The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU only becoming a potential factor at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions, settings, and component roles to give a clear picture of what this combo delivers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 170 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, that average drops to 111 FPS, a 35% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 61 FPS, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p figure and a 64% drop from the 1080p baseline.

This scaling curve is telling. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a significant load increase on the GPU, but the system still maintains a high frame rate. The jump to 4K is where the RTX 4070 SUPER begins to hit its limits, with the average dipping below the 60 FPS threshold on High settings. The pattern is consistent across all quality presets. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 259 at 1080p, to 169 at 1440p, and then to 93 at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all presets strongly indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting component as resolution increases.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the system has ample headroom, capable of pushing well beyond 130 FPS even on Ultra settings. The 1440p resolution appears to be the "sweet spot" for this combo, balancing high frame rates with increased visual fidelity. At 4K, the system is playable but requires careful settings management to maintain a smooth experience, as the High preset only manages 61 FPS on average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant performer in this pairing, and its specifications explain the scaling behavior observed. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the textures and data required at 1440p and even 4K in this title, as the performance drops are more consistent with raw compute limitations than memory capacity issues.

The GPU's clock speeds are substantial, with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. This high boost clock contributes to its strong raw performance. The card is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units. Its compute capabilities are reflected in a FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS, which is a key driver for the frame rates seen in the benchmark results.

In the context of its peers, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which shows a deltaPct of -0.1, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, also at -0.1. This indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned competitively within its performance tier. The measured data for this game shows it can handle 1440p High at 111 FPS, but the 4K Ultra preset, at 48 FPS, clearly shows the GPU's limits under maximum load. The 220W TDP is a reasonable figure for the performance on offer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 592 out of 3696 tested combos in this game. This places it in the top 16% of all combinations. This is a strong showing, indicating that this pairing is well-balanced for The Technomancer, delivering performance that exceeds the vast majority of other systems tested.

This high rank is a direct result of the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at the most common gaming resolutions. While the CPU is not the star of the show, it provides enough performance to not bottleneck the GPU significantly, allowing the combo to reach a high overall standing. The rank suggests that users with this setup will have a better experience than a large majority of the player base, making it a solid choice for this specific game.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this combo at 2560x1440 with High settings is 111 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset perform compared to 1080p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra preset yields an average of 48 FPS, while the 1080p Ultra preset yields an average of 133 FPS, showing a 64% performance decrease at 4K.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is still the primary driver, but with significant headroom. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 259 FPS, while at High it gets 170 FPS, indicating the GPU has plenty of capacity at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 is ideal. It provides an average of 111 FPS on High settings, which is well-suited for a 100Hz+ monitor, while 4K High only manages 61 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested systems?

A: This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 592nd out of 3696 total tested combos, placing it in the top 16% of all systems tested for The Technomancer.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the 1440p Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the 2560x1440 Medium preset is 111 FPS, with a maximum of 150 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F serves as a capable partner to the RTX 4070 SUPER, but in The Technomancer, its role is secondary. The CPU features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration provides ample processing power for modern game engines.

The benchmark results for this CPU show it is a strong performer. In Cinebench R23, it scores 21645 in multi-core and 3055 in single-core tests. This single-core performance is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on a few threads. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce latency for frequently accessed data.

In the context of its rivals, the i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has a deltaPct of 0.1, indicating they perform nearly identically in average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also a close match with a deltaPct of 0.2. This shows that the i5-14400F provides performance comparable to previous generation flagship processors, making it a robust choice for gaming.

The measured FPS data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The consistent frame rates at 4K, where GPU load is highest, suggest that the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data. At 1080p, the high frame rates (e.g., 259 FPS on Low) could potentially be limited by the CPU, but they are so high that it is unlikely to be a practical issue for most users. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads ensure it can handle background tasks and modern game requirements without causing significant frame drops.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of the performance impact of each preset. The "Ultra" preset is demanding, with an average of 133 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. While the 1080p and 1440p results are playable, the 4K Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

The "High" preset offers a better balance for higher resolutions. It yields 170 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. This is the recommended preset for 4K gaming, as it just manages to stay above the 60 FPS average, though it is close to the edge. For 1440p, High is an excellent choice, offering a significant improvement in visual quality over Medium with only a 19 FPS drop.

The "Medium" preset is a good fallback for demanding situations. It provides a minimum FPS of 169 at 1080p, 111 at 1440p, and 61 at 4K. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 61, which is the same as the 4K High average, suggesting it offers a more stable frame time for a smoother experience. The "Low" preset provides the highest frame rates, with 259 FPS at 1080p, 169 FPS at 1440p, and 93 FPS at 4K, but at a significant visual cost.

For the best experience, users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor should use the High or Ultra preset, as the system has ample performance headroom. For 4K, the High preset is the best choice to maintain a playable frame rate, though the Medium preset offers a more consistent minimum FPS. The data clearly shows that the High preset at 1440p is the performance sweet spot, delivering a high average frame rate with the visual benefits of a quality preset.