The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, is benchmarked here using the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. This mobile CPU, part of the Core Ultra Series 3 on the Panther Lake architecture, combines 16 cores with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, while the desktop-class RTX 5080 brings Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 10,752 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. The measured data reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, though the aging game engine presents some notable bottlenecks at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K shows a steep and consistent drop, indicating that the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 150 FPS at 1920x1080 to 98 FPS at 2560x1440, a 34.7% reduction, before settling at 54 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a further 44.9% decline from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound workload, where the rendering load on the graphics card increases quadratically with pixel count.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically as resolution increases. At 1080p, the spread is 112 FPS (229 FPS on Low versus 117 FPS on Ultra), but at 4K, that gap compresses to just 40 FPS (82 FPS on Low versus 42 FPS on Ultra). This compression suggests that at 4K, even the Low preset is heavily limited by the GPU's raw throughput, whereas at 1080p, the CPU and memory subsystems have more headroom to feed the graphics card, allowing the settings to have a more pronounced impact.

Notably, the 4K Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 54 and a maximum of 73, producing an average of 63 FPS. This is the only resolution where a non-Ultra preset dips below 60 FPS on average, highlighting that 4K gaming on this title requires careful settings management. The 1440p Medium and High presets both maintain averages above 98 FPS, while 1080p Medium and High exceed 150 FPS, making those resolutions the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate displays. The data indicates that the RTX 5080's 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute are sufficient to handle The Technomancer at 1440p with ease, but 4K pushes the card to its limits, especially when Ultra settings are enabled.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In this game, its role appears secondary to the GPU, but it provides sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The CPU's benchmark scores—Cinebench R23 multi-core of 18,911 and single-core of 2,200.5—place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. However, The Technomancer, being a title from 2016, likely does not utilize all 16 cores efficiently, meaning single-thread performance is more critical for maintaining high frame rates.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 229, which is a high enough frame rate that CPU limitations could manifest, yet the CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and strong single-core Cinebench score of 309.5 in R15 suggest it can keep up with the RTX 5080's output. The passmark single-thread score of 4,280 further confirms the CPU's capability in lightly-threaded scenarios. When compared to its nearest rivals, the X9 388H sits within a narrow band: it is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, but 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385.

The CPU's memory support for LPDDR5X with a dual-channel bus and 153.6 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for feeding the GPU, though it is not a high-bandwidth design compared to some desktop platforms. This is unlikely to matter in The Technomancer, as the game's engine does not appear to be memory-bandwidth sensitive based on the measured scaling. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache is also sufficient for a game of this era. Overall, the CPU role here is to provide stable, high-frequency execution without stalling the GPU, and the measured FPS numbers suggest it accomplishes this, particularly at 1440p and above where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core Ultra X9 388H and RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 717 out of 2,825 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the top 25.4% of all configurations. This ranking reflects a system that is strong but not elite for this specific title, which is interesting given the high-end nature of the components. The GPU alone sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, and the CPU is in the 88th percentile, so the combo's rank is slightly lower than either component's individual percentile, suggesting that the game's engine does not fully reward the hardware's capabilities.

The RTX 5080's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon 8060S (0.6% higher score) and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (2.2% higher score), while it leads the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 0.7% and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 2.3%. This indicates that the GPU is competitively positioned, but the combo ranking in-game is more dependent on how the CPU and GPU interact with this particular title. The 717th place out of 2,825 suggests that many other combinations, possibly with different CPU architectures or higher core counts, manage to extract slightly better performance in The Technomancer's specific workload.

The data shows that the combo's FPS at 1080p High (150 FPS) and 1440p High (98 FPS) are solid, but the 4K High result of 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. This places the combo in a position where it is excellent for 1440p gaming but merely acceptable for 4K, which is a nuanced outcome for a GPU with a launch MSRP of 999 USD. The ranking reflects this balance: it is not a top-tier performer for 4K ultra settings, but it is well above average for the overall testing pool.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5080 delivers exceptional performance across all presets. The Low preset averages 229 FPS, with Medium at 176 FPS (minimum 150, maximum 202), High at 150 FPS, and Ultra at 117 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is entirely GPU-bound, and the CPU has ample headroom, as even the highest preset remains well above 100 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 112 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS values drop to 150 on Low, 115 on Medium (minimum 98, maximum 132), 98 on High, and 77 on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p on High is a 34.7% reduction, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The 1440p Medium preset maintains a minimum of 98 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience, while Ultra still manages 77 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding. The Low preset averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 63 FPS (with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73), High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. The 4K High result is below 60 FPS, and Ultra is below 45 FPS, making these presets challenging for consistent smoothness. The Medium preset at 4K is the only one that approaches playable territory, but its minimum of 54 FPS indicates potential stutters in demanding scenes. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is overkill for this GPU, 1440p is the optimal balance, and 4K requires dropping to Medium settings to maintain a reasonable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The maximum average FPS is 229, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset delivers 176 FPS, High delivers 150 FPS, and Ultra delivers 117 FPS.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: No, the data shows the 3840x2160 High preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. To achieve an average above 60 FPS at 4K, you must drop to Medium settings, which average 63 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44,466, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D's average score of 44,573.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, resulting in a 73 FPS difference between the two extremes.

Q: Is the RTX 5080's performance in The Technomancer better than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB?

A: Yes, based on the average benchmark scores, the RTX 5080 has an average score of 56,083, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB's score of 55,698.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the 4K Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS for the 3840x2160 Medium preset is 54 FPS, with a maximum of 73 FPS and an average of 63 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear guide for optimizing the experience with this hardware. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset at 150 FPS is the optimal choice, as it delivers a high frame rate while maintaining better visual fidelity than Medium. The Ultra preset at 117 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, as it remains well above 60 FPS and offers the maximum settings the game supports.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 115 FPS is the best balance of performance and visual quality, particularly because its minimum FPS of 98 ensures no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 98 FPS is also acceptable, but it leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is playable but falls short of the smoothness offered by Medium or High, making it a secondary choice for users who value visuals over frame rate consistency.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 82 FPS is the only option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, but it sacrifices significant visual detail. The Medium preset at 63 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K, as it stays above 60 FPS on average while providing better image quality than Low. However, the minimum of 54 FPS indicates that users should be prepared for occasional dips below 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 54 FPS and 42 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience, as they consistently fall below the 60 FPS target. For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium offers the highest frame rate with a guaranteed minimum above 90 FPS, making it the standout recommendation from the data.