The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales dramatically with resolution and graphical presets. Benchmarking the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile reveals a configuration that is consistently capable, yet its performance envelope is tightly bound by the chosen display resolution and quality settings. The measured data provides a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it begins to strain, offering a methodical view of its capabilities across the standard 1080p, 1440p, and 4K landscapes.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the measured FPS data is the pronounced impact of resolution on this combo's performance. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 represents a substantial increase in pixel count, and the frame rates reflect this burden accordingly. At the "Medium" preset, a useful baseline for comparison, the average frame rate drops from 176 FPS at 1080p to 115 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 63 FPS at 4K. This progression shows a clear and steep decline, indicating that the rendering pipeline is heavily taxed at higher resolutions.

This scaling behavior strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The GPU's workload increases nearly exponentially with pixel count, and the data reflects this. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is a 34.7% reduction in average FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a 45.2% reduction. The latter, larger drop is a classic sign of the GPU hitting its pixel throughput limits, as the fill-rate demands of 4K (3840x2160) are substantially higher than those of 1440p (2560x1440).

Conversely, the relatively high frame rates at 1080p, even at "Ultra" settings where the average is 117 FPS, indicate that the GPU is not fully saturated at this resolution. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, with its 16 cores and 16 threads, is likely capable of feeding the GPU quickly enough to achieve these high numbers. However, the scaling pattern implies that if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a less pronounced difference between 1440p and 4K, as the GPU would be waiting on the processor in both cases. Instead, the consistent drop across all resolutions points definitively to the GPU being the limiting factor, particularly as resolution increases.

The data also shows how the "Low" preset further emphasizes this GPU-bound nature. At 1080p "Low," the combo achieves an average of 229 FPS. At 1440p "Low," it still manages 150 FPS, and at 4K "Low," it drops to 82 FPS. The 4K "Low" score is still 30% higher than the 4K "High" score, but the resolution penalty remains steep. This suggests that while lowering settings can improve frame rates, the fundamental cost of rendering at 4K cannot be entirely mitigated by the CPU or a less demanding preset, reinforcing the GPU's role as the performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of CPU and GPU holds a solid position. The data places it at rank 992 out of 3696 total combos. This percentile placement, roughly in the 73rd percentile of all tested systems, indicates that this configuration performs above the median but is not at the absolute top tier. It is a strong performer, but there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this particular title.

This ranking is a synthesis of the CPU and GPU's individual capabilities. The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, with an average benchmark score of 38349, sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Both components are above-average performers individually, and their combination results in a system that is similarly above the median for gaming. The combo's rank in-game is slightly lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest, indicating that The Technomancer's specific engine may not scale perfectly with the high core count of this CPU or the specific architecture of this GPU.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, based on average benchmark score, are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D with a score of 44573 (a -0.2% delta), the Intel Core i9-13950HX with 44342 (a 0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 with 44309 (a 0.4% delta). This shows the 388H is performance-competitive with these other high-end processors in general compute tasks. For the GPU, the closest competitors by average score are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile with 38135 (a 0.6% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 with 38299 (a 0.1% delta). The proximity of these scores suggests that in this game, the RTX 5080 Mobile's performance is closely matched by the previous generation's high-end mobile offering, despite the newer architecture. The combo's rank of 992 reflects that while it is a strong setup, its overall gaming performance is not uniquely dominant.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is a strong middle ground. At "High" settings, the combo achieves an average of 98 FPS, which is a smooth experience. While 1920x1080 yields even higher frame rates, the 1440p resolution provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while still maintaining high performance, making it the optimal balance based on the measured rows.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K with "Medium" settings, the average FPS is 63, which is playable. However, at "High" settings, the average drops to 54 FPS, and at "Ultra," it falls to 42 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is only viable when reducing settings to "Medium" or "Low," where the average is 82 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the "Low" and "Ultra" presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the "Low" preset yields an average of 229 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset yields 117 FPS. This is a 48.9% decrease in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality setting, showing that the visual fidelity settings have a massive impact on frame rate.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H a bottleneck for the RTX 5080 Mobile in this game?

A: Based on the resolution scaling data, it appears the GPU is the primary limiter. At 1080p, the CPU is able to drive the GPU to very high frame rates (up to 229 FPS on "Low"). The sharp FPS drops as resolution increases point to the GPU's rendering limits rather than a CPU constraint.

Q: How does this combo's overall ranking compare to other systems tested?

A: This combo is ranked 992 out of 3696 tested combinations. This places it in the upper third of all systems, indicating a solidly above-average performance in The Technomancer, though it is not among the top-performing 100 or so combinations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded in the data is 54 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with "Medium" settings. This indicates that even at 4K, the frame rate does not drop below a playable threshold on that preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The "Low" preset averages 229 FPS, "Medium" averages 176 FPS (with a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 202), "High" averages 150 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 117 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is incredibly powerful, easily clearing the 60 FPS threshold even on the most demanding settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong, though the resolution cost is evident. The "Low" preset averages 150 FPS, a 34.5% drop from the 1080p "Low" score. The "Medium" preset averages 115 FPS (min 98, max 132), "High" averages 98 FPS, and "Ultra" drops to 77 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even "Ultra" settings maintain an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed to its limits. The "Low" preset is the only one that provides a high-refresh-rate experience, averaging 82 FPS. The "Medium" preset averages 63 FPS (min 54, max 73), which is still playable. However, "High" drops to an average of 54 FPS, and "Ultra" falls to 42 FPS. These 4K numbers indicate that for a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS, users will need to stick to "Low" or "Medium" settings. The gap between the "High" and "Ultra" 4K scores (54 vs 42 FPS) is a 22.2% difference, showing that the "Ultra" preset's additional effects carry a significant performance penalty.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience that prioritizes high frame rates, the 2560x1440 resolution with "High" settings is the most compelling choice from the measured data. This configuration achieves an average of 98 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and it offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p. The "Medium" preset at 1440p (115 FPS) is also an excellent option for those who prefer even higher frame rates, sacrificing some visual fidelity for a 17.3% performance increase.

At 1080p, the "High" preset is recommended for users with high-refresh-rate displays, as it delivers 150 FPS, making full use of 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. While "Ultra" at 1080p (117 FPS) is still very playable, the "High" preset offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, as the jump to "Ultra" costs a 22% performance hit for what is often a marginal visual improvement.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation is to use the "Medium" preset, which provides an average of 63 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience at that resolution. While "Low" at 4K offers a higher average (82 FPS), the visual downgrade is significant. The "High" and "Ultra" presets at 4K, with averages of 54 and 42 FPS respectively, are best avoided unless the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate smoothness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its substantial core count and high boost clock are designed to handle both multi-threaded productivity tasks and gaming workloads. In The Technomancer, an Action RPG, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which can be demanding, but the measured data suggests it is not the primary bottleneck for this combo.

The CPU's benchmark scores show it is a powerful processor. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 18911, and its single-core score is 2200.5. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4280. These scores place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, has an average score of 44573, a negligible -0.2% difference. This indicates that the 388H is on par with other top-tier processors in general compute performance, which is a good sign for its ability to feed the GPU.

However, the gaming data implies that the CPU is more than sufficient for this task. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution (from 229 FPS at 1080p Low to 42 FPS at 4K Ultra) is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a ceiling on frame rates regardless of resolution. Since the FPS continues to climb as resolution drops, it confirms that the CPU is keeping pace and the RTX 5080 Mobile is the component determining the performance limits. The 16 cores and 16 threads are likely more than adequate for The Technomancer's engine, which was released in 2016 and may not even fully utilize all available threads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the undisputed driver of this combo's gaming performance. Based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (chip GB203), it features 7680 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1500 MHz, and its FP32 performance is rated at 23.04 TFLOPS. This specification sheet indicates a high-end mobile GPU, and the gaming data confirms its capabilities, though also its limitations at extreme resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores are solid, with a Passmark G3D score of 27711 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4952. It sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38349. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, has a nearly identical average score of 38135, a delta of only 0.6%. This suggests that in raw compute, the 5080 Mobile offers only a marginal generational improvement. In The Technomancer, this translates to the GPU being the primary factor in the FPS differences seen across resolutions.

The 4K performance data is the most telling. The fact that the GPU can only manage an average of 63 FPS on "Medium" settings at 3840x2160, and drops to 42 FPS on "Ultra," shows that its pixel throughput is being taxed heavily. The 16 GB of VRAM is likely not a limiting factor at these settings, as the game is from 2016 and would not require that much memory. Instead, the rendering compute and memory bandwidth are the constraints. The GPU's role is clear: it provides excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, but users targeting 4K must be prepared to make significant compromises in graphical settings to maintain playable frame rates.