The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability challenge for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, based strictly on the provided benchmark data. The results indicate a combination that is heavily influenced by the game’s engine limits and the specific demands of each resolution and settings preset. The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance across the tested configurations, with the CPU and GPU playing distinct roles depending on the workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination achieves a rank of 354 out of 3696 tested combos for this specific game. This placement, within the top 10% of all tested configurations, indicates that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for running The Technomancer. The combo’s high standing is a direct result of the RTX 5070 Ti’s raw graphical horsepower, which is sufficient to drive high frame rates even at demanding resolutions. The data suggests that this system will not be the bottleneck in most scenarios, though the game’s engine will impose its own limits.

The rank is particularly impressive when considering the GPU's benchmark percentile. With an average benchmark score of 49957, the RTX 5070 Ti sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has a deltaPct of -2, meaning the RTX 5070 Ti is 2% faster on average. The CPU, while not the primary driver in this game, also contributes to the combo's high rank. The i7-12700K, with an average score of 35287, is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, trailing its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13600T, by a negligible 0.1%. This synergy between two high-percentile components ensures the combo ranks far above the median tested system.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant component in this configuration for The Technomancer. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for handling the game’s textures and assets at higher resolutions, particularly at 3840x2160 where the 4K resolution demands significant video memory. The data shows the GPU’s compute capabilities are also substantial, with 8960 shading units and a FP32 performance of 43.94 TFLOPS, which explains its ability to process the game's effects and geometry.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2452 MHz, are high for a modern graphics card. These clocks, combined with the high memory bandwidth, allow the card to maintain impressive frame rates. The performance scaling across resolutions is a key indicator of the GPU's role. When moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings drops from 184 to 66. This 64% reduction in frame rate is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution places an increasing load on the graphics processor. The RTX 5070 Ti handles the 4K workload well, but the data shows it is not immune to the demands of higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results offer a clear guide for optimizing the visual experience in The Technomancer. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 144 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on a high refresh rate monitor. However, dropping to High settings yields a significant boost to 184 FPS, a 27.8% increase. For competitive play or maximum fluidity, the Low preset pushes the frame rate to 280 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The data suggests that the High preset at 1080p is the best balance, providing a high frame rate while retaining a reasonable level of graphical detail.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 94 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset, at 120 FPS, is a more suitable choice for a 144Hz monitor. For 3840x2160, the decision becomes more critical. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The High preset, at 66 FPS, is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides a more consistent and responsive feel. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High is only 11 FPS, while the visual quality improvement is typically more substantial. Therefore, the data points to High as the sweet spot for the best experience across all resolutions, balancing frame rate with graphical quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K and RTX 5070 Ti combination achieves an average of 120 FPS at 2560x1440 with the High preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average score of 49957, while its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has an average score of 50951. This results in a deltaPct of -2, indicating the RTX 5070 Ti is 2% behind the RX 6900 XT in this specific average.

Q: Is the combo more powerful than the Intel Core i7-12700KF?

A: Yes, based on average benchmark scores. The i7-12700K scores 35287, while the i7-12700KF scores 35365. The deltaPct is -0.2, meaning the i7-12700K is 0.2% slower than the KF variant in this metric, a negligible difference.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 52, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 280, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5070 Ti?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s, stemming from its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 clearly illustrates the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 184 at 1080p to 120 at 1440p, a 34.8% decrease. Increasing the resolution further to 4K brings the average down to 66 FPS, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This consistent and significant decline indicates that the workload is scaling directly with the number of pixels, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. At 1080p, the system can generate an average of 280 FPS on Low settings, which is an extremely high number that most CPUs would struggle to feed. The fact that the i7-12700K can sustain this level of performance suggests it has ample headroom. However, the GPU’s rendering capabilities are taxed more as resolution increases. The transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings results in a 64% reduction in average FPS, from 184 to 66. This steep curve underscores that the RTX 5070 Ti's processing power is the primary constraint on frame rate, especially at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K’s role in The Technomancer is to provide a stable and fast foundation for the GPU. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the processor has substantial multi-threading capabilities, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784. However, the game’s performance data suggests that it does not heavily utilize all of these threads. The CPU’s single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5, is more relevant for this title. The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is beneficial for the game's primary game logic and physics, which often rely on fewer, faster cores.

Benchmark results indicate that the i7-12700K is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 5070 Ti. In 3DMark’s 16-thread test, it scores 9276, and in the single-thread test, it scores 1043. These scores show a balanced processor that can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads. The data from The Technomancer shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck even at 1080p, where the GPU is still the limiting factor. The processor's job is to deliver frames to the GPU without delay, and the high average FPS across all settings confirms it performs this task effectively, allowing the RTX 5070 Ti to operate at its full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across nine different scenarios. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low preset averages 280 FPS, Medium averages 215 FPS with a minimum of 183 and a maximum of 248, High averages 184 FPS, and Ultra averages 144 FPS. The scaling is linear, with each reduction in settings yielding a substantial frame rate increase. This resolution is clearly GPU-light, allowing for extremely high refresh rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are: Low at 183 FPS, Medium at 141 FPS (min 120, max 162), High at 120 FPS, and Ultra at 94 FPS. The relative differences between settings remain consistent, but the overall numbers are lower than at 1080p, showing the increased load on the GPU. At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 101 FPS, Medium at 77 FPS (min 66, max 89), High at 66 FPS, and Ultra at 52 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 48.5% reduction, highlighting the extreme demands of 4K Ultra settings. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 66, which is the same as the High preset's average, indicating that the Medium setting provides a more stable frame time experience, even if the average is higher.