The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study in hardware scaling when paired with an Intel Core i5-11400F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but begins to show its CPU limitations as resolution drops, offering a nuanced picture of where each component's influence begins and ends. The measured frame rates across the three standard resolutions and four quality presets provide a complete map of this pairing's behavior in a title that predates both components by several years.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the data is the predictable inverse relationship between resolution and frame rate, but the magnitude of the drop is telling. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 184.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average falls to 141.9 FPS, a reduction of 42.4 FPS. The jump to 4K at High settings brings the average down further to 74.7 FPS, meaning the transition from 1080p to 4K nearly halves the frame rate, from 184.3 to 74.7 FPS. This steep decline is characteristic of a system where the RTX 4090's rendering workload is the primary bottleneck; as pixel count increases, the GPU must work exponentially harder, and the CPU's role becomes less significant.

The scaling pattern under the Low preset is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the system hits 213.2 FPS, but at 4K Low, it still manages 117.9 FPS. The difference of 95.3 FPS between these two extremes shows that even when graphical fidelity is minimized, the GPU remains a limiting factor. However, the relative drop is smaller than at High settings, which suggests that at lower settings, the CPU begins to exert more influence. Specifically, the gap between 1080p Low (213.2 FPS) and 1440p Low (187.9 FPS) is only 25.3 FPS, whereas the gap between 1440p Low and 4K Low is 70 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is still the dominant constraint, but the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are starting to cap the upper ceiling at lower resolutions.

The Ultra preset tells a different story. Here, the frame rates are consistently lower across all resolutions, with 4K Ultra averaging just 57.6 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Ultra (166.1 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (109.5 FPS) is a 56.6 FPS drop, and then to 4K Ultra it falls another 51.9 FPS. This shows that the Ultra preset's heavy graphical demands keep the GPU fully occupied, and the CPU's workload is comparatively light. In summary, the data shows that this game, when paired with this hardware, scales strongly with resolution, indicating that the RTX 4090 is the defining component for frame rate, particularly at 4K where even the Low preset cannot surpass 117.9 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its architecture is Rocket Lake, built on a 14 nm process. In the context of The Technomancer, a title from 2016, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data. The benchmark results suggest that this processor is sufficient for the game's requirements, but it does not boost the frame rates to the maximum potential of the RTX 4090. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 213.2 FPS, which is high, but not exceptionally so for a GPU of this caliber. This is likely due to the CPU's single-thread performance, which is measured at 868 in 3DMark single-thread and 204 in Cinebench R15 single-core. These scores, while competent, indicate that the CPU can become a bottleneck when the GPU is not heavily loaded.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, shown by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372, are more than adequate for a game like The Technomancer, which likely does not utilize all 12 threads efficiently. The data shows that the difference between 1080p Low (213.2 FPS) and 1080p High (184.3 FPS) is 28.9 FPS, which is a smaller gap than the difference between 1080p Low and 1440p Low (187.9 FPS), a 25.3 FPS drop. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiter at 1080p; rather, the GPU's workload from the High settings is the main factor. The CPU's 65 W TDP and dual-channel memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s are typical for its generation, and the data indicates that it holds up well enough to keep frame rates playable, but it does not push the RTX 4090 to its absolute limits in lighter scenes. The processor's 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and max-thread score of 5652 show consistent scaling, but the game's engine likely does not benefit fully from this parallel capability.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 119th out of 1656 combinations. This places it in the top 7.2% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the age of the game. The rank suggests that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU, the i5-11400F holds the combo back from the absolute top tier of results. The GPU itself has a percentile rank of 91 against all GPUs, meaning it performs better than 91% of its peers, but the CPU's percentile rank is lower at 75. This discrepancy highlights that the CPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

The combo's rank of 119 is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combos use more powerful processors with higher core counts or newer architectures. The nearest rivals to the i5-11400F in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, which has a deltaPct of 0, and the Intel Core i7-1260P, which is 0.2% slower. These rivals, while similar in raw score, may have different characteristics that affect gaming performance, but the data shows that the i5-11400F is competitive with these mobile-oriented chips in synthetic tests. However, in a gaming scenario, the desktop i5-11400F's higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz may give it an edge over the lower-power mobile parts, but the ranking suggests that this edge is not enough to overcome the GPU's dominance in this particular title. The fact that the combo still ranks 119th indicates that there are many systems with more balanced or more powerful CPUs that achieve higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's influence is more pronounced.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 213.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the dataset. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 196 FPS, a 17.2 FPS decrease. High settings produce 184.3 FPS, and Ultra yields 166.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total drop of 47.1 FPS, which is a 22.1% reduction in performance. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a significant graphical load, but the system remains well above 60 FPS, making it suitable for high refresh rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 187.9 FPS, while Medium achieves 164.6 FPS. High settings drop to 141.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 109.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 78.4 FPS, which is a larger absolute gap than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU's workload at 1440p is more demanding, and the CPU has less headroom to keep frame rates high. The 4K resolution results show the most pronounced impact. Low settings at 3840x2160 average 117.9 FPS, Medium drops to 90.2 FPS, High to 74.7 FPS, and Ultra to 57.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 60.3 FPS, and notably, the Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, which is a critical threshold for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average frame rate is 213.2 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of maintaining 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 57.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 184.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 74.7 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 109.6 FPS.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the best balance for smooth gameplay?

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 with High settings provides an average of 141.9 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and offers higher visual fidelity than 1080p.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests that the GPU remains the primary limiter, but the CPU's influence becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. For example, the drop from 1080p Low (213.2 FPS) to 1440p Low (187.9 FPS) is 25.3 FPS, which is a smaller relative decrease than the drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low (70 FPS).

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combos?

A: This combo ranks 119th out of 1656 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.2% of all systems tested for this game.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the smoothest experience, the 1080p Low preset is the clear choice, delivering 213.2 FPS. However, this sacrifices visual quality. A more balanced recommendation is 1440p High, which provides 141.9 FPS. This resolution offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is comfortable for high refresh rate monitors. The 1440p Medium preset, at 164.6 FPS, is also a strong option for those who prefer higher frame rates over maximum detail, as it stays well above 144 FPS. For 4K displays, the High preset at 74.7 FPS is the best option for those who prioritize resolution, as it stays above 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is not recommended for consistent smoothness, as its 57.6 FPS average dips below the 60 FPS target. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 4K, averaging 90.2 FPS, is a better choice than Ultra for maintaining a smooth experience while still enjoying high-resolution visuals. Ultimately, the choice depends on whether the user prefers higher frame rates or higher graphical fidelity, but the measured rows show that 1440p High offers the best compromise between the two.