The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG built on an engine that stresses both processor and graphics hardware differently depending on resolution and settings. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700, using only the recorded data from the benchmark database. The combination produces a wide performance envelope, ranging from highly playable frame rates at 1080p to a struggle for consistency at 4K Ultra. The following sections break down the ranking, component roles, measured FPS, scaling behavior, and recommendations based strictly on the measured rows.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks 1275 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the pairing in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 45% of recorded configurations deliver higher average performance in this specific title. The rank reflects a mid-pack standing; the system is neither a top-tier contender nor a low-end outlier. Given the hardware components involved, this position suggests the game’s engine does not fully utilize the strengths of either part, leaving performance tied to specific settings and resolution constraints.

The rank is a composite of the measured FPS across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 179 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 33 FPS. The spread between these extremes is vast, and the ranking averages this across the twelve measured data points. Compared to other combos, the data indicates that this pairing is more competitive at lower resolutions and settings, where the CPU’s high single-thread performance can drive frame rates, but falls behind at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

In the context of the entire database, a rank of 1275 out of 2825 is a solid middle-ground result. It outperforms many older or lower-end configurations, but it does not crack the top tier. The data shows that the system is capable of smooth gameplay in most scenarios, but demanding 4K Ultra settings push it below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a common target for modern action RPGs. The ranking is a blunt instrument, but it accurately reflects the mixed performance profile observed in the measured rows.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary graphics processor in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This memory capacity is ample for The Technomancer, which was released in 2016 and does not require excessive video memory at any measured setting. The GPU’s clock speeds are also relevant: a base clock of 1900 MHz, a boost clock of 2459 MHz, and a game clock of 2041 MHz. The game clock represents the expected sustained frequency during typical gaming loads, and the data suggests it performs accordingly.

The GPU’s architecture is RDNA 3.0, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. These specifications translate into a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 25.18 TFLOPS. In The Technomancer, these raw numbers manifest in the measured FPS. At 1080p Low, the GPU achieves 179 FPS, indicating it is not fully taxed. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS, showing the GPU is heavily loaded by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide additional context. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2865, and in PassMark G3D, it scores 20974. Its percentile versus all GPUs is 58, placing it just above the median. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, has an average score of 15862, which is 0.1% lower than the RX 7700’s average of 15852, indicating they are statistically equivalent in synthetic benchmarks. However, in the measured game data, the RX 7700 shows a wide range of performance, and the GPU’s role is clear: it sets the ceiling for frame rates at higher resolutions and settings, while at lower settings, the CPU takes over.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF drives the system’s logical processing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. It has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The architecture is Raptor Lake, built on a 10 nm process, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s single-thread performance is exceptional, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2445. These scores correlate with the high FPS at 1080p, where the game’s engine is often limited by a single core’s speed.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a PassMark multithread score of 38697. In The Technomancer, this multi-threading headroom is less critical, as the game likely does not scale perfectly across all 20 threads. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 179, which is a very high number, but it is not limited by the GPU, since the GPU’s frame rate is not capped at that resolution. Instead, the CPU’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz is likely the primary driver of these high frame rates.

The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 90, placing it in the top 10% of all processors in the database. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, has an average score of 49228, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-14600KF’s average of 49394, indicating they are nearly identical in synthetic benchmarks. In the game, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates exceed 117 FPS at all settings. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s influence wanes, and the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor in this combo, even at the highest settings, as the GPU’s load increases with resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board. On Low settings, the average FPS is 179, which is the highest recorded value for this combo. On Medium settings, the average drops to 137 FPS, with a minimum of 117 and a maximum of 158. High settings yield 117 FPS on average, while Ultra settings produce 92 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, even at the highest preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain playable. Low settings average 117 FPS, which matches the 1080p High result. Medium settings average 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings average 77 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 60 FPS on average. The 1440p Ultra result is exactly at the 60 FPS mark, which is a common target, but it suggests there is no headroom for dips in demanding scenes. The data shows a consistent scaling pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is the only 4K result above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 49 FPS, with a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 57. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra settings average 33 FPS. The 4K results show a clear trend: the GPU is the limiting factor, and even Low settings are not enough to maintain high frame rates. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 42, which indicates noticeable stuttering in heavy scenes. The Ultra setting at 4K is the worst-case scenario, with an average of 33 FPS, which is not ideal for action gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling reveals the shifting bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. From 1080p to 1440p, the frame rates drop by an average of 30-35% across all settings. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 117 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p, a reduction of 40 FPS, or 34%. At Low settings, the drop is from 179 to 117, a reduction of 62 FPS, or 35%. This consistent percentage drop indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the CPU still has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates.

From 1440p to 4K, the scaling becomes more extreme. At High settings, the FPS drops from 77 at 1440p to 42 at 4K, a reduction of 35 FPS, or 45%. At Low settings, the drop is from 117 to 64, a reduction of 53 FPS, or 45%. This larger percentage drop at 4K confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The CPU’s high single-thread performance at 1080p is no longer relevant, as the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are maxed out.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component changes with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz drives frame rates to very high levels, and the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1440p, the balance shifts, and the GPU starts to become the constraint. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as the frame rates drop to levels that are below the 60 FPS target for most settings. The scaling pattern is smooth and predictable, with no anomalies in the data, indicating that the game’s engine handles resolution changes in a standard manner.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a consistent 60 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 60 FPS on Ultra settings, and 77 FPS on High settings, making it the highest resolution where the 60 FPS target is met across all settings. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve above 60 FPS, with 64 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU perform in this game compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900’s score of 49228. In game, the CPU’s performance is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the GPU’s 16 GB of memory sufficient for The Technomancer?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient for this 2016 title. The measured frame rates do not indicate any memory-related performance drops, as the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is ample for the game’s requirements.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 179, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only result that exceeds 170 FPS in the dataset.

Q: How much does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 117 at 1080p to 42 at 4K, a reduction of 75 FPS, which represents a 64% decrease in performance.

Q: Does the combo maintain a stable frame rate at 4K Medium?

A: At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 49, with a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 57. The minimum FPS indicates there are dips below the average, which could cause noticeable stuttering in heavy scenes.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the data shows that Ultra settings provide an average of 92 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. Since the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, players can enable Ultra settings without sacrificing smoothness. The Medium settings at 1080p yield 137 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays, but Ultra is recommended for the best visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates.

For 2560x1440, the situation is more nuanced. Ultra settings average exactly 60 FPS, which is the minimum target for smooth action gameplay. However, this leaves no headroom for frame rate dips, so High settings are the safer choice, offering 77 FPS on average. The 1440p High preset provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, with a 17 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 1440p average 90 FPS, which is also a strong option, but High is recommended for the best experience.

For 3840x2160, the data indicates that only Low settings achieve an average above 60 FPS, at 64 FPS. Medium settings drop to 49 FPS, which is below the target and may result in a less responsive experience. Therefore, at 4K, Low settings are the only viable option for smooth gameplay. High and Ultra settings at 4K yield 42 FPS and 33 FPS respectively, which are not recommended for an action RPG where timing and responsiveness are important. In summary, the combo is best utilized at 1080p Ultra, 1440p High, or 4K Low, depending on the user’s resolution preference and tolerance for visual compromises.