The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG that, based on the measured data, presents a significant challenge to modern hardware at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, using the provided benchmark results to understand the bottlenecks and optimal settings for this specific combination. The data shows a clear divide between excellent high-refresh-rate performance at 1080p and a demanding, GPU-limited experience at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly identifies the GPU as the primary limiting factor. At the "Ultra" preset, the average frame rate falls from 85 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 29 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 31 FPS, which is a 54 FPS drop from the 1080p result. This steep curve is characteristic of a game that is heavily dependent on pixel throughput, with the RTX 5070's rendering capabilities being stretched to their absolute limit at 4K.

The scaling pattern holds true across other settings. For the "High" preset, the average FPS goes from 109 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p, and then down to 39 at 4K. The "Medium" preset follows a similar trajectory: 128 FPS at 1080p, 83 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. Even the "Low" preset, which should be the least demanding, shows a significant drop from 166 FPS at 1080p to 60 FPS at 4K. This consistent pattern across all presets reinforces the conclusion that the resolution is the dominant variable, and the performance cost of moving to 4K is substantial, regardless of the visual quality settings.

The relationship between 1080p and 1440p performance suggests that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU enough data at these resolutions. For instance, the "Low" preset at 1080p yields 166 FPS, while at 1440p it yields 109 FPS. The 57 FPS difference is a direct result of the increased pixel count. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput becomes the absolute bottleneck, as evidenced by the "Low" preset only managing 60 FPS. This indicates that even at the lowest visual settings, the RTX 5070 cannot render The Technomancer at 4K with a high frame rate, making it clear that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable for a 60 FPS experience on the lowest settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the undisputed performance bottleneck in this pairing for The Technomancer. With 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of bandwidth, but the game's demands at 4K are severe. The data shows that the GPU's capabilities are the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales almost inversely with resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2512 MHz and its 6144 shading units are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with this game.

The benchmark results for the RTX 5070 place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 580, have a negligible score difference of 0.1 percent. This suggests that while the RTX 5070 is a powerful card, it is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy. In the context of The Technomancer, its performance at 4K is the key takeaway. The fact that the "Ultra" preset at 4K averages only 31 FPS, while the "Low" preset at 4K averages 60 FPS, shows a 29 FPS swing solely based on GPU workload.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB appears to be sufficient for this game at the tested settings, as there is no indication of texture pop-in or stuttering that would be present if the memory were being exhausted. The bottleneck is purely computational. The RTX 5070's performance at 1440p is more respectable, with the "High" preset hitting 71 FPS and the "Low" preset hitting 109 FPS. This indicates that the card is well-suited for 1440p gaming in this title, but 4K is a bridge too far for high and ultra settings. The data suggests that users should target 1440p for a smooth experience with this GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the "Low" preset delivers an average of 166 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the "Ultra" preset still provides a very playable 85 FPS. For most users at 1080p, the "High" preset at 109 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, though "Ultra" is a viable option for those who prioritize image quality over a higher frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the "High" preset is the clear sweet spot, achieving an average of 71 FPS. This is a solid frame rate for most gaming scenarios. The "Ultra" preset at 56 FPS is also playable, but it dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience. The "Low" preset at 109 FPS is available for competitive play, but it significantly reduces visual quality. The "Medium" preset at 83 FPS is a strong alternative for those who want a bit more visual polish than "Low" but cannot tolerate the performance hit of "Ultra".

At 3840x2160, the choices are stark. The "Low" preset is the only option that achieves a 60 FPS average. The "Medium" preset at 46 FPS is playable but not ideal, and the "High" preset at 39 FPS will feel sluggish. The "Ultra" preset at 31 FPS is not recommended for a good experience. Therefore, the recommendation for 4K is to use the "Low" preset to achieve a stable 60 FPS, or to consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to unlock higher visual settings. The data clearly shows that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming with high settings in The Technomancer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the exact numbers reveals the performance envelope of this combo. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 166 on "Low" to 85 on "Ultra". The "Medium" preset has an average of 128 FPS, with a minimum of 108 and a maximum of 147. The "High" preset averages 109 FPS. This resolution provides the most headroom, with even the most demanding preset maintaining a high frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 109 for "Low", 83 for "Medium", 71 for "High", and 56 for "Ultra". The "Medium" preset shows a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 96 FPS. This resolution is where the RTX 5070 starts to feel the pressure, but it remains a capable performer for most settings. The gap between "Low" and "Ultra" is 53 FPS, highlighting the significant cost of the highest settings.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 60 for "Low", 46 for "Medium", 39 for "High", and 31 for "Ultra". The "Medium" preset has a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53 FPS. This is a challenging scenario for the GPU. The difference between the "Low" and "Ultra" presets at 4K is 29 FPS, and even the "Low" preset struggles to maintain a solid 60 FPS, averaging exactly 60. This data confirms that 4K is only playable at the lowest settings. The frame rates at this resolution are consistent with a GPU that is fully saturated and unable to keep up with the pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 holds a rank of 1535 out of 2825 combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum. This rank is a holistic measure that considers all the measured FPS data across resolutions and settings. Given that the combo struggles to achieve high frame rates at 4K, this mid-pack ranking is not surprising.

The ranking suggests that while this is a capable system, there are many other combinations that deliver better performance in this specific game. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end mobile part. The rank of 1535 out of 2825 indicates that more than half of the tested combos perform better, which is a reflection of the RTX 5070's limitations at higher resolutions in this demanding title. For users with 1080p or 1440p monitors, the combo performs well, but the overall rank is dragged down by the poor 4K results. This makes the combo a solid mid-range option, not a top-tier performer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. With a boost clock of 5.10 GHz and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, it is a powerful CPU. However, in the context of The Technomancer, its role is to feed the GPU with data, and the benchmark results indicate that it is not a limiting factor at most resolutions. The CPU's average benchmark score is 35670, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and it is closely matched with rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which has a score that is only 0.1 percent different.

The evidence for a CPU bottleneck is absent. At 1080p, the "Low" preset delivers 166 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would stress a weaker CPU. The fact that the frame rate scales significantly with resolution and settings points to the GPU being the primary constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, which is not the case. For example, the "Low" preset goes from 166 FPS at 1080p to 60 FPS at 4K, a massive drop that can only be attributed to the GPU's workload.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a multi-core score of 17984.5 in Cinebench R23, demonstrates its capability to handle complex calculations. Yet, in this game, it is the GPU that determines the final output. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 9 185H is more than sufficient for The Technomancer, providing a solid foundation for the RTX 5070 to operate without being held back by processor limitations. The performance ceiling is entirely defined by the GPU's rendering capabilities, especially at higher resolutions.