The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, is not a demanding title by modern standards, but it still rewards a balanced platform. This analysis examines the specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, using measured FPS data. The data shows how this mid-range combination handles the game across three resolutions and four quality presets. The focus here is on what these numbers mean for an experienced builder looking to optimize their experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo delivers 139 FPS on Low settings, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is providing enough headroom for the GPU to work without significant limits. Moving to 1440p, the same Low preset drops to 91 FPS, a reduction of 48 frames per second. At 4K, the Low preset yields 50 FPS, which is another 41 FPS drop from 1440p. This scaling shows that the game becomes progressively more demanding on the GPU as pixel count rises.

Examining the High preset, the 1080p result is 91 FPS, which is identical to the 1440p Low result. This is a notable coincidence that indicates the game’s performance at 1440p Low is roughly equivalent to 1080p High, suggesting a balanced load between CPU and GPU at those settings. The 1440p High preset yields 60 FPS, and the 4K High preset drops to 33 FPS. The scaling from 1080p High to 1440p High is 31 FPS, and from 1440p High to 4K High is 27 FPS. These drops are substantial and indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU has less effect on frame rates when the GPU is under heavy load.

The Medium preset data further illustrates this trend. At 1080p, Medium averages 107 FPS, which drops to 70 FPS at 1440p, and then to 38 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 32 FPS. The Ultra preset shows the same pattern, with 71 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 47 FPS at 1440p, and then to 26 FPS at 4K. The proportional drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 34%, and from 1440p to 4K is roughly 45%. This disproportionate drop at 4K strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has enough headroom to handle the lower resolution, but the GPU simply cannot keep up with the increased pixel count.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU are well matched, as evidenced by the high frame rates. At 1440p, the GPU is more of a limiting factor, but the system still provides good frame rates. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting component, as the frame rates drop below 60 FPS even on Low settings. The 4K performance is largely dependent on the GPU, and the CPU plays a minimal role. This is typical for a game like The Technomancer, which is not CPU-intensive but does have graphical demands that scale with resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the heart of this pairing, and its characteristics directly influence the measured results. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In The Technomancer, texture and geometry data are loaded into VRAM, and the 8 GB capacity is sufficient for this game, even at 4K, where the frame rates are still limited by compute rather than memory. The memory bus width and bandwidth are adequate for the game’s needs, and the data does not suggest any VRAM-related stuttering.

The GPU’s base clock is 1605 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. These clocks are typical for the RX 5700 XT and provide the compute throughput that drives the frame rates. The GPU has a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s, which are more relevant to the game’s performance than raw compute. The FP32 performance is 9.754 TFLOPS, which is the general compute number that represents the GPU’s raw power.

The GPU’s benchmark scores put it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, which scores 16351, a delta of 0.1% from the RX 5700 XT. This means the RX 5700 XT is slightly faster than that Pro card, but the difference is negligible. Other close rivals include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell at 16408, which is -0.3% delta, and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 at 16415, also -0.3%. A higher deltaPct indicates the rival is slower, while a negative deltaPct indicates the rival is faster. The RX 5700 XT is slower than the RTX 5090 D V2 by -0.9% (which scores 16504). These are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the RX 5700 XT is a well-established mid-range card.

In The Technomancer specifically, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s visual effects, which include light, shadows, and textures. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is not bottlenecked, as it can achieve 139 FPS on Low and 107 FPS on Medium. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limit, as the frame rates drop below 40 FPS on all settings. The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is not a concern for this game, as the settings likely do not exceed this amount, and the frame rate drops are due to raw compute throughput. The GPU’s scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent, showing that it is not limited by any architectural quirk but simply by the amount of work it can do per frame.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 2741 out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer. This means the combo is in the 74th percentile, which is a solid mid-range result. This rank reflects the CPU’s position in the overall CPU market, which is at the 77th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU is at the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The combo’s rank is lower than the CPU’s percentile, which indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in this game. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the combo would likely rank higher relative to the CPU’s percentile.

The combo’s rank is influenced by the GPU’s performance, as the game is more GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 25292, with a percentile of 77. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, which scores 25284 with a deltaPct of 0%, meaning they are equal. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, a -0.3% deltaPct, meaning it is slightly faster. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D also scores 25365, a -0.3% deltaPct, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, a 0.4% deltaPct, meaning it is slightly slower. The CPU is well within a fraction of a percent of its rivals, so its performance is not a differentiator.

The combination’s 2741 rank out of 3696 combos places it in the lower half of tested systems, but it is important to note that this rank is among a wide variety of systems, including those with much higher-end GPUs. The data shows that the combo is typical of a mid-range gaming system. The CPU has a 10-core, 16-thread configuration with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This is a strong CPU for gaming, but the GPU is the one that has to do the heavy lifting. The combo’s rank does not indicate any flaw, but rather that the system is not a top-tier performer.

The rank is also affected by the fact that this is a measured data point, which is not a synthetic score. The measured FPS numbers are the final determinant, and they show that, for example, the combo can achieve 60 FPS at 1440p High. This is a playable experience. The rank is a reflection of the GPU’s limits, not a poor pairing. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, and the combo is well balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p, Medium yields 107 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and provides a smooth experience. High yields 91 FPS, which is also smooth, but Medium offers a higher frame rate for a minimal visual difference. The Ultra preset at 1080p is 71 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth as Medium. At 1440p, Medium yields 70 FPS, which is excellent for a 1440p monitor. High yields 60 FPS, which is the standard for smooth gameplay, but Medium provides a better headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1440p is 91 FPS, which is very high, but the visual quality is lower.

At 4K, the Medium preset yields 38 FPS, which is not ideal for fast-paced action. Low yields 50 FPS, which is more playable, but still not a locked 60. High yields 33 FPS, and Ultra yields 26 FPS, both of which are too low for a good experience. For 4K, the data suggests using the Low preset to get closer to 60 FPS, though it is not there. If the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the Medium preset is the best, but the Low preset is the most playable at 4K. The game is not well optimized for 4K on this GPU, so the user may need to lower settings.

The Medium preset is the most balanced overall, as it provides a high frame rate at 1080p and 1440p, and a playable frame rate at 4K. The High preset is also a good choice for users with a 1440p 60Hz monitor, as it hits 60 FPS exactly. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it offers a lower frame rate at all resolutions, and the visual difference between Ultra and High is not worth the performance hit. The Low preset is for users who prioritize frame rate over visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is as follows, broken down by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 139 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate of all settings at this resolution, indicating the GPU is not fully utilized.
• Medium: 107 FPS average, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. The 91 FPS minimum shows some drops, but the average is still high.
• High: 91 FPS average. This is identical to the 1440p Low average, showing the balance between resolution and settings.
• Ultra: 71 FPS average. This is still above 60 FPS, providing a smooth experience, but lower than Medium.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 91 FPS average. This is the same as 1080p High, indicating that Low at 1440p is equivalent to High at 1080p.
• Medium: 70 FPS average, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The 59 minimum is a bit low, but the average is good.
• High: 60 FPS average. This is exactly 60, which is the standard for a 60Hz monitor.
• Ultra: 47 FPS average. This is below 60, but still playable for a slower game.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 50 FPS average. This is the only 4K setting that is above 45 FPS, and it is playable.
• Medium: 38 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The 33 minimum indicates some stutter.
• High: 33 FPS average. This is too low for a smooth experience.
• Ultra: 26 FPS average. This is not playable for a demanding action game.

The data shows that the game’s performance is heavily dependent on the resolution. At 1080p, all settings are above 71 FPS. At 1440p, the settings are above 47 FPS, but Medium and High are the best. At 4K, only Low is above 50 FPS. The frame drops from 1080p to 1440p are 33% to 34%, and from 1440p to 4K are 45% to 50%, showing that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p on this combo?

A: The Medium preset is the best, with an average of 107 FPS. High is also good at 91 FPS, but Medium provides a higher frame rate with a minimal visual difference. Low is 139 FPS, but that is not necessary for smooth gameplay.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. Low at 4K averages 50 FPS, which is playable. Medium averages 38 FPS, and High and Ultra are below 33 FPS, which is not smooth.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU is a 10-core, 16-thread processor that is not limiting the frame rates, as the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The RX 5700 XT is within 1% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% deltaPct), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (-0.3% deltaPct), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (-0.3% deltaPct). It is slightly slower than the RTX 5090 D V2 by -0.9%.

Q: Is the i5-13400F a good match for the RX 5700 XT in The Technomancer?

A: Yes, the CPU is not a bottleneck. Its benchmark scores are within 1% of rival CPUs, and the combo rank of 2741 out of 3696 is a reflection of the GPU, not the CPU. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking supports this.

Q: What is the expected FPS at 1440p with the High preset?

A: The data shows an average of 60 FPS for the High preset at 1440p, which is exactly 60 FPS. This is a good result for a 60Hz monitor, but the Medium preset offers a higher 70 FPS average if needed.