The Technomancer

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1632nd out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This rank reflects a pairing where the CPU is a top-tier performer but the GPU holds the system back at higher resolutions. The data indicates a configuration suited for 1080p gaming, with diminishing returns as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 2825 tested processor and graphics card combinations in The Technomancer, this pairing sits at rank 1632. That places it slightly below the median, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s positioning rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The Core i5-14600KF is a strong processor, scoring in the 90th percentile against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 49394 puts it within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, making it statistically tied with those rivals. The GPU, however, tells a different story.

The Radeon RX 9060 sits in the 59th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. That score is 0.7% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 1% above the AMD Radeon RX 7700. This means the graphics card is competing in the mid-range tier, and its performance relative to the CPU creates an imbalance. In The Technomancer, a game from 2016 that is not particularly demanding by modern standards, this imbalance shows up clearly in the measured FPS. The combo’s rank of 1632 suggests that many other pairings achieve better frame rates, primarily because they pair a more capable GPU with a less powerful CPU.

The CPU’s synthetic benchmarks reinforce its strength. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32544 multi-core and 4594 single-core. In Geekbench, it hits 17085 multi-core and 2445 single-core. These numbers place it well above the GPU in relative performance. For this game, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor; the data shows that the GPU dictates the frame rate at every resolution above 1080p. The rank reflects this bottleneck, as the system’s overall capability is capped by the RX 9060’s mid-range output.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is an 8 GB GDDR6 card with a 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1700 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. In The Technomancer, this translates to a GPU that can handle 1080p easily but struggles as pixel count increases. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game at 1080p and 1440p, but the memory bandwidth and bus width become limiting factors at 4K.

The GPU’s architectural details matter here. It has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The pixel rate is 191.4 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 334.9 GTexel/s. These specs put it in the same performance class as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which it trails by 0.7% in average benchmark score. For a game like The Technomancer, which was released in 2016, these specifications are more than adequate for high frame rates at 1080p, but they start to show their limits at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure it can run the game’s modern rendering paths, but the game’s age means it likely relies on older APIs. Benchmark results show the GPU scoring 17631 in Passmark G3D and 3322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. These scores place it firmly in the mid-range, and the measured FPS in The Technomancer reflects that. At 1080p High settings, the GPU delivers 103 FPS, which is smooth, but at 4K High, it drops to 37 FPS, indicating a hard ceiling.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound system. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 157 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 102 FPS, a 35% decrease. Moving to 4K Low yields 56 FPS, a further 45% drop. This pattern shows that the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain performance as the pixel count grows.

At High settings, the scaling is less dramatic but still clear. 1080p High delivers 103 FPS, 1440p High drops to 67 FPS, and 4K High falls to 37 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 36 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 30 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate drops proportionally with resolution. The CPU’s performance, which is in the 90th percentile, would not cause such steep declines.

The Medium settings row provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 120, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 79, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 90. At 4K Medium, the average is 43, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50. The minimum FPS values at each resolution are notably lower than the averages, indicating that the GPU can stutter in demanding scenes. This is typical of a mid-range GPU pushing beyond its comfort zone.

The scaling behavior suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination. The CPU can feed the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates, and the GPU has enough bandwidth to render the scene. At 1440p, the system is still playable, but the frame rates start to dip below the 60 FPS threshold on Ultra settings. At 4K, the system is only viable on Low settings, and even then, the 56 FPS average is borderline.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide range of performance across settings. Low settings yield an average of 157 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. High settings produce 103 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 80 FPS. This progression shows that the GPU can handle even Ultra settings at 1080p with playable frame rates, though the drop from High to Ultra is 23 FPS, which is significant.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 102 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 90. High settings drop to 67 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 52 FPS. The Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, which may cause noticeable stuttering on displays with a 60 Hz refresh rate. The minimum FPS at Medium is 67, which is close to the average, suggesting that the GPU is consistently taxed.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50. High settings drop to 37 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in The Technomancer, except on Low settings where the frame rate is just above 30 FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 37, which is below the average, indicating frame pacing issues.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU’s performance is strong enough to support higher frame rates, but the RX 9060 cannot deliver them. For a game from 2016, this is surprising, as the GPU is a modern card with 8 GB of VRAM and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. However, the memory bus width of 128-bit and bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s limit its ability to handle high resolutions efficiently.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best choice. At 1080p High settings, the combo delivers 103 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain 80 FPS. At 1440p, the frame rates drop significantly, with Ultra falling to 52 FPS, so 1080p is the sweet spot.

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

A: Only on Low settings, where it averages 56 FPS. Medium settings drop to 43 FPS, and High settings fall to 37 FPS. Ultra settings produce 29 FPS, which is not playable. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are insufficient for smooth 4K performance in this game.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 on average, which is 0.7% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 1% above the AMD Radeon RX 7700. This places it in the same performance tier as those cards, making it a solid mid-range option.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU scores in the 90th percentile and has an average benchmark score of 49394, while the GPU is in the 59th percentile. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU has ample headroom.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings average 157 FPS, while Ultra settings average 80 FPS. This is a 77 FPS difference, which is substantial. The jump from High to Ultra costs 23 FPS, so the visual gains may not be worth the performance loss.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of tested systems?

A: No, it ranks 1632nd out of 2825 combos, which places it slightly below the median. This is due to the GPU’s mid-range performance, which holds back the otherwise strong CPU.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 1920x1080 with High settings. This configuration delivers 103 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. The jump to Ultra only adds marginal visual improvements but costs 23 FPS, bringing the average down to 80. If you prefer maximum visual fidelity and can tolerate slightly lower frame rates, Ultra is still playable at 1080p.

At 1440p, High settings produce 67 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium settings at 1440p average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67, making it a safer choice for maintaining a consistent frame rate. Avoid Ultra at 1440p, as the 52 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold that most monitors target.

For 4K, the data suggests Low settings as the only viable option, with an average of 56 FPS. Medium settings drop to 43 FPS, and High settings fall to 37 FPS, which are both too low for a smooth experience. If you must play at 4K, Low settings are the way to go, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced.

The measured rows show that Medium settings at 1080p offer a good balance, with 120 FPS and a minimum of 102. This ensures no stutters even in demanding scenes. For most players, 1080p High is the recommended preset, as it provides a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual quality. The combo is not well-suited for higher resolutions, so prioritize frame rate over resolution for the best experience.