The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study in hardware scaling when paired with an Intel Core i7-12700K and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. This combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, positioning it as a top-tier performer for this title. The data reveals a system that is rarely stressed by the game's engine, even at 4K Ultra, suggesting that the primary bottleneck shifts from the GPU to the CPU only at the lowest settings and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in The Technomancer?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 275th out of 3696 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4080 SUPER than its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is only 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (score 54247), making them virtually identical in performance.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 54. This is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial gap. At 2560x1440, High settings produce an average of 127 FPS, while Ultra settings drop that average to 99 FPS, a difference of 28 frames per second.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The highest average FPS recorded for this combo is 288 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's multithreaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i5-13600T (score 35305) and 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-12700KF (score 35365).

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for The Technomancer. Its role is defined by its large memory pool and high bandwidth, which are critical for high-resolution textures and rendering. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This substantial memory allocation ensures that the game's assets are readily available, preventing stutters and texture pop-in even at the demanding 3840x2160 resolution.

The card's clock speeds also play a significant role. With a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz, the GPU has a high operational ceiling. This is reflected in its raw compute capabilities, including an FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS. These specifications translate directly into the high average frame rates observed. The data shows a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and settings; for instance, moving from 1080p High (194 FPS) to 4K High (70 FPS) demonstrates a 64% reduction in performance, a classic sign of the GPU being tasked with an increasing pixel workload.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's role is best summarized by its synthetic benchmark scores. Its Passmark G3D score of 34245 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. While it is nominally slower than its direct predecessor, the RTX 4080, by 0.1%, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1%, these differences are negligible in real-world gaming. The card's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built for high-throughput rendering, and this is evident in the game's performance metrics, which show that the GPU can consistently push frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold at all but the most extreme settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the load shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the i7-12700K and RTX 4080 SUPER produce incredibly high frame rates. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS is 288. This indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU is not being fully utilized at such a low resolution and with minimal graphical demands. The CPU's high single-thread performance is key here, as it must process the game's logic and draw calls quickly enough to feed the GPU.

As resolution increases, the bottleneck transitions to the GPU. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 127. This is a 34.5% decrease from the 1080p High result of 194 FPS. This scaling is expected, as the GPU now has to render more than 1.7 times the number of pixels. The trend continues at 3840x2160, where the same High settings produce an average of 70 FPS, a further 44.9% drop from the 1440p result. This steep decline confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER is working near its full capacity at 4K.

The data suggests that for this game, 1440p is the sweet spot for high refresh rate monitors. The combination achieves 149 FPS at Medium and 127 FPS at High, which are excellent numbers. At 4K, the system is still very capable, but the frame rates are lower, with Ultra settings dipping to 54 FPS. The scaling pattern indicates that the i7-12700K is more than sufficient to drive the RTX 4080 SUPER at 1080p, but the GPU becomes the definitive performance limiter as the resolution climbs. This is a healthy balance, as it means users can tune settings to target their preferred frame rate without worrying about a CPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 288. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 227 FPS, with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 262 FPS. High settings yield an average of 194 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still produces a very playable average of 152 FPS. This data indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU has ample headroom even at Ultra settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's workload. Low settings average 194 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High result. Medium settings produce an average of 149 FPS, with a min of 126 and a max of 171 FPS. High settings average 127 FPS. Ultra settings deliver an average of 99 FPS. This resolution demonstrates a more balanced load between the CPU and GPU, with the GPU becoming more influential in determining the final frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. Low settings average 106 FPS, which is still a very good result. Medium settings average 82 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 94 FPS. High settings average 70 FPS. The most demanding configuration, Ultra, averages 54 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 49% reduction in average frame rate, from 106 FPS to 54 FPS, highlighting the significant impact of the graphical preset at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 275 out of 3696 tested combinations places it in the upper echelon of systems tested for The Technomancer. This ranking is a strong indicator of the system's overall capability to run the game smoothly. The percentile data for the individual components supports this. The CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. This means both components are high-end, and their pairing results in a synergistic performance level that outpaces the vast majority of other configurations.

The rank is particularly impressive given the age of the game. The Technomancer was released in 2016, and its engine may not be optimized for the latest multi-core processors or GPU architectures. However, the sheer power of the RTX 4080 SUPER overcomes any potential inefficiencies. The high rank suggests that the game is not a severe stress test for this hardware, and the system is more likely to be limited by the game's engine itself, such as its maximum frame rate cap or physics simulation, rather than the hardware's capabilities. The 275th rank out of 3696 means that only 274 other combinations (7.4%) performed better, indicating that this is a top-tier setup for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K plays a crucial, yet secondary, role in this configuration for The Technomancer. Its primary job is to feed the GPU with data and process game logic. The CPU features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This high clock speed is beneficial for the game's single-threaded tasks. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 and Geekbench single-core score of 2308 indicate strong per-core performance.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 288 suggests the CPU is nearing its limit in terms of frame generation. The GPU is not the bottleneck here, as it could likely render more frames if the CPU could provide them. The i7-12700K's performance in multi-threaded benchmarks, such as Cinebench R23 multicore (19784) and Passmark multithread (34404), ensures that the game's background processes and AI computations do not cause stutters.

The benchmark data shows that the i7-12700K is a very capable gaming CPU. Its average benchmark score of 35287 places it in the 84th percentile, and it is only 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-13600T and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-12700KF. These rivals are all within a negligible performance margin, indicating that the CPU is not a weak link in the system. In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is to maintain high minimum frame rates and ensure smooth frame pacing, which it does effectively, allowing the RTX 4080 SUPER to dominate the visual rendering workload.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. The data shows that this combination can easily handle high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p. At 2560x1440, the High preset offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 127 FPS. This is ideal for a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor. While the Ultra preset at 1440p provides a richer visual experience at 99 FPS, the difference in quality is often marginal, and the higher frame rate of the High preset is generally preferable for smoother gameplay.

For users with a 4K display, the High preset is the most sensible choice. It averages 70 FPS, which is a solid performance level for a visually demanding resolution. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to an average of 54 FPS, which might be acceptable for a slower-paced RPG, but the 16 FPS gain from using High settings provides a more responsive experience without a massive visual sacrifice. The Medium preset at 4K (82 FPS) could also be considered if the user prioritizes frame rate, but the High preset offers a better visual quality-to-performance ratio.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the "safe" choice across all resolutions, providing a significant boost over Low settings while maintaining high frame rates. However, given the power of the RTX 4080 SUPER, the High preset is recommended as the baseline. It delivers a strong visual upgrade over Medium while still maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS at 4K and above 120 FPS at 1440p. The Ultra preset should only be used at 1080p or 1440p if the user prioritizes absolute visual fidelity over maximum frame rate, as it still delivers playable performance at those resolutions.