The Technomancer

The Technomancer is an Action RPG from 2016 that still presents a meaningful challenge to modern hardware at higher resolutions. The data for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 shows a system that is clearly capable at 1080p and 1440p, but which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 4K on the most demanding presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, explains the balance between CPU and GPU load, and provides specific recommendations for the best settings at each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combination scales across resolutions and quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is never in danger of dropping below the playable threshold. The Low preset delivers an average of 168.9 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the game is not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution. Moving to Medium yields 128.5 FPS, while High produces 109.2 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p maintains an average of 83.8 FPS, leaving substantial headroom above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably but remains strong. The Low preset achieves 107.4 FPS, which is still far above the threshold. Medium drops to 84.3 FPS, and High settles at 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first point where the system approaches the limit, producing an average of 58.6 FPS—just below the 60 FPS playable mark. This is a critical data point, as it shows the boundary of the system's capability at this resolution.

The 3840x2160 results show a significant performance cliff. At 4K, the Low preset averages 59.2 FPS, which is marginally under the threshold. Medium falls to 47.9 FPS, High drops further to 38.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 29.5 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches 60 FPS, indicating that this resolution is not viable for a smooth experience with this hardware combination. The gap between 1440p and 4K is stark, with the 4K High preset delivering roughly half the frame rate of the 1440p High preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. At 1920x1080, the game appears to be more CPU-bound, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates across all presets. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p only reduces the average FPS from 168.9 to 83.8, which is a substantial drop but still leaves the GPU with ample room. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is clearly not the limiting factor here; the bottleneck is primarily the GPU's ability to render the scene at higher settings.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction in FPS across all presets, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. For example, the High preset drops from 109.2 FPS at 1080p to 71.3 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of about 35%. This indicates that the RTX 4060 is now doing more work per frame, and the CPU's role becomes less critical. The Ultra preset at 1440p dipping to 58.6 FPS further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant factor. The frame rates collapse to between 29.5 and 59.2 FPS depending on the preset, which is a classic sign of a GPU that is saturated. The CPU's performance is largely irrelevant at this point, as the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are simply not enough to handle the pixel count of 4K rendering efficiently. The data shows that the RTX 4060 is the clear bottleneck at 4K, while the i5-14600K provides sufficient headroom at lower resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured FPS, the best settings for each resolution are determined by the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS average.

At 1920x1080, the system can handle the Ultra preset with an average of 83.8 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and it clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. There is no reason to reduce settings at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset leaves significant performance on the table.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, which averages 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls to 58.6 FPS, which is below the target, so it is not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The High preset delivers a strong balance of visual fidelity and performance, and it is the highest quality option that remains playable.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The Low setting comes closest with an average of 59.2 FPS, but it still misses the 60 FPS threshold by a small margin. The data indicates that this resolution is not viable for this combination, regardless of settings. Users who require 4K would need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS or consider a more powerful GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2039 out of 3696 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, which is somewhat surprising given the strong performance at 1080p and 1440p. The rank reflects the overall average performance across all tested resolutions and presets, and the poor 4K results likely drag down the overall standing.

The CPU itself is a high performer in synthetic benchmarks, ranking in the 90th percentile against all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48618 puts it in the same tier as the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (which scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 4345P (which scores 48470, a delta of 0.3%). The GPU, however, is more modest, ranking in the 61st percentile against all GPUs with an average score of 17639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (scoring 17666, a delta of -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 780M (scoring 17588, a delta of 0.3%).

The combination rank of 2039 out of 3696 suggests that while the CPU is strong, the GPU holds the system back in more demanding scenarios. The data shows that this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not competitive at 4K, which explains its mid-pack ranking among all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 1080p on Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset is 83.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 71.3 FPS and is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 58.6 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset averages 59.2 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS threshold. The High and Ultra presets produce 38.4 FPS and 29.5 FPS respectively, which are not playable.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. It is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666 (a delta of -0.2%), and the AMD Radeon 780M, which scores 17588 (a delta of 0.3%).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 168.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 83.8 FPS. This represents a reduction of roughly half the frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The frame rates drop consistently across all presets compared to 1080p, indicating that the RTX 4060 is doing the heavy lifting, while the i5-14600K provides sufficient headroom.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 can run The Technomancer, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is more than capable, clearing 60 FPS on every preset, including Ultra at 83.8 FPS. This is the ideal resolution for this combination, offering maximum visual quality with plenty of performance to spare.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on the High preset with an average of 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset falls just short at 58.6 FPS, so users who want to play at 1440p should stick to High settings for a consistent experience. The data shows that this resolution is a viable option, though it requires a slight compromise on quality.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot reach 60 FPS on any preset. The best result is 59.2 FPS on Low, which is still below the threshold. This resolution is not recommended for this hardware, as the RTX 4060 lacks the raw performance to handle 4K rendering in this game. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, users should target 1080p or 1440p, where the system delivers solid, playable performance.