The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with graphical fidelity and resolution. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, using the provided benchmark data to characterize the system's behavior across a range of settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a substantial performance drop as resolution increases, a pattern that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 160 FPS. Moving to 1440p reduces this to 105 FPS, a decline of approximately 34%. The jump to 4K is even more severe, with the average plummeting to 58 FPS, which is roughly 45% lower than the 1440p result and a 64% drop from the 1080p baseline.

This steep scaling curve is indicative of a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The Core Ultra 9 185H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, has ample headroom to feed the graphics card at 1080p, but as the pixel count increases, the RTX 5090 Mobile's rendering workload grows exponentially, outpacing the CPU's ability to keep the frame rate high. The fact that the 4K High setting yields only 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, highlights the extreme strain placed on the GPU at this resolution.

The scaling pattern across all settings is consistent. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 245 FPS at 1080p to 160 FPS at 1440p (a 35% reduction) and then to 88 FPS at 4K (a 45% reduction from 1440p). This uniform percentage drop, regardless of the preset, confirms that the performance bottleneck is the GPU's pixel processing throughput rather than any specific rendering feature. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, even this top-tier mobile GPU is pushed to its limits, while 1440p offers a more balanced experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the undisputed driver of performance in these tests. Its specifications, including 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are critical for handling the high-resolution textures and complex scenes of The Technomancer. The GPU's 10,496 shading units and 112 ROPs are responsible for the raw pixel-pushing power that dictates the frame rates observed in the data.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 990 MHz and a boost of 1515 MHz, are relatively modest for a top-tier part, but its massive parallel architecture compensates. The 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical ceiling for its compute capability, and the benchmark results show it is being fully utilized. The memory bandwidth is particularly important; the jump from 1080p to 4K increases the data required per frame, and the 896.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures the GPU is not starved for data, allowing it to maintain the performance curve seen in the results.

The RTX 5090 Mobile's performance relative to other GPUs is strong, ranking in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 45,152 places it in a tight cluster with rivals. Notably, it is 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and 1.0% ahead of the Intel Arc A730M, while being 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT and 1.8% behind the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation. This data indicates that while the GPU is powerful, it is not an outlier, and its performance in The Technomancer is consistent with its general compute capabilities. The 24 GB VRAM allocation is also a forward-looking feature, ensuring that memory capacity is not a limiting factor for this game, even at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the comprehensive benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile achieves a rank of 779 out of 3,696 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 21% of all configurations tested, a strong showing that underscores the power of the components.

However, the rank also provides perspective. While the RTX 5090 Mobile is a high-end GPU, the combo's placement suggests that other pairings, likely with even more powerful desktop-class CPUs or more aggressively clocked mobile parts, can achieve higher frame rates in this title. The Core Ultra 9 185H, while a capable mobile processor, may not be the absolute best partner for this GPU, as the GPU's performance headroom at lower resolutions could be constrained by CPU performance in certain scenarios.

The rank of 779 is a holistic measure that considers all tested settings and resolutions. It shows that this system is a high performer, but not the absolute top-tier combination. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and playable 4K gaming, rather than being an uncompromising 4K powerhouse. The system's performance is robust, but it is part of a large field of capable hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution in The Technomancer?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 58 FPS. Therefore, it can exceed 60 FPS on average only with Medium settings, while High settings will be just below that threshold on average.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 160 FPS at 1920x1080 to 58 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 64% reduction in performance, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has an average benchmark score of 35,670. It is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, 0.2% behind the Intel Core 7 250H, 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.

Q: What is the best setting for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, while High settings produce 105 FPS. For a 144Hz display, High settings would be suitable. For a 165Hz or higher display, Low or Medium settings would be necessary to fully utilize the refresh rate.

Q: Is the GPU's memory capacity a limiting factor in this game?

A: No. The RTX 5090 Mobile has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory. The data shows performance scaling consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, not a memory capacity limitation. The memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s is more likely to be a factor than the total capacity.

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

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile ranks 779th out of 3,696 tested combos, placing it in the 79th percentile of all tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset. Where available, minimum and maximum frame rates are also provided to show performance variance.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Maximum FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- | :---------- | :---------- |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 88 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 67 | 57 | 78 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 58 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 45 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 160 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 123 | 104 | 141 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 105 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 82 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 245 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 188 | 160 | 216 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 160 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 125 | - | - |

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, even at Ultra settings (125 FPS). The transition to 1440p shows a significant drop, but the system maintains playable frame rates at all settings except Ultra, which is still above 80 FPS. At 4K, performance becomes more demanding, with only Low and Medium settings providing average frame rates above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H plays a supporting, yet essential, role in this configuration. With 16 cores and 22 threads, it provides substantial parallel processing capability. Its architecture, Meteor Lake, is built on a 7 nm process and features a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The CPU's benchmark results show it is a strong performer, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,984.5 and a single-core score of 1,810.5.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is likely not the bottleneck, as the frame rates are high and scale directly with GPU load. However, the CPU's performance relative to its rivals is important. Its average benchmark score of 35,670 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. It is extremely close in performance to its nearest rivals, with a delta of only -0.1% compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and -0.2% compared to the Intel Core 7 250H.

This indicates that the Core Ultra 9 185H is a high-end mobile processor, but it is not a significant outlier in terms of raw compute. In a game like The Technomancer, which is not known for being heavily CPU-bound, the 185H provides more than enough processing power to avoid being the primary performance limiter, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is clearly the constraining factor. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth further ensure that data can be fed to the cores efficiently, preventing potential stutters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. The system demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy across the four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The frame rate differences between presets are substantial, typically a 20-25% drop when moving from Low to Medium, and a further 20-25% drop from Medium to High.

For 4K gaming, the data indicates that Medium settings are the best choice for a smooth experience. The average of 67 FPS is above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum of 57 FPS suggests that brief dips below 60 are possible but infrequent. High settings, with an average of 58 FPS, are playable but will not consistently maintain 60 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K, with an average of 45 FPS, are not recommended for a smooth experience.

At 1440p, the system has more headroom. High settings provide an excellent balance, with an average of 105 FPS, which is suitable for most high-refresh-rate monitors. For users with 144Hz or higher displays, Medium settings at 123 FPS average will better utilize the display's capabilities. Ultra settings at 82 FPS are also viable for a visually intensive experience.

For 1080p, the system is exceptionally powerful. Ultra settings with an average of 125 FPS are the best way to experience the game's maximum visual fidelity while still maintaining a high frame rate. For competitive play or use with a 240Hz display, Low settings at 245 FPS average will provide the highest possible frame rate, though the visual compromise is significant. High settings at 160 FPS is a strong middle ground for users with 165Hz displays. The data shows that the best experience is a trade-off between visual quality and frame rate, with High at 1440p and Medium at 4K being the most balanced configurations.