The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for modern hardware. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile shows that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU ultimately dictates the gaming experience at higher resolutions. The data reveals a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, but which will require setting adjustments to maintain smooth gameplay at 1440p and 4K.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is the foundation of this system's processing power. It is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. This configuration is designed for high-end mobile workstations and gaming laptops, providing a significant amount of parallel processing capability.

The benchmark results for this CPU underscore its position in the market. The data shows a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204. This strong single-core performance is crucial for gaming, as many game engines, including those from 2016, rely heavily on one or two primary threads for physics, game logic, and draw call submission. The Geekbench multicore score of 20795 and single-core score of 2458 further corroborate its dual strengths in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 55759 and single-thread score of 4713 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that in terms of raw processing capability, it sits near the top of the pile.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's performance is tightly clustered. Its average benchmark score of 67469 is only 0.3% lower than the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and 0.5% lower than the AMD EPYC 4484PX. It is also 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX. However, it does hold a 0.7% lead over the Intel Xeon 6515P. This data suggests that in synthetic workloads, the 275HX is essentially on par with these professional-grade processors, making it a formidable component for any system.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is primarily to ensure that it is not the bottleneck. The game's logic, AI, and world streaming can be demanding, but the 275HX's high single-core clock speed of 5.40 GHz and its overall 24-core configuration are more than sufficient to handle these tasks. The Passmark physics score of 3338 and extended instructions score of 47016 indicate that the CPU can process complex calculations quickly. In practical terms, this means that the frame rate is unlikely to be hampered by the processor, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance. The data shows that the CPU is a non-issue here; its power is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's influence on frame rates is most pronounced.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is the graphical heart of this combo. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, it features 3328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 952 MHz, with a boost clock of 1455 MHz, and it has a TDP of 45 W. This is a modern, power-efficient mid-range mobile GPU.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a different story than the CPU's. Its Passmark G3D score is 18852, and it has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3013.5. In terms of percentile, it ranks in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. While this is a respectable position, it is not elite. The GPU's OpenCL score of 96969 and Vulkan score of 96451 show it has solid compute capabilities, but the gaming performance will be more directly tied to its rasterization and shading power.

Its performance relative to its nearest rivals is close, but with more variance than the CPU. The RTX 5060 Mobile's average benchmark score of 22435 is 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. It performs 1.2% better than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 and 1.3% better than the AMD Radeon RX 6700S. Most notably, it is 1.3% slower than its predecessor, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, in these aggregate benchmarks. This suggests that while it is a capable GPU, it is not a massive generational leap in raw rasterization performance.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is a key factor. At 1080p and 1440p, this amount of memory is generally sufficient for High and even Ultra settings. However, at 4K, the combination of high resolution and detailed textures can push VRAM usage to its limits. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s is adequate for the game's needs, but the pixel rate of 69.84 GPixel/s and texture rate of 151.3 GTexel/s become the limiting factors as resolution increases. The measured FPS data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling, with frame rates dropping significantly as the resolution moves from 1080p to 4K. The GPU's 9.684 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is what ultimately determines how many pixels and shaders it can process per second, and this is where the bottleneck appears at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this system scales with resolution. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and consistent across all settings, which is a classic indicator of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU is powerful enough that its performance does not degrade with resolution; it is the GPU's rendering workload that increases.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 146 at 1920x1080 to 95 at 2560x1440, and then to 52 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is a 64% reduction in frame rate. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is struggling to fill the increased number of pixels at 4K.

The pattern is similar for Medium settings, where the average FPS goes from 112 at 1080p to 73 at 1440p, and finally to 40 at 4K. For High settings, the numbers are 96, 63, and 34, respectively. At Ultra settings, the system manages 75 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, but only 27 FPS at 4K. The consistency of this scaling pattern across all quality presets is a strong indicator that the resolution is the primary factor limiting performance, not the complexity of the scene or the specific settings.

This scaling behavior tells us that the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is not the limiting component in this system for this game. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at 1080p, with little to no improvement when lowering the resolution. Instead, FPS continues to climb as resolution drops, which means the GPU has more headroom to work with. The fact that the system can hit 146 FPS at 1080p Low, but only 27 FPS at 4K Ultra, shows that the RTX 5060 Mobile is the component that dictates the ceiling for this gaming experience. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the GPU is simply overtaxed, while at 1080p, it has enough performance to deliver high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across different resolutions and settings. It is important to note that some settings lack min and max FPS data, but the average FPS is available for all.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: The system achieves an average of 146 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo, indicating that the GPU is not stressed and the CPU is feeding it well.
• Medium: The average FPS is 112, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129. This shows a solid, playable experience with good frame times.
• High: The average FPS is 96. This is still a very smooth experience for a fast-paced action RPG.
• Ultra: The average FPS drops to 75. This is the most demanding setting at 1080p, but it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 95. This is a significant drop from 1080p, but still very playable.
• Medium: The average FPS is 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. This is a good experience, but the minimum FPS is getting closer to the 60 FPS line.
• High: The average FPS is 63. This is right at the edge of what many consider the minimum for a "smooth" experience.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 49. This is where the experience starts to become less fluid, and players will notice a drop in responsiveness.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: The average FPS is 52. This is playable but not ideal for a game that may involve fast combat.
• Medium: The average FPS is 40, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46. This is a noticeable compromise in smoothness.
• High: The average FPS is 34. This is on the edge of playability for some, but likely too choppy for most.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 27. This is not a smooth experience and will be quite demanding on the eyes.

The data shows a clear hierarchy. 1080p is the sweet spot for this GPU, allowing for high frame rates at all settings. 1440p is viable for Medium and High settings, but Ultra will require a compromise. 4K is only realistically playable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile has a specific rank within the database of tested combos for The Technomancer. The data shows that this combo ranks 2453 out of 3696 total combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, which might seem counterintuitive given the high-performance CPU.

This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's performance relative to other systems. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the RTX 5060 Mobile's 67th percentile standing among all GPUs holds the combo back. The comboRankInGame is a holistic measure that takes into account the actual measured FPS across all tested resolutions and settings. Since the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, the overall average performance of this combo is dragged down compared to systems that pair a similar CPU with a more powerful GPU.

The ranking suggests that many other tested combos, likely those with higher-end desktop GPUs or more powerful mobile GPUs like the RTX 5080 or 5090, will achieve significantly higher frame rates, especially at 1440p and 4K. This combo's position in the ranking is a clear indication that it is a mid-range performer in the context of all systems tested, despite its high-end CPU. The data implies that the user is getting a well-balanced CPU, but the GPU is the limiting factor in achieving a higher rank. For a game like The Technomancer, which is not particularly new, this means the system is more than capable, but it will not be competing with top-tier gaming rigs in terms of raw frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For 1920x1080, the data suggests that Ultra settings provide an excellent experience. With an average of 75 FPS, the game will run smoothly, and the visual quality will be at its highest. This is the best choice for players who have a 1080p monitor and want to see the game at its best. If a player has a high-refresh-rate monitor (144Hz or higher), they could drop to High settings to get an average of 96 FPS, or Medium for 112 FPS, to better utilize the display's capabilities. The Low setting at 146 FPS is available for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant for an RPG.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset, with an average of 63 FPS, is the best balance for a smooth experience, but it is right on the edge. For those who want a more stable frame rate, Medium settings at 73 FPS is the safer choice. The Ultra preset at 49 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate dips below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel less responsive. The data shows that Medium is the most reliable choice for 1440p, offering a good mix of visual quality and performance.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that provides a playable experience, with an average of 52 FPS. Medium at 40 FPS and High at 34 FPS are not recommended, as they will feel sluggish and may cause discomfort during gameplay. Ultra at 27 FPS is not a viable option. For 4K, players should accept the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a much better experience.

The overall recommendation is to treat 1920x1080 with Ultra settings as the target for the best visual experience. For a balanced experience at higher resolutions, 1440p with Medium settings is the sweet spot. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is not a strong suit for this combo, and users with 4K displays should either play at Low settings or use a lower internal resolution. The system is best utilized as a high-performance 1080p machine or a capable 1440p machine.