The Technomancer

The Technomancer is an Action RPG from 2016 that still presents a meaningful challenge to modern hardware at higher settings. This analysis examines the Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060, using measured frame rate data across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a pairing with distinct strengths and clear limitations, particularly at 4K resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy across quality presets, with the most usable experience depending entirely on your target resolution. At 1920x1080, the data shows this combo has substantial headroom. The Low preset delivers an average of 157 FPS, while High still achieves 103 FPS. The Medium preset sits at 120 FPS, which is a strong middle ground. However, the Ultra preset drops to 80 FPS, which is still very playable but represents a 23% reduction from High. For 1080p gameplay, High appears to be the optimal choice—it offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the 103 FPS average leaving room for demanding scenes without dipping into uncomfortable territory.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture becomes more nuanced. High settings produce 67 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium delivers 79 FPS, making it the better option for smoother gameplay at this resolution. Low jumps to 102 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which is borderline for a game with action combat. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot—it provides a 12 FPS advantage over High while retaining most visual quality benefits. The minimum frame rate recorded at Medium is 67 FPS, which means even in heavy scenes, the game stays above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. High settings yield just 37 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium improves to 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS, but that minimum is concerning. Low settings reach 56 FPS, which is the only preset that approaches playability at 4K. Ultra drops to 29 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. For 4K users, Low is the only reasonable choice, and even then, the experience will be marginal. The data strongly indicates that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming beyond minimal settings.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize High settings at 1080p or Medium at 1440p. These configurations maximize the visual experience while maintaining frame rates that are responsive enough for action-oriented gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. With 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, the card is positioned as a capable mainstream offering.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in a specific performance tier. Its Passmark G3D score of 17631 and average benchmark score of 16014 put it at the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129 (0.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 at 15852 (1% lower). This places the RX 9060 in direct competition with the RTX 3060 Ti, a well-known 1080p and 1440p performer.

The measured FPS data reveals the GPU's role in The Technomancer. The transition from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution shows how the GPU scales with load. At 1080p, the jump from Low (157 FPS) to Ultra (80 FPS) represents a 49% drop, indicating that the GPU is heavily utilized at higher settings. At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 49% reduction from 102 FPS to 52 FPS. At 4K, the drop from Low (56 FPS) to Ultra (29 FPS) is 48%. This consistent pattern suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck when settings are maxed out.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is worth noting, as it may become a limiting factor at higher resolutions with demanding textures. However, the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, so this remains a qualitative observation. The GPU's 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the game's requirements, but the 128-bit bus width could constrict performance in memory-heavy scenes. The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 44 in Passmark is notably low, which might indicate the card's DX12 performance is not its strong suit, though the game's measured performance suggests this does not severely hamper real-world gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 13th-generation Raptor Lake processor with 10 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark performance is solid for a mid-range processor, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 25292 places it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, 0% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3% difference). This indicates the i5-13400F is competitive with high-end laptop processors and a previous-generation desktop gaming chip. The 3DMark max-thread score of 7307 and single-thread score of 960 show balanced performance across different workloads.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role becomes apparent when analyzing frame rates across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 157 FPS. When resolution increases to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 102 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 56 FPS. This scaling pattern—where FPS drops by roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and another 45% from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower settings. The GPU is responsible for the frame rate reduction as resolution increases.

However, at higher settings, the CPU's influence becomes more visible. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 80 FPS, which is a significant drop from the Low preset's 157 FPS. This 49% reduction at the same resolution suggests the CPU is not limiting performance; rather, the GPU is struggling with the increased graphical load. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample processing power for the game's logic and physics, and its single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3191) ensures that the game's main thread is well-served.

The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at most settings. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, indicating that the CPU can maintain consistent frame delivery even when the GPU is working harder. The data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes the clear limiting factor, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes. This suggests the i5-13400F is a balanced partner for the RX 9060 in this game, neither holding back the GPU at lower settings nor being overtaxed at higher ones.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1632 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 42% of all configurations tested, which is a surprising result given the individual component performance. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking and the GPU's 59th percentile ranking would suggest a more favorable overall position, but the game's specific demands and the combo's performance at higher resolutions drag it down.

The ranking indicates that many other hardware combinations achieve better performance in this game. The combo's weakness at 4K is likely a major contributor to its lower ranking. With only 56 FPS at 4K Low and 29 FPS at 4K Ultra, the combo falls behind configurations with more powerful GPUs or better memory bandwidth. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus may be insufficient for 4K texture loading, causing performance to degrade more sharply than expected.

At 1080p and 1440p, the combo performs more respectably, but the overall ranking is determined by all tested resolutions combined. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it achieves 103 FPS at High settings, and 1440p gaming, where it maintains 79 FPS at Medium. For users primarily gaming at these resolutions, the combo's rank is less relevant, as the measured frame rates are playable. However, for those expecting 4K capability, the ranking accurately reflects the hardware's limitations.

The 2825 total combos include many with higher-end GPUs and CPUs, so being in the bottom half is not necessarily a poor result. It indicates that this combo is a mainstream configuration that prioritizes balance over raw performance. The data suggests that users who accept 1080p or 1440p as their primary resolutions will find this combo adequate, while those seeking high-refresh-rate 4K gaming should look elsewhere.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 103 FPS at 1080p to 67 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate drops to 37 FPS, another 45% reduction. This scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The combo achieves 157 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K, matching the High settings pattern. This consistency suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline, particularly its memory bandwidth and pixel throughput, is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The Medium settings show the same trend: 120 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p (34% drop), and 43 FPS at 4K (46% drop). The Ultra settings follow with 80 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p (35% drop), and 29 FPS at 4K (44% drop). The uniformity of these percentage drops across all settings strongly indicates that the GPU's capabilities, not the CPU, determine resolution scaling.

The 4K performance is particularly telling. At every setting, the frame rate drops below 60 FPS, and only Low settings achieve a playable 56 FPS. The GPU's 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 128-bit bus are likely insufficient for the pixel throughput required at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM may also be a limiting factor, as high-resolution textures could exceed the available memory, forcing the GPU to use slower system memory. The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but is simply overwhelmed at 4K.

The data reveals that this combo is optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At these resolutions, the frame rate scaling is manageable, and users can expect smooth gameplay at High or Medium settings. At 4K, the combo is only suitable for Low settings, and even then, the experience is marginal. For users considering this hardware, the resolution scaling data clearly shows that 4K should be avoided unless they are willing to accept significant visual compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in The Technomancer?

A: The data shows that 1080p High provides 103 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p, Medium offers 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, making it a viable alternative for higher resolution displays.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieves 56 FPS. Medium and High settings drop to 43 FPS and 37 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings are effectively unplayable at 29 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129. This represents a 0.7% difference, placing them in the same performance tier. The data does not show a clear winner between the two.

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

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops consistently by 35-45% as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, indicating GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested hardware combinations?

A: It ranks 1632 out of 2825 combos, placing it in the bottom 42% of tested configurations. This ranking is influenced by its weaker 4K performance, as the combo performs better at 1080p and 1440p.

Q: How does the frame rate at 1080p Low compare to 4K Low?

A: The combo achieves 157 FPS at 1080p Low, which drops to 102 FPS at 1440p Low and 56 FPS at 4K Low. The 4K result represents a 64% reduction from the 1080p figure, highlighting the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.