The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p but begins to show its limitations as resolution demands increase. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, focusing on how the components interact and where the bottlenecks lie.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the limiting component in this setup. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 93.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that figure drops to 60.4 FPS, a significant reduction of 33.2 FPS. Pushing further to 4K, the average plummets to 34 FPS. This scaling pattern is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system has ample headroom, likely allowing the CPU to feed frames efficiently. However, as the pixel count increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the rendering load on the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, is being asked to process a significantly larger number of pixels. The frame rate nearly halves when moving from 1440p to 4K, which indicates that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are saturated at the higher resolution. The core i5-12400F appears to be less of a factor in this scaling, as the performance drop is far more consistent with a graphics card struggling to keep up with the increased workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the central figure in this performance analysis. Its specifications, including a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, are the engine driving the frame rates. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a critical resource for texture loading and frame buffering at high resolutions. The data shows that this memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but is likely a limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls to just 24.1.

The GPU's role is further highlighted by its benchmark scores. It holds a 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-to-high tier performer. Its average benchmark score of 19774 places it in close competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which has a score of 19680 and is a mere 0.5% behind. This proximity suggests that the 2060 SUPER offers performance roughly on par with its more expensive sibling. In the context of The Technomancer, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with its capabilities directly dictating the playability at each resolution and settings combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-12400F and RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 1256 out of 1656 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking, however, is not a measure of absolute failure but rather a reflection of the specific hardware pairing. The CPU itself is a strong performer, ranking in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19221. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores 19210, a negligible 0.1% difference, showing the i5-12400F is a very capable processor.

The GPU, while competent, is the weaker link in this specific combo. The overall rank of 1256 suggests that in a game like The Technomancer, the GPU does not fully leverage the CPU's potential, especially at higher resolutions. The data implies that many other combinations in the database likely feature more powerful graphics cards paired with similar or less capable CPUs, allowing them to achieve higher frame rates. This combo's position indicates a balanced but not exceptional setup, where the CPU has more headroom than the GPU can utilize.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: At 1440p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 60.4 FPS, making it the only resolution and settings combination in the data that meets the 60 FPS target at that quality level.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is only 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K's score of 19210, indicating they are virtually identical in performance.

Q: Can the GPU handle 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data shows 4K gaming is possible but not optimal. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 34, and at Ultra, it drops to 24.1. These are playable but not ideal for smooth, high-refresh-rate experiences.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 2060 SUPER and the RTX 2070?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 2060 SUPER (19774) is only 0.5% behind the RTX 2070 (19680), suggesting they offer very similar levels of performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system is likely not heavily bottlenecked by either component. The 140.3 FPS average at Low settings suggests the CPU is capable of high frame rates, and the GPU is not fully saturated until the resolution is increased.

Q: Given the combo's rank, is it a good pairing?

A: The combo is ranked 1256 out of 1656, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This indicates it is a functional pairing, but the GPU's performance limits the overall potential of the system, especially in more demanding scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset delivers an excellent 93.6 FPS average, making it the clear choice for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 70.8 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over a higher frame rate. At 1440p, the High preset is the best option, as it is the only one to break the 60 FPS barrier with an average of 60.4 FPS. The Medium preset offers a playable 70.3 FPS, but the High preset provides a better balance of visuals and performance.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that even the Low preset, with an average of 49.6 FPS, is not ideal for a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 34 FPS is playable for slower-paced moments but may struggle in action-heavy scenes. Given the significant performance drop at this resolution, it is recommended to stick with 1080p or 1440p for this title. The system is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming or solid 60 FPS 1440p gaming, with the High preset at 1440p being the sweet spot for a premium experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F plays a supporting role in this combo. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it is a modern, capable processor. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332. The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 5912. These figures show that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The benchmark results indicate the CPU is more than capable of handling the demands of The Technomancer. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 140.3 FPS, a frame rate that is likely near the ceiling for what the engine can produce, suggesting the CPU is efficiently processing the game logic. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance becomes less relevant to the final frame rate. The i5-12400F is a strong foundation, but its potential is not fully realized at higher resolutions due to the GPU's constraints.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values provides a clear picture of the system's performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 140.3 FPS, the Medium preset hits 111.5 FPS, the High preset reaches 93.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 70.8 FPS. This shows a linear scaling where each step up in settings costs roughly 20 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still respectable but show a clear decline. The Low preset averages 90.5 FPS, the Medium preset drops to 70.3 FPS, and the High preset falls to 60.4 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one to fall below 60 FPS, with a 46.6 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly lower. The Low preset averages 49.6 FPS, the Medium preset 41.2 FPS, the High preset 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset only 24.1 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a practical target for this combo if the user wants a consistently smooth experience, with even the Low preset failing to maintain a 60 FPS average.