The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for modern hardware due to its age and engine characteristics. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 reveals a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings, showcasing where the GPU's immense power is utilized and where the CPU's capabilities become the limiting factor. The measured frames per second (FPS) across various configurations provide a clear picture of this duo's behavior in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K resolution yields a significant and predictable impact on frame rates, clearly illustrating the growing burden on the GPU. At the High settings preset, the average FPS drops from 150 at 1920x1080 to 98 at 2560x1440, and finally to 54 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% decrease in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% decrease when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is steep, indicating that the game becomes increasingly pixel-bound at higher resolutions.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the average FPS falls from 229 at 1080p to 150 at 1440p and 82 at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar descent, from 176 at 1080p to 115 at 1440p and 63 at 4K. Even the most demanding Ultra preset, which starts at a still-playable 117 FPS at 1080p, drops to 77 at 1440p and a less fluid 42 at 4K. The consistent and substantial FPS drops at each resolution step point directly to the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions; the rendering workload scales with pixel count, and the RTX 5080, while powerful, has its limits.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely not fully GPU-bound, as the frame rates are exceptionally high. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p is 112 FPS (229 vs. 117), which is a massive range. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes more dominant, and the FPS ceiling imposed by the graphics card lowers. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is only 40 FPS (82 vs. 42), showing that even the Low preset is demanding enough to keep the GPU heavily occupied. This behavior indicates that for this game, the RTX 5080 is the definitive limiting component when targeting 4K, and its performance headroom is best exploited at 1440p and below.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the undisputed workhorse in this configuration for The Technomancer. Its specification sheet includes 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. While the game itself may not require the full 16 GB at these settings, the high bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and data transfer are not bottlenecks, allowing the GPU's compute units to remain fed. The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, and it operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz.

The GPU's raw processing power, measured at 56.28 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is what drives the high frame rates seen in the benchmark data. At 1080p with Low settings, the GPU achieves an average of 229 FPS, demonstrating its ability to brute-force older titles. However, the game's engine appears to have a scaling limit. The performance uplift from lowering settings is more pronounced at lower resolutions. For example, at 1440p, moving from Ultra (77 FPS) to Low (150 FPS) nearly doubles the frame rate. At 4K, the same settings change yields a smaller relative gain, from 42 FPS to 82 FPS, still a 95% improvement, but the absolute numbers are lower.

The RTX 5080's benchmark scores place it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which is 2.2% faster, and the AMD Radeon 8060S, which is 0.6% faster. This context shows that while the RTX 5080 is a top-tier performer, it is not the absolute fastest, and its performance in The Technomancer is in line with its overall standing. The GPU's role is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rate, and its capabilities are the main reason the system can achieve playable frame rates at 4K, albeit with compromises on settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 42 FPS, which is the lowest measured average in the dataset.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves an average of 229 FPS, which is 187 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra preset's 42 FPS, representing a 5.4x performance advantage.

Q: Does the game achieve a smooth 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with the High preset, the average FPS is 98, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the 1920x1080 Medium preset is 150 FPS, with a maximum of 202 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE has an average benchmark score that is 2.2% higher than the RTX 5080, making it a slightly faster GPU in general benchmarks.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 9 185H more likely to be a bottleneck at 1080p or 4K?

A: The data suggests the CPU is more of a potential bottleneck at 1080p, where frame rates are very high (e.g., 229 FPS on Low), than at 4K, where the GPU's workload is much heavier and frame rates are lower.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in The Technomancer places it in the 717th position out of 2825 tested combos. This rank, which is in the top 25% of all configurations, reflects the system's high overall capability. The ranking is a holistic measure that considers the balance between CPU and GPU performance in this specific game. Given the GPU's high percentile ranking (87th) and the CPU's solid performance (85th percentile), a top-quarter finish is expected.

The combo's rank is influenced by the fact that The Technomancer appears to scale well with GPU power, as evidenced by the significant FPS differences between settings. A system with a slower GPU but a faster CPU might rank higher in CPU-bound scenarios, but here, the RTX 5080's dominance ensures a strong showing. The 717th rank out of 2825 combos indicates that a substantial number of other CPU-GPU pairings are capable of outperforming it, likely those with more powerful GPUs like the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which is 2.2% faster in average benchmark scores. However, this pairing still represents a high-performance tier that is well-suited for demanding games, even if it doesn't top the charts in this particular title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In The Technomancer, its role is to feed the RTX 5080 with enough data to keep it busy. The benchmark data suggests the CPU is generally up to the task, but its influence on the final frame rate varies by resolution. At 4K, where the GPU is heavily taxed, the CPU's job is relatively easier, as the frame rate is lower and there is more time to prepare frames. The 42 FPS average at 4K Ultra is likely a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

However, at 1080p, the CPU's performance becomes more critical. The high frame rates, particularly the 229 FPS on Low settings, put a significant strain on the CPU to process game logic and draw calls quickly. The Core Ultra 9 185H's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5, helps ensure that it can maintain these high frame rates without becoming the primary bottleneck. Its single-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 score of 1810.5, is also adequate for the game's primary game thread.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 9 185H is very competitive. Its average benchmark score is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core 7 250H. It is also 0.4% and 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, respectively. These negligible differences mean that in a game like The Technomancer, which is not heavily CPU-bound at higher resolutions, the choice between these processors would have a minimal impact on overall performance. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for gaming workloads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a granular view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields an average of 229 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. The Medium preset averages 176 FPS, with a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 202 FPS, showing good frame pacing. High settings average 150 FPS, while the demanding Ultra preset still manages a smooth 117 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of pushing frame rates high enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent but shows the expected decline. The Low preset averages 150 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings average 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 and a maximum of 132 FPS. The High preset delivers a solid 98 FPS, which is ideal for 1440p gaming. Ultra settings drop to an average of 77 FPS, which is still playable and smooth on a standard 60Hz display. The consistency between the Low and High presets at this resolution suggests that the GPU is handling the load well.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding. The Low preset is the most playable option, with an average of 82 FPS. Medium settings average 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold but remains mostly fluid. High settings average 54 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of only 42 FPS, which may feel choppy in action-heavy scenes. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires a careful balance of settings to achieve a consistently smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS breakdown, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 117 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. Even the most demanding scenes should remain fluid at this setting.

For 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 98 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings while maintaining a high frame rate that is suitable for fast-paced gameplay. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is also a viable option for those who prioritize image quality, but the High preset is recommended for a more consistent and higher frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, providing an average of 63 FPS. This offers a good compromise between visual fidelity and fluidity, as the High preset's 54 FPS average may result in noticeable stuttering. The Low preset is the fallback for those who require a locked 60 FPS or higher, as it delivers an average of 82 FPS. The Ultra preset at 42 FPS should be avoided for serious gameplay, as it falls below the threshold for comfortable play. In summary, the data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1440p with High settings, where it can fully flex its muscles and deliver a high-refresh-rate experience without compromise.