The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution. For the combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, the measured frame rates reveal a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but becomes increasingly balanced as the pixel count drops. The data shows a clear progression from unplayable at 4K Ultra to fluid at 1080p, with the CPU's capability becoming the key factor only at the lowest resolution tested.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a steep performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves an average of 91.5 FPS, which is a strong result for an Action RPG. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average drops to 59.8 FPS, a 34.6% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is already the primary limiting factor at 1440p, as the workload on the Radeon RX 5700 XT increases substantially with the higher pixel count.

Scaling up to 4K at High settings yields an average of only 33.2 FPS, which is a 63.7% drop from the 1080p result. This dramatic decline confirms that the RX 5700 XT's compute resources are saturated at this resolution. The trend is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the system sees 140.1 FPS at 1080p, 90.8 FPS at 1440p, and 48.4 FPS at 4K. The performance halving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests that even with reduced graphical complexity, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, measured at 448.0 GB/s, are the bottlenecks.

The Ultra preset illustrates the most severe scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 74 FPS, which drops to 46 FPS at 1440p and a very demanding 24.7 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is consistently around 34-38% across all presets, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is around 44-47%. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that is running out of raw shading power, with its 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 compute being the limiting factor. The i5-12400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the primary constraint until the resolution drops to 1080p, where the CPU has more headroom to feed frames.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the decisive component in this pairing. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The card's core clocks are specified with a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1905 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz. These clocks, combined with 2560 shading units, define its performance envelope. The benchmark results show that the GPU's percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 68, placing it in the upper third of all video cards.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 5700 XT's average benchmark score of 24731 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, which scores 24763, a delta of just -0.1%. It is also marginally ahead of the Intel Arc A350M by 0.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile by 0.6%. This data suggests that the RX 5700 XT delivers performance in the same class as these other cards. However, in The Technomancer, the GPU's role is clear: it is the performance ceiling. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (24.7 FPS) and 4K High (33.2 FPS) shows that the card cannot maintain playable frame rates at this resolution, regardless of the CPU's capability.

The GPU's memory configuration is also a factor. With 8 GB of VRAM, it is not necessarily a capacity issue for this 2016 title, but the bandwidth and the card's overall compute throughput dictate the frame rates. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in nearly all scenarios except for the very lowest resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 140.1 FPS. This is the only point where the CPU, with its 3DMark single-thread score of 909, might begin to approach its limit, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames faster than the CPU can process game logic.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K?

A: The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for smooth gameplay. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 33.2, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 24.7. Even at 4K Low, the average is 48.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 59.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 46 FPS. This represents a 23% performance loss for the increased visual fidelity. The Medium preset sits in between at 72.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has a 77th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19221. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores 19210, a delta of just 0.1%. In this game, the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1440p or 4K. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the 140.1 FPS average suggests the CPU is approaching its limit, though it still delivers a very high frame rate.

Q: Is the RX 5700 XT a strong performer compared to similar GPUs?

A: Yes, the data indicates it is competitive. Its average benchmark score of 24731 is within 1% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. In The Technomancer specifically, it provides playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for a consistent 60 FPS experience?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 59.8 FPS, which is just shy of 60. For a guaranteed 60 FPS, the 1920x1080 resolution with High settings provides 91.5 FPS, offering a significant margin. The Medium preset at 1440p also exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 72.7 FPS.

Q: How does the system's overall ranking look?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1253 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower-middle portion of all systems tested, which is consistent with its inability to handle 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1253 out of 1656 combos tested in The Technomancer. This places it in the 24th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly three-quarters of the tested combinations perform better. This ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU's inability to handle 4K resolutions effectively, as the CPU's performance is respectable, with a 77th percentile ranking versus all CPUs.

The GPU's percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 68, which is lower than the CPU's ranking. This disparity suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing for this particular game. The system is capable of delivering a good experience at 1080p and a serviceable one at 1440p, but it falls behind other combos that can manage higher resolutions or more consistent frame rates. The data shows that the RX 5700 XT's performance is closely matched with its rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile and the Intel Arc A350M, but in The Technomancer, its overall contribution to the system's ranking is limited by the high demands of 4K.

Given the rank, this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates. At 1440p, it is on the edge of 60 FPS performance, requiring settings adjustments to maintain smoothness. The system is not competitive with higher-end combos that can handle 4K, but it provides a solid baseline for the game at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this system is found at 1920x1080 with the High preset. This yields an average of 91.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a smooth, visually rich experience. The High preset at 1080p offers a significant performance buffer, ensuring that demanding scenes will not cause the frame rate to dip below playable levels. The Ultra preset at 1080p also provides a good experience with an average of 74 FPS, but the 19% performance cost over High may not justify the marginal visual gains for all users.

For players who prioritize a higher resolution, the 2560x1440 Medium preset is the best balance. It achieves an average of 72.7 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides a sharper image than 1080p. The High preset at 1440p is also viable, with an average of 59.8 FPS, but it sits right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold, and players may notice occasional dips in performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p should be avoided, as the 46 FPS average is not consistently smooth.

At 4K, the data shows that no preset provides a satisfactory experience. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 48.4 with the Low preset, which is still below the 60 FPS target and requires significant graphical compromises. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended for gameplay, as the average frame rates of 33.2 and 24.7 FPS are too low for a responsive Action RPG. The optimal strategy is to play at 1080p High for maximum smoothness, or 1440p Medium for a higher resolution with still-playable performance.