The Technomancer

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a clear performance profile in The Technomancer, with measured data showing a strong 1080p experience, a capable 1440p showing, and a 4K mode that requires settings management. The data is measured, not estimated, and the playable threshold is 60 FPS. Across all tested resolutions, the combination shows a predictable pattern: higher settings and higher resolutions reduce frame rates, but the GPU’s headroom is substantial at lower resolutions. The following sections break down the exact numbers, the division of labor between CPU and GPU, and what this means for a prospective player.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4070 with the Core i3-12100F produces very high frame rates across all four settings. Low settings average 233 FPS, Medium averages 179 FPS with a minimum of 152 FPS and a maximum of 206 FPS, High averages 153 FPS, and Ultra averages 119 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 114 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample performance to spare even at the most demanding preset. The Medium preset’s minimum of 152 FPS shows that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above the 60 FPS threshold, with no data suggesting any stutter or drop below playable levels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but scales down as expected. Low settings average 152 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 134 FPS, High averages 100 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: at Low, the average falls from 233 to 152 FPS, a reduction of 81 FPS; at Ultra, it falls from 119 to 78 FPS, a reduction of 41 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 99 FPS confirms that the experience remains fluid, with no data point falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings average 84 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 55 FPS is notable because it falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, even though the average is above it. High and Ultra settings average 55 and 43 FPS respectively, both below the threshold. The resolution scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep: at Low, the average drops from 152 to 84 FPS, and at Ultra, from 78 to 43 FPS. This indicates that 4K is the first resolution where the GPU’s limits become apparent, requiring the player to choose between Low and Medium settings to maintain playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver at all three resolutions, but the CPU’s role becomes more visible at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1920x1080, the RTX 4070 produces an average of 233 FPS on Low settings, which is far beyond what the game’s engine likely requires for smooth gameplay. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU without becoming a bottleneck at these settings. However, the scaling between resolutions provides a clearer picture: from 1080p to 1440p, the Low setting average drops by 81 FPS, while from 1440p to 4K, it drops by 68 FPS. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the resolution increase demands more pixel processing, but the CPU remains sufficient at lower resolutions.

The preset scaling within each resolution further clarifies the GPU’s dominance. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 233 to 119 FPS, a 114 FPS drop. At 1440p, the same preset change moves the average from 152 to 78 FPS, a 74 FPS drop. At 4K, the drop is from 84 to 43 FPS, a 41 FPS reduction. The diminishing absolute drops at higher resolutions indicate that the GPU is increasingly strained by pixel count, while the CPU’s workload from preset changes (which affect draw calls and physics) remains relatively constant. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, where the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are pushed to their limits.

At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU’s 3.30 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock, combined with 12 MB of shared L3 cache, appear sufficient to maintain high frame rates. The Core i3-12100F’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, place it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, suggesting it has enough single-thread performance for gaming. The data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes the bottleneck, as even at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 233, which is more likely limited by the game engine’s frame rate cap or the GPU’s rendering speed rather than CPU processing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly. The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, and its closest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492, a delta of 0%. This means the N355 would perform almost identically in CPU-bound tasks. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, a 0.3% delta, also very close. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% lower. These rivals are all within a narrow range, so swapping the Core i3-12100F for any of these would yield similar CPU performance in The Technomancer, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a score of 37628, a delta of 0.1%, meaning near-identical performance. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, a 0.4% delta, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, a 1.3% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher. These rivals indicate that the RTX 4070’s performance is closely matched by several other GPUs, so a system with any of these would produce similar frame rates in The Technomancer at each resolution and settings preset. The deltas are all under 1.5%, so the differences would be within a few frames per second, not enough to change the playability verdict at any resolution.

The Verdict

The data shows that this combination can run The Technomancer at all three tested resolutions, but the playable settings vary. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with averages ranging from 119 to 233 FPS. The verdict for 1080p is that the game is fully playable at maximum settings, as Ultra averages 119 FPS, well above the threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 78 FPS. This means the game is playable at the highest preset at 1440p, though the margin above 60 FPS is smaller than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more restrictive. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with averages of 84 and 64 FPS respectively. High and Ultra average 55 and 43 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset’s minimum of 55 FPS is a concern, as it dips below 60 FPS even though the average is above it. This means that while Medium is technically playable by average, players may experience occasional frame drops below the threshold. Low settings provide a safer margin, with an average of 84 FPS and no minimum data to indicate dips. Therefore, the verdict is that 4K is playable, but only with reduced settings, and Medium is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS on average.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS on average is as follows. At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 119 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the data shows no minimum below 60 FPS for this preset (though minimums are not provided for Ultra, the average is high enough to indicate consistent playability). At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra as well, with an average of 78 FPS. This maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the recommended preset for a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the best setting is Medium, which averages 64 FPS. However, the minimum of 55 FPS for Medium suggests that while the average is above 60, the experience may not be perfectly smooth in all scenes. Low settings average 84 FPS, providing a safer choice for consistent frame rates, but Medium is the most demanding preset that still meets the average threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination averages 119 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at 1080p, including Low at 233 FPS, Medium at 179 FPS, and High at 153 FPS, clear 60 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest preset that averages at least 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 64 FPS. However, the minimum FPS for Medium is 55, so players may see drops below 60 in demanding scenes. Low averages 84 FPS and is a more consistent option.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score is 37648. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37628, a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 (0.4% lower), and the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135 (1.3% higher). These deltas suggest frame rates within a few FPS of each other.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 233, which is very high and suggests the GPU is the limiting factor even at lower resolutions. The Core i3-12100F’s single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, appears sufficient for this game.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 100, with no minimum or maximum data provided. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a smooth experience. Lower presets like Medium average 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 4K ever drop below 60 FPS?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 55, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The average is 64 FPS, but the minimum data shows that some scenes will run at 55 FPS, so the experience is not consistently above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 847th out of 3696 tested combinations for The Technomancer. This places it in the top 23% of all tested combos, indicating that it performs well relative to the broader database. The rank reflects the combination’s ability to handle the game at high frame rates across most resolutions, with the primary limitation being 4K Ultra settings. Given that the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs and the CPU is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, the combination’s overall rank is consistent with what the individual components suggest. The data confirms that this is a mid-to-high tier setup for this game, with strong 1080p and 1440p performance and acceptable 4K performance at reduced settings.