The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for a modern high-end pairing. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination. The data shows a system that is heavily skewed toward GPU prowess, with the CPU acting as a potential bottleneck at lower resolutions. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of how this pairing scales across different settings and resolutions, revealing where the limits of each component lie.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and can boost up to 4.30 GHz. This is a desktop-class chip with a 58 W TDP, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 5003 in Cinebench R20. Its overall average benchmark score is 13516, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs.

The data suggests that the CPU's performance is a significant factor in the final frame rates, especially when the GPU is not heavily taxed. The i3-12100F's nearest rivals in terms of average score include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (deltaPct of -0.1) and the Intel Core i7-7700K (deltaPct of 1.8). This indicates that while it is a capable modern chip, its multi-threaded throughput is comparable to much older or more specialized parts. In a game like The Technomancer, which is not known for using more than a few cores, the single-thread performance is often more critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 shows a strong result, but the 4-core limitation means that any background tasks or game logic that scales across threads could cause hitches. The data implies that the CPU can keep up with the GPU at higher resolutions where the GPU's rendering load is the primary bottleneck, but at 1080p, it may be the limiting factor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a colossal GPU, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The card has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with a TDP of 575 W. Its raw compute power is immense, with an FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS.

In this pairing, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The RTX 5090's performance is so high that it is often waiting for the CPU to feed it data, particularly at lower resolutions. The GPU's average benchmark score is 84306, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D (deltaPct of 0.1) and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (deltaPct of -1.6), showing it is at the very top of the performance stack. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any current game, and the high memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The benchmark results for The Technomancer show that the GPU's performance scales as expected with settings, but its potential is capped by the CPU at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of CPU and GPU bottlenecking. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 247.4 FPS. When moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 216.1 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 123.2 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the frame rate is heavily limited by the CPU, as the GPU has plenty of headroom. The jump from 1080p to 1440p only results in a 13% drop, but the jump to 4K shows a 50% drop, suggesting the GPU is starting to become the primary limiter at that resolution.

Looking at High settings, the trend is similar but more pronounced. At 1080p High, the system averages 212.7 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 146 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops significantly to 79.4 FPS. The difference between 1080p and 1440p High is a 31% drop, while the drop to 4K is another 45%. This scaling shows that the CPU is still holding back performance at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the dominant factor. The fact that the FPS at 1080p High (212.7) is higher than at 4K Low (123.2) reinforces the idea that the GPU is not being fully utilized at lower resolutions. The limiting component is clearly the CPU at 1080p, while the RTX 5090 takes over as the bottleneck when the resolution and settings are increased to 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 40th out of 1656 combos for The Technomancer. This is a strong result, placing it in the top 2.4% of all tested systems. The high rank is almost entirely due to the GPU's immense power, as the CPU is relatively modest.

This rank suggests that while the system is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, it is significantly faster than the vast majority of setups. The data shows that the combo is capable of delivering very high frame rates, especially at 1080p and 1440p. However, the rank also implies that there is untapped potential. If the CPU were more powerful, it is likely that this combo would rank higher, as the GPU would be able to reach its full potential at lower resolutions. The 40th place ranking out of 1656 reflects the RTX 5090's raw power, but it also highlights the i3-12100F as a weak link in the chain for this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all settings and resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Low: 247.4 FPS
• Medium: 225.7 FPS
• High: 212.7 FPS
• Ultra: 176 FPS

At 1080p, the system delivers excellent performance. The difference between Low and High is only 14%, while Ultra is 17% lower than High. This shows that the CPU is the primary constraint, as the GPU can handle the increased graphical load without significant frame rate penalties.

2560x1440:

• Low: 216.1 FPS
• Medium: 168.5 FPS
• High: 146 FPS
• Ultra: 114.7 FPS

At 1440p, the GPU's workload increases. The gap between Low and High widens to 32%, and Ultra is 21% lower than High. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a factor, but the CPU still contributes to the bottleneck, especially at Low and Medium settings.

3840x2160:

• Low: 123.2 FPS
• Medium: 95.4 FPS
• High: 79.4 FPS
• Ultra: 63 FPS

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The scaling is much more pronounced, with a 35% drop from Low to High and a 21% drop from High to Ultra. The frame rates are still playable, but the system is no longer able to hit the high refresh rates seen at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display with a high refresh rate, the High preset at 212.7 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers a significant visual improvement over Medium (225.7 FPS) with only a 6% performance cost. The Ultra preset at 176 FPS is also viable, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often less noticeable than the 17% frame rate hit.

For 1440p, the High preset at 146 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience on a 144Hz monitor. If a higher frame rate is desired, the Medium preset at 168.5 FPS is a solid alternative. The Ultra preset at 114.7 FPS is still playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

At 4K, the focus shifts to maintaining a playable frame rate. The High preset at 79.4 FPS is a good balance of visual quality and performance, providing a smooth experience on a 60Hz display. The Medium preset at 95.4 FPS is a better option if you prefer higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset at 63 FPS is only recommended for those who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over smoothness. The Low preset at 123.2 FPS is not recommended as the visual downgrade is likely too significant for the frame rate gain. For this combo, the High preset at 1440p offers the best overall balance of image quality and performance, while 4K High is the best choice for maximum resolution.