The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study in how a modern high-end GPU paired with a capable mid-range CPU handles an older title. The measured data for the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination reveals a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics settings, showcasing the GPU's dominance at lower resolutions and the increasing strain of 4K Ultra. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the component's benchmark standings, and interprets what the numbers indicate about the bottleneck in this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is the defining characteristic of this data set. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 230 FPS. Scaling up to 1440p Low drops this to 148.5 FPS, a significant reduction. Moving to 4K Low, the average falls further to 81.4 FPS. This steep decline as resolution increases points directly to the GPU as the primary limiting factor; the Radeon RX 9070 XT is being pushed harder with each additional pixel.

The trend is consistent across all settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 155.1 FPS at 1080p to 98.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 54.6 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is roughly 56 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is roughly 44 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's rendering workload is scaling as expected with pixel count, and the CPU is not creating a significant bottleneck at these frame rates.

The most telling data point for identifying the limiting component is the 4K performance. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 39.8. This is a demanding scenario for any GPU. The fact that the frame rate nearly doubles when dropping from Ultra to Low at 4K (39.8 to 81.4 FPS) confirms that the GPU is the component under the most stress. The Intel Core i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these lower frame rates, ensuring the graphics card is the sole determinant of performance in this resolution bracket.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT produces an average of 155.1 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

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

A: The data shows a substantial performance gap. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 39.8. Lowering the settings to Low increases the average FPS to 81.4, more than doubling the frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The performance scaling from 1440p to 4K suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 98.9 at 2560x1440 to 54.6 at 3840x2160, a 44.3 FPS decrease that aligns with the increased pixel workload for the Radeon RX 9070 XT.

Q: What is the best-performing settings/resolution combo for high refresh rates?

A: For the highest frame rates, 1080p with Low settings yields an average of 230 FPS. For a balance of quality and speed, 1440p with Medium settings provides an average of 114.8 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations for this game?

A: This specific hardware pairing ranks 459th out of 1656 total tested combos for The Technomancer, placing it in the top 28% of all configurations.

Q: Does the game run smoothly at 4K in any configuration?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 62.2, which is playable. However, at High settings, the average drops to 54.6 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 39.8 FPS, which may not be considered smooth for all users.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the clear workhorse in this pairing for The Technomancer. Its specifications are substantial: 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. The GPU's clock speeds are also a factor, with a base clock of 1660 MHz and a boost clock of 2970 MHz. The benchmark data indicates that this hardware is more than capable of handling the game's demands, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The GPU's role becomes most apparent when examining the 4K results. The game's engine appears to scale its resource usage heavily with resolution and settings. The large memory pool of 16 GB and the high bandwidth likely prevent any memory-related stutters or texture pop-in, even at 4K Ultra. The performance difference between 4K Low (81.4 FPS) and 4K Ultra (39.8 FPS) is a 41.6 FPS swing, demonstrating that the graphics card's compute and fill-rate capabilities are being taxed by the higher-detail settings.

In the broader context of its own benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT scores 26,795 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 39,647, which puts it in close competition with the AMD Radeon Pro 575 (39,703) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (39,879). While these are synthetic benchmarks, they reinforce that this is a high-performance part. In The Technomancer, this power translates to playable 4K performance at Medium settings and exceptional performance at 1440p, with the GPU being the primary driver of these results.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT holds a rank of 459 out of 1,656 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the upper echelon of tested systems, roughly in the 72nd percentile of performance. The high rank is unsurprising given the strength of the individual components, but it provides a useful reference point for understanding the pairing's overall capability in this specific title.

This rank is a holistic measure that considers all tested resolutions and settings. The system's ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, combined with a respectable showing at 4K, pushes it well above the median. The fact that it is not ranked higher suggests that there are other combinations with even more powerful GPUs or CPUs that achieve higher average frame rates, particularly at the 4K Ultra preset where this system drops to 39.8 FPS. Nevertheless, a rank of 459 out of 1,656 indicates that this is a high-performing setup for this game.

The data shows that the CPU is likely not a significant drag on the system's rank. The i5-12400's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,249, ensures it can keep up with the GPU's frame generation. Therefore, the combo's rank is largely a reflection of the GPU's performance, which is strong but not at the very top tier for 4K Ultra gaming in this older title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 serves as the supporting partner in this configuration. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it provides a solid foundation for gaming. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are sufficient for the demands of The Technomancer. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,935 and a single-core score of 2,249, show a balanced performance profile that is well-suited for gaming workloads.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 230 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU could become a limiting factor. However, the data shows that the CPU is capable of handling this load, as the frame rate is not artificially capped. The i5-12400's performance is competitive with its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i5-11600K (0.4% slower) based on average benchmark scores.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide adequate data throughput for the GPU. There are no signs of CPU-induced stuttering or frame pacing issues in the measured FPS data. The processor's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,850, confirms it is a capable gaming processor. In this pairing, it delivers the necessary performance to feed the Radeon RX 9070 XT, allowing the GPU to reach its full potential in The Technomancer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides a clear picture of performance across different resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is performance-bound by the GPU but delivers excellent results. The average FPS ranges from 230 at Low settings, down to 181.7 at Medium, 155.1 at High, and 122 at Ultra. This shows a smooth and predictable scaling, with a 108 FPS difference between the lowest and highest quality presets. Even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate of 122 FPS is well above the standard 60 FPS target, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. The average FPS values are 148.5 for Low, 114.8 for Medium, 98.9 for High, and 79.9 for Ultra. The scaling is again consistent, with a 68.6 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The 1440p Ultra setting, with an average of 79.9 FPS, offers a good balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, comfortably exceeding 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the defining factor. The average FPS drops to 81.4 for Low, 62.2 for Medium, 54.6 for High, and 39.8 for Ultra. This is the only resolution where the system falls below the 60 FPS threshold at High and Ultra settings. The data shows that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, players must use Medium settings, while those prioritizing visual quality over frame rate can opt for High or Ultra, accepting the lower average FPS.