The Technomancer

The Technomancer on an Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT presents a clear case of GPU-bound performance at high resolutions, with the CPU proving sufficient to feed the graphics card at 1080p. The data shows that this combination delivers a smooth experience at 1080p on High settings, but requires careful settings management to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides a solid foundation for this pairing, featuring 6 cores and 6 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture processor sits at the 50th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. Its performance is nearly identical to the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, which also scores 2299 (0.2% delta). The Xeon E-2134 trails by a similar margin at 2295 (0.4% delta), while the Core i7-8809G leads this group slightly at 2319 (-0.6% delta from the i5-9400's perspective).

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates reach 147.2 FPS on Low settings. This ceiling suggests the processor can handle the game's logic without becoming a bottleneck at lower graphical loads. However, the 6-thread configuration means there is no surplus of processing headroom for heavily threaded scenes. At 4K, the CPU influence diminishes significantly because the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling pattern. The L3 cache of 9 MB shared across cores helps maintain consistent performance in a game that streams assets during exploration, but the data does not indicate any CPU-specific spikes that would compromise gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the dominant component in this system, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip at a 7 nm process node. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for The Technomancer's texture demands. The GPU boosts up to 2635 MHz with a game clock of 2410 MHz, and it achieves a 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 29024.

This GPU sits in a tight competitive cluster, with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M matching its score at 29011 (0% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 470 trailing at 28996 (0.1% delta). The Intel Arc A370M scores slightly higher at 29175 (-0.5% delta from the RX 6650 XT's perspective), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH leads at 29197 (-0.6% delta). These negligible differences mean the RX 6650 XT's real-world performance in this game is determined more by its 8 GB VRAM capacity and clock speeds than by raw compute compared to its immediate rivals.

The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs drive a pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s, which directly impacts fill-rate-heavy scenes in The Technomancer. The 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 compute handles the game's shader work effectively, but the 8 GB VRAM becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops to 28.4 FPS. The 128-bit memory bus is a limiting factor for bandwidth-heavy effects, but the 280.3 GB/s throughput is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay across all settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. On High settings, the average FPS drops from 99.8 at 1920x1080 to 64.1 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 35.7 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls to 36.9 FPS, which is only 37% of the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates the GPU is working at its limits as pixel count increases, while the CPU maintains a consistent frame delivery.

On Low settings, the scaling is even more dramatic: 147.2 FPS at 1080p drops to 97.8 FPS at 1440p, then to 54.7 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Low result suggests the CPU can push well beyond 147 FPS, but the GPU cannot sustain that throughput at higher resolutions. Medium settings show a similar pattern with 115.8 FPS at 1080p, 71.9 FPS at 1440p, and 40.4 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the lowest floor: 76.6 FPS at 1080p, 50.7 FPS at 1440p, and 28.4 FPS at 4K.

The percentage drops between resolutions are consistent across settings, confirming that the RX 6650 XT is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p Low, where the 147.2 FPS result indicates headroom that the GPU cannot exploit at higher resolutions. This pattern suggests that for 4K gaming, the settings must be reduced to Low to approach playable frame rates, while 1440p offers a more balanced experience.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1052 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places the system in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is surprising given the GPU's 72nd percentile standing. The ranking indicates that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates in this title, likely due to the CPU's modest single-core performance or the GPU's memory bus limitations at high resolutions.

The combo's position relative to its constituent parts suggests the pairing is not optimal for this specific game. The CPU sits at the 50th percentile, and the GPU at the 72nd, yet the combo lands below the midpoint of tested systems. This implies that The Technomancer benefits from combinations with stronger CPUs or GPUs with wider memory interfaces. The data shows that the measured FPS at 1080p High (99.8) and 1440p High (64.1) are respectable, but the 4K results drag the overall ranking down. Users targeting 1080p will find this combo more competitive than those aiming for 4K, where the ranking reflects the GPU's struggle to maintain 60 FPS even on Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 99.8 FPS, which is smooth for an action RPG, while Medium achieves 115.8 FPS and Low reaches 147.2 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 76.6 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns over High. For 1080p, High is the recommended preset because it balances visual quality with performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, High yields 64.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, making it a viable choice for players with 1440p monitors. Medium produces 71.9 FPS, providing more headroom for demanding scenes, while Low reaches 97.8 FPS for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 50.7 FPS falls below the 60 FPS mark, so it is not recommended unless visual fidelity takes priority over smoothness.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset approaches playability with 54.7 FPS, while Medium (40.4 FPS) and High (36.9 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra (28.4 FPS) is not recommended. For 4K, users should select Low settings and accept the frame rate trade-off, or reduce resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The data does not support any preset at 4K above Low for consistent gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: Yes, all presets except Ultra deliver above 60 FPS at 1920x1080, with High at 99.8 FPS, Medium at 115.8 FPS, and Low at 147.2 FPS. Ultra falls to 76.6 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Medium is the safest choice at 2560x1440 with 71.9 FPS, while High achieves 64.1 FPS. Ultra drops to 50.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K viable with this hardware?

A: Only on Low settings, which produces 54.7 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium (40.4 FPS), High (36.9 FPS), and Ultra (28.4 FPS) are not recommended for smooth play.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 scores 2305 on average, matching the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299) within 0.2%, while the Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319, a 0.6% difference.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT scores 29024 on average, essentially tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (29011) and AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996), with deltas under 0.1%.

Q: What frame rate should I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 76.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS target but lower than High (99.8 FPS).

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low produces 147.2 FPS, Medium delivers 115.8 FPS, High achieves 99.8 FPS, and Ultra reaches 76.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 70.6 FPS, highlighting the significant impact of graphical settings on this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 97.8 FPS on Low, 71.9 FPS on Medium, 64.1 FPS on High, and 50.7 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 47.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 54.7 FPS on Low, 40.4 FPS on Medium, 36.9 FPS on High, and 28.4 FPS on Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra is 26.3 FPS, showing that setting changes have less impact at 4K because the GPU is already saturated. The data confirms that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS across all presets, while 1440p requires Medium or Low for a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.