The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an Action RPG from 2016, remains a demanding title for modern hardware, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card, based on measured frame rate data. The data reveals a combination that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming, with performance scaling that reflects the game's engine and the capabilities of this hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and significant drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the 'High' settings preset, the average frame rate falls from 180 FPS at 1080p to 118 FPS at 1440p, a 34% reduction. Moving up to 4K, the average frame rate drops further to 65 FPS, which is a 45% decrease from 1440p and a 64% decrease from 1080p. This pattern strongly indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily dependent on the CPU's capability to feed frames, as the GPU is not being taxed as heavily. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, ensures that frame rates at 1080p are exceptionally high, allowing the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER to operate at its fullest potential.

As resolution increases, the workload shifts to the GPU. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 672.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth become more critical. The transition from 1440p to 4K at the High preset shows a much larger absolute frame rate drop (53 FPS) than the transition from 1080p to 1440p (62 FPS), but the percentage drop is similar. This indicates that while the GPU is the primary limiting factor at both 1440p and 4K, the 4K resolution puts a significantly heavier load on the graphics card. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU at all resolutions, as the 4K performance is constrained by the graphics card, not the processor.

The difference between the 'Low' and 'Ultra' presets also reveals scaling information. At 4K, the average frame rate increases from 51 FPS at 'Ultra' to 99 FPS at 'Low', a 94% improvement. At 1080p, the jump from 'Ultra' (141 FPS) to 'Low' (275 FPS) is a 95% increase. This similar relative scaling across resolutions suggests that the game's settings affect both CPU and GPU load proportionally at these extremes. The data indicates that for the best frame rates, particularly at 4K, lowering settings is the most effective way to improve performance, but a balanced approach is recommended.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the 'Medium' preset provides the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 4K, the 'Medium' preset achieves an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for most users, and the 64 FPS minimum indicates that the game will not suffer from significant stutters. The 'High' preset at 4K is also viable, with an average of 65 FPS, but it may feel less smooth in demanding scenes. The 'Ultra' preset at 4K is the most demanding, with an average of 51 FPS, which may not provide a consistent experience for all players.

At 1440p, the 'High' preset delivers an average of 118 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The 'Medium' preset at 1440p, with an average of 138 FPS and a minimum of 117 FPS, is even smoother and is a good choice for competitive settings. The 'Low' preset at 1440p runs at an average of 180 FPS, which is excellent for eSports-style play, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. The 'Ultra' preset at 1440p, with an average of 92 FPS, is still very playable and offers the best visual quality.

For 1080p, the 'High' preset at 180 FPS and 'Medium' at 211 FPS are both outstanding choices, easily supporting high refresh rate displays. The 'Ultra' preset at 1080p, with an average of 141 FPS, is also a solid option for users who want the best visuals. The 'Low' preset at 275 FPS is only recommended for players who are looking to maximize their frame rates for competitive play. Overall, the data indicates that the 'Medium' preset is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, as it provides a significant performance boost over 'High' and 'Ultra' while maintaining a high level of visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 396th out of 3,696 tested combinations in The Technomancer, placing it in the top 11% of all configurations. This ranking indicates a very strong performance for the game, but it is not the absolute top tier. The data suggests that the combination is not CPU-bound, as the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a high-end processor with a 96th percentile rank among all CPUs, and the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a high-end graphics card with a 76th percentile rank among all GPUs.

The CPU’s performance in other benchmarks reinforces its high ranking. In Cinebench R23, the processor scored 51,731 points in multi-core and 7,303 points in single-core. The nearest rivals to the CPU in overall benchmarks are the AMD EPYC 7F72, with an average score of 85,072 and a negative delta percentage of -1.3, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is 0.2% slower. This suggests the CPU is a top-tier performer, which contributes to the combination's high rank in The Technomancer.

The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which is 1.9% slower, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, which is 1.4% slower. The GPU's strong performance in the game, combined with the CPU's capability, ensures that the system is not severely bottlenecked. The rank of 396 out of 3,696 is a strong indicator of a high-performance pairing, and the data shows that this system can run the game at high frame rates across all tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across different settings and resolutions. At 3840x2160, the 'Ultra' preset averages 51 FPS. The 'High' preset delivers an average of 65 FPS. The 'Medium' preset results in an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. The 'Low' preset reaches an average of 99 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the 'Ultra' preset averages 92 FPS. The 'High' preset delivers an average of 118 FPS. The 'Medium' preset results in an average of 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 159 FPS. The 'Low' preset reaches an average of 180 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the 'Ultra' preset averages 141 FPS. The 'High' preset delivers an average of 180 FPS. The 'Medium' preset results in an average of 211 FPS, with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 243 FPS. The 'Low' preset reaches an average of 275 FPS.

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern. The 'Medium' preset is the only setting with recorded minimum FPS values, indicating that it provides a stable frame rate. The 'Low' preset is much faster than the 'Ultra' preset, which shows a heavy load on the GPU. The 1080p 'Low' preset at 275 FPS is the highest measured frame rate, while the 4K 'Ultra' preset at 51 FPS is the lowest. This data is measured, not estimated, and provides a reliable basis for evaluating the hardware combination.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER plays a crucial role in The Technomancer's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, which is more than sufficient for the game's requirements at 4K. The 256-bit memory bus provides a memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s, which helps maintain high frame rates at high resolutions. The GPU's clock speeds are 2340 MHz base and 2610 MHz boost, which are high for the Ada Lovelace architecture.

The GPU's 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key indicator of its raw compute power. This allows it to handle the game's graphics effects at high settings. The 96 ROPs and 264 TMUs are also important for pixel and texture processing, which are heavily utilized in a game like this. The GPU is positioned in the 76th percentile of all tested GPUs, which is a solid performance ranking, though it is not at the absolute top. The nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which is only 1.9% faster, and the NVIDIA Quadro M5000, which is 0.4% slower. This shows that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a very strong performer, but the game's data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most cases.

The GPU's performance is supported by the CPU's capabilities. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a high clock speed of 5.80 GHz and 24 cores, which can handle the game's logic and physics. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for gaming. The system's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s is not a limiting factor. The combination of a strong CPU and a strong GPU ensures that the game can run at high frame rates, though the GPU is the primary factor that determines performance at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with the 'Ultra' preset?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with the 'Ultra' preset is 141 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the data?

A: The highest average FPS is 275, achieved at 1920x1080 with the 'Low' preset.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER have enough VRAM for 4K in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, the GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, which is more than enough for the game's requirements at 4K.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with the 'Medium' preset?

A: At 2560x1440 with the 'Medium' preset, the average FPS is 138, with a minimum of 117 and a maximum of 159.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus perform in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores 51,731 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Q: What is the rank of this CPU+GPU combination in The Technomancer?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 396th out of 3,696 tested combinations.