The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly capable of high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but which begins to strain under the load of 4K and maximum settings. This analysis examines the specific benchmark results to understand where the performance boundaries lie for this combination.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features a shared 18 MB L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 5873 in 3dmark_16_threads and 5890 in 3dmark_max_threads, which are nearly identical, suggesting that the 12 threads are effectively saturated. Its single-thread performance is also solid, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2249.

For a game like The Technomancer, which is not heavily threaded, the CPU’s strong single-core performance is likely more relevant than its multi-core prowess. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 142 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at that resolution and settings level. The processor's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a capable gaming chip. It sits in a tight grouping with its nearest rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700, 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K, and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-8700. These negligible differences in average benchmark scores imply that for this game, the choice between these CPUs would yield nearly identical performance, reinforcing that the graphics card is the primary driver of frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1650 MHz, and it offers a FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS. The GPU holds a 63rd percentile ranking among all graphics cards. Compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla K40m. This suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER performs remarkably close to the RTX 2070, making it a strong performer in its class.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in The Technomancer. At 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 28.5 FPS. This steep decline from the 1080p Ultra result of 73.2 FPS points to the GPU and its memory subsystem being overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and demanding settings. The bandwidth and capacity are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data clearly indicates that the card is pushed to its limits at 4K, particularly with the highest visual fidelity settings.

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

The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 91.9 at 1080p to 59.5 at 1440p, and further down to 30.7 at 4K. This represents a 66.6% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, on Low settings, the system achieves 142 FPS at 1080p, 94.7 FPS at 1440p, and 54.1 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the RTX 2060 SUPER must render grows exponentially, directly impacting its fillrate and memory bandwidth. The CPU's performance, which is constant regardless of resolution, becomes less of a factor. The fact that performance drops so significantly at 4K, even on Low settings (54.1 FPS), suggests that the GPU is the limiting component in this configuration for that resolution. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck, but the high frame rates indicate that the i5-12400 handles the game's logic without issue, allowing the GPU to push out high numbers.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1200th out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower 28th percentile of all systems tested for this game. The ranking suggests that while this combo is perfectly playable at many settings, there are a large number of other CPU-GPU pairings that achieve higher average frame rates, likely due to more powerful graphics cards.

The ranking is a measure of overall performance across the tested resolutions and settings. Given that the RTX 2060 SUPER is positioned near the RTX 2070 in raw compute, the low rank is more indicative of the game's age and the fact that many more modern or higher-end GPUs have been tested, rather than a specific weakness in this combo. The data shows that this pairing is a mid-tier performer, capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and good frame rates at 1440p, but it is not competitive at the top end of the leaderboard, particularly for 4K gaming.

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

The following data presents the measured average frame rates for this combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 142.0 FPS
• Medium: 113.2 FPS
• High: 91.9 FPS
• Ultra: 73.2 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 94.7 FPS
• Medium: 70.7 FPS
• High: 59.5 FPS
• Ultra: 46.9 FPS

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 54.1 FPS
• Medium: 36.9 FPS
• High: 30.7 FPS
• Ultra: 28.5 FPS

The data shows a smooth progression of frame rates. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset maintains an average above 70 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience on high refresh rate monitors. At 1440p, the High preset is just shy of 60 FPS, while Ultra dips below 50 FPS. The 4K results are the most demanding, with only the Low preset achieving a playable average frame rate above 50 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra at 4K is minimal (30.7 to 28.5 FPS), suggesting diminishing returns from the extra settings at that resolution.

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

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K resolution with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that only the Low preset at 4K achieves an average frame rate above 50 FPS (54.1 FPS). Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 37 FPS, which is generally considered not playable for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate experience (above 100 FPS)?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 142.0 FPS. With Medium settings, it still delivers 113.2 FPS, which is the highest settings preset to maintain an average above 100 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2070?

A: The benchmark data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER has an average score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070's score of 19680. This indicates near-identical performance in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1440p resolution?

A: The frame rates at 1440p (e.g., 59.5 FPS on High) are significantly lower than those at 1080p (91.9 FPS on High). This indicates a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution, while the GPU's does.

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

A: The average frame rate drops by 68.8 FPS when moving from Low (142.0 FPS) to Ultra (73.2 FPS) at 1080p, representing a 48.5% reduction in performance for the highest visual quality.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU-GPU combination for this game?

A: This combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1200th out of 1656 tested combos for The Technomancer.

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

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the High preset is an excellent choice, providing an average of 91.9 FPS. This offers a great balance between visual fidelity and smoothness, well above the 60 FPS threshold. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the Medium preset at 113.2 FPS is a strong alternative. The Ultra preset is viable at 73.2 FPS if maximum visual quality is the priority, but the performance cost from High is notable.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, averaging 59.5 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for most users. The Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin at 70.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 46.9 FPS, which may be less desirable for action-oriented gameplay.

For 4K, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 54.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 36.9 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets (30.7 and 28.5 FPS) are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should prioritize 1080p or 1440p with high settings, rather than compromising at 4K.