Its memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This is a modest memory subsystem by modern standards, and it is a critical factor in how the card performs at higher resolutions in this game. The card's core clocks are set at a base of 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz. The architecture is Ada Lovelace, built on a 5 nm process, which contributes to its efficiency and performance characteristics.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as the resolution increases. At 3840x2160, the card is clearly under significant strain, as evidenced by the average frame rates that drop well below the 60 FPS threshold. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is also a potential concern at this resolution, as the game's textures and effects can easily consume a large portion of it, potentially leading to performance dips. The benchmark results show that the RTX 4060 is more comfortable at 2560x1440, where it can produce playable frame rates on the lower settings. The GPU's performance profile suggests that it is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where its bandwidth and compute capabilities are sufficient to maintain high frame rates. This is a classic example of a mid-range GPU that excels at mainstream resolutions but falls behind when pushed to 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on your target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth and responsive experience, the data points to a clear sweet spot. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 115 FPS, which is excellent and offers a significant performance headroom. The High preset is also a very strong option, with an average of 99 FPS, providing better visual fidelity while still maintaining a high frame rate. While the Low preset reaches 150 FPS, the visual compromise is likely too great for most players. The Ultra preset, while visually appealing, drops to 77 FPS, which is playable but sacrifices some of the fluidity that higher refresh rate monitors can take advantage of.

The recommendation shifts at 2560x1440. Here, the High preset delivers an average of 64 FPS, which is just around the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset, however, offers a more comfortable 75 FPS average, ensuring a more consistent experience. The Low preset reaches 98 FPS, which is great for competitive play but again, the visual downgrade is significant. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p, the Medium preset is the prudent choice. At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The only preset that reaches an average above 30 FPS is Low, with 54 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS. For a playable 4K experience, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, you will need to accept a significant visual compromise. The data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a granular look at how the combo performs across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently strong. The Low preset achieves an average of 150 FPS, making it the fastest option. The Medium preset follows with an average of 115 FPS, a min of 98 FPS, and a max of 133 FPS. The High preset delivers 99 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 77 FPS. This shows a clear performance scaling, with a 53 FPS difference between Low and High, and a 73 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases as expected. The Low preset yields an average of 98 FPS, a solid result. The Medium preset provides 75 FPS on average, with a min of 64 FPS and a max of 87 FPS. The High preset averages 64 FPS, which is right on the edge of smoothness. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 50 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 48 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU is becoming a more significant bottleneck at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset manages an average of 54 FPS, which is the only preset that stays above the 30 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset drops to 41 FPS, with a min of 35 FPS and a max of 48 FPS. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 28 FPS, which is not smooth. This data clearly shows that the RTX 4060 is out of its depth at 4K resolution in this game. The frame rate drops are severe, and even the Low preset struggles to maintain a consistent 60 FPS. This resolution is best avoided with this hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Technomancer at 4K with high settings?

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is only 35, which is not smooth. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 28 FPS. Only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 54 FPS at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the High preset delivers 99 FPS and the Medium preset delivers 115 FPS, both of which are excellent for a smooth experience. 2560x1440 is also viable, with the Medium preset offering 75 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS. This is a 73 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM a limiting factor?

A: The memory bus is 128-bit with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This configuration is likely a factor in the performance drop at 3840x2160, where the card's average frame rates fall to between 28 and 54 FPS depending on the preset, indicating that the GPU is under heavy load.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: It ranks 1709 out of 2825 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier, but this rank is influenced by the inclusion of much more powerful desktop systems. The actual measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p shows it performs well in real-world scenarios.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The data shows a minimum FPS of 64 for the Medium preset at 2560x1440. This is a strong result, indicating that the frame rate is stable and does not dip to unplayable levels.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This is a powerful CPU for a laptop, and its benchmark scores reflect that, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a single-core score of 1810.5. Its average benchmark score of 35670 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performance part. In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data and handle the game's logic. The data suggests that this CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 4060.

The benchmark results show that at 1920x1080, the frame rate scales significantly with the graphical preset. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the GPU can render frames quickly enough for the CPU to keep up. The CPU's performance is more critical at lower resolutions where the GPU can produce high frame rates, and the data shows that the combo achieves up to 150 FPS at 1080p Low. The processor's high single-thread performance, as indicated by its 1810.5 Cinebench R23 score, is likely beneficial for a game like The Technomancer, which may rely on a few main threads. The Core Ultra 9 185H is a robust pairing for the RTX 4060, ensuring that the system is not held back by a weak processor. The data indicates the CPU is a strong performer that will not be the limiting factor in most scenarios, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU takes on a more significant workload.