The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, shows distinct performance characteristics when paired with the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. The measured data indicates a system where the GPU is the primary scaling factor across resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom even at lower settings. The combination’s overall rank of 1040 out of 3696 tested combos places it in the upper tier, roughly the top 28% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the workload’s heavy reliance on graphical fidelity. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 171 FPS at 1920x1080 to 112 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 59 FPS (or 34.5%). The trend continues to 3840x2160, where the same settings produce 61 FPS, a further drop of 51 FPS from 1440p. This pattern shows that The Technomancer scales predictably with resolution, with the 4K resolution demanding roughly 3.2 times the GPU work of 1080p, as evidenced by the diminishing frame rates.

The scaling behavior is more aggressive at Ultra settings. From 1080p Ultra at 114 FPS, the frame rate drops to 75 FPS at 1440p and then to 41 FPS at 4K. This progression indicates that the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions, especially with Ultra settings, which likely include demanding effects like shadows and reflections. The data shows the RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth, is handling the load well until 4K Ultra, where the frame rate dips below 60 FPS, making it less than ideal for smooth 4K Ultra play.

At 1080p, the CPU’s influence becomes apparent. The i5-12400F’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, deliver sufficient performance to push frame rates past 200 FPS at Low settings (223 FPS). This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not a limiting factor, and the GPU is still capable enough to reach high frame rates. The 1080p Low result, with an average of 223 FPS, is nearly double the 4K High average of 52 FPS, illustrating how resolution scaling disproportionately affects performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1040 out of 3696 tested configurations places it in the top 27% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for The Technomancer. This ranking reflects a strong balance between the Core i5-12400 F and the RTX 3080. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19039, with a percentile rank of 73% compared to all CPUs, together with the GPU’s average benchmark score of 23172 and 68th percentile, combine to produce a well-into-upper-tier result.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, namely the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a deltaPct of 0, and the Intel Core 3 201E with a deltaPct of -0.1, show that the i5-12400 F is extremely competitive in synthetic tests. This translates into gaming performance, where the CPU’s single-threaded score of 909 in 3DMark and 1680 in Cinebench R23 single-core keep it aligned with its rivals. In this game, the ranking shows that the combo is not just a mid-tier entry but a high-performing configuration, especially when considering the GPU’s role.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, both with deltaPct of -0.3, which means the RTX 3080 scores nearly identical in average benchmarks. However, in real-world gaming, as measured in The Technomancer, the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 8704 shading units likely provide an edge in texture-heavy scenes. The combo’s ranking of 1040 out of 3696 suggests that while not the absolute top, it delivers a high frame rate experience that would be satisfying for most users, with no single component severely bottlenecking the other.

The ranking also reflects the age of the game; The Technomancer was released in 2016, and the RTX 3080 is a modern card, so the data shows the GPU is not fully stressed at lower resolutions. At 1080p High, the average of 146 FPS is above the refresh rates of most monitors, indicating the combo is CPU-limited in some scenarios. The i5-12400 F’s performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as passing the single-thread test with a score of 3481, shows it can keep up with the GPU’s demands, but the ranking shows the combo is not at the very top, likely due to the game’s engine and the GPU’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The GeForce RTX 3080 plays a central role in determining frame rates, especially as resolution increases. With 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 320-bit memory bus, the card has a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, which is directly relevant to the texture-heavy assets in The Technomancer. The 4K Ultra setting, which produced an average of 41 FPS, is likely a result of the VRAM being taxed and the GPU’s shader cores being fully utilized. The GPU’s base clock of 1440 MHz and boost clock of 1710 MHz, combined with 8704 shading units, provide the raw compute power needed for the game’s effects.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at 4K, where the frame FPS difference between Low (80 FPS) and Ultra (41 FPS) is a 39 FPS drop. This shows that the GPU is the main factor in these settings, as the CPU’s performance would not change with graphics settings. The 4K Medium result shows a min FPS of 52 and a max of 71, indicating some variability, but the average of 61 FPS is playable. The GPU is also responsible for the 1440p results, which are all above 75 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU can handle the game at 1440p with all settings maxed.

Interestingly, the GPU’s VRAM of 10 GB might be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the game’s textures could exceed this, leading to the 41 FPS average. However, the benchmark data for the GPU shows a strong compute performance, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 152423, indicating that the card is capable, but the game’s engine might not be optimized for the high resolutions. The memory clock of 1188 MHz and effective bandwidth of 19 Gbps suggest that the GPU is not starving for data, but the 4K results show the GPU’s limits.

Settings Recommendations

The measured settings for The Technomancer are Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, each producing a distinct set of frame rates across the three resolutions. For 1080p, the High settings provide an average of 146 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and offers a smooth experience without the performance hit of Ultra, which drops to 114 FPS. Medium yields a very high 171 FPS average, making it the best for high refresh rate monitors, but the jump to High is only a 25 FPS difference, so High is the recommended setting for a balance of visual quality and performance.

At 1440p, the High setting gives 96 FPS, which is excellent for a 1440p monitor with a high refresh rate, while Medium provides 112 FPS and Ultra drops to 75 FPS, still playable but with a noticeable difference in visual fidelity. The 4K results show that 4K is not viable for Ultra, with a 41 FPS average, but Medium at 59 FPS is borderline for a 60Hz display, and High at 52 FPS is slightly below that threshold. The Low setting at 4K gives 80 FPS, which is surprising, but the visual quality loss is significant.

The best experience per the measured rows is at 1440p with Medium settings, offering 112 FPS with a stable frame range (min 95, max 129), which is a sweet spot for both visual and performance quality. For 4K, the Medium preset is the only one that achieves a near-60 FPS experience, with an average of 61 FPS, though the min of 59 indicates occasional dips. For users with a 4K monitor and a 60Hz refresh, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, while at 1440p, High is the optimal balance of visual and frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from a low of 114 FPS at Ultra to a high of 223 FPS at Low. The Medium setting delivers 171 FPS with a min of 146 and a max of 197, and High averages 146 FPS. This suggests that 1080p is a resolution where the GPU is not the bottleneck, and the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to keep frame rates high. The 223 FPS at Low indicates that the game is not demanding at this resolution, and the combo can achieve very high frame rates for esports or high-refresh monitors.

At 2560x1440, the FPS scales down as expected: Low yields 146 FPS, Medium 112 FPS (min 95, max 129), High 96 FPS, and Ultra 75 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 71 FPS, showing the GPU’s load increases with settings. The 1440p results are all above 75 FPS, which is suitable for 1440p gaming with a good balance.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 80 at Low, 61 at Medium (min 52, max 71), 52 at High, and 41 at Ultra. The variance between the highest and lowest settings at 4K is 39 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily stressed. The Low setting at 4K is still playable at 80 FPS, but Ultra is below the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The 4K results indicate that the RTX 3080 is capable at 4K, but only at lower settings for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the i5-12400 F compare in benchmarks to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-12400 F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (avgScore 19047, deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core 3E (avgScore 19056, deltaPct -0.1). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-1335U (avgScore 18982, deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD EPYC 7773X (avgScore 18979, deltaPct 0.3), showing that the CPU is very competitive in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the RTX 3080's benchmark score relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average GPU score of 23172, which is essentially tied with the NVIDIA P106-100 (avgScore 23249, deltaPct -0.3) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (avgScore 23250, deltaPct -0.3). It is also very close to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (avgScore 23273, deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X (avgScore 23276, deltaPct -0.4), indicating that the GPU is in a strong position in the benchmark.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K with the best graphics?

A: No, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 41, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the average is 52 FPS, also below 60, and at 4K Medium, the average is 61 FPS, which is just above 60 but with a min of 52, showing that stutter can occur. The 4K Low setting delivers 80 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, the Medium setting delivers 171 FPS with a min of 146, which is above the 144Hz refresh rate, and the Low setting at 223 FPS is even higher. At 1440p, the Low setting at 146 FPS is just above 144Hz, but the Medium at 112 FPS is below that. Therefore, for a 144Hz monitor, 1080p with Medium or High settings is the best option, as both exceed 144 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory and bandwidth influence the 4K results?

A: The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 320-bit bus and a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This is sufficient for most 4K textures, but the 4K Ultra setting, which has the highest demand, shows a 41 FPS average, indicating a VRAM or bandwidth limitation. The 4K Medium at 61 FPS with a min of 52 shows that the memory is being used, but the performance is not consistent, suggesting that the GPU’s memory capacity is a factor at the highest settings.

Q: Between the CPU and GPU, which is the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the i5-12400 F can handle frame rates up to 223 FPS at Low settings. The GPU is also capable, as the 1080p High average of 146 FPS is well above 60. However, the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 109 FPS, which indicates that the GPU’s performance scaling with settings is the main factor, meaning the GPU is the primary bottleneck when the settings are increased.