The Technomancer

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers strong frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 130 FPS, with no recorded minimum or maximum values in the database. Medium settings average 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. High settings average 85 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain a solid 66 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, with Ultra delivering roughly half the frame rate of Low, but both remain comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, performance remains playable but the headroom narrows. Low settings average 85 FPS, which is a 45 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. High settings fall to 56 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop further to 43 FPS. The data shows that at 1440p, only Low and Medium presets clear 60 FPS on average, and Medium's minimum of 55 FPS indicates occasional dips below the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 struggles to maintain playable performance. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and maximum of 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. None of these presets reach the 60 FPS mark. The 4K results show a clear pattern: this hardware combination is not suited for 2160p gaming in The Technomancer, even at the lowest settings.

The frame rate scaling between resolutions follows the expected pattern for a GPU-bound title. Comparing 1080p to 1440p at the same preset, Low drops from 130 to 85 FPS (a 34.6% reduction), Medium drops from 100 to 65 FPS, and High drops from 85 to 56 FPS. From 1440p to 2160p, the drops are even more severe: Low falls from 85 to 47 FPS, Medium from 65 to 36 FPS, and High from 56 to 31 FPS. The 4K resolution imposes a heavy load that the RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot overcome.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that The Technomancer is primarily GPU-bound at this hardware level. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, shows sufficient processing capability for this game. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, place it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The near-identical scores between the 3DMark 8-thread test (4026) and 3DMark max-threads test (4023) suggest the CPU handles the game's threading demands without becoming a bottleneck.

The resolution scaling tells the story. At 1080p, the average FPS values are high across all presets, indicating the GPU has headroom to spare. At 1440p, the FPS drops proportionally with the increased pixel count, and at 2160p, the FPS collapses. This pattern is characteristic of GPU-bound rendering. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar FPS values at different resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain roughly constant while the GPU workload changes.

The settings presets also point toward GPU dominance. Raising the preset from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average FPS from 130 to 66, a 49.2% reduction. This performance penalty comes from increased GPU workload, not CPU load. The RTX 2060's specifications, including 1920 shading units and a 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 rate, determine how quickly the game can render each frame at higher visual fidelity.

At 2160p, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The 4K resolution requires processing nearly four times the pixels of 1080p, and the RTX 2060's 48 ROPs and 201.6 GTexel/s texture rate cannot keep up. The CPU still has capacity to feed the GPU, but the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to reach 60 FPS at any preset.

The recorded data shows that for 1080p gaming, both components are adequate, with the GPU being the more active participant. For 1440p, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at High and Ultra presets, while the CPU remains capable. For 2160p, the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the rendering deficiency.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes. All four presets at 1920x1080 exceed the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 66 FPS, High averages 85 FPS, Medium averages 100 FPS, and Low averages 130 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for this hardware?

A: Medium is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS at 2560x1440, with an average of 65 FPS. However, the minimum recorded FPS is 55, so brief dips below 60 FPS can occur.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with the RTX 2060 and i3-12100F in this game?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 47 FPS, and Ultra averages just 24 FPS. No preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492 (0% difference), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% ahead of the i3), the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (0.7% behind the i3), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (1.1% ahead of the i3). These are all effectively equivalent in overall performance.

Q: What GPU alternatives are closest to the RTX 2060 in performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has an average score of 15283 (0% difference from the RTX 2060's 15290), the AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.1% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 (0.6% difference), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171 (0.8% difference). All four rivals are within 1% of the RTX 2060's average benchmark score.

Q: Which presets at 1080p provide the best visual quality while staying above 60 FPS?

A: Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1920x1080, averaging 66 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity available while maintaining playable frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are closely matched to the Intel Core i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13494. The Intel Core 3 N355 matches it at 13492, showing a 0% difference. The Intel Core i5-9500 achieves 13452, which is 0.3% higher than the i3-12100F. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, placing it 0.7% below the i3-12100F in relative terms. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% above the i3-12100F. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in The Technomancer, since the game appears to be GPU-bound at this tier.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with a score of 15283, a 0% difference. The AMD Radeon 680M follows at 15270, also 0.1% below the RTX 2060. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, which is 0.6% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, 0.8% lower than the RTX 2060. These GPUs would produce FPS values within a few frames of each other in The Technomancer at every resolution and preset.

The RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the i3-12100F sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates the GPU is a more limiting factor for this pairing. Users considering an upgrade path should note that the CPU has more headroom relative to its peers than the GPU does, suggesting the GPU would be the first component to replace for higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a playable average FPS. The database records no playable settings for this resolution, and the best available preset cannot be defined because even Low settings only reach 47 FPS. Users at 4K would need to lower the resolution or upgrade the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the best settings that maintain an average above 60 FPS is Medium. This preset averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. The minimum dip below 60 FPS is worth noting, as it may be perceptible in fast-moving scenes. Low settings at 1440p average 85 FPS, providing a larger safety margin if consistent 60 FPS is required.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 66 FPS. This is the recommended choice for users who prioritize visual quality. For users who want a larger frame rate buffer, High averages 85 FPS, Medium averages 100 FPS, and Low averages 130 FPS. The Ultra preset's 66 FPS average leaves only 6 FPS of headroom above the threshold, so users sensitive to frame drops may prefer High or Medium.

The verdict by resolution confirms these findings: 1920x1080 supports High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable, with Ultra being the best at 66 FPS. 2560x1440 supports Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at 65 FPS. 3840x2160 supports no playable settings.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination can run The Technomancer, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, this system is fully capable. All four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 66 FPS, High averaging 85 FPS, Medium averaging 100 FPS, and Low averaging 130 FPS. The Ultra preset provides the best visual experience while remaining playable, though the margin above 60 FPS is modest.

At 2560x1440, the system remains usable but requires settings compromises. Medium is the highest preset that averages above 60 FPS at 65 FPS, but the minimum recorded FPS of 55 indicates occasional stutter. Low settings average 85 FPS and provide a safer experience. High and Ultra both fall below the threshold, averaging 56 FPS and 43 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot run the game at a playable frame rate. No preset reaches 60 FPS, and even Low settings only average 47 FPS. Users with 4K displays should avoid this resolution for The Technomancer or consider a GPU upgrade.

The overall combination rank in the database is 2911 out of 3696, placing it in the lower portion of tested configurations. The GPU's 58th percentile ranking and the CPU's 68th percentile ranking suggest this is a balanced pairing, with the GPU being the more limiting component for this game. For 1080p gaming, this system delivers a smooth experience at maximum settings. For 1440p, it offers a playable experience at Medium settings. For 4K, it falls short. The recorded data shows this is a competent 1080p gaming system with enough power for moderate 1440p play, but it should not be expected to handle 4K in The Technomancer.