The Technomancer

The Technomancer is a 2016 Action RPG that, when paired with an Intel Core i7-12700K and an AMD Radeon RX 570, presents a clear case of GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions. The measured data shows a system that is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p, but which struggles significantly as pixel counts rise. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, explains the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides practical recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is severe, and it clearly identifies the AMD Radeon RX 570 as the primary limiting factor. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 68 at 1080p to 45 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 23 FPS. Moving further to 4K, the average plummets to 25 FPS. This is a staggering 63% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels.

The pattern continues across all quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 45 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p, and then to a nearly unplayable 16 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly punishing, suggesting that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth and raw compute power. The 256-bit memory bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth of the RX 570 are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title, regardless of the preset.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is also notable. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 53 to 34, a 19 FPS drop. This is a larger relative loss than what would be expected if the CPU were the bottleneck, further confirming that the GPU is the limiting component. The data shows that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in The Technomancer, and even 1440p requires significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing ranks very low. The combo rank is 3523 out of 3696 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations. This poor ranking is a direct consequence of the RX 570's age and performance class, which anchors the system's overall capability in this game.

The CPU, however, is not the reason for this low rank. The Intel Core i7-12700K is a high-end processor with an average benchmark score of 35287, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700KF, with score differences of only -0.1% and -0.2% respectively. This indicates that the CPU is performing exactly as expected and is more than capable of feeding the GPU.

The GPU, in contrast, has an average benchmark score of 28766, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. While this sounds respectable, its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 470 and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000, with delta percentages of -0.8% and 1.2%. This shows the RX 570 is a mid-range part from its era. When paired with a top-tier CPU like the i7-12700K, the combination is heavily imbalanced for this game, leading to its bottom-tier rank. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; it is the GPU that drags the combo down to the 3523rd spot.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a 14nm GPU based on the Polaris 20 chip, using the GCN 4.0 architecture. It features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. These specifications, combined with its clock speeds, dictate its performance in The Technomancer.

The GPU has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. This modest clock speed results in a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. More importantly, its FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS. These figures are low by modern standards, and the game's demands easily saturate these capabilities.

The most critical specification is the 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. While this is a decent amount for 1080p gaming, it is insufficient for higher resolutions. At 4K, the GPU must manage and process a massive amount of texture data. The 224.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is a major limiting factor, as the GPU cannot move data fast enough to keep up with the render load. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 13, and at 4K Medium it drops to 19. These numbers indicate that the GPU is spending most of its time waiting for data, rather than rendering frames. The RX 570 is the definitive bottleneck in this system for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs respectably. At Low settings, the average FPS is 68, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60. This is still playable but shows some frame time variance. High settings yield an average of 45 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced Action RPG. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 35 FPS. This is the first point where smoothness is compromised, but it remains technically playable.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to struggle. Low settings produce an average of 45 FPS, which is playable but no longer high-refresh-rate territory. Medium settings average 34 FPS, with a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 40. This is a noticeable step down and the minimum FPS suggests occasional stutters. High settings drop to an average of 29 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for many. Ultra settings are not recommended, as the average falls to 23 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 25 FPS, which is a slideshow for most action games. Medium settings average 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 22. This indicates very poor frame pacing. High settings average 16 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 13 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is out of reach for this GPU in this game, regardless of the settings used.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a powerhouse that is completely outclassing its GPU partner in this scenario. Based on the Alder Lake architecture and built on Intel's 10nm process, it features 12 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This high clock speed is crucial for gaming performance.

The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptionally strong. In Cinebench R23, it scores 19784 in multicore and 1850.5 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 15790 in multicore and 2308 in single-core. These numbers place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 35287 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-13600T and Intel Core i7-12700KF, with deltas of -0.1% and -0.2%.

For The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data suggests it has no trouble doing so. The fact that FPS drops so drastically with resolution indicates that the CPU is delivering frames far faster than the GPU can render them. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions. Instead, we see FPS drop by over half from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. This confirms that the i7-12700K is not the limiting factor, and its single-thread performance of 1043 in 3DMark single-thread and 4013 in PassMark single-thread is more than sufficient for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset provides an average FPS of 53, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60. This is a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring a smooth and stable gameplay experience. The minimum FPS of 45 is acceptable for this genre, and the average is close to the 60 FPS target.

For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice. It yields an average of 68 FPS, providing a significant headroom above the 60 FPS mark. This ensures the most fluid experience possible on this hardware. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 45 FPS, is still playable but is not recommended for action-heavy sequences where frame drops might be more noticeable.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable, with an average of 45 FPS. The Medium preset, averaging 34 FPS, is a compromise that may be tolerable for some, but the minimum of 29 FPS will likely cause noticeable stutter. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are too demanding and should be avoided.

At 3840x2160, no settings are recommended for a good experience. All presets produce average FPS below 25, which is too low for an Action RPG. The data shows that this resolution is not achievable with this GPU in this game. The best advice is to stick to 1080p, where the combo can deliver a solid performance. Using the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance of image quality and playability, making it the clear recommendation for most players.