The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limits when pushed to 4K with maximum graphical fidelity. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, scaling behavior, and the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the experience.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves a combo rank of 758 out of 2825 tested combinations. This places the system in the upper quartile of all tested configs, indicating a high-performance pairing that should handle a vast majority of gaming scenarios with ease. The rank reflects the cumulative capability of both components, and in this case, the sheer processing power of the CPU is a significant contributor.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a dominant force in the CPU hierarchy, sitting in the 96th percentile when compared to all other processors. Its average benchmark score of 84003 places it just ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807, a marginal delta of 0.2%. It also edges out the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090, 1.1% delta) and the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980, 1.2% delta). Interestingly, it trails the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scores 85072, showing a -1.3% delta. This data shows that the 290K Plus is not just a gaming CPU; it is a workstation-class part that offers immense compute throughput.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, which is respectable but not top-tier in the current landscape. Its average benchmark score of 23172 places it in a tightly contested group. It is nearly identical in performance to the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, -0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4% delta). The data indicates that while the CPU is at the very top of its class, the GPU is a solid mid-to-high-end performer, and this asymmetry defines the system's overall character. The combo's rank reflects how a top-tier CPU can boost a system even when paired with a GPU that is not the absolute fastest available.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for The Technomancer provides a clear picture of how the game scales with graphical presets. At 1080p, the system is so powerful that even the most demanding settings are easily handled. Benchmark results show that the Ultra preset delivers an average of 114 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. The High preset pushes this to 146 FPS, and the Medium preset hits 171 FPS. The Low preset achieves a staggering 223 FPS, but this is far beyond what is necessary for a playable experience.

The picture changes at 1440p, where the GPU begins to flex its muscles. The Ultra preset still produces a very playable average of 75 FPS. However, the High preset offers a significant jump to 96 FPS, providing a smoother experience with only a minor visual sacrifice. The Medium preset reaches 112 FPS, and the Low preset hits 146 FPS. For a game like The Technomancer, which is a narrative-driven action RPG, maintaining a high frame rate is crucial for combat responsiveness. Therefore, the High preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot, offering a substantial performance increase over Ultra while retaining most of the visual quality.

At 4K, the system's limits are clearly exposed. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 41 FPS, which dips below the threshold for comfortable gameplay on many displays. The High preset maintains a more stable 52 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience, though it may feel less fluid. The Medium preset offers a more comfortable 61 FPS with a recorded minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 71 FPS. For the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth performance at 4K, the data strongly suggests using the Medium preset. It provides a frame rate that is significantly higher and more stable than High or Ultra, making it the recommended choice for a 4K display. The Low preset at 80 FPS is also viable, but the visual downgrade may be too significant for many players.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the classic signs of a system that becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At 1080p with the High preset, the system produces 146 FPS. Moving to 1440p, this drops to 96 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. When scaling further to 4K, the frame rate falls to 52 FPS, a 64% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern demonstrates that the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, and the RTX 3080 is the primary factor limiting performance as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. The 52 FPS at 4K High is only about 54% of the 96 FPS at 1440p High. This steep decline indicates that the 4K resolution is a heavy burden for the RTX 3080's 10 GB of memory and its overall compute resources. The data suggests that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count. The CPU, with its 24 cores and high clock speeds, is not the limiting factor here; it is waiting on the GPU to finish rendering each frame.

The fact that the system can achieve 223 FPS at 1080p Low settings further emphasizes the CPU's dominance. At this resolution and setting, the GPU is not stressed, and the frame rate is likely limited by the game engine's simulation and draw call processing, which the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus handles with ease. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially, shifting the bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU. The benchmark results indicate that for this combo, 1080p is CPU-bound, 4K is heavily GPU-bound, and 1440p is a balanced middle ground where both components are contributing significantly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data for The Technomancer is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 223 FPS. The Medium preset averages 171 FPS, with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 197 FPS. The High preset averages 146 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 114 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces an average of 146 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. The High preset averages 96 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers an average of 75 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the fastest, averaging 80 FPS. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. The High preset averages 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings up the rear with an average of 41 FPS. The minimum frame rates recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution show a consistent pattern: 146 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. These minimums indicate that the frame pacing is generally stable, with no severe stutters or hitches, even when the average frame rate is under pressure.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 plays a critical role in this configuration, particularly as resolution scales. The data shows a clear performance ceiling imposed by the GPU at 4K. The GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory, while ample for 1080p and 1440p gaming, appears to be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings in The Technomancer, where the average frame rate falls to 41 FPS. The 320-bit memory bus and 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth are substantial, but the sheer data throughput required at 4K with high-detail textures stresses the memory subsystem.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1440 MHz and a boost of 1710 MHz, are typical for the Ampere architecture. In this game, the boost clock behavior is crucial; the card is likely maintaining high clocks at lower resolutions where thermal and power headroom are plentiful, contributing to the exceptional 1080p performance. However, at 4K, the GPU operates at full load for extended periods, and the frame rates of 41-80 FPS across different presets suggest that the processing power of the GA102 chip, with its 8704 shading units, is being fully utilized. The GPU's performance percentile of 68 highlights that it is a strong performer, but the benchmark results from The Technomancer show that it is not invincible against the demands of 4K Ultra. The data suggests that the RTX 3080 is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming or 4K gaming with adjusted settings, which aligns with the observed FPS patterns. The GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this system for this specific game at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus serves as the computational backbone of this system, and its influence is most apparent at lower resolutions. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it offers immense parallel processing power, which is reflected in its 96th percentile ranking. Its high boost clock of 5.80 GHz is likely the key driver behind the exceptional frame rates seen at 1080p. The game is able to leverage the CPU's single-thread performance to process game logic and draw calls rapidly, allowing the RTX 3080 to render frames as fast as it can.

The CPU's role becomes less about raw FPS and more about ensuring consistent frame delivery at higher resolutions. The minimum FPS figures recorded, such as 95 FPS at 1440p Medium and 52 FPS at 4K Medium, suggest that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is providing a stable foundation, preventing CPU-related stutters that could make the frame rate feel inconsistent. The CPU's performance in the PassMark multithread test (60860) and Cinebench R23 multi-core (51731) indicates that it will not be a bottleneck in any gaming scenario, even with background tasks running.

The data shows that the CPU is so powerful that it effectively removes itself as a variable in the performance equation for The Technomancer. The frame rates are dictated almost entirely by the GPU's ability to render the scene. This is a classic sign of a well-balanced system where the CPU has significant headroom. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory, ensures that the GPU is fed with data as quickly as possible. In this specific game, the CPU's contribution is to provide a performance ceiling so high that the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor, evidence of its capability as a top-tier desktop processor.