The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution and graphics settings. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the benchmark data reveals a system that delivers playable frame rates across most configurations, though the most extreme settings at 4K will test its limits. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, examining how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the final results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 160 FPS at 1080p to 105 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 58 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop when stepping up to 4K. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the game's rendering load scales primarily with pixel count.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, suggesting that the RTX 5090's immense fillrate capabilities are being taxed heavily by the higher resolution. At Ultra settings, the 4K average of 45 FPS is barely above the threshold for smooth gameplay, while the 1080p Ultra result of 125 FPS shows the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions. This scaling behavior points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's role diminishes when the pixel workload increases.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens considerably at 4K. At 1080p, the difference between Low (245 FPS) and Ultra (125 FPS) is 120 FPS, but at 4K, that spread narrows to 43 FPS (88 FPS vs 45 FPS). This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even reducing settings to Low cannot fully compensate for the resolution overhead, confirming that resolution is the dominant performance variable in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship mobile GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz, combined with 21760 shading units, provide substantial compute throughput. The benchmark scores reflect this: a Passmark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 place the GPU in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs tested.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is evident in the scaling behavior described above. The 32 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this title, even at 4K Ultra, as the game's texture and geometry demands from 2016 are unlikely to exceed even a fraction of that capacity. The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s ensures that texture streaming and buffer updates are not bottlenecks, allowing the shading units to remain busy.

The RTX 5090's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% faster) and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% slower), indicating that this GPU sits at the top of the performance hierarchy. However, in The Technomancer specifically, the data shows that even this powerful GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, highlighting the game's demanding nature at maximum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 551 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 20% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing for a mobile platform. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 88th percentile standing and the GPU's 92nd percentile, with the overall system performance being slightly limited by the processor.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its contribution: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is 0.2% slower, while the Intel Core i9-13950HX is 0.3% faster. These small deltas indicate that the Core Ultra X9 388H is competitive with high-end desktop and mobile processors from the previous generation. In The Technomancer, the combo rank of 551 suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the CPU's performance in this game prevents the system from climbing higher in the rankings.

The fact that the combo ranks lower than the individual component percentiles might suggest that The Technomancer is not fully utilizing the RTX 5090's capabilities, or that the CPU is holding back performance in certain scenarios. The data indicates that at 1080p, where CPU load is highest relative to GPU load, the system achieves 245 FPS on Low settings, which is excellent but not the highest possible, hinting at a slight CPU bottleneck in lighter scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved in The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 245, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 58, just below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 4K achieve 67 FPS, while Ultra drops to 45 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79842, with the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scoring 79605 (0.3% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scoring 78940 (1.1% lower).

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 160 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 82 FPS, a difference of 78 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU's single-thread performance impact the game's results?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2200.5, and its Passmark single-thread score is 4280, which are strong results that help maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where CPU load is higher.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 57, observed at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 245 FPS, Medium achieves 188 FPS (with a minimum of 160 and maximum of 216), High reaches 160 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a strong 125 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 5090 is never the limiting factor, and the CPU's 16 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very playable. Low settings yield 160 FPS, Medium averages 123 FPS (minimum 104, maximum 141), High produces 105 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82 FPS. The 1440p results show a more balanced workload, with the GPU beginning to assert its influence but still leaving headroom for high refresh rate monitors at most settings.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings average 88 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 67 FPS (with a minimum of 57), High falls to 58 FPS, and Ultra dips to 45 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this game at maximum resolution and settings exceeds what even the RTX 5090 can comfortably handle, requiring either a reduction in settings or acceptance of sub-60 FPS frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H features 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel LPDDR5X memory support provide the memory bandwidth necessary for gaming workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18911 and a single-core score of 2200.5, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 36811.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not saturated. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 245 FPS, which suggests the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI workloads even at high frame rates. The CPU's 88th percentile rank among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466, places it just behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (0.2% slower) and ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX (0.3% faster).

The 16-core configuration is likely overkill for this 2016 title, as most games from that era were optimized for fewer threads. However, the high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is more critical for gaming. The CPU's power envelope of 25 W TDP suggests efficient operation, though the performance data shows it can still deliver high frame rates without becoming a bottleneck at standard gaming resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, Ultra settings at 125 FPS provide the best visual experience while maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS, making this the recommended configuration for most users. The jump from High (160 FPS) to Ultra (125 FPS) is noticeable but acceptable given the visual improvements Ultra typically offers.

At 1440p, High settings at 105 FPS represent the sweet spot, offering excellent visual quality and smooth gameplay. Ultra at 82 FPS is still playable and may be preferable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate, but the 23 FPS drop from High to Ultra is significant. Medium at 123 FPS is a good alternative for those seeking higher refresh rates, though the visual compromise may not be worth the gain.

For 4K resolution, the data suggests that Medium settings at 67 FPS is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. High settings at 58 FPS are borderline, and the minimum recorded 57 FPS at Medium indicates occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 45 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the frame rate drops below the level where most users perceive fluid motion. Low settings at 88 FPS are viable for competitive play, but the visual quality reduction is substantial.

In summary, the recommended presets are Ultra at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Medium at 4K. These configurations provide the best experience per the measured rows, balancing visual quality against the frame rate necessary for an enjoyable Action RPG experience.