The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware, particularly for integrated graphics. When pairing the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the AMD Radeon 760M, the benchmark results paint a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to understand the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and overall viability of this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings, confirming that the AMD Radeon 760M is the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 48 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 32 FPS, a 33% reduction. At 4K, the average plummets to 17 FPS, which is a 65% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is running out of pixel processing power as the resolution increases.

The situation worsens with higher graphical presets. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 25. This falls to 16 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 9 FPS at 4K. The delta between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution highlights the GPU's limited headroom. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 23 FPS, showing that even at the lowest resolution, turning up the settings heavily taxes the integrated graphics. The frame time data for Medium settings further illustrates the strain: at 1080p, the average is 37 FPS with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43, indicating significant variance.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this scenario. The Core Ultra 9 275HX is a high-end mobile processor, and the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The Radeon 760M, with its 512 shading units and 16 ROPs, simply lacks the fill rate and compute throughput to maintain playable framerates at higher resolutions. For a smooth experience, users would need to stay at 1080p and likely use Low or Medium settings, where the average FPS ranges from 37 to 48.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. Its performance profile in The Technomancer is underwhelming, placing it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. This low standing is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 5310 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 400. These numbers indicate that while the GPU is competent for basic tasks, it is not designed for demanding gaming workloads.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory (DDR5) rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice means the performance is heavily influenced by the system's memory speed and dual-channel configuration. In a game like The Technomancer, which was released in 2016, the memory bandwidth requirements might not be as extreme as in modern titles, but the shared nature still limits performance. The GPU's clocks are relatively high for an iGPU, with a base of 800 MHz and a boost of 2599 MHz, but the 15 W TDP constrains the sustained power draw, preventing the clocks from staying at peak levels for extended periods.

The Radeon 760M's compute capabilities, with a FP32 performance of 5.323 TFLOPS, are insufficient for high-resolution gaming. The benchmark results show that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 9, which is effectively a slideshow. The GPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M, with delta percentages of 0.3% and 0.3%, respectively. This places the 760M in a performance class that is acceptable for esports titles or older games at low settings, but it struggles with the demands of The Technomancer beyond 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo play The Technomancer at 4K resolution?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that at 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 9 on Ultra settings to 17 on Low settings. These framerates are far below the threshold for acceptable playability, making 4K a non-viable option for this game.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the most playable configuration, yielding an average of 48 FPS. If visual fidelity is preferred, 1080p Medium offers an average of 37 FPS, which is still playable, while High drops to 32 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 32 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages just 16 FPS. This 16 FPS difference represents a 50% drop in performance when moving to the highest settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low frame rates in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated solution with a Passmark G3D score of 5310 and falls in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a high-end processor, so the frame rate drops seen when increasing resolution or settings are typical of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: Does the Radeon 760M have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main DDR5 memory. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means its performance is tied to the overall system memory performance.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 32. This is a playable frame rate, but it shows a significant drop from the 48 FPS achieved on Low settings, highlighting the GPU's sensitivity to graphical detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across all standard resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is best described as borderline. With Low settings, the average FPS is 48, which is smooth. Medium settings drop the average to 37, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43, showing some variance but remaining playable. High settings yield an average of 32 FPS, which is on the edge of comfort for many players. Ultra settings bring the average down to 25 FPS, which can feel choppy in action-heavy scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades further. Low settings produce an average of 32 FPS, mirroring the 1080p High result. Medium settings average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28. High settings drop to 21 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 16 FPS. None of these 1440p results provide a consistently smooth experience, and the lower framerates suggest a significant compromise in visual clarity for a marginal gain in resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low settings average 17 FPS, Medium averages 13 FPS with a range of 11 to 15, High averages 11 FPS, and Ultra averages 9 FPS. These numbers are all in the single digits or low teens, making the game essentially unplayable at this resolution. The data shows a clear linear progression of performance loss as resolution increases, reinforcing the conclusion that the AMD Radeon 760M's pixel throughput is the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and AMD Radeon 760M ranks 3684 out of 3696 combos. This places it in the bottom 1% of all tested systems, indicating that it is one of the worst-performing configurations for this title. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a top-tier mobile processor.

The combo's rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's low benchmark scores. The Radeon 760M's Passmark G3D score of 5310 is modest, and its DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 scores of 52 and 25, respectively, are particularly low. These synthetic benchmarks correlate with the poor in-game performance. The CPU's performance, while strong, cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to render frames quickly enough. The nearest rivals in the GPU's average benchmark score, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6400, show a delta of 0.3%, but the 760M's performance in this specific game is dictated by its integrated nature and shared memory architecture. For a builder looking to play The Technomancer, this combo should be avoided, as even the lowest-ranking dedicated GPUs would likely offer a better experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204. This places the CPU in the 94th percentile of all processors, making it one of the most powerful mobile CPUs available.

However, in The Technomancer, the CPU's role is secondary due to the GPU bottleneck. The benchmark data shows that the frame rates are consistently low across all resolutions, which is not indicative of a CPU limitation. A CPU bottleneck would typically manifest as similar frame rates regardless of resolution, as the CPU would be struggling to feed the GPU. Instead, we see a clear decrease in performance as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is likely idling or only partially utilized, waiting for the Radeon 760M to complete its rendering tasks.

The Core Ultra 9's specifications, such as its 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory, are relevant to system performance, but they do not help in this specific gaming workload. The game is likely not optimized to use the CPU's 24 cores effectively, and the single-threaded performance, while strong, cannot overcome the GPU's limitations. In this pairing, the CPU is a high-performance component that is held back by its integrated graphics counterpart. The data indicates that the 275HX is more than capable of handling this game's CPU demands, but the Radeon 760M simply cannot deliver the necessary frame rates to make the experience enjoyable.