The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, is an older title, but it still presents a meaningful challenge to modern hardware at higher settings. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT across a matrix of resolutions and presets. The data indicates a configuration that is exceptionally capable at 1080p, very strong at 1440p, and playable at 4K with the right settings. The benchmark results offer a clear picture of where this combo excels and where its limitations become apparent, providing a practical guide for optimizing the experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combo suggests that the optimal experience depends heavily on your target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the system is rarely the bottleneck. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 89.3 FPS, which is already smooth for most displays. However, the data shows that dropping to High yields a significant performance jump to 113.7 FPS, a 27% improvement, while the visual difference between High and Ultra in a game of this era is often negligible. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 133.3 FPS or even Low at 172.3 FPS provides headroom that ensures frame rates stay well above the display's refresh rate, minimizing input lag.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 72.7 FPS is the sweet spot for a balanced experience. It offers a substantial upgrade in visual fidelity over Medium (87.5 FPS) and Low (113.8 FPS) while maintaining a frame rate that is comfortably playable on a 60Hz or even a 144Hz monitor, provided you are not sensitive to occasional drops below the refresh rate cap. The Ultra preset at 56.1 FPS is playable but begins to show the strain on the GPU, making High the recommended choice for maintaining a consistent frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 30.4 FPS, which is generally not a good experience for an action RPG. The Low preset is the only option that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, hitting 63.5 FPS. The Medium preset offers a compromise at 50.2 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced game on a 60Hz display. For the best experience at this resolution, the data suggests using the Low or Medium preset to prioritize frame rate stability. The High preset at 41.5 FPS is a middle ground, but the step up from Medium to High costs a 21% performance hit, making Medium the more sensible choice unless you are particularly sensitive to shadow quality or texture filtering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In the context of The Technomancer, a title from 2016, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with enough data to avoid creating a bottleneck. The benchmark data strongly suggests that this processor is more than up to the task.

Looking at the frame rates, the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 113.7 at 1080p to 41.5 at 4K, a 63% reduction. This massive drop is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor, not the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The i5-14400F has ample single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093, ensuring that it can handle the game's main thread without issue.

The CPU's multi-core capabilities are also sufficient. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and Passmark multithread score of 25783 indicate that it can handle any background tasks or game engine threads that might be running concurrently. The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU load is typically highest relative to the GPU, the combo achieves an average of 172.3 FPS. This high frame rate at the lowest resolution is a strong indicator that the CPU is not significantly holding back performance. In essence, the i5-14400F provides a robust foundation, allowing the RX 6700 XT to be the primary driver of performance in this title.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The data shows that at 4K, the Ultra preset averages only 30.4 FPS. To achieve a playable experience, you will need to lower settings. The Low preset averages 63.5 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 50.2 FPS, both of which are more suitable for 4K gaming.

Q: What is the best preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: To fully utilize a 144Hz display, you should target frame rates above 144 FPS. The benchmark results show that the Low preset at 172.3 FPS is the only setting that guarantees this. The Medium preset at 133.3 FPS is close and might be sufficient if you have a 144Hz monitor with adaptive sync, but Low is the safest choice for maximum frame rates.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its nearest rivals in this analysis?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800, scores 33493, which is 0.7% lower. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon HD 7950 and RX 480 have higher average scores (34050 and 34059, respectively), placing them 1% ahead of the 6700 XT in this specific aggregate benchmark metric.

Q: Is the i5-14400F a good match for the RX 6700 XT in this game?

A: The data indicates a very balanced pairing. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound system. The CPU’s high single-core performance (Cinebench R23 score of 3093) ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU, even at high frame rates like the 172.3 FPS seen at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 72.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 56.1 FPS. This represents a 30% performance drop for the jump to Ultra. Given the marginal visual gains often associated with Ultra presets in older games, High is generally the recommended choice for a smoother experience.

Q: How powerful is the i5-14400F compared to other CPUs?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508 and is in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. It performs nearly identically to the Intel Core i7-12800H, which has a score of 32513, and is about 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, which scores 32446.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT holds a rank of 900 out of 1656 tested combos. This places it in the 54th percentile, meaning it performs better than a slight majority of the other configurations that have been benchmarked with this game.

This ranking might seem modest, but it is important to interpret it in the context of the game's age and the hardware landscape. The Technomancer was released in 2016, and the benchmark database likely includes many high-end and newer flagship combinations that can brute-force their way to higher frame rates. The 6700 XT, while a capable card, is positioned in the upper-midrange of the GPU hierarchy. Its percentile rank among all GPUs is 77, indicating it is better than 77% of all GPUs tested. The i5-14400F is in the 88th percentile of all CPUs.

The combo's rank of 900 suggests that while it is not a top-tier performer for this specific game, it is a solid, mid-pack competitor. The limiting factor is almost certainly the GPU, as the CPU's high percentile rank shows it is a strong component. The data reflects a system that is well-balanced but not extreme, offering a practical and reliable experience rather than record-breaking performance. It is a configuration that prioritizes a strong overall package without the need for flagship hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected trend in resolution scaling, which is crucial for understanding the system's bottleneck. As resolution increases, the average frame rate drops significantly, demonstrating that the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the primary limiting component.

At High settings, the combo achieves 113.7 FPS at 1920x1080. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 72.7 FPS, a 36% decrease. At 3840x2160, the frame rate falls to 41.5 FPS, a further 43% drop from 1440p. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound workload, as the rendering resolution directly impacts the GPU's fill rate and pixel processing load.

The scaling is also consistent across other presets. For example, at Ultra settings, the frame rate goes from 89.3 FPS at 1080p, to 56.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 30.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 66% reduction. This steep curve is a textbook example of a graphics card being pushed to its limits. The i5-14400F's performance is largely static across these resolutions, as its job is to prepare frames, not render pixels. The fact that the FPS scales so directly with resolution confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, we would see similar frame rates regardless of resolution. The data strongly suggests that users should consider lowering settings at higher resolutions to compensate for the GPU's workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average frame rates for this hardware combination, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 172.3 FPS
• Medium: 133.3 FPS
• High: 113.7 FPS
• Ultra: 89.3 FPS

At 1080p, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset's 172.3 FPS shows a massive headroom for high-refresh-rate gaming. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent performance cost, with the Ultra preset still delivering a very playable 89.3 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 113.8 FPS
• Medium: 87.5 FPS
• High: 72.7 FPS
• Ultra: 56.1 FPS

1440p is where the RX 6700 XT starts to show its strengths and limitations. The Low preset remains extremely fast at 113.8 FPS, ideal for competitive play. However, the Ultra preset falls to 56.1 FPS, indicating that users will need to use High settings or lower for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 63.5 FPS
• Medium: 50.2 FPS
• High: 41.5 FPS
• Ultra: 30.4 FPS

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Only the Low preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 50.2 FPS is the most balanced option for a playable 4K experience, while High and Ultra should be reserved for players who prioritize visual quality over smoothness or who are using a 30Hz display.