The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphics presets. Benchmark results for the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination show a wide performance envelope, from a highly playable 1080p experience to a more challenging 4K Ultra scenario. The data indicates a system that is capable of delivering smooth frame rates at mainstream resolutions, while also highlighting the performance cost of the game's higher visual fidelity settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 150.8 FPS on High settings and 117.4 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 102.1 FPS on High and 76.2 FPS on Ultra. For 4K (3840x2160), the average is 51.4 FPS on High and 43.8 FPS on Ultra, making 1440p the sweet spot for high refresh rate play with maximum settings.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1440p?

A: The performance uplift is substantial. At 2560x1440, the average frame rate increases from 76.2 FPS on Ultra to 148.8 FPS on Low. This represents nearly a doubling of performance, indicating that graphics settings have a massive impact on this game's engine.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate scales from 117.4 FPS on Ultra to 230.9 FPS on Low. This significant scaling with graphics load indicates the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the limiting factor, as the Intel Core i5-14600K's performance headroom is not fully utilized at lower settings.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM of the RX 9070 XT sufficient for The Technomancer?

A: Yes, 16 GB of VRAM is more than adequate for this title. The game's release in 2016 means its texture and geometry data requirements are well within the Radeon RX 9070 XT's memory capacity, and the benchmark results show no indication of memory-related performance hits even at 4K Ultra settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 478th out of 1656 tested combinations. This places it in the top 29% of all systems, indicating it is a high-performing setup, though not the absolute top-tier configuration for this specific title.

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

A: The difference is 33.4 FPS. The average frame rate on High settings is 150.8 FPS, while on Ultra it falls to 117.4 FPS. This shows that the jump from High to Ultra carries a significant performance cost for a relatively small visual gain.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its performance profile directly dictates the frame rates observed in The Technomancer. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for the game's assets. The core clock dynamics, with a base of 1660 MHz and a boost of 2970 MHz, allow for significant performance scaling under load.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern where the GPU's workload is the primary factor in frame rate variation. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate ranges from 230.9 FPS on Low settings to 117.4 FPS on Ultra. This 113.5 FPS spread demonstrates the GPU's ability to process frames very quickly when the graphical load is low. As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average on Ultra drops to 76.2 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it further declines to 43.8 FPS on Ultra. This consistent decline across resolutions confirms that the GPU is being tasked with more pixel rendering work, directly impacting the output.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 48.66 TFLOPS for FP32, contribute to its ability to handle the game's rendering effects. The performance difference between Low and Medium settings at 4K is 15 FPS (80.2 to 65.2), while the difference between Medium and High is 13.8 FPS (65.2 to 51.4). These incremental drops suggest that each settings tier adds a proportional amount of shading and texture work. The RX 9070 XT's position in the overall GPU landscape is noted by its 82nd percentile ranking, and its average benchmark score places it within 0.6% of rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro 575X and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K provides the processing foundation for this system. With 14 cores (6 Performance and 8 Efficient) and 20 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability. Its boost clock of 5.30 GHz is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring the GPU is fed with data. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, but it is still vital for sustaining high frame rates. The data shows that the system can achieve an average of 230.9 FPS at 1080p Low settings. At such high frame rates, the CPU's single-core performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642, becomes critical to prevent bottlenecks. The CPU's ability to handle the game's logic and physics threads is evidenced by its Passmark physics score of 2473.

The CPU's multi-core strength, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881, ensures that background tasks and the game's engine threads have enough headroom. This is particularly relevant during complex scenes with many AI characters. The i5-14600K's performance is comparable to its immediate rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, with its average benchmark score showing a 0.2% lead. This parity indicates that the CPU is a stable and powerful platform for gaming, allowing the GPU to be the primary variable in performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT places this system at rank 478 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This ranking places the setup in the top 28.9% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing. The system is clearly capable of a high-quality gaming experience, but it is not the absolute fastest combination for this title.

The ranking indicates that while the RX 9070 XT is a very capable GPU, there are other graphics cards that can produce higher frame rates in this specific game. The CPU's performance is not a limiting factor, as its benchmark scores rival the top-tier options. The system's position is therefore more dependent on the GPU's absolute performance ceiling rather than any deficiency in the CPU. The data suggests that this combo is a well-balanced, high-end setup that will provide a smooth experience at 1440p and a playable one at 4K, but it is not at the very top of the leaderboard among all 1656 tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across different settings and resolutions. The table below summarizes the average frame rates.

| Resolution | Setting | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------ | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 80.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 65.2 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 51.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 43.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 148.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 117.4 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 102.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 76.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 230.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 177.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 150.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 117.4 |

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The average frame rate on High settings is 150.8 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high refresh rate monitors. Even on Ultra, the 117.4 FPS average is excellent. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a consistent performance cost for increased visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the system remains highly capable. The 102.1 FPS average on High settings is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The step up to Ultra reduces the average to 76.2 FPS, which is still fluid, but the drop is significant. At 3840x2160, the system starts to feel the pressure. The 51.4 FPS average on High is playable, but not ideal for competitive play. The 43.8 FPS average on Ultra is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that users with 4K displays will need to adjust settings to achieve a smoother experience. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: 1080p is a high-refresh-rate playground, 1440p is the balanced sweet spot, and 4K requires compromises in settings.