The Technomancer

The Technomancer, an Action RPG released in 2016, presents a demanding workload for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, using benchmark data collected across three resolutions and four settings presets. The data shows a configuration that scales predictably with resolution and settings, revealing a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher fidelity levels, while the CPU’s six-core architecture proves sufficient to keep frame rates high.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 183 FPS at 1920x1080 to 128 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 30%, and then to 70 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern of diminishing returns is typical for a GPU that must render an increasing number of pixels; the RX 7700 XT’s 12 GB of VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but the raw pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

For High settings, the scaling is similar but slightly less dramatic in percentage terms. The average frame rate drops from 128 FPS at 1080p to 84 FPS at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and then to 46 FPS at 4K (a 45% decrease from 1440p). The Medium preset shows the most linear progression, with averages of 150 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. Notably, the 4K Medium result includes a minimum FPS of 46 and a maximum of 62, showing a 16 FPS spread, which suggests some frame pacing variability under load.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with average frame rates of 100 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%, and from 1440p to 4K is 45%, mirroring the High preset’s relative scaling. This consistency across presets indicates that the resolution scaling is primarily a function of pixel count rather than specific settings. The data suggests that at 4K, even the Low preset (70 FPS) cannot reach the 100 FPS mark, which strongly implies that the GPU’s compute units are the limiting component, not the CPU or memory subsystem.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 5 nm process, is the dominant factor in this game’s performance. Its boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz provide the computational throughput, while the 3456 shading units and 96 ROPs handle the pixel processing. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for The Technomancer’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show the limits of this configuration.

Benchmark results for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 22547, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (avgScore 22435, deltaPct 0.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (avgScore 22895, deltaPct -1.5). The RX 7700 XT sits within a 1.5% performance margin of these cards, indicating that its raw compute power is competitive with last-generation flagship desktop parts and current mid-range mobile parts.

In The Technomancer, the GPU’s role is most evident in the 4K Ultra result, where the average FPS drops to 36. This is below the 46 FPS minimum recorded for 4K Medium, showing that the Ultra preset’s additional effects (likely shadow quality and post-processing) exact a heavy toll on the GPU’s rendering pipeline. The measured FPS data also shows that the GPU is not fully utilized at 1080p Low, where the 183 FPS average is likely limited by the CPU or the game’s engine frame rate cap, rather than the GPU’s maximum capability. The RX 7700 XT’s FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS is more than adequate for this title, but the 4K scaling suggests the memory interface width of 192-bit becomes a constraint at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 128 at 1920x1080 with the High preset.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 4K Low?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 36 FPS, while the 4K Low preset averages 70 FPS, making the Ultra preset roughly 49% slower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium result shows an average of 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS. Given that the 1080p Medium result is 150 FPS, the drop to 1440p indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution.

Q: What is the rank of this specific CPU and GPU combination in the game’s database?

A: The combo ranks 1549 out of 3696 tested combinations.

Q: Does the RX 7700 XT have enough VRAM for The Technomancer?

A: Yes, the card has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is more than sufficient for this 2016 title, even at 4K with High settings, as the data shows no VRAM-related stutter or crashes.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at any resolution?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 46, which occurs at both 4K Medium and serves as the minimum for that preset. The 4K Ultra average of 36 FPS is below that, but no separate minimum was recorded for Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a complete matrix of average frame rates across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 183 FPS, followed by Medium at 150 FPS, High at 128 FPS, and Ultra at 100 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 128 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS, showing a 45 FPS range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 128 FPS, which is exactly the same as the 1080p High average. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings at 1440p yield 84 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction: Low drops by 30%, Medium by 35%, High by 34%, and Ultra by 34%.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 70 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS (with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62), High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The 4K Medium result is the only 4K row with min/max data, and its 16 FPS spread is the largest of any measured row. The 4K results show that the gap between Low and Ultra is 34 FPS, which is a 49% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant cost of the Ultra preset at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1549 out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer’s database. This places it in the top 42% of all tested systems, indicating a solid mid-range position. The CPU itself is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185, while the GPU is in the 67th percentile with an average score of 22549.

The combo’s rank of 1549 suggests that while each component is individually above average, the pairing does not create an exceptional result for this specific game. This is likely due to the game’s engine being more sensitive to single-thread performance, where the i5-10400F’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 is adequate but not class-leading. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the RTX 2080 with a deltaPct of -1.5%, would likely produce similar frame rates, meaning the combo’s rank is more dependent on the CPU’s performance than the GPU’s. The fact that 2147 other combos rank higher suggests that systems with higher-core-count CPUs or faster single-thread performance would yield better results in The Technomancer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides a baseline level of performance that is sufficient for The Technomancer. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache is adequate for the game’s data access patterns.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-10400F’s average benchmark score of 14185 is within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (avgScore 14277, deltaPct -0.6) and 0.5% of the AMD EPYC 7552 (avgScore 14115, deltaPct 0.5). This shows that the CPU’s raw compute is competitive with a modern low-power mobile chip and an older server chip, but its single-thread performance is what matters most for gaming. The 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and Geekbench single-core score of 1420 indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s main thread, but the 1080p Low result of 183 FPS suggests the CPU may be nearing its limit.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s via dual-channel DDR4 is not a bottleneck for this game, as the GPU’s 432.0 GB/s bandwidth is far higher. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates above 150 FPS on Low and Medium presets, but the 4K results are entirely GPU-limited. The i5-10400F’s TDP of 65 W and 14 nm process node mean it is a power-efficient part, but its lack of an integrated GPU is irrelevant here since the discrete RX 7700 XT handles all rendering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 128 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the Ultra preset only adds a 28 FPS penalty (to 100 FPS) while the Medium preset does not offer a significant improvement over High. The Low preset at 183 FPS is excessive for most displays and sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 84 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh monitors. The Medium preset at 98 FPS is the better choice for a smoother experience, as it provides a 14 FPS improvement over High while the visual difference is often minimal in a game from 2016. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 128 FPS is not recommended due to the loss of detail at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 70 FPS is the only option that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Medium preset at 54 FPS is playable but has a minimum of 46 FPS, which can cause noticeable hitches. The High preset at 46 FPS and Ultra at 36 FPS are not recommended for a consistent experience. Therefore, the data suggests that 4K users should stick to Low or Medium settings, while 1440p users should prefer Medium or High, and 1080p users can comfortably use High or Ultra. The overall recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1440p for the best combination of visual quality and performance, as it avoids the steep drop-offs seen at High and Ultra while maintaining a frame rate above 90 FPS.