The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload for modern mobile hardware. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile reveals a configuration that is capable of delivering playable frame rates, but one that requires careful settings management to balance visual fidelity with performance. This analysis examines the measured FPS across resolutions and presets, the role of the GPU and CPU, and offers practical settings recommendations based solely on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, indicating that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the configuration achieves an average of 99 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 64 FPS, a reduction of 35 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 at High settings is even more punishing, with the average falling to 35 FPS, which is a 64 FPS drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

The relationship between resolution and performance is not linear, but the trend is clear. At 1080p, the system is likely not fully GPU-bound, allowing for higher frame rates. The 98 FPS average at 1080p Low versus the 150 FPS average at 1080p Low shows a 52 FPS difference, which is a substantial gain from lowering settings. However, at 4K, even dropping to Low settings only yields a 54 FPS average, which is still below the 60 FPS threshold many consider ideal. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 Mobile’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K overwhelms the GPU’s compute capabilities.

The 1440p results offer a middle ground, with the High preset delivering 64 FPS and the Low preset reaching 98 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of only 28 FPS, which is essentially unplayable for a smooth experience. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a 29 FPS drop, highlighting the exponential cost of higher resolutions. The data suggests that this configuration is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the GPU can maintain respectable frame rates without being pushed to its absolute limit.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is the primary driver of the measured frame rates, and its specifications provide context for the results. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. Its boost clock is listed at 1890 MHz, with a base clock of 1545 MHz. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. These specs align with a mid-range mobile part, capable of strong 1080p performance but not designed for high-refresh 4K gaming.

In The Technomancer, the GPU’s role is evident in the frame rate differences between settings. At 1080p, the move from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average FPS from 150 to 77, a 73 FPS swing that clearly demonstrates the GPU’s workload increasing with graphical fidelity. The 4K results further emphasize this, as even the Low preset struggles to maintain 60 FPS, averaging 54 FPS. The GPU’s performance percentile versus all GPUs is 67, indicating it is better than most but not a top-tier part. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, with the RTX 4060 Mobile scoring 0.7% lower and 0.8% higher respectively in average benchmark scores.

The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present, but their impact on this specific game is not directly measurable from the FPS data. The memory clock of 2000 MHz, translating to 16 Gbps effective, is adequate for the bandwidth requirements at 1080p and 1440p. However, at 4K, the limited 128-bit bus width becomes a bottleneck, as the GPU cannot feed the shaders fast enough to maintain higher frame rates. The data shows that the RTX 4060 Mobile is a capable 1080p card, a good 1440p card with settings adjustments, and a poor 4K card for this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS experience, the data shows that 1080p with High settings achieves 99 FPS, which is well above the target. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 115 FPS, offering a slight performance buffer. At 1440p, the High preset averages 64 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS, making it the highest quality setting that comfortably hits that target. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 50 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but is not ideal for fast-paced action.

For 4K gaming, the data is less encouraging. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and even the Low preset only reaches 54 FPS. Neither is sufficient for a smooth 60 FPS experience. Therefore, playing at 4K with this configuration would require accepting lower frame rates or reducing the resolution. The Medium preset at 4K averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, indicating inconsistent performance that could be distracting.

The best experience per the measured rows appears to be at 1440p with the High preset. This combination delivers a 64 FPS average, which is playable and offers a significant visual improvement over 1080p. If a higher frame rate is preferred, dropping to 1440p Medium yields 75 FPS, which is a 11 FPS improvement while still maintaining a higher resolution than 1080p. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 77 FPS is a viable option for those who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rate, as it still remains above 60 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot, balancing resolution, visual fidelity, and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 150 FPS average
• Medium: 115 FPS average, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS
• High: 99 FPS average
• Ultra: 77 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 98 FPS average
• Medium: 75 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS
• High: 64 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 28 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy, with 1080p Low providing the highest performance and 4K Ultra the lowest. The Medium presets at each resolution show a consistent pattern: 115 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The High presets follow a similar pattern: 99 FPS, 64 FPS, and 35 FPS respectively. The Ultra presets are the most demanding, with 77 FPS, 50 FPS, and 28 FPS. These numbers indicate that the performance cost of moving from Medium to High is roughly 15-20 FPS at each resolution, while the cost of High to Ultra is slightly less, around 14-22 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this configuration run The Technomancer at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data indicates that 4K performance is marginal. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 54 on the Low preset, which is below the common 60 FPS target. The High and Ultra presets average 35 and 28 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 99 FPS, and the Medium preset delivers 115 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 64 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS. The 1440p High setting is the highest resolution that maintains an average above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Mobile compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22729. It scores 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B580, and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS. This represents a 73 FPS reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, frame rates drop significantly (e.g., from 99 FPS to 35 FPS on High settings), which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU’s performance is more consistent across resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured FPS ranged from a minimum of 64 FPS to a maximum of 87 FPS, with an average of 75 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is the processor in this configuration, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4060 Mobile in this title. The CPU features 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has 18 MB of shared L3 cache and supports LPDDR5X memory. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28221 and a single-core score of 3984. The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 87, indicating it performs better than the vast majority of processors.

In The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is less critical than the GPU, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. The frame rates drop significantly with resolution, which is a GPU workload. However, a capable CPU is necessary to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 150 FPS, which requires a CPU that can process game logic and draw calls quickly. The Ultra X7 368H’s high single-core performance, as shown by its Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1673, helps ensure that it does not become a bottleneck in these scenarios.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core 7 253PE and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, with the Ultra X7 368H scoring 0.1% lower and 0.2% higher respectively. This places it in a competitive position. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The primary constraint is the GPU’s ability to render at higher resolutions. The 16 cores and 16 threads may not be fully utilized by a 2016 game, but the high boost clock ensures strong performance in single-threaded tasks, which is often more important for older titles.