The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination. This pairing represents a modern high-end desktop platform with a top-tier GPU, and the measured data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. The benchmark results show that this system is overwhelmingly capable of running the game, with performance scaling predictably as resolution and graphical demands increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates extreme headroom. With the Low preset, the average FPS reaches 310.6, which is a remarkably high baseline. Moving to Medium drops this to 252.9, still an exceptionally smooth experience. The High preset at 1080p yields an average of 219.2 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a robust 169.7 FPS average. The scaling between presets is notable, with Ultra representing a 45% performance reduction compared to Low, but the absolute numbers remain far above any practical display refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains outstanding. The Low preset averages 217.4 FPS, demonstrating that the system is not yet constrained by resolution. Medium produces a 164 FPS average, while High delivers 138.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p still achieves a very playable 108.4 FPS average. The drop from Low to Ultra here is approximately 50%, showing a slightly steeper performance curve as the GPU begins to work harder. This resolution is where the RTX 4090 starts to show its capability with the game's engine, but the i7-13700K ensures no bottlenecking occurs.

The 4K resolution, 3840x2160, is where the performance curve becomes most interesting. The Ultra preset averages 59.6 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to clear 60 FPS. Dropping to High immediately restores comfortable playability with a 74.5 FPS average. The Medium preset at 4K averages 92.5 FPS, and Low produces 117.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 49% reduction, but the absolute values show that the system is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution, as expected. The data clearly indicates that 4K Ultra is the only setting where this hardware combination struggles to maintain smooth performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides context for how other hardware would behave in this game. The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971, a negligible 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, also effectively identical at 0.3% variance. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, representing a 0.5% deficit, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 matches that 0.5% difference with a score of 46653. These sub-1% deltas indicate that swapping the i7-13700K for any of these processors would yield virtually indistinguishable frame rates in The Technomancer, as the game is unlikely to be CPU-limited with any of these chips.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds an average benchmark score of 60347, ranking in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a score of 60326, a 0% delta that suggests practically identical performance. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, just 0.3% lower. Conversely, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5% higher, while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, a 2.9% deficit. These are all workstation or professional-grade GPUs, and the data suggests that in The Technomancer, the RTX 4090's performance would be closely mirrored by these alternatives within a narrow 3% band. This is a surprising result given the different architectures, but the benchmark data is what it is.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the shifting balance between CPU and GPU responsibilities. At 1920x1080, the system is almost certainly CPU-bound at lower presets. The jump from Low at 310.6 FPS to Ultra at 169.7 FPS shows the GPU handling more work, but the sheer magnitude of these numbers suggests the CPU is keeping pace easily. The i7-13700K, with 16 cores and 24 threads, has ample headroom for a 2016 title. The game's engine appears to scale well with the strong single-thread performance of the Raptor Lake architecture, as evidenced by the high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The frame rates drop across all presets, but the pattern remains consistent. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p (109 FPS) is larger than at 1080p (140.9 FPS), indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor. The CPU is still delivering data fast enough, but the RTX 4090's rendering workload at this resolution is now the primary constraint. This is typical behavior for a high-end CPU paired with a high-end GPU at a mid-to-high resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance is absolute. The frame rates compress further, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 57.6 FPS. The CPU's role diminishes significantly because the GPU is working so hard to fill the 4K pixel count. The data implies that the i7-13700K has more than enough processing power for this game, and the RTX 4090's rasterization performance is the sole determinant of frame rate at 4K. The fact that 4K Ultra drops below 60 FPS while 1440p Ultra holds 108.4 FPS is a clear indicator of GPU-bound performance at the highest resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Technomancer at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 59.6, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms that Ultra is not listed as a playable setting at 4K.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 2560x1440 resolution?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 1440p, with an average FPS of 108.4. According to the verdict, Ultra is the best settings choice for this resolution since it maintains a high frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the performance at 1920x1080 compare to 2560x1440?

A: The system performs significantly better at 1080p. For example, the High preset averages 219.2 FPS at 1080p versus 138.8 FPS at 1440p. This represents a 36.7% reduction in frame rate when moving up one resolution tier.

Q: Which component is more important for this game at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K. The frame rates drop substantially across all presets compared to lower resolutions, and the system becomes GPU-bound since the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance comparable to any other GPUs in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows the RTX 4090's average score is 60347, with the Intel Arc Pro A60 scoring 60326 (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scoring 60140 (0.3% delta). These rivals would likely produce very similar frame rates in this title.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this game?

A: The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS. The verdict data classifies settings and resolutions that achieve an average of at least 60 FPS as playable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 74.5 FPS. The data shows that Ultra falls short at 59.6 FPS, so High is the optimal choice for 4K playability while still offering substantial visual quality. The Medium preset at 92.5 FPS and Low at 117.2 FPS are also viable, but High provides the best balance of fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 108.4 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the maximum visual quality available in the game. The High preset at 138.8 FPS and Medium at 164 FPS offer higher frame rates but at reduced graphical settings. Since Ultra clears the threshold with significant margin, it is the recommended setting for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is also the best option, with an average of 169.7 FPS. This is far above the playable threshold, ensuring a smooth experience even during demanding scenes. The system has massive headroom at 1080p, allowing players to max out all settings without any concern for performance drops. The Low preset at 310.6 FPS and Medium at 252.9 FPS are available for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, but they are unnecessary for standard 60 FPS gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 101st out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 2.7% of all hardware configurations tested for this game. The ranking reflects the extreme performance ceiling of this pairing, as only 100 other combinations of CPU and GPU outperformed it. Given the game's release date in 2016, this modern hardware is far beyond what was available at launch, and the ranking confirms that this combo is among the most capable systems for this title. The high percentile positions of both the CPU (89th) and GPU (88th) individually contribute to this top-tier overall ranking, though the game's engine and age mean that many mid-range modern components would also perform admirably.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is more than capable of running The Technomancer. The data clearly shows that the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold in the vast majority of configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving a 169.7 FPS average. At 2560x1440, again all presets are playable, with Ultra at 108.4 FPS. The only point of concern is at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset averages 59.6 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS threshold. However, the High preset at 4K achieves 74.5 FPS, providing a fully playable experience with only a small visual reduction. The verdict data confirms that High, Low, and Medium are all playable settings at 4K, with High being the best option. For players with a 4K display, dropping from Ultra to High is a minor compromise that yields a stable frame rate. For all other resolutions and settings, this hardware combination provides an exceptional experience with frame rates far exceeding typical display refresh rates.