The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, shows a pronounced GPU-bound profile at higher resolutions with the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. Measured data indicates that the combination ranks 1395th out of 3696 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of systems for this title. The benchmark results reveal that the RX 7700 XT is the primary performance limiter at 4K, while the i5-13400F provides ample headroom at 1080p, where frame rates scale dramatically with lower settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. This processor also supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects to the system via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU’s single-thread performance is more relevant than its multi-thread capabilities. The 3dmark single-thread score of 960 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3191 indicate strong per-core throughput, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing in a game that relies heavily on game logic and physics. The multi-threaded results, such as the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and the Passmark multithread score of 25032, show that the processor has substantial parallel capability, but the game’s engine does not appear to leverage all 16 threads effectively, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling patterns.

The i5-13400F’s nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with an average score of 25284 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120 with 25362 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D with 25365 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with 25201 (0.4% delta). These close margins, all within 0.4% of the i5-13400F’s average benchmark score of 25292, suggest that CPU performance is not a differentiating factor at the resolutions tested. The 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms that this processor sits comfortably above the median for the title.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 196 FPS on average, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately even at high frame rates. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium shows an average of 150 FPS, with a minimum of 128 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS. These numbers imply that the CPU is not the bottleneck at these settings, as the GPU is still able to produce well over 100 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 36 FPS, which is far below the CPU’s capability threshold, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor.

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

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Technomancer?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 with High settings provides a strong balance, yielding an average of 84 FPS. This resolution maintains smooth gameplay without the severe frame rate drop seen at 3840x2160, where even Medium settings only reach 54 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-13400F compare to its closest CPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365 (-0.3% delta). This indicates no meaningful performance gap among these processors.

Q: Does the RX 7700 XT’s VRAM capacity affect performance at 4K?

A: The RX 7700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the measured FPS drops from 70 at Low to 36 at Ultra, suggesting that memory bandwidth and capacity are sufficient for this game, as the frame rate decline is consistent with increased GPU load rather than VRAM exhaustion.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 100. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average drops to 66 FPS. This represents a 34% reduction in frame rate, which is typical for a resolution increase of this magnitude in a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: Is the CPU overkill for this game at 4K?

A: The data suggests yes. At 3840x2160, even the highest average FPS is 70 at Low settings, while the CPU’s benchmark scores indicate it can handle far higher frame rates. The GPU’s performance at 4K is the definitive constraint, as shown by the 36 FPS average at Ultra.

Q: What does the combo’s rank of 1395 out of 3696 indicate?

A: This rank places the system in the top 38% of all tested combinations for The Technomancer. It reflects a solid mid-to-high tier setup, with the GPU’s 67th percentile ranking among all GPUs driving most of the performance, while the CPU’s 77th percentile ranking provides ample support.

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

Resolution scaling in The Technomancer reveals a clear GPU-bound trend. At 1080p Low, the system averages 196 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average falls to 128 FPS, a 35% drop. At 4K Low, the average is 70 FPS, another 45% reduction from 1440p. This pattern shows that each resolution step roughly halves the pixel count reduction effect, with the GPU struggling to maintain frame rates as pixel throughput demands increase.

For High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p High, the average is 128 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 84 FPS (a 34% decrease), and at 4K High, it falls to 46 FPS (a 45% decrease from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU’s compute throughput, rather than memory bandwidth or CPU limitations, is the primary bottleneck.

The Medium settings row provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The minimum FPS values at each resolution closely track the average, suggesting stable frame pacing without severe stutters.

The drop from 4K Medium (54 FPS) to 4K High (46 FPS) is 15%, while the drop from 4K High to 4K Ultra (36 FPS) is 22%. These diminishing returns at the highest settings further confirm that the GPU is saturated. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases, with the i5-13400F’s multi-thread scores (e.g., Passmark multithread 25032) providing no additional benefit when the GPU is the limiting factor.

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

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 196 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 150 FPS, with a minimum of 128 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS. High settings average 128 FPS. Ultra settings average 100 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 96 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution, and the CPU can keep up with even the lowest settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show more strain. Low settings average 128 FPS. Medium settings average 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings average 84 FPS. Ultra settings average 66 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 62 FPS, which is a smaller absolute reduction than at 1080p, but the percentage reduction is larger, from 128 FPS to 66 FPS (48% less).

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 70 FPS. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings average 46 FPS. Ultra settings average 36 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (46 FPS) matches the average FPS at High (46 FPS), suggesting that fluctuations are minimal but frame rates are low enough to impact responsiveness in fast-paced combat.

The Ultra settings at 4K (36 FPS) are the weakest measured result, falling below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at High settings, the 46 FPS average is borderline, while Medium (54 FPS) is the highest setting that maintains a reasonable frame rate at 4K. At 1440p, all settings exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 66 FPS being the only setting near the lower end. At 1080p, every setting exceeds 100 FPS, making it the most comfortable resolution for high refresh rate displays.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, with a transistor density of 81.2M per mm². The GPU’s base clock is 1435 MHz, with a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz. Memory operates at 2250 MHz, which translates to 18 Gbps effective, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth over a 192-bit bus.

The GPU features 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. It also includes 54 ray tracing cores, although The Technomancer’s 2016 release predates widespread ray tracing use, so these cores have minimal impact on this title. The pixel rate is 244.2 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 549.5 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS.

The RX 7700 XT’s average benchmark score is 22549, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile with a score of 22435 (0.5% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile with 22729 (-0.8% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 with 22895 (-1.5% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 with 22170 (1.7% delta). These margins are small, indicating that the GPU’s performance is comparable to these cards in synthetic benchmarks.

In The Technomancer, the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for all settings tested, as no out-of-memory issues are indicated by the frame rate data. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS suggests that the GPU’s compute units are overwhelmed, not that memory capacity is a limiting factor. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the game’s textures, as performance declines smoothly with setting increases rather than showing sudden drops that would indicate memory thrashing.

The GPU’s TDP of 245 W and suggested PSU of 550 W are not directly reflected in the FPS data, but they indicate the power envelope required to sustain these clock speeds. The boost clock of 2544 MHz is likely sustained under load, as the frame rates at 1080p do not show throttle-induced drops (e.g., 196 FPS at Low).

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

For a 60 FPS target, the best experience is at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, which averages 66 FPS. This resolution provides a balance between visual fidelity and smoothness, with no setting at 1440p falling below 60 FPS. The next best option is 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which averages 100 FPS, offering a significant frame rate cushion for high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the highest playable setting is Medium, which averages 54 FPS. While this is below 60 FPS, it is close enough for most users, and the minimum of 46 FPS suggests occasional drops during intense scenes. High settings at 4K average 46 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration but could be problematic in combat. Ultra at 4K (36 FPS) is not recommended for a smooth experience.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1920x1080 with Low settings (196 FPS) or Medium settings (150 FPS) provides the highest headroom. At 1440p, Low settings (128 FPS) or Medium settings (98 FPS) offer excellent performance. The Medium setting at 1440p is particularly attractive, with a minimum FPS of 84, ensuring no significant frame dips.

The data shows that the RX 7700 XT performs best when paired with a resolution that does not exceed its compute capacity. 1440p is the sweet spot, as even Ultra settings maintain 66 FPS. At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, with the CPU potentially limiting frame rates at Low settings (196 FPS), but the i5-13400F’s strong single-thread scores (3dmark single-thread 960, Cinebench R23 single-core 3191) prevent any significant bottleneck.

In summary, the recommended presets are: 1080p Ultra for high refresh rate displays, 1440p Ultra for the best balance of visuals and performance, and 1440p Medium if a strict 90 FPS target is desired. 4K Medium is the only viable 4K option, and users should avoid 4K Ultra unless they accept sub-40 FPS performance.