The Technomancer

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a performance profile for The Technomancer that is heavily dictated by resolution. At 1920x1080, the combination is overwhelmingly powerful, pushing average frame rates well beyond 150 FPS on most presets. Moving to 2560x1440, the hardware still provides a highly fluid experience, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K begin to tell, and the system falls just short of the 60 FPS target on High settings while remaining comfortably playable on Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data for this combination shows a clear scaling pattern across the three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset yields an average of 231.9 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at this resolution drops to 177 FPS, while High follows at 152.7 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves a robust 117.1 FPS average. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, and the headroom is substantial for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain high but show the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings produce 151.1 FPS, which is a 34.9% reduction compared to the 1080p Low result. Medium at 1440p averages 117.4 FPS, while High averages 99.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution records 77 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is a 22.4% performance penalty, suggesting that the Ultra preset includes effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve compresses significantly. Low settings average 81.4 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that clears 80 FPS. Medium drops to 63.6 FPS, and High falls to 56.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 43.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37.6 FPS, a 46.2% swing, demonstrating how much more sensitive the game is to settings at higher resolutions. Notably, the jump from Medium to High at 4K incurs a 7.3 FPS loss, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 12.5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is disproportionately heavy at this resolution.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the delta between Low and Ultra grows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 114.8 FPS; at 1440p, it is 74.1 FPS; at 4K, it narrows to 37.6 FPS. This is a typical behavior where the GPU becomes more saturated at higher resolutions, making the relative impact of each setting level less pronounced in absolute frame rate terms, but more significant in percentage terms.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmarks, the Intel Core i7-13700K sits at the 89th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rivals are extremely close in performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 has an average score of 46971, which is just 0.2% higher than the i7-13700K, making them effectively identical in raw compute for this game. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, a 0.3% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654, which is 0.5% lower. None of these processors would create a meaningful difference in The Technomancer's frame rates, as the game is unlikely to be CPU-bound at the settings where the GPU is the limiting factor.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 sits at the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals are a mixed group. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628, a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, which is 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, which is 1.3% lower. For The Technomancer, these alternatives would produce nearly identical average frame rates, with the RTX 4080 Mobile potentially providing a few extra frames per second in GPU-bound scenarios like 4K Ultra.

Given the measured FPS data, a system with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and an AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 would likely match the i7-13700K/RTX 4070 combination within a 1% margin across all resolutions. The practical difference between these configurations is within the margin of error for real-world testing. The RTX 4080 Mobile, despite being a laptop part, shows a slightly higher average benchmark score, which could translate to a 1-2 FPS improvement in the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, though it would still remain below the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the target. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 117.1 FPS, which is far above the playable threshold. This is the best choice for visual quality at this resolution, as there is ample performance headroom to spare. The data shows that even the most demanding settings leave over 57 FPS of margin above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies as the best playable option, with an average of 77 FPS. This provides a 17 FPS buffer above the threshold, indicating that the system can handle the highest visual fidelity at this resolution without dipping below playable levels. The High preset at 1440p averages 99.8 FPS, but the Ultra preset is still well within playable range, so the choice comes down to whether the visual enhancements justify the 22.8 FPS cost.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages 43.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset averages 56.3 FPS, also below the threshold. The Medium preset averages 63.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS line by a slim 3.6 FPS margin. Therefore, the best settings at 4K are Medium, which offers a playable experience while sacrificing the higher fidelity of High and Ultra. The Low preset at 4K averages 81.4 FPS, but Medium provides a better balance between visual quality and performance.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, this PC can run The Technomancer at the Ultra preset with an average of 117.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution, with the lowest average frame rate being 117.1 FPS. This is a definitive pass for 1080p gaming, with enough performance for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the system also passes across all presets. The Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that High averages 99.8 FPS, Medium 117.4 FPS, and Low 151.1 FPS, meaning every setting level delivers a smooth experience. The verdict for 1440p is a clear pass, with the Ultra preset being the recommended choice for maximum visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is conditional. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best option at 63.6 FPS. High at 56.3 FPS and Ultra at 43.8 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold. This means that at 4K, the PC can run the game, but only at Medium settings or lower to maintain playability. The data indicates that the system is GPU-limited at this resolution, and the 4K Ultra preset is not a viable option for a 60 FPS experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with Low settings hitting 231.9 FPS. At these frame rates, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant, as the GPU is capable of rendering frames faster than the CPU can feed it. The i7-13700K's single-thread benchmark score of 1136 in 3dMark and 2116 in Cinebench R23 indicates strong per-core performance, which helps sustain these high frame rates. However, the game is a 2016 title, so its CPU demands are likely modest, and the i7-13700K's 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert its dominance. The frame rates drop by roughly 35-40% compared to 1080p across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this resolution, as evidenced by the 77 FPS average on Ultra. The CPU's role diminishes here, as the GPU is more likely to be the bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The frame rates drop dramatically, with Ultra averaging 43.8 FPS and High at 56.3 FPS. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on the highest presets. The CPU's role is minimal at this resolution, as the GPU is saturated. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 43.1% reduction in frame rate on Ultra (from 77 to 43.8 FPS), which is more than the pixel count increase would suggest, indicating that the game's graphics settings have a non-linear impact on GPU load at higher resolutions.

The settings scaling also highlights the GPU's role. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 114.8 FPS, while at 4K, it is only 37.6 FPS. This compression at 4K indicates that the GPU is running out of headroom, making each setting change less impactful in absolute terms. The CPU is not the bottleneck in any scenario, as the i7-13700K's performance is consistently high, but the GPU's workload increases disproportionately with resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, yes, with an average of 117.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, yes, with an average of 77 FPS. At 3840x2160, no, as the Ultra preset averages only 43.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this hardware?

A: The Medium preset is the highest playable option at 3840x2160, averaging 63.6 FPS. The High preset at 56.3 FPS and Ultra at 43.8 FPS both fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The RTX 4070's average benchmark score is 37648, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56. The RTX 4080 Mobile scores 1.3% higher, which could translate to a marginal FPS gain in GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the high frame rates suggest the CPU's single-thread performance is relevant, but the i7-13700K's strong scores (1136 in 3dMark single-thread) ensure it is not a bottleneck. The GPU is still the primary driver of performance, as evidenced by the large differences between presets.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p on High settings?

A: The measured average is 99.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This preset offers a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: Does the Ultra preset at 4K become playable with any settings adjustments?

A: The data shows the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 43.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The only playable presets at 4K are Low (81.4 FPS) and Medium (63.6 FPS), so Ultra is not achievable at playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Technomancer, this pairing of Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 938 out of 3696 total combos. This places it in the top 25.4% of all tested configurations, which is a solid position given the game's age and the hardware's capabilities. The rank reflects the system's ability to handle the game at high settings across most resolutions, with the primary limitation being 4K Ultra performance.

The percentile ranking of the individual components supports this overall position. The CPU is in the 89th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is in the 81st percentile among all graphics cards. The combination of two above-average components results in a system that is well-suited for this game at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short of the top tier at 4K. The rank of 938 suggests that while there are many faster configurations, this setup is far from the bottom of the pack, and it offers a reliable 60 FPS experience at all resolutions except for 4K Ultra.