The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings, with the GPU consistently acting as the primary bottleneck as graphical demands increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to understand the dynamic between these two components in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline tells a compelling story about system balance. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 130.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 84.9 FPS, a significant 35% reduction. The jump to 4K further reduces performance to 47.1 FPS, which is a 64% drop from the 1080p baseline. This pattern indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the rendering load on the GPU increases exponentially with pixel count.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the performance gap between the lowest and highest settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low (191.4 FPS) and Ultra (101.9 FPS) is substantial. However, at 4K, this gap narrows in absolute terms but remains proportionally similar, with Low at 69 FPS and Ultra at 37.3 FPS. The fact that even Low settings at 4K cannot reach 70 FPS strongly suggests that the GPU is saturated, regardless of the quality preset. The data implies that the Intel Core i7-12700K has ample headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the RX 7700 XT simply runs out of compute capacity as resolution climbs.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a 44.5% performance loss (from 84.9 to 47.1 FPS). This is a steeper drop than the 1080p to 1440p transition, which reinforces the idea that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading resources are being pushed to their limits at 4K. The 12 GB of VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for data storage but cannot overcome the raw pixel throughput demands.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip, is the decisive factor in this game's performance envelope. Its boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz provide the raw speed, but the 3456 shading units and 96 ROPs are what ultimately drive the pixel output. With a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s, the card is theoretically capable of high throughput, yet the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (37.3 FPS) reveals that The Technomancer's rendering path is particularly demanding.

The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity is not the issue here; even at 4K Ultra, the game likely fits within the 12 GB frame buffer. However, the effective memory speed of 18 Gbps may become a limiting factor when textures and geometry at 4K require constant data streaming. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, has an identical average benchmark score (30109 vs 30109), with a 0% deltaPct. This parity in synthetic tests suggests that the RX 7700 XT's real-world gaming performance is tightly competitive with that card.

What is more telling is the GPU's percentile vs all GPUs at 73, indicating it outperforms 73% of all GPUs in the database. Yet in this specific game, the performance at 4K is modest. This suggests that The Technomancer may not be fully optimized for the RDNA 3.0 architecture, leaving performance on the table compared to what the card could achieve in other titles. The data shows that the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22547 is solid, but the game's engine seems to favor raw fill rate over compute.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 712th out of 1656 total combos. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, which is a middling result given the individual components' strengths. The CPU alone has an 89th percentile rank against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 73rd percentile. The combination should theoretically place higher, but the game's performance ceiling appears to be limited by the GPU at higher resolutions.

This rank of 712 suggests that many other combos, likely with more powerful GPUs or better optimization for this specific title, achieve higher frame rates. The data indicates that while the i7-12700K is a capable partner, the RX 7700 XT holds the combo back from reaching the top quintile of results. The 1656 combos tested represent a wide variety of hardware pairings, and this one sits just above the middle mark, implying that there is significant room for improvement if a stronger GPU were paired with the same CPU.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at -0.3%, Intel Core i7-13700T at +0.6%) are negligible, indicating that the CPU is not the differentiating factor in this combo's rank. Instead, the GPU's performance tier, as evidenced by its own nearest rivals (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 at 0% deltaPct), defines the overall system capability. This ranking reveals that the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 191.4, achieved with Low settings.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs when moving from 1080p High to 1440p High?

A: The frame rate drops from 130.5 FPS at 1080p High to 84.9 FPS at 1440p High, representing a 35% reduction.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT the limiting factor at 4K?

A: At 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is only 69, while the CPU has headroom, as evidenced by its strong single-thread score of 4128 in Cinebench R23.

Q: Does the combo achieve playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) at 4K Ultra?

A: No, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 37.3, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this combo compare in rank to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 712th out of 1656 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth, and does it appear sufficient for this game?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This appears sufficient for the game's data requirements, as the performance drop at higher resolutions is likely due to compute limitations rather than memory bandwidth constraints.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. Low settings yield 191.4 FPS, Medium produces 149.6 FPS, High achieves 130.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 101.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 47% reduction, indicating a significant but manageable impact on performance at this resolution. The i7-12700K's strong single-thread performance (4128 in Cinebench R23) likely ensures that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at these lower pixel counts.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance noticeably decreases. Low settings produce 130.1 FPS, Medium delivers 98.7 FPS, High drops to 84.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 65.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is exactly 50%, showing that the GPU's workload is scaling more heavily with settings at this resolution. The 65.2 FPS at Ultra is still playable, but it indicates that the GPU is working much harder.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the most constrained. Low settings barely manage 69 FPS, Medium drops to 54.7 FPS, High falls to 47.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 37.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 31.7 FPS, a 46% reduction. This data shows that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings if aiming for 60 FPS, while higher presets will require a more powerful GPU.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is a robust processor that does not appear to be the limiting factor in these benchmarks. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide ample single-thread performance, which is often critical for game logic and draw calls. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4128 and multi-core score of 29241 indicate that the CPU has substantial headroom for this title.

In the context of The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU can deliver high frame rates, as evidenced by the 191.4 FPS at Low settings. This suggests that the i7-12700K is capable of driving frame rates well above 200 FPS if the GPU could keep up. The 89th percentile rank against all CPUs, while its nearest rival (AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845) has a deltaPct of -0.3%, confirms that the CPU is not a weak link.

The 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 20 MB of total L2 cache (1.25 MB per core) provide fast access to frequently used data, reducing latency. The CPU's support for DDR5 memory (though the exact bandwidth is not specified in the data) further enhances its ability to stream data to the GPU. However, the benchmark results clearly show that as resolution increases, the CPU's influence on frame rate diminishes, and the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering 101.9 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a comfortable frame rate. If a higher refresh rate monitor is in use, the High preset at 130.5 FPS offers a better balance, sacrificing some graphical detail for a significant FPS boost.

At 1440p, the High preset (84.9 FPS) is the recommended choice for most users, as it provides a strong balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset (65.2 FPS) is also viable for gamers who prioritize image quality over a higher frame rate. The Medium preset (98.7 FPS) is a good fallback if aiming for 100+ FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in an Action RPG.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset (69 FPS) is the only option that consistently stays above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (54.7 FPS) is borderline playable, but it may feel less smooth. The High (47.1 FPS) and Ultra (37.3 FPS) presets are best avoided unless frame rate is not a priority. For the best experience at 4K, the data suggests that users should either accept the Low preset or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using High settings for a superior visual and performance balance.