The Technomancer

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER lands at rank 952 out of 3696 tested combos in The Technomancer. That places this pairing in the top 26% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing for a six-core CPU from 2018 driving a modern GPU. The combination outperforms roughly three-quarters of the field, indicating that this system is well-suited for smooth gameplay at most settings.

The CPU itself sits at the 47th percentile among all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals in overall CPU performance are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (only 0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), while the Intel Core i7-10710U and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 trail by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. This tells you the i5-9400 is effectively a mid-pack processor — not a bottleneck for most gaming workloads, but not a headroom monster either.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 43223. Its nearest rivals are all within 1%: the Quadro M6000 24 GB scores 43262 (0.1% higher), the RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268 (0.1% higher), the Quadro M6000 scores 43301 (0.2% higher), and the RTX 4090 Mobile leads this group at 43667 (1% higher). The 4070 SUPER is clearly a high-end part, and the data shows it does most of the heavy lifting in this combo.

The practical takeaway from the rank is that The Technomancer runs well on this pairing. With a rank of 952, you are not chasing a top-tier esports setup, but you are also far from the struggling lower quartile. This is a configuration that delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the GPU clearly being the dominant contributor to the overall score.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 61 FPS. Medium settings push that to 71 FPS, while Low reaches 93 FPS. Ultra drops to 48 FPS, which is borderline for smooth play. The medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for 4K, offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

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

A: The i5-9400 scores 2254 on average, which is within 0.4% of all four nearest rivals. The Core i3-10305 is the closest competitor at 2264 (0.4% higher), while the Core i7-1068NG7 sits at 2259 (0.2% higher). The Core i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 are essentially tied with it, scoring 2248 and 2246 respectively. For gaming, this means no meaningful difference between these chips.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a significant upgrade over its predecessors?

A: The data shows the GPU outperforms the Quadro M6000 24 GB by 0.1% and the RTX 5050 Mobile by 0.1%. It trails the RTX 4090 Mobile by 1%. The 4070 SUPER is rated at the 83rd percentile overall, indicating it is well above the median GPU in this database.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 133 on Ultra to 174 on Low. High settings produce 150 FPS, and Medium yields 158 FPS. Even the most demanding preset stays well above 130 FPS, making this combo excellent for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p, the frame rate scales with settings exactly as you would expect if the GPU were the primary constraint — Low gives 174 FPS, Medium 158, High 150, and Ultra 133. The i5-9400's six cores and 4.10 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 SUPER in this title.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER had a launch MSRP of 599 USD. This is the only pricing information available in the data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. It connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, which is fully adequate for the RTX 4070 SUPER.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These numbers place the CPU at the 47th percentile overall, meaning it sits roughly in the middle of all tested processors. For a game like The Technomancer, which is an Action RPG from 2016, the CPU's six cores are more than sufficient — the title was designed for systems of that era, and the i5-9400's modern IPC and clock speeds handle the game logic without issue.

The CPU's single-core performance is particularly relevant for older game engines. The Technomancer's engine likely relies heavily on one or two threads for game logic and physics, and the i5-9400's 935 Cinebench R23 single-core score indicates it can sustain high clock speeds under load. The 4.10 GHz boost clock is respectable for a 65 W TDP part, and the 14 nm process keeps thermals manageable with a stock cooler.

The memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is not a constraint here. The Technomancer is not a memory-bandwidth-intensive title, and the dual-channel DDR4 setup provides ample headroom. The CPU's 9 MB L3 cache is shared across all six cores, which helps with data locality in games that stream assets frequently.

One notable aspect is the CPU's production status: it is end-of-life, having been released in October 2018. This means it is an older part, but the data shows it still holds its own against newer budget and mid-range processors. The nearest rival comparisons show it within 0.4% of the Core i3-10305 and Core i7-1068NG7, which are newer parts. For this game, the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck — the GPU dictates performance, as the measured FPS shows.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in The Technomancer cover four settings presets across three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high. Low settings produce an average of 174 FPS, Medium yields 158 FPS with a minimum of 135 and maximum of 182, High gives 150 FPS, and Ultra delivers 133 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 41 FPS, which is a reasonable range for a game with four distinct presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. Low settings average 151 FPS, Medium drops to 130 FPS (with min/max of 111/150), High produces 111 FPS, and Ultra falls to 87 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not drastic — the 4070 SUPER has enough headroom to keep every preset above 85 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings still deliver a playable 93 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS (min 61, max 82), High drops to 61 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The 4K results show a compression of the settings range: Low to Ultra spans only 45 FPS, compared to 41 FPS at 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the RTX 4070 SUPER scales well with settings at every resolution. At 1080p, even Ultra stays above 130 FPS, indicating the GPU is not fully stressed. At 1440p, Ultra at 87 FPS is still smooth for an Action RPG. At 4K, only Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and even then it is a modest 48 FPS average.

The minimum FPS data points, where available, show that the Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 61 FPS, which is exactly at the playable threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 111 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 135 FPS. These minimums indicate that the frame pacing is stable — there are no severe drops that would cause stutter or hitching.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable pattern that highlights the GPU as the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 150 at 1080p to 111 at 1440p (a 26% drop) and then to 61 at 4K (a 59% drop from 1080p). This steep decline at 4K is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

At Low settings, the scaling is slightly less severe: 174 FPS at 1080p, 151 at 1440p (a 13% drop), and 93 at 4K (a 47% drop from 1080p). The fact that 1080p Low produces 174 FPS while 4K Low produces 93 FPS suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would plateau at a certain level regardless of resolution — but here it continues to rise as resolution drops.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 158 FPS at 1080p, 130 at 1440p (an 18% drop), and 71 at 4K (a 55% drop). Ultra settings follow the most aggressive scaling: 133 FPS at 1080p, 87 at 1440p (a 35% drop), and 48 at 4K (a 64% drop from 1080p). The larger percentage drop at Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects (likely shadows, lighting, and post-processing) place a disproportionate load on the GPU's compute units.

The resolution scaling analysis points to one clear conclusion: the i5-9400 is not holding this system back. If the CPU were the constraint, we would see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, because the GPU would be waiting on the CPU to feed it data. Instead, the frame rates scale smoothly with resolution, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component at all tested settings. This is the expected behavior for a 6-core CPU paired with a high-end GPU in a game from 2016.

The 4K results are the most telling. At High settings, the 61 FPS average is right at the edge of playability, and the Medium preset's 71 FPS provides a comfortable margin. For users with 4K displays, the data suggests that Medium or High settings are the sensible choices, with Ultra being reserved for those who prioritize visuals over smoothness.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset delivers playable frame rates, so the choice comes down to preference. Ultra at 133 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual fidelity upgrade from High (150 FPS) is worth the 17 FPS reduction for most users. If you have a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 158 FPS or High at 150 FPS will better utilize the refresh rate, while Low at 174 FPS is the choice for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that High is the best balance. The 111 FPS average is smooth, and the jump from High to Ultra (87 FPS) costs 24 FPS — a significant drop for marginal visual gains. Medium at 130 FPS is also viable if you prioritize frame rate over image quality, but High offers the best combination of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra is playable at 87 FPS, but the diminishing returns are clear.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations become more constrained. Medium is the clear winner at 71 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS that ensures no dips below the playable threshold. High at 61 FPS is technically playable, but the minimum FPS data is not available, meaning there could be dips below 60. Low at 93 FPS is the choice if you want headroom, but it sacrifices visual quality. Ultra at 48 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as it falls below the standard for smooth gameplay.

For the overall best experience across all resolutions, the High preset at 1440p offers the most compelling balance of visual quality and performance — 111 FPS is above the 100 FPS mark that most gamers consider smooth, and the 1440p resolution provides excellent clarity. If you are gaming at 4K, the Medium preset is the data-backed recommendation, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 70 FPS with a documented minimum above 60.

The Technomancer is a 2016 title, so its Ultra preset may not be as demanding as modern games, but the data shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER still has to work hard at 4K. The 48 FPS average at 4K Ultra indicates that this is a GPU-heavy setting, and the i5-9400's six cores are sufficient to keep up. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, the Ultra preset at 133 FPS is the pick — it maximizes visual quality without sacrificing the fluidity that makes Action RPGs enjoyable.