The Technomancer

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the database records a performance spread that suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The Low preset averages 174 FPS, while High drops to 150 FPS, and Medium sits between them at 158 FPS. The Ultra preset still maintains a strong 137 FPS average. The Medium preset provides the only min/max data at this resolution: 135 FPS minimum and 182 FPS maximum, indicating a consistent frame delivery without severe dips.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates climb notably, which is counterintuitive unless the GPU is no longer waiting on the CPU. Low averages 151 FPS, High reaches 128 FPS, Medium hits 137 FPS, and Ultra still clears the playability bar at 100 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS, a tighter range than the 1080p counterpart, which hints at a shift in bottleneck behavior.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes dominant. Low averages 107 FPS, Medium drops to 82 FPS with a recorded minimum of 70 FPS and maximum of 94 FPS, and High still manages 70 FPS. Ultra falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold with an average of 55 FPS. The absence of min/max data for High and Ultra at this resolution leaves some uncertainty, but the averages alone indicate where the limits lie.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is revealing. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 37 FPS (174 to 137). At 1440p, the same gap widens to 51 FPS (151 to 100). At 4K, it grows to 52 FPS (107 to 55). This progressive separation as resolution increases is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the primary constraint, while at 1080p, the CPU likely caps the upper frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data suggests a clear role reversal depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-9400 with its 6 cores and 6 threads appears to hold back the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. The RTX 4080 is a high-end Ada Lovelace part with 9728 shading units and a 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth, yet at 1080p Low, it only manages 174 FPS. This is not a GPU limitation; the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 place it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, which is middling for a six-thread part.

At 2560x1440, the picture shifts. The RTX 4080's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate start to flex, and the frame rates at Low (151 FPS) and High (128 FPS) are higher than their 1080p counterparts. This is unusual because higher resolution typically lowers FPS. The most plausible explanation is that the CPU was the limiting factor at 1080p, and the GPU was underutilized. At 1440p, the GPU workload increases enough to keep the CPU from being the sole bottleneck, allowing the RTX 4080 to push more frames.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4080 becomes the clear limiting factor. The 55 FPS at Ultra shows the GPU struggling with the 4K pixel count, while the CPU has ample headroom. The fact that High still manages 70 FPS at 4K while Ultra drops to 55 FPS indicates a steep cost for the highest settings, likely tied to the RTX 4080's 112 ROPs and memory bandwidth rather than the CPU's capabilities.

The Medium preset data reinforces this. At 1080p Medium, the average is 158 FPS with a minimum of 135 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 137 FPS with a minimum of 117 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS. The minimum frame rates scale more gently than the averages, suggesting that transient spikes are less affected by resolution than sustained throughput.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database show that the i5-9400 sits in a tight performance cluster. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 is nearly identical with an average score of 2259, a delta of -0.2% from the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, just 0.3% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 matches at 2246 (0.4% behind), and the Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% ahead with 2264. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would behave nearly the same in The Technomancer. None of them would meaningfully change the 1080p bottleneck behavior.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080's nearest rivals are equally tight. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080's 54247 average. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% ahead at 54828, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% ahead) and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (2.7% ahead). These delta values are small enough that the in-game frame rates would be nearly indistinguishable. A system with the RTX 4080 SUPER would likely produce the same 70 FPS at 4K High and the same 55 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The combination of a middling CPU with a top-tier GPU creates an interesting dynamic. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs. This mismatch is precisely why the 1080p results are lower than the 1440p results: the CPU cannot feed the GPU enough frames at lower resolutions.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Technomancer? The recorded data says yes, but with qualifications. At 1920x1080, every preset clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Ultra preset averages 137 FPS, which is more than double the playability bar. At 2560x1440, the verdict is equally positive. The Ultra preset averages 100 FPS, and even the most demanding settings stay well above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict becomes conditional. The High preset averages 70 FPS, which clears the threshold with a small margin. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, also playable. The Low preset averages 107 FPS, giving the most headroom. However, the Ultra preset falls short with an average of 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The database's verdictByResolution confirms this: the playable settings at 4K are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best playable setting at 70 FPS.

The practical takeaway is that this system can handle the game at high fidelity for most use cases. At 1080p and 1440p, the user has the freedom to max out settings without concern. At 4K, the user must choose between High settings at 70 FPS or Medium settings at 82 FPS, with Ultra being the only non-playable option. The 70 FPS at 4K High is playable but leaves little room for frame rate dips, especially since the min FPS data is not recorded for that preset.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K the High preset averages 70 FPS, Medium averages 82 FPS, and Low averages 107 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 100 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: Why do the 1440p frame rates exceed the 1080p frame rates for the same presets?

A: The recorded data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor. At 1440p, the increased GPU workload reduces the CPU bottleneck, allowing the GPU to deliver more frames. For example, Low at 1080p averages 174 FPS, while Low at 1440p averages 151 FPS. The relative changes suggest the CPU caps performance at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 a good match for the i5-9400 in this game?

A: The data indicates a performance mismatch. The RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among GPUs, while the i5-9400 ranks in the 47th percentile among CPUs. At 1080p, the CPU appears to hold back the GPU, as evidenced by the lower frame rates compared to 1440p. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What settings should I use for 1080p to get the highest frame rate?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 174 FPS, which is the highest recorded frame rate for this system. The Medium preset averages 158 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 137 FPS.

Q: Does the Ultra preset at 4K fall below the playability threshold?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 70 FPS and is the best playable setting at that resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 137 FPS. This gives the user maximum visual quality with a comfortable margin above the playability threshold. The Medium preset at 158 FPS and High at 150 FPS are also viable, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again leads the pack, averaging 100 FPS. This is the best choice for users who want the highest settings at this resolution. The High preset averages 128 FPS and Medium averages 137 FPS, but Ultra provides the best visual experience while still clearing the 60 FPS bar by a wide margin.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option, averaging 70 FPS. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS and Low averages 107 FPS, but High offers the best balance of visual quality and playability. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The database's verdictByResolution confirms High as the best settings at 4K, with an average of 70 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 configuration ranks 777th out of 3696 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places it in the top 21% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the CPU's modest benchmark scores. The rank reflects the GPU's dominance in the pairing: the RTX 4080's high-end performance compensates for the CPU's mid-range standing.

The ranking also contextualizes the frame rate data. A rank of 777 out of 3696 means the system outperforms roughly 79% of tested combos in this game. The CPU's 47th percentile and GPU's 86th percentile suggest that the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting. If the CPU were upgraded to a part with a higher percentile ranking, the system would likely move up in the rankings, particularly at 1080p where the CPU bottleneck is most evident. Conversely, a weaker GPU would drop the system significantly, especially at 4K where the RTX 4080 is already near its limits on Ultra settings.

The data implies that this combo is best suited for high-resolution gaming. At 1440p and 4K, the system performs admirably, with the GPU fully utilized and the CPU providing adequate support. At 1080p, the system leaves performance on the table due to the CPU constraint, but the frame rates are still far above playable levels. The 777th rank out of 3696 combos confirms the RTX 4080's raw power, even when paired with a six-thread CPU from an older generation.