The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphical settings and resolution, with the CPU providing a robust foundation while the GPU determines the ultimate frame rate ceiling. This pairing ranks 1238 out of 1656 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all possible configurations for this specific title.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, this CPU offers substantial computational headroom. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is notable, achieving a multi-core score of 28979 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 4091 in the same test. The data suggests that for a game released in 2016, the i7-12700KF possesses far more processing power than is strictly necessary.

This is a critical observation. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 140.8 FPS. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 73.1 FPS. The fact that the frame rate scales so dramatically with GPU-bound settings, while the CPU’s capabilities remain constant, implies that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2526, ensures that it can easily feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data. The benchmark results indicate that the i7-12700KF is a "capable air cooler" of a CPU for this workload, never becoming a bottleneck even when the GPU is fully saturated.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo’s rank of 1238 out of 1656 tested combinations places it in the 25th percentile of all systems tested in The Technomancer. This positioning is somewhat surprising given the hardware’s specifications. The CPU itself sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 71st percentile against all GPUs. The data shows a disconnect between the hardware's standalone power and its combined performance in this specific game.

The ranking suggests that while each component is individually strong, their combined performance in The Technomancer is hampered by the game’s engine or the GPU's specific limitations. The RX 6600 XT’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (27956 vs 27985, a delta of 0.1%), which is a much older card. This indicates that the RX 6600 XT’s raw compute power, while modern, does not translate into top-tier performance in this particular title. The combo rank reflects that many other pairings, likely with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates, pushing this configuration down the list.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 59.2 FPS. This is the highest resolution and settings combination that comes close to the 60 FPS target. At 1920x1080, all settings presets exceed 60 FPS, with even Ultra achieving 73.1 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop does the “Ultra” preset incur compared to “High” at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 90.3 on High to 73.1 on Ultra. This represents a significant 17.2 FPS reduction for the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the frame rates are much lower across all settings, ranging from 24.3 FPS on Ultra to 53 FPS on Low. This severe drop, compared to 1080p, indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at this resolution, as the CPU's workload does not change with resolution.

Q: How does this combo perform in DirectX 12 synthetic tests?

A: The GPU scores 61 in the Passmark DirectX 12 test and 1804 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. These scores are part of its overall benchmark profile but do not directly correspond to in-game FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the 1440p and 4K resolutions at Medium settings?

A: The average frame rate falls from 72.4 FPS at 2560x1440 to 36.9 FPS at 3840x2160 on Medium settings. This is a substantial 35.5 FPS decrease, representing a 49% reduction in performance.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF had a launch MSRP of $384.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's scaling. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance. The average frame rates are 140.8 FPS on Low, 112.5 FPS on Medium, 90.3 FPS on High, and 73.1 FPS on Ultra. This resolution offers a wide range of playable settings, even allowing for high refresh rate monitors at lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show strain. The average frame rates are 90.2 FPS on Low, 72.4 FPS on Medium, 59.2 FPS on High, and 46.9 FPS on Ultra. The High preset at this resolution is the borderline for smooth 60 FPS gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The average frame rates drop significantly to 53 FPS on Low, 36.9 FPS on Medium, 36.2 FPS on High, and a barely playable 24.3 FPS on Ultra. These numbers highlight that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this configuration beyond the Low preset.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2589 MHz, with a game clock of 2359 MHz. The GPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 16461, shows it is a capable mid-range card. However, its performance in The Technomancer tells a story of limitations.

The significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions and settings directly point to the GPU as the limiting factor. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely sufficient for this game, but the raw compute power of the Navi 23 chip is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The GPU's percentile rank of 71 against all GPUs, combined with its close benchmark scores to the much older GTX 980 Ti, suggests that while it has modern features, its absolute performance in this specific title is not exceptional. The data implies that the RX 6600 XT is the component holding the combo back from higher frame rates, especially at higher resolutions and with more demanding presets.

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

For a consistent and smooth experience, the data points to the High preset at 2560x1440 as the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, averaging 59.2 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate close to the 60 FPS standard for this resolution.

If the user prioritizes a high refresh rate experience, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear winner, delivering an average of 140.8 FPS. This allows for smooth motion on 120Hz or 144Hz displays. For users who want a mix of quality and speed at 1080p, the High preset at 90.3 FPS is an excellent choice, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium while remaining well above the 60 FPS threshold.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for serious play, as it incurs a substantial performance cost. At 1440p it drops to 46.9 FPS, and at 1080p it still reduces performance to 73.1 FPS, a 17.2 FPS drop from High. The visual difference between High and Ultra in many titles is often negligible compared to the performance penalty, and the data here suggests that High is the optimal setting for this hardware. The 4K resolution is not viable for a recommended experience, as only the Low preset breaks the 50 FPS mark.

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

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 90.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59.2 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 36.2 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 60% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is even more severe, going from 73.1 FPS at 1080p to 24.3 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction.

This pattern is a definitive indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the limiting component. The CPU's workload remains largely unchanged regardless of resolution; it is the GPU that must render an exponentially larger number of pixels at 4K. The fact that the frame rate halves when moving from 1440p to 4K, while the pixel count roughly doubles, confirms that the GPU is operating at its maximum capacity. The benchmark results indicate that the i7-12700KF has ample headroom, as the system’s performance is entirely dictated by the GPU’s ability to fill frames at increasing resolutions. This combo is well-balanced for 1080p and capable at 1440p, but the data clearly shows that it is not suited for 4K gaming.