The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU performance boundaries. When paired with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, the measured data reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but becomes firmly GPU-limited as resolution increases. The benchmark results show a consistent and predictable scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions, making the performance characteristics of this combo straightforward to analyze.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and steep decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 98 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 64 FPS, a reduction of 34 frames. This trend intensifies at 4K, where the High preset yields just 35 FPS on average. This scaling pattern indicates that the rendering load is expanding faster than the GPU's ability to fill pixels, which is expected behavior for a demanding title.

The progression from 1080p to 1440p represents a 47% decrease in average FPS at High settings, while the jump from 1440p to 4K represents a further 45% decrease. The consistency of this drop-off suggests a linear relationship between pixel count and performance, with the RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width proving sufficient for the data throughput but the GPU's raw compute power becoming the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 28 FPS, which is barely playable for a game that requires responsive action.

This scaling behavior points directly to the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's role becomes less significant as resolution increases because the frame time is dominated by pixel shading and rasterization work. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 150 FPS, which likely approaches the CPU's ceiling for frame generation. However, the fact that the GPU can still push higher frame rates than the CPU at lower settings indicates that the i5-9400 is not completely maxed out even at its lowest workload.

The data reveals that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can maintain respectable frame rates. At 4K, the performance falls below the 60 FPS threshold across all settings, making it unsuitable for smooth high-resolution play. The minimum FPS data available for Medium settings shows a similar pattern, with 98 FPS at 1080p dropping to 64 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K, further confirming the scaling trend.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. This places it in close competition with the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 (a -0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (a 0.3% delta). The CPU's nearest rivals are all within a 0.4% margin, indicating that its computational performance is tightly clustered with these other mid-range parts.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is most visible at 1080p with Low settings, where the system achieves 150 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to keep up with the GPU's output at lower graphical loads. The 6-core configuration is sufficient for this game's threading model, as the game was released in 2016 and likely does not scale beyond a handful of threads. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s provide adequate bandwidth for the CPU's operations.

The single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R20 at 392 points, is modest compared to modern processors, but it is sufficient for a game of this era. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz helps maintain responsiveness in single-threaded scenarios, which are common in game logic and physics calculations. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, as the FPS drops align more closely with GPU scaling.

However, at 1080p Ultra, the system drops to 77 FPS, which is a significant reduction from the 98 FPS at High. This 21 FPS gap suggests that while the CPU is capable of high frame rates, the increased draw calls and object complexity at Ultra settings begin to tax the processor. The measured data shows that the CPU's performance ceiling is around 150 FPS in this game, but the GPU's limitations become apparent at higher settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 98 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 scores 2254 in average benchmark, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U's score of 2248.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest average FPS is 28 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the system achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 64, and at Medium settings it is 75, both exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded at 4K resolution?

A: The maximum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 is 48 FPS, which occurs with Medium settings, while the average for that configuration is 41 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance envelope. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 150, providing a smooth experience for fast-paced action. Medium settings reduce the average to 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. High settings bring the average down to 98 FPS, while Ultra settings result in a 77 FPS average. The 1080p results show a clear degradation as settings increase, but all presets remain playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings yield an average of 98 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High result. Medium settings produce a 75 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. High settings average 64 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 50 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the increased pixel count, particularly at higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become pronounced. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is the only preset that approaches playability. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. High settings drop to 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 28 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo is not suited for high-resolution gaming, as even the lowest settings fail to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: each increase in settings tier reduces the average FPS by roughly 15-20%. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 73 FPS, while at 1440p it is 48 FPS, and at 4K it is 26 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the relative cost of each setting tier diminishes when the GPU is already saturated.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1721 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the middle of the pack, at roughly the 61st percentile of all tested system configurations. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is severely mismatched, but the overall performance is not exceptional for this game.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 places it slightly above the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which scores 2246 (a 0.4% difference), but slightly below the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (a -0.4% difference). These tight margins indicate that the CPU's contribution to the combo's rank is near the middle of its peer group. The GPU's average score of 21035, meanwhile, is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT's score of 20713, suggesting that the GPU is slightly above average for its class.

The combo rank of 1721 out of 2825 suggests that many other combinations achieve better performance in this game, likely due to stronger GPUs or CPUs. However, the data confirms that this pairing is fully functional and can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The rank does not indicate a failure but rather a mid-tier position in the overall performance hierarchy for The Technomancer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, High settings provide an average of 98 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a good balance between visual quality and performance. Ultra settings drop to 77 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the 21 FPS cost.

For 2560x1440, High settings average 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. Medium settings provide a more comfortable margin at 75 FPS, making it the safer choice for maintaining smooth gameplay during intense action sequences. Low settings at 98 FPS are unnecessary unless prioritizing maximum frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves a 60 FPS average. Low settings at 54 FPS is the highest performer, but this is still below the ideal threshold. Medium settings at 41 FPS may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration, but the minimum FPS of 35 indicates potential stuttering during combat. For 4K, users should accept lower frame rates or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p.

The best overall experience is achieved at 1080p with High settings, where the combo delivers 98 FPS average with no minimum FPS data indicating drops. This configuration provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance, making it the recommended preset for most users. For those with high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p Low at 150 FPS is the only configuration that approaches 144 Hz, but the graphical compromise may not be worth the frame rate gain.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node, featuring 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications place the GPU in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K follows the expected pattern of pixel count increases, with the GPU's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power being the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, as the measured data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in.

The GPU's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which scores 21153 (a -0.6% delta), placing the RTX 5050 in close competition with that part. The RTX 5050 also outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT by 1.6%, which scores 20713. This competitive positioning suggests that the GPU's performance is solid for its class, though not exceptional.

The GPU's clock speeds and memory bandwidth are well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the strong FPS numbers at those resolutions. However, the 4K results show that the GPU's compute capacity is insufficient for maintaining high frame rates at that resolution. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are the limiting factors at 4K, where the GPU must process four times the pixels of 1080p. The data confirms that the RTX 5050 is best utilized at resolutions below 4K, where it can deliver a smooth and responsive gaming experience in The Technomancer.