The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. This combination represents a solid mid-range desktop build from the last few years, and the measured frame rates show how it handles a title from that era. The data indicates a pairing that is more than capable at standard resolutions, but it begins to show its limitations as graphical demands scale upward. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of where this system excels and where it struggles, offering a practical look at its performance profile.

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and can boost up to 4.30 GHz, which provides a strong foundation for gaming workloads. The CPU's cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, along with a shared 12 MB L3 cache. Memory support is for DDR4 in a dual-channel configuration, with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is standard for its platform. The processor connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes and is designed for the Intel Socket 1200.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The 6-core, 12-thread setup is well-suited for modern titles that can utilize multiple threads, and the boost clock of 4.30 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often critical for frame pacing. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its capabilities: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453. More telling for gaming is its Passmark single-thread score of 2541 and a multithread score of 12115. The processor sits in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating it performs better than the majority of its peers.

The relationship between the CPU and the game's results becomes clear when looking at the frame rates. At 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor, so the CPU's ability to process frames quickly is paramount. The i5-10400F's performance is adequate to drive high frame rates, as evidenced by the measured 172.3 FPS at Low settings and 111.6 FPS at High settings at 1920x1080. However, the data suggests that the CPU's capabilities are sufficient for this game, as the performance scaling from Low to Ultra shows a predictable drop that aligns more with GPU load than CPU bottlenecks. The processor’s 73rd percentile ranking against all CPUs, alongside its nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (which it trails by 0.8%) and the Intel Core i5-8500 (which it trails by 1.1%), shows that it holds its own in the mid-range segment. Its performance in this game demonstrates that six cores and twelve threads are more than enough to handle the title's demands without becoming a constraint.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves a smooth 74.6 FPS average. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are much higher, with an average of 111.6 FPS on High, but the visual upgrade to 1440p is often worth the performance trade-off.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C?

A: The benchmark data shows the i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which is 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C's score of 14277. This indicates the two processors perform at a nearly identical level, with the difference being negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured frame rates show a significant drop when moving from Low to Ultra settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 172.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 86.8 FPS. This represents a 49.6% decrease in frame rate, showing that the Ultra preset demands significantly more from the GPU.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT outperform the AMD Radeon RX 480?

A: The average benchmark scores indicate that the RX 6700 XT, with a score of 33721, is roughly 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 480, which has a score of 34059. This puts the two GPUs at a similar performance level according to the aggregate benchmark data.

Q: Is the 1920x1080 resolution with High settings a good target for this system?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 111.6 FPS at this setting, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. It offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance, making it a recommended target for most users.

Q: What kind of performance can be expected at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The High preset yields an average of 39.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 30.7 FPS. Only the Low preset at this resolution manages to stay above the 60 FPS mark, with an average of 63.1 FPS.

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

The resolution scaling data for this combo reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases, the workload on the graphics card grows exponentially, and the frame rates drop accordingly. The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 shows a substantial decrease in performance. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 111.6 FPS to 74.6 FPS, a drop of 33.2%. Moving further up to 3840x2160 at High settings results in a further drop to 39.6 FPS, which is a 64.5% reduction from the 1080p figure.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at Low settings, the frame rate goes from 172.3 FPS at 1080p to 108.4 FPS at 1440p, and then to 63.1 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 41.8% reduction, which is a more severe loss than the 37.1% drop seen from 1080p to 1440p. This accelerating decline in performance with increasing resolution is a clear indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game, but the raw compute power is not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K. The i5-10400F has the headroom to keep up at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's rendering capabilities become the bottleneck, leading to the observed frame rate collapse.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination ranks 933rd out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the 56th percentile, meaning it performs better than just over half of all tested configurations. This ranking is a reflection of the system's overall capability, considering the CPU's 73rd percentile and the GPU's 77th percentile standings individually. The combo's rank is lower than what the individual components might suggest, which indicates that the pairing might not be perfectly optimized for this specific title, or that other combinations of hardware yield better results in this game.

The mid-pack ranking suggests that while this system is competent, it is not at the top of the performance charts. The data implies that there are many other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates in The Technomancer. This could be due to the game's age and its reliance on certain hardware features, or it could be that the combination of this specific CPU and GPU does not scale as well as other pairings. The rank of 933 out of 1656 shows a system that is solidly in the middle of the pack, capable of playing the game but not dominating it. For a builder, this means the setup is a balanced, mainstream choice that delivers acceptable performance, but those seeking top-tier results would need to look at higher-end components.

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

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data points to specific configurations. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 111.6 FPS. This provides a significant performance buffer above 60 FPS, allowing for smooth gameplay with high visual quality. The Medium preset also works well, offering 134.4 FPS, but the visual upgrade to High is worth the 22.8 FPS cost. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, drops to 86.8 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is again the recommended option, averaging 74.6 FPS. This stays comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset, at 83.7 FPS, is also viable, but the High preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may be noticeable to some players. For 4K resolution, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, averaging 63.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 49.2 FPS and High at 39.6 FPS are not ideal for a smooth experience. The best experience per the measured data is to prioritize the High preset for 1080p and 1440p, and only use the Low preset at 4K if frame rate is the primary concern. The Ultra presets offer diminishing returns in performance for the visual gain, making them less practical for consistent gameplay.

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

The measured frame rates for The Technomancer show a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system shows its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 172.3 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 134.4 FPS. The High preset is next with 111.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset trails at 86.8 FPS. This data shows that the game is highly playable at all settings at this resolution, with even the most demanding preset staying well above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain generally playable. The Low preset averages 108.4 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p result. The Medium preset follows at 83.7 FPS, and the High preset is close behind at 74.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 55 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS threshold but still playable for many users. At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset is the only one that maintains a playable frame rate, averaging 63.1 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 49.2 FPS, the High preset to 39.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 30.7 FPS. These numbers clearly show that 4K gaming is only feasible with the lowest settings on this hardware. The data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities, showing that it excels at 1080p, is solid at 1440p, and is only marginally usable at 4K.