The Technomancer

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a combination where the GPU is the dominant force in The Technomancer, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The data shows this pairing ranks 154th out of 3696 tested combos, placing it in the top 4.2% of all configurations. This is a system built for high-refresh-rate play, though the game’s engine appears to cap the potential in certain scenarios. The Core i5-12400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, boosts up to 4.40 GHz and shows strong single-thread performance with a 3dmark single-thread score of 909. This CPU’s architecture, Alder Lake, is not the bottleneck here; at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 251 FPS, indicating that the CPU can push frames far beyond typical display refresh rates. The RTX 4090, with its 16384 shading units and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, is the clear workhorse, but the measured results reveal that the game’s optimization, not the hardware, limits the absolute peak.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide a solid foundation for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 12,380 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,680 in single-core, placing it at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. This data suggests a processor that is well-balanced for gaming workloads, though not a top-tier performer in raw multi-threaded tasks.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU’s role is to feed the RTX 4090 with enough data to avoid stalling. The measured FPS across all resolutions and settings shows no scenario where the CPU is the limiting factor. At 1920x1080, the most CPU-sensitive resolution, the average FPS ranges from 169 (Ultra) to 251 (Low). The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 82 FPS, which is substantial and indicates that the game’s settings do affect the CPU load. However, even the lowest average of 169 FPS is far above the 60 FPS standard, meaning the i5-12400F is never the bottleneck. The CPU’s 3dmark 16-thread score of 5,895 and max-thread score of 5,912 show that it can handle the game’s threading demands without breaking a sweat.

The RTX 4090’s raw power, with an FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, is so high that the game’s engine becomes the constraint. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 61, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. This is not a CPU limitation; it is the GPU being pushed to its limits by the game’s rendering demands. The i5-12400F’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz and single-thread score of 909 in 3dmark are more than sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4090’s frame generation. The data indicates that in this combo, the CPU is a supporting player, ensuring that the GPU can always run at full utilization.

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

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 251, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates that the combo has enormous headroom for competitive or high-refresh-rate play at lower graphical fidelity.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 61, with no minimum or maximum FPS data provided. This is the most demanding scenario tested, and the combo barely maintains 60 FPS, suggesting that 4K Ultra is the practical limit for this hardware in this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The evidence is that at 1080p, the FPS scales significantly with settings (from 251 Low to 169 Ultra), but the CPU is never the bottleneck. The RTX 4090’s percentile of 88 versus the CPU’s 73, combined with the fact that even at 4K Medium the FPS is 91, shows the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for Medium settings across resolutions?

A: The data includes min FPS only for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 194 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 140 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 77 FPS. These values show that the combo maintains smooth frame times even under load, with no severe dips.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 154th out of 3,696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the top 4.2% of all configurations, indicating that this is a high-end pairing that outperforms the vast majority of systems.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 215 on Low and 110 on Ultra, a difference of 105 FPS. This large gap shows that the game’s Ultra preset imposes a significant rendering cost, halving the frame rate compared to Low settings.

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

The measured data shows a clear and predictable drop in average FPS as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 216 at 1920x1080, to 141 at 2560x1440, and finally to 77 at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The RTX 4090 is being tasked with rendering more pixels, and the performance degradation is directly proportional to the pixel count increase.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For Low settings, the FPS drops from 251 at 1080p, to 215 at 1440p, and to 118 at 4K. For Medium, it goes from 228 to 165 to 91. For Ultra, it goes from 169 to 110 to 61. The percentage drops are similar across settings, which reinforces that the GPU is the primary constraint. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller FPS difference between 1080p and 4K, because the CPU load would remain constant while the GPU load increases. Instead, the data shows that the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution, indicating that the RTX 4090 is the component that is being saturated.

The fact that the combo can reach 251 FPS at 1080p Low, but only 61 FPS at 4K Ultra, shows that the game’s engine has a wide performance envelope. The RTX 4090’s 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth and 82.58 TFLOPS of compute power are being fully utilized at higher resolutions. This data suggests that users who want to play at 4K should stick to Medium or High settings to maintain a comfortable frame rate, while 1080p and 1440p users can crank the settings up without issue. The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU, as the CPU’s performance headroom is evident from the high FPS at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 154 out of 3,696 tested combinations in The Technomancer. This places the combo in the 96th percentile, meaning it outperforms 95.8% of all systems tested. This is an exceptional result, indicating that this pairing is one of the highest-performing configurations available for this game.

The rank is particularly impressive considering the CPU’s modest market position. The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19,039 and is at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which has a nearly identical average score of 19,047, and the Intel Core 3 201E, which is 0.1% slower. The CPU’s performance is solid, but it is the RTX 4090 that boosts this combo to the top tier.

The RTX 4090, on the other hand, has an average benchmark score of 60,347 and is at the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% faster). This GPU is a top-tier performer, and its influence on the combo’s rank is clear. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of the combo’s high ranking, as a weaker GPU would likely drop this combo significantly in the rankings. The fact that this combo ranks at 154 out of 3,696 reflects the RTX 4090’s dominance in this game, even when paired with a mid-range CPU.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s resolution and refresh rate goals. For 1920x1080, the combo delivers 216 FPS on High, 228 FPS on Medium, and 251 FPS on Low. The Ultra preset drops to 169 FPS. For users with a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the Medium or High preset is ideal, as they both exceed 200 FPS and provide a significant visual upgrade over Low. The Ultra preset, while still above 165 FPS, offers diminishing returns in visual fidelity for a 28% FPS hit compared to High.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 141 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Medium preset provides 165 FPS, which is even better for higher refresh rate displays. The Low preset hits 215 FPS, but this is overkill for most monitors and sacrifices visual quality. The Ultra preset drops to 110 FPS, which is still playable but may not be smooth enough for competitive play on high refresh rate displays. The data suggests that Medium or High at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The High preset delivers 77 FPS, and the Medium preset delivers 91 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS, which is just at the threshold for smooth gameplay on a 60Hz display. The Low preset provides 118 FPS, but the visual downgrade is substantial. For 4K users, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a 91 FPS average with a 77 FPS minimum, ensuring a smooth experience. The High preset is also viable, but the 14 FPS difference between Medium and High may not justify the visual improvement for some users. The Ultra preset should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate stability.

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

1920x1080

• Low: Average FPS 251, with no min or max recorded. This is the highest FPS in the entire dataset, showing the combo’s raw speed at lower resolutions.
• Medium: Average FPS 228, with a minimum of 194 and a maximum of 262. The min FPS of 194 shows that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains high.
• High: Average FPS 216, with no min or max recorded. This is a strong result, only 12 FPS lower than Medium.
• Ultra: Average FPS 169, with no min or max recorded. This is the lowest 1080p result, but still well above 144Hz.

2560x1440

• Low: Average FPS 215, with no min or max recorded. The drop from 1080p Low is 36 FPS, showing the GPU load increasing.
• Medium: Average FPS 165, with a minimum of 140 and a maximum of 190. The min FPS of 140 ensures a smooth experience on most high refresh rate monitors.
• High: Average FPS 141, with no min or max recorded. This is a solid result for 144Hz displays, just 24 FPS below Medium.
• Ultra: Average FPS 110, with no min or max recorded. The Ultra preset at 1440p is still very playable, but it is 31% slower than High.

3840x2160

• Low: Average FPS 118, with no min or max recorded. This is the only 4K setting that breaks 100 FPS, showing the GPU’s capability at lower quality.
• Medium: Average FPS 91, with a minimum of 77 and a maximum of 104. The min FPS of 77 is the lowest recorded in the dataset, but it still provides a smooth experience on 60Hz displays.
• High: Average FPS 77, with no min or max recorded. This is the standard 4K gaming target, and the combo hits it exactly.
• Ultra: Average FPS 61, with no min or max recorded. This is the most demanding configuration, and the combo barely maintains 60 FPS, making it the edge of playability.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 4090 provides a massive performance buffer at 1080p and 1440p, allowing for high settings and high refresh rates. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and users must choose between lower settings for higher FPS or Ultra for a cinematic 60 FPS experience.