The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The benchmark data shows a system that is unequivocally GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while revealing a CPU that has ample headroom even at 1080p. This combination achieves a rank of #3 out of 2825 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 0.1% of all systems. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across the board, yet the scaling pattern between resolutions and settings indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, a signal of the sheer throughput of the Intel processor.

Resolution Scaling

The performance delta between 1080p and 4K is the most revealing metric for this combo. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 236 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 154 FPS, a reduction of 82 FPS. Stepping up to 4K High, the average falls further to 85 FPS. This represents a steep 64% drop in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a clear indicator that the rendering load is outstripping the GPU's capabilities as pixel count increases.

This scaling pattern is classic for a system where the graphics card is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the CPU is able to feed frames to the GPU at a very high rate, but the GPU cannot fully utilize this data stream, capping performance at 236 FPS. As resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput become the hard ceiling. The 85 FPS average at 4K Ultra further confirms this, dropping to just 66 FPS. The CPU is not the constraint here; the data suggests that even at 4K, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has significant processing power in reserve.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution reinforces this finding. At 4K, the difference between Low (129 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is 63 FPS. This is a massive swing, showing how sensitive the frame rate is to the GPU's workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller variance between settings, as the CPU's work is less dependent on graphical fidelity. The fact that frame rates nearly double when moving from Ultra to Low settings is definitive proof that the RTX 5090 D is the component determining the performance ceiling in this title.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for The Technomancer?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks #3 out of 2825 tested combos, placing it in the top percentile of all systems benchmarked for this game.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate is 347 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. With Ultra settings at the same resolution, the average is still a very high 184 FPS.

Q: Is this system more limited by the CPU or the GPU in The Technomancer?

A: The data indicates the system is primarily GPU-bound. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution and settings increase, which is characteristic of a GPU limitation. The CPU appears to have ample headroom, as even at 1080p High, the average frame rate is 236 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average frame rate is 154 FPS. At 3840x2160 High, the average drops to 85 FPS, a difference of 69 FPS. This is a substantial performance penalty for the jump to 4K resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. This is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, but 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and 2.1% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate observed in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum frame rate recorded is 84 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is the only resolution/settings combination where a minimum FPS was recorded alongside a maximum.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D are a top-tier pairing for The Technomancer. With a combo rank of #3 out of 2825 tested combinations, this system sits at the apex of performance for this title. This ranking is not just about having powerful individual components; it reflects how well they work together to deliver a fluid gaming experience. The data shows that this combination is capable of pushing frame rates well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, ensuring that the GPU is rarely the cause of a bottleneck at standard resolutions.

This #3 ranking suggests that there are only two other combinations of CPU and GPU in the database that can produce higher average frame rates in this specific game. The fact that this combo achieves such a high rank with a 2016 title indicates that the hardware is significantly overqualified for the game's demands, but it also highlights the robustness of the system. The 96th percentile ranking for the CPU and 92nd percentile for the GPU among all their respective peers further solidify the pedigree of this setup. This is a combination built for extreme performance, and its rank in The Technomancer is a confirmation of that design goal.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across nine different resolution and settings configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 347 FPS. Moving up to Medium, the average is 276 FPS, with a minimum of 235 FPS and a maximum of 317 FPS. High settings produce an average of 236 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still manages an average of 184 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is never challenged, and the frame rate is likely limited by the CPU's single-thread performance or the game's engine.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains extremely high but begins to scale down as the GPU takes on more work. The Low preset averages 235 FPS, which is still a phenomenal result. Medium settings yield an average of 180 FPS, with a minimum of 153 FPS and a maximum of 207 FPS. High settings average 154 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 120 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a clear pattern of the GPU becoming more of a limiting factor, but the system is still producing very high refresh rates capable of driving high-end monitors.

At 3840x2160, the true cost of 4K rendering is evident. Low settings still produce a highly playable average of 129 FPS. Medium settings average 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 85 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 66 FPS. While these numbers are lower than at other resolutions, they are still perfectly playable for a smooth experience. The data shows a consistent and predictable scaling curve, with the most significant performance hits occurring when both resolution and settings are at their maximum.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 85 FPS offers a good balance, providing a solid frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 19 FPS drop from High may not be worth the marginal graphical improvement. For players with a 120Hz or higher 4K display, the Medium preset at 99 FPS is the only way to get closer to that refresh rate, though it comes with a significant reduction in visual quality.

At 1440p, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is the best choice for most users. The 120 FPS average is well within the range of high-refresh-rate monitors, and it provides the best visual experience without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 154 FPS is an excellent option for those with 165Hz or 240Hz displays, as it offers a significant frame rate boost while still looking great. The Low and Medium presets are only necessary for competitive play where maximum frame rates are the absolute priority, such as the 235 FPS achievable on Low.

For 1080p, the system is so powerful that settings choices are purely about visual preference. The Ultra preset at 184 FPS will provide a stunning visual experience and is more than sufficient for even the fastest 360Hz monitors. The High preset at 236 FPS is a great middle ground, offering a substantial frame rate increase for a minor visual compromise. The Low and Medium presets are excessive for this resolution, as the frame rates they produce, 347 FPS and 276 FPS respectively, far exceed the capabilities of any current display and provide no tangible benefit in gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. In The Technomancer, a game from 2016, this CPU is exceptionally powerful. The benchmark results show that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU's work is most significant relative to the GPU's, the system achieves 347 FPS. This suggests that the game is not heavily threaded, but the high boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensures that the few threads it does use are processed extremely quickly.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks corroborates its strength. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has an average score that is 0.2% lower, indicating that the 290K Plus is a marginal but measurable improvement. The data from the measured FPS shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck in The Technomancer; the frame rate scaling is entirely dictated by the GPU's workload, which is the expected behavior for a system with such a powerful processor. The 24 cores provide immense multi-threaded capability for other tasks, but for this specific game, the high single-thread performance is the key attribute that allows the GPU to be fed with data without delay.