The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution and settings. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, focusing on how the combination handles the game across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. The data reveals a system that can deliver smooth gameplay at lower resolutions but becomes increasingly GPU-limited as pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent downward trend as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 93 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of roughly 34%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average falls further to 34 FPS, another drop of about 44%. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is typical for a game with substantial GPU-bound effects.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more pronounced. The average FPS at 1080p is 142, which drops to 93 at 1440p (a 35% decrease) and then to 51 at 4K (a further 45% decrease). The performance gap between Low and High settings at the same resolution is significant, but the relative drop across resolutions remains steep, suggesting that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend. At 1080p, the average is 109 FPS, falling to 71 at 1440p and 39 at 4K. The frame time data at 4K Medium shows a range from 33 to 45 FPS, indicating some variability, but the average stays well below the 60 FPS threshold. At Ultra settings, the system only manages 73 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and drops to a barely playable 26 FPS at 4K.

These results indicate that the limiting component at 4K is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. The GPU, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being saturated by the increased pixel workload. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, does not appear to be the bottleneck at these high resolutions, as the frame rate differences are largely proportional to the resolution scaling.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this specific combination of the Core i5-10400F and RTX 2060 SUPER at rank 2609 out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower half of all tested configurations, indicating that while it can play the game, it is not near the top of the performance curve.

Contextualizing this rank, the individual components have their own relative standings. The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185 and performs in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the Intel Xeon 6756E with a score of 14163 (a delta of 0.2%), the Intel Core 7 160UL with 14232 (a delta of -0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7552 with 14115 (a delta of 0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C with 14277 (a delta of -0.6%). These scores show the CPU is competitive with a variety of workstation and mobile chips, but none are dominant performers.

The GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with 18159 (a -0.4% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with 18189 (a -0.5% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 460 with 18373 (a -1.5% delta), and the Intel Arc A770M with 18383 (a -1.6% delta). This places the GPU in a mid-range tier, capable of handling most games but not at the highest settings or resolutions.

Given that the combo rank is 2600 out of 3696, the data suggests that while each component individually performs in the mid-range, their combined performance in The Technomancer is suboptimal. The game likely favors more powerful GPUs or a more balanced pairing, but the measured results show a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with the High preset?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with the High preset is 61 FPS.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system fail to maintain 60 FPS on average?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 34 FPS for High, 51 FPS for Low, 39 FPS for Medium, and 26 FPS for Ultra, all below the 60 FPS mark.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the benchmark data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 26 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset.

Q: How does the CPU's performance in the benchmark data compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, has an average score of 14163, which is a 0.2% difference. Other rivals include the Intel Core 7 160UL with 14232 (-0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 7552 with 14115 (0.5% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C with 14277 (-0.6% delta).

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score and percentile rank?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093 and is in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the best average FPS achieved at 1440p?

A: The best average FPS at 2560x1440 is 93 FPS, achieved with the Low preset.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in The Technomancer, the benchmark data suggests that users should prioritize higher frame rates over marginal visual fidelity at the highest resolutions. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 93 FPS, which is a solid performance for a smooth experience. The Medium preset offers a slightly higher average of 109 FPS, but the difference between High and Medium is not as pronounced as the drop to Low at 142 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops the average to 73 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth as the lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an average of 61 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The Medium preset yields 71 FPS, which is a safer choice for maintaining 60+ FPS. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the best option if maximizing frame rate is the goal, but it comes at a visual cost. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS is not recommended for 1440p, as it may feel choppy.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that only the Low preset provides an average of 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, and the High preset averages 34 FPS, making the game unplayable for most users. The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable at 26 FPS.

Therefore, the best experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 1080p, offering 93 FPS, or the Medium preset at 1440p, offering 71 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, but it still does not hit 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides FPS measurements across three resolutions and four settings presets, offering a comprehensive look at performance.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: average 142 FPS
• Medium: average 109 FPS, min 93 FPS, max 126 FPS
• High: average 93 FPS
• Ultra: average 73 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: average 93 FPS
• Medium: average 71 FPS, min 61 max 82 FPS
• High: average 61 FPS
• Ultra: average 48 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: average 51 FPS
• Medium: average 39 FPS, min 33 max 45 FPS
• High: average 34 FPS
• Ultra: average 26 FPS

These figures show that the Low preset is the only option that consistently delivers high frame rates across all resolutions, while the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p. The Medium preset offers a balance, but it falls below 60 FPS at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a desktop processor from the Core 10th Gen series, built on the Comet Lake architecture using a 14 nm process. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and a 65 W TDP.

In the context of this benchmark, the CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high across all settings, with the Low preset hitting 142 FPS. This suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output when the resolution is not too demanding. At 1440p and 4K, the frame rates drop, but this is likely due to the GPU being the limiting factor, as the CPU's core count and clock speed should still provide enough processing power for the game's logic.

The CPU's benchmark scores show a balanced performance in synthetic tests, with a single-thread score of 688 in the 3dMark single-thread test and a multi-thread score of 4748 in the 3dMark 16-thread test. These numbers, while not exceptional, are within the range of what is expected for a mid-range processor. The CPU's percentile rank of 68 indicates that it is better than most CPUs but not a top-tier performer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a graphics card based on the Turing architecture, with a process node of 12 nm. It features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (effective 14 Gbps). It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

The GPU's role in this combo is critical. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is able to deliver high frame rates, with the High preset averaging 93 FPS. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 4K, the Ultra preset's average of 26 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is not powerful enough to handle the increased pixel count with high graphics settings.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks is a strong indicator of its capabilities. With a 3dMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 and a Passmark G3D score of 16462, it is a capable mid-range card. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, has a slightly lower average score, but the difference is within 0.4%. This places the GPU in a competitive position, but not at the level needed for high-end 4K gaming.

The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER at high resolutions, but the card's overall compute power is enough for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are not commonly used in The Technomancer (from 2016), but the GPU's rasterization and shading capabilities are what drive the measured FPS.