The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 9070. Measured data for this combination shows a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p and 1440p, but which requires careful settings management to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a component pairing where the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial multi-threading capabilities ensure that even the most demanding scenes remain fluid.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture using a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a thermal design power of 125 W. The processor includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. This configuration places it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003.

In synthetic testing, the CPU delivers strong results that contextualize its gaming performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 indicate robust overall throughput. The PassMark multithread score reaches 60860, while single-thread performance is measured at 4823. These figures suggest that the processor has ample headroom for both heavily threaded workloads and the lighter single-thread tasks that often dominate game logic and physics calculations.

The nearest rivals for the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average score of 83807 (a 0.2% difference), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090 (1.1% higher for the Intel part), and the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82980 (1.2% higher for the Intel part). The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher than the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus. These small deltas indicate that the processor is very competitive with other high-end desktop and server parts, though the EPYC 7F72 holds a slight edge in aggregate benchmarks.

For a game like The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is primarily to handle AI routines, game state updates, and the rendering thread’s command submission. The combination of 24 cores and a 5.80 GHz boost clock provides exceptional headroom for these tasks. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 219 FPS, which is well above typical display refresh rates. Even at 1440p with Ultra settings, the frame rate remains at 73 FPS, suggesting the CPU is not a limiting factor at these resolutions. The processor’s 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs further supports the conclusion that it delivers top-tier performance in this title.

The measured FPS data reveals that the CPU maintains high performance across all tested settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 107 FPS (219 vs. 112), which is a substantial gap that points to the GPU handling the increased graphical load. However, even at the lowest frame rate recorded for this resolution (112 FPS at Ultra), the experience remains smooth. This indicates that the CPU consistently provides enough processing power to keep up with the GPU’s output, regardless of the graphics settings applied.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the graphics card in this pairing, featuring the Navi 48 chip based on RDNA 4.0 architecture. It is manufactured on a 4 nm process and includes 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and a game clock of 2070 MHz. Its 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 raster output units contribute to a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with a TDP of 220 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 9070 achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 131539, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 58705. Its PassMark G3D score is 25381, with a GPU compute score of 14737. These results place the GPU in the 69th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23877. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z with an average score of 23736 (0.6% higher for the AMD card), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S at 24063 (0.8% higher for the rival), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile at 23628 (1.1% higher for the AMD card), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at 24170 (1.2% higher for the rival). These small deltas indicate that the RX 9070 performs in a similar tier to these other cards, though it does not dominate them in aggregate benchmarks.

For The Technomancer, the GPU’s role is central to determining frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p, the GPU delivers 144 FPS on High settings, 169 FPS on Medium, and 219 FPS on Low. At 1440p, these figures drop to 94 FPS (High), 110 FPS (Medium), and 143 FPS (Low). At 4K, the performance falls further to 52 FPS (High), 60 FPS (Medium), and 79 FPS (Low). This pattern demonstrates that the RX 9070 is the primary bottleneck when resolution increases, as the CPU’s capabilities remain constant across these tests.

The 16 GB of VRAM is a notable feature for this game, as it ensures that even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the GPU has sufficient memory to store textures and geometry. The fact that the GPU can achieve 40 FPS at 4K Ultra, while maintaining 52 FPS at High and 60 FPS at Medium, suggests that memory capacity is not the limiting factor. Instead, the GPU’s compute throughput and memory bandwidth become the constraints at higher resolutions. The boost clock of 2520 MHz provides ample processing speed, but the data shows that the card’s performance scales predictably with the number of pixels rendered.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear basis for recommending settings based on resolution. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver frame rates that are well above the standard 60 FPS target. The Low preset achieves 219 FPS, Medium reaches 169 FPS, High hits 144 FPS, and Ultra manages 112 FPS. For most users, the High preset at 1080p would be the best choice, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Medium while still providing 144 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset’s 112 FPS is still smooth, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 32 FPS drop.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts slightly. The High preset delivers 94 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target and provides a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset offers 110 FPS, which could be preferable for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but shows a more noticeable performance cost. The Low preset at 143 FPS is overkill for most displays and sacrifices too much visual quality. For 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while preserving the game’s graphical detail.

At 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The Ultra preset struggles with an average FPS of 40, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less smooth experience. The High preset improves this to 52 FPS, which is closer to playable but still not ideal. The Medium preset achieves 60 FPS, which meets the standard target and provides a playable experience. The Low preset reaches 79 FPS, which is smooth but requires significant visual compromises. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best recommendation, as it delivers 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS, ensuring consistent performance. Users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate might consider High, but the 52 FPS average leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

The data also shows that the minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 143 FPS with a maximum of 194 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 94 FPS with a maximum of 127 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 51 FPS with a maximum of 70 FPS. These figures indicate that the Medium preset has the most stable frame pacing, with the minimum never dropping below 51 FPS even at 4K. This stability makes Medium the safest choice for a consistent experience, particularly at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: The High preset at 1080p delivers 144 FPS average, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset achieves 219 FPS but sacrifices visual quality, while Ultra drops to 112 FPS. High provides the best balance of performance and image quality.

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

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset falls short at 52 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. Medium is the only preset that consistently meets the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090). The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher than the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile among all graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is in the 69th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23877. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, scores 23736, which is 0.6% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24063, 0.8% higher.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 9070 have, and does it affect this game?

A: The RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. In The Technomancer, the memory capacity is sufficient for all tested settings, including 4K Ultra, which achieves 40 FPS. The performance drops at 4K are more attributable to compute throughput than memory limitations.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system records a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS, with an average of 110 FPS. This range indicates stable performance with minimal frame time variance.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 144 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings reduces the frame rate to 94 FPS, a drop of 50 FPS. At 4K, the High preset falls to 52 FPS, a further drop of 42 FPS from 1440p. This scaling is consistent with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, since the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant while the GPU must process more pixels.

For the Medium preset, the scaling is similar: 169 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K. This non-linear relationship indicates that the GPU is struggling to maintain performance at higher resolutions, likely due to memory bandwidth and fill rate constraints. The RX 9070’s 644.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the card’s limits become apparent.

The Low preset shows the same trend: 219 FPS at 1080p, 143 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. Even with reduced graphical loads, the frame rate drops by 76 FPS from 1080p to 1440p and by 64 FPS from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that the GPU’s compute units are the bottleneck, as even the simpler rendering tasks at Low settings cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. The CPU’s performance, by contrast, remains consistent across all resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p even at Ultra settings (112 FPS).

The data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not the limiting component in this pairing for The Technomancer. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 107 FPS, which is entirely attributable to GPU load. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 40 FPS, while Low reaches 79 FPS, again showing that the GPU determines the frame rate. The CPU’s 24 cores and 5.80 GHz boost clock provide more than enough processing power to feed the GPU, even at the highest settings.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance for this CPU-GPU combination in The Technomancer. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 219 FPS, which is the highest recorded for any combination. The Medium preset records an average of 169 FPS, with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS. The High preset reaches 144 FPS, while the Ultra preset manages 112 FPS. These figures show that at 1080p, the system has substantial headroom, with even the Ultra preset exceeding the 100 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows a clear step down from 1080p. The Low preset delivers 143 FPS, which is still a high frame rate suitable for most displays. The Medium preset averages 110 FPS, with a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS. The High preset achieves 94 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 73 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p is well within the system’s capabilities, with the Medium and High presets providing the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset reaches an average of 79 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that exceeds 60 FPS comfortably. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, making it the only preset that consistently meets the 60 FPS target. The High preset drops to 52 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 40 FPS. These figures show that 4K gaming requires careful settings management, with the Medium preset being the recommended choice for a playable experience.

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 815th out of 2825 combinations in this game, placing it in the upper tier of tested configurations. The data is measured, not estimated, ensuring accuracy. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 69th percentile ranking contribute to a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but which requires settings adjustments to achieve smooth frame rates at 4K. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is well-suited for gamers who prioritize high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, with the option to play at 4K on Medium settings.