The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales in unexpected ways across resolutions and settings. When paired with the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, the data reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. The measured FPS values show a clear narrative: this combo is a 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K reserved for the lowest presets or for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate smoothness.

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

The transition from 1080p to 4K is severe for this configuration, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 98 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 34 FPS. The climb to 3840x2160 is catastrophic, with the average plummeting to just 35 FPS. This represents a 64% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, clearly demonstrating that the rendering load at 4K overwhelms the RTX 5050's capabilities.

The scaling pattern repeats across all settings presets, but the percentage drops vary, revealing how the GPU's limits are hit at different points. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 52 FPS (from 150 to 98), but the subsequent drop to 4K is 44 FPS (from 98 to 54). This suggests that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution is so demanding that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, unable to maintain the headroom it had at lower resolutions. Conversely, at Ultra settings, the 1080p to 1440p drop is 27 FPS (from 77 to 50), and the drop to 4K is 22 FPS (from 50 to 28), showing a more linear degradation that still ends in an unplayable 28 FPS average.

The data implies that the RTX 5050, with its 8 GB of memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the limiting factor at 4K. The jump from 1440p to 4K quadruples the pixel count, and the frame rate drops reflect this geometric increase in workload. The Core i5-12400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely not the primary constraint at these resolutions, as the massive GPU workload would overshadow CPU processing demands. The performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is the defining characteristic of this combo, making 4K gaming an aspirational goal rather than a practical one.

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 with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its architecture is Alder Lake, built on a 10 nm process. In the context of The Technomancer, this CPU provides a solid foundation that does not appear to bottleneck the GPU at standard resolutions. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the system achieves 150 FPS on Low settings, indicating strong per-core performance that can feed the GPU with frames efficiently.

The CPU's performance metrics show a significant gap between single-threaded and multi-threaded capabilities. Its 3dmark_single_thread score is 909, while the 3dmark_max_threads score is 5912. The Cinebench R23 results echo this, with a single-core score of 1680 and a multi-core score of 12380. For The Technomancer, a game from 2016, single-thread performance is often more critical than raw multi-threading. The Passmark single-thread score of 3481 suggests the i5-12400F handles the game's logic and AI tasks effectively, allowing the RTX 5050 to be the main driver of frame rates.

The relationship between the CPU and GPU is evident in the scaling data. At 1080p, the frame rates are high, but they do not scale linearly with the GPU's potential, suggesting that the CPU is keeping up. However, the 4K results are so low that they indicate the GPU is completely saturated, leaving the CPU with excess capacity. The i5-12400F's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache also aid in maintaining smooth data flow for the game's assets. The CPU's 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory mean it is a versatile pairing, but in this instance, the performance ceiling is clearly defined by the graphics card.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 98 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, making it a very smooth experience for most displays.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 54 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on High, and 28 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset approaches a playable level, while higher presets will suffer from noticeable stutter.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1% delta). It is effectively tied with these processors in general performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 sits in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. Its average benchmark score is 21035.

Q: What is the best resolution for a competitive advantage?

A: At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset delivers 77 FPS, and the Low preset hits 150 FPS. This makes 1080p the ideal resolution for maximizing frame rates and minimizing input latency.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures recorded?

A: The data only includes minimum FPS values for Medium settings: 35 FPS at 4K, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 1080p. These figures suggest that Medium settings might have more variable frame times than other presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks at 1721 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the 61st percentile of all configurations tested, meaning it outperforms a majority of setups but is far from the top tier. The rank is a composite measure that reflects both CPU and GPU capabilities, and it is heavily influenced by the GPU's struggles at high resolutions.

Given that the RTX 5050's percentile is 66 and the i5-12400F's percentile is 73, one might expect a higher combined rank. The discrepancy suggests that the game's engine is particularly sensitive to the GPU's limitations, especially at 4K. The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the 4K results, which are poor across all settings. At 1080p, the system's performance would likely place it much higher, but the benchmark includes all resolutions, penalizing the combo for its 4K inadequacies.

The rank also indicates that the i5-12400F is not the bottleneck, as other combos with weaker CPUs but similar GPUs might achieve comparable or better scores. The data shows that the system is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its overall ranking suffers due to the GPU's inability to handle 4K. For users targeting high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, this rank might be misleading, as the system excels in that scenario, but for 4K enthusiasts, the low rank is a clear warning.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz, with a boost clock of 2572 MHz. These specifications are the primary drivers of the frame rates observed in The Technomancer. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the game's texture requirements might approach this limit, potentially causing performance dips.

The GPU's raw compute power is reflected in its FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS and its Passmark G3D score of 17326. These figures place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, which is a modest mid-range position. In The Technomancer, this translates to excellent 1080p performance, with the Low preset hitting 150 FPS and the High preset achieving 98 FPS. The scaling to 1440p is also respectable, with High settings maintaining 64 FPS, which is smooth for most gamers.

However, the GPU's limitations become starkly apparent at 4K. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are insufficient to handle the 8.3 million pixels of 4K resolution alongside the game's visual effects. The 28 FPS average at Ultra settings is unplayable, and even the Low preset's 54 FPS is borderline. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz cannot compensate for the sheer volume of data that needs processing, and the memory bandwidth becomes a critical bottleneck. The RTX 5050 is a capable 1080p and 1440p GPU, but 4K is beyond its design scope.

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

At 1920x1080, the system delivers strong performance across all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 150 FPS, Medium settings produce 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, High settings average 98 FPS, and Ultra settings hold at 77 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 5050 is well-utilized at this resolution, and the Core i5-12400F provides enough headroom to maintain high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but manageable. Low settings average 98 FPS, Medium settings average 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, High settings average 64 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 50 FPS. The 1440p resolution is a sweet spot for this combo, as even the High preset produces a smooth 64 FPS, which is ideal for immersive gameplay. The Medium preset's minimum of 64 FPS suggests that frame pacing is consistent, avoiding sudden hitches.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance collapses. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, indicating severe frame drops. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 28 FPS. These numbers clearly show that 4K is not viable for this combination. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (35 FPS) is particularly telling, as it indicates that the GPU cannot maintain a stable frame rate, leading to a stuttering experience. The data across all resolutions and settings paints a clear picture: this system is designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being an experimental mode rather than a standard.

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

The measured data suggests that the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with High settings. This preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The jump to Ultra settings only yields 77 FPS, a 21 FPS decrease that is not justified by the marginal visual improvements in a game from 2016. High settings provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset is again the recommended choice, averaging 64 FPS. This is sufficient for a smooth experience, though it leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a higher average of 75 FPS, but the minimum FPS of 64 suggests that it might actually be more stable in practice. Choosing between Medium and High at 1440p is a matter of preference, but the data leans towards High for better visuals without a significant performance penalty.

At 4K, the recommendations are grim. The Low preset's 54 FPS average is the only viable option, but it requires sacrificing most visual features. The Medium preset's 41 FPS average and 35 FPS minimum would result in a noticeably stuttery experience. The data strongly advises against 4K for this combo, as even the lowest settings cannot guarantee a consistent frame rate. The best experience, per the measured rows, is unequivocally 1080p High, where the system performs comfortably within its limits and delivers a responsive, visually rich gameplay session.