The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly exposes the balance between the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the GPU is the primary performance limiter, with the CPU’s substantial headroom remaining largely untapped in this title. The data shows a configuration that can handle 1080p gaming with high refresh rates but struggles to maintain playability at 4K, making it a pairing that requires careful settings management to match a user’s display capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, confirming that the GTX 1070 is the bottleneck in this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 77.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 51.0 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 34%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields a mere 30.1 FPS, which is a 61% drop from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario; the workload on the graphics card increases exponentially with pixel count, while the CPU’s task remains relatively static.

The scaling between Low and Ultra settings further confirms this dynamic. At 1080p, the frame rate spans from 117.8 FPS on Low to 58.4 FPS on Ultra, a wide range that shows the GPU is scaling with graphical complexity. However, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as even the maximum frame rate at 1080p Low does not approach the limits of the i5-14600KF’s capabilities. The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is a high-end processor that scores 32,889 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, is only 0.4% faster, indicating the CPU has ample performance to feed the GPU at any resolution. The data strongly suggests that any frame rate ceiling observed is due to the GTX 1070’s pixel throughput, not the processor’s ability to issue draw calls.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 60.9 FPS at 2560x1440 to just 30.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This halving of performance is a classic sign of the GPU hitting its memory bandwidth and shading limits. The GTX 1070’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are saturated at 4K, causing a severe drop in throughput. The data shows that 4K is only viable on Low settings, where the 43.3 FPS average is barely playable, and even then, it is a significant compromise from the smoother experiences at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1402 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the bottom 15% of all configurations, which is a direct reflection of the GPU’s age and performance class. The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score is 12,331, putting it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and GeForce GTX 880M, have scores within 1.7% of it, highlighting that this GPU is firmly in the mid-range tier of performance.

The low combo rank is not an indictment of the CPU, which is a top-tier part, but rather a mismatch of generations. The i5-14600KF is a modern, high-performance processor that is severely underutilized when paired with a Pascal-era GPU. The data shows the CPU’s average benchmark score is 49,367, placing it in the 93rd percentile, and it outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by 0.6%. This pairing effectively bottlenecks the CPU’s potential. The measured frame rates in The Technomancer are not a measure of the CPU’s capability but rather the maximum output the GTX 1070 can sustain. For a user with a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, this combo performs adequately, but the rank indicates that most other tested systems provide a smoother experience at higher resolutions or with more demanding settings.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance at 4K. Since the combo’s frame rates at 3840x2160 are consistently below 45 FPS, it cannot compete with systems that use more modern GPUs with higher memory bandwidth and compute power. The data suggests that this combination is effectively a legacy 1080p setup. While the CPU is future-proof for upgrades, the current configuration’s overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card’s limitations in a game that scales poorly with such a mismatch.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate is 117.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The frame rate drops to 58.4 FPS on Ultra settings at the same resolution.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the system is only marginally playable on Low settings, where it averages 43.3 FPS. On Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 20.5 FPS, which is not a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF scores 49,367 on average, which is 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. This indicates the CPU has significant processing headroom.

Q: What is the impact of switching from High to Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate increases from 51.0 FPS on High to 60.9 FPS on Medium. This provides a 19% performance uplift, making the game feel noticeably smoother.

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

A: The benchmark data shows a clear GPU bottleneck. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, and the CPU’s performance percentile is much higher than the GPU’s, indicating the GTX 1070 is the primary constraint.

Q: What is the average frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the difference is substantial. The system averages 43.3 FPS on Low settings, but only 20.5 FPS on Ultra, a difference of 22.8 FPS. This shows that Ultra settings are not viable at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of the system’s capabilities across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its best performance, with all settings yielding playable frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 117.8 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings produce 88.9 FPS, still very smooth, while High settings yield 77.4 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, resulting in an average of 58.4 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold but shows the GPU is working hard.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain on the GTX 1070 becomes more evident. Low settings still provide a comfortable 75.2 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 60.9 FPS, which is the baseline for a good experience. High settings fall to 51.0 FPS, and Ultra drops significantly to 36.9 FPS, which begins to feel less responsive. The step from Medium to High is a 16% performance loss, while the step from High to Ultra is a 28% loss, showing how the GPU struggles with the higher fidelity effects.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed to its limits. Low settings are the only viable option for a somewhat smooth experience, averaging 43.3 FPS. Medium settings drop to 30.4 FPS, and High settings are nearly identical at 30.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely saturated and the settings changes have minimal impact. Ultra settings are not playable, with an average of just 20.5 FPS. The data shows a clear performance cliff between 1440p and 4K, with the 4K results being too low for competitive or fast-paced gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user’s display resolution. For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, offering an average of 77.4 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience while maintaining a good level of graphical detail. Users with high-refresh-rate monitors can consider the Medium preset, which averages 88.9 FPS, or even Low for maximum frame rates at 117.8 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for most.

For 2560x1440 displays, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, delivering an average of 60.9 FPS. This hits the standard target for smooth gameplay. The High preset, at 51.0 FPS, is acceptable for slower-paced exploration but may feel less fluid in combat. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as the 36.9 FPS average is below the threshold for comfortable play. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 1440p, providing a stable frame rate without excessive visual downgrades.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations are stark. Only the Low preset, with an average of 43.3 FPS, is considered playable. Medium and High settings, at 30.4 and 30.1 FPS respectively, are too choppy for a satisfying experience. Ultra settings are not a viable option. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only choice, and even then, the experience is suboptimal. The data indicates that this combination is not suited for 4K gaming in The Technomancer, and users with 4K displays should lower the resolution or upgrade the GPU. The performance delta between Low and Medium at 4K is only 12.9 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is already at its absolute limit, and any additional graphical detail has a disproportionate impact on frame rate.