The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination. The data shows a pairing where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the CPU’s substantial core count ensures headroom at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes the combo’s standing, and examines the CPU’s role in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces 119.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra drops that figure to 79.6 FPS, a reduction of 33%. The most dramatic scaling occurs at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 45, representing a 62% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep decline at 4K is a classic indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is hitting its rendering limits, as the pixel count quadruples while the CPU workload remains relatively static.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For Low settings, the jump from 1080p (229.6 FPS) to 1440p (150.7 FPS) shows a 34% drop, while the 4K Low result of 81.6 FPS is 64% lower than the 1080p baseline. Similarly, High settings produce 150.5 FPS at 1080p, 99.8 FPS at 1440p, and 52.4 FPS at 4K. The fact that Low settings at 4K (81.6 FPS) still exceeds Ultra at 1440p (79.6 FPS) confirms that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors at higher resolutions, not the CPU or game logic.

Notably, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is relatively narrow (roughly 33-35% across settings), suggesting the RTX 4070 is still efficient at 1440p. However, the jump to 4K introduces a much larger penalty, with performance nearly halving for most presets. This indicates that for 4K gaming in The Technomancer, users would need to rely on lower settings (Medium at 62.4 FPS or Low at 81.6 FPS) to maintain smooth frame rates, as Ultra and High both fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 456th out of 1656 tested combos in this game. This places it in the 72nd percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the systems tested. The rank is notable given the hardware’s relative modernity, yet it reflects the game’s age and its reliance on single-threaded performance rather than raw multi-core throughput.

In terms of the GPU’s standalone standing, the RTX 4070 sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37283. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores 37507, which is only 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A and RTX 4080 Mobile are 1.9% and 2.2% ahead, respectively, while the AMD Radeon RX 5300M trails by 2.5%. This tight grouping suggests the RTX 4070 is positioned in a competitive mid-range bracket, though its desktop-class performance in this older title still delivers solid frame rates.

The CPU ranks at the 89th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 35684. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, scores 35802, a negligible 0.3% difference. The Intel Core i5-14500HX is 0.7% ahead, while the i7-13700T and i7-13800H are 0.6% and 0.8% behind, respectively. This indicates the i7-12700K is extremely well-matched to its contemporaries, with performance deltas under 1% across the board. The combo’s 456th rank, therefore, is less about the hardware being weak and more about the game’s engine not fully utilizing the available resources.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K brings 12 cores and 20 threads to the table, running on the Alder Lake architecture with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 25 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample data locality for game assets. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong scaling: the 3DMark 16-thread score is 9276, while the max-thread score reaches 9979. However, the single-thread score of 1043 and the 2-thread score of 2065 reveal that The Technomancer’s engine likely relies on a few primary threads, as evidenced by the game’s 2016 release date predating the widespread adoption of multi-core optimization.

The Cinebench R23 results further illustrate this: the multi-core score of 29241 is exceptional, but the single-core score of 4128 is what matters for older game engines. The PassMark single-thread score of 4013 supports this view. Since the game’s performance at 1080p (229.6 FPS on Low) is far above typical monitor refresh rates, the CPU is clearly not a limiting factor in most scenarios. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 119.4 FPS result suggests the i7-12700K can feed the RTX 4070 adequately, with the GPU becoming the bottleneck only when resolution increases.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, combined with its 0.3% delta from the nearest rival, confirms it is a top-tier processor for this workload. The 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a game from 2016, providing headroom for background tasks and future titles that may scale better with multi-threading.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers consistently high frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 229.6 FPS, Medium drops to 181.3 FPS, High falls to 150.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 119.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is largely CPU-bound or engine-limited, as even the jump from Low to Ultra only reduces performance by 48%.

Moving to 1440p, the RTX 4070 begins to assert its influence. Low settings average 150.7 FPS, Medium 116.8 FPS, High 99.8 FPS, and Ultra 79.6 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 34% across the board, suggesting a consistent increase in GPU load. At this resolution, the system is still capable of exceeding 60 FPS even at Ultra, making it a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. Low settings average 81.6 FPS, Medium 62.4 FPS, High 52.4 FPS, and Ultra 45 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45%, which is steeper than at lower resolutions, indicating that the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily. For 4K gaming, users would need to accept Medium settings (62.4 FPS) or lower to stay above 60 FPS, as High and Ultra both dip below that threshold.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Technomancer?*

A: The data shows 1440p is optimal, as it delivers 99.8 FPS on High and 79.6 FPS on Ultra, both comfortably above 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low (81.6 FPS) and Medium (62.4 FPS) maintain smooth playability.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the 229.6 FPS on Low. The CPU’s single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1043) likely becomes the limiting factor, though it still delivers frame rates far exceeding standard refresh rates.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score of 37283 is 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38008). It is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M (36371).

Q: Does the i7-12700K’s multi-core performance help in this game?

A: The CPU’s multi-core scores are high (Cinebench R23 multi-core of 29241), but The Technomancer likely uses few threads, as the single-core score (4128 in Cinebench R23) is more relevant. The 12 cores provide headroom but do not directly translate to higher FPS in this title.

Q: What settings should be used for 4K gaming?

A: For 4K, Medium settings yield 62.4 FPS and Low produces 81.6 FPS. High (52.4 FPS) and Ultra (45 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS target, so those presets are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 456th out of 1656 tested combinations, placing it in the 72nd percentile. This reflects strong overall performance, though the game’s age limits the hardware’s full potential.