The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting scalability challenge for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination. The benchmark data shows that this pairing is exceptionally powerful, capable of delivering high frame rates even at 4K, but the performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower settings and increasingly CPU-limited at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to show exactly where the bottlenecks lie and how to get the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 286.1 FPS, which drops to 215.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 118.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 58.5% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is working progressively harder as pixel count increases. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-limited, as the frame rates exceed what most displays can refresh, and the GPU is not fully utilized.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when moving to higher settings. At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 168 at 1080p to 112.2 at 1440p (a 33.2% reduction) and then to 63.1 at 4K (a 62.4% reduction from 1080p). This steeper decline at Ultra settings indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as the graphics load increases. The RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, is being pushed harder by the higher fidelity rendering, and the frame rate drops are more proportional to the pixel count increase.

The most telling data point is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 118.1 FPS (286.1 vs 168), while at 4K, the gap narrows to 55.5 FPS (118.6 vs 63.1). This narrowing gap demonstrates that at lower resolutions, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering workload dominates the frame time. The i7-12700KF's 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide enough single-thread performance to keep up with the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions, but the GPU's raw power is the deciding factor at 4K.

CPU Role

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. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This processing power is more than sufficient for The Technomancer, which is a 2016 title that does not heavily utilize multi-threading.

The CPU's role in this game is primarily to maintain a stable frame delivery pipeline. At 1080p with Low settings, the 286.1 FPS average suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate, but the GPU is not being fully stressed. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1043 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3984 indicate strong single-core performance, which is crucial for game logic and draw call processing. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times.

However, the data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 63.1 FPS is well below what the CPU could theoretically support, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload is the bottleneck. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14400 (with a deltaPct of 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (with a deltaPct of 0.2%), all show similar performance in synthetic benchmarks, but in this game, the i7-12700KF's 20 threads provide ample headroom for any background tasks or future game updates.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in The Technomancer?

A: No, the data shows the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 286.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it still manages 63.1 FPS. The CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 4091) and multi-thread capability (20 threads) are more than sufficient for this game.

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

A: The data suggests 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 140.6 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and provides a smooth experience. At 4K High, the frame rate drops to 75.7 FPS, which is still playable but requires a high-refresh-rate display to fully benefit.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 66473, placing it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, has a deltaPct of -0.4%, meaning the RTX 4090 is slightly faster. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 0.9% slower, and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 is 1.3% slower.

Q: Does the game scale well with graphics settings?

A: Yes, the measured FPS shows a clear progression. At 1080p, Low settings yield 286.1 FPS, Medium 255.2 FPS, High 215.5 FPS, and Ultra 168 FPS. At 4K, the progression is 118.6 (Low), 90.8 (Medium), 75.7 (High), and 63.1 (Ultra). The scaling is consistent and predictable.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming at high refresh rates?

A: It depends on the settings. At 4K High, the average is 75.7 FPS, which is suitable for a 60 Hz or 75 Hz display. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 63.1 FPS, which still meets the 60 FPS threshold but leaves less headroom. For 120 Hz+ displays, 1440p is the recommended resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: The difference is 55.5 FPS, with Low achieving 118.6 FPS and Ultra achieving 63.1 FPS. This represents a 46.8% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, highlighting the significant GPU load increase from the higher fidelity graphics.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is achieved at High settings, regardless of resolution. The High preset offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance. At 4K High, the combo delivers 75.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS standard and provides a smooth, immersive experience. At 1440p High, the frame rate jumps to 140.6 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1080p High, the 215.5 FPS result is so high that it exceeds most display capabilities.

Ultra settings are only recommended at 1440p or lower. At 1440p Ultra, the combo achieves 112.2 FPS, which is still excellent and provides the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. At 4K Ultra, the 63.1 FPS result is borderline, and the visual improvement over High may not justify the 12.6 FPS drop. The data indicates that Ultra settings at 4K push the RTX 4090 to its limits, and High is the safer choice for consistent frame times.

Low settings are not recommended for this hardware. The minimum frame rate at 1080p Low is 286.1 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show, and the visual downgrade is significant. Medium settings offer a middle ground, with 255.2 FPS at 1080p and 90.8 FPS at 4K, but High provides a better balance of visuals and performance. For the best experience, choose High settings at 1440p or 4K, depending on your display's refresh rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 33rd out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the top 2% of all tested systems, indicating that this is an exceptionally powerful pairing for this game. The high rank is driven by the GPU's strong performance, as the RTX 4090 sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The rank of 33 out of 1656 suggests that there are 32 other combos that perform better, likely featuring newer or more specialized hardware. However, the data shows that this combo delivers excellent results across all resolutions and settings. The 4K High result of 75.7 FPS is particularly impressive, as many systems struggle to maintain 60 FPS at this resolution. The 1440p Ultra result of 112.2 FPS also demonstrates the combo's ability to handle high-fidelity gaming without compromise.

In comparison to its nearest rivals, the CPU's performance is closely matched. The Intel Core i5-14400 has a deltaPct of 0.1%, meaning it is essentially equal in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-13800H is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core i9-12900HX is 0.2% faster. These small differences are unlikely to translate into meaningful FPS variations in The Technomancer, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 286.1 FPS on Low, 255.2 FPS on Medium, 215.5 FPS on High, and 168 FPS on Ultra. These results show a consistent 13-15% performance drop for each settings tier increase, with the largest gap being between High and Ultra at 47.5 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings produce 215.6 FPS, Medium 168.3 FPS, High 140.6 FPS, and Ultra 112.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 103.4 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p (118.1 FPS), indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. The 1440p High result of 140.6 FPS is particularly notable, as it provides a smooth experience on most high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The combo achieves 118.6 FPS on Low, 90.8 FPS on Medium, 75.7 FPS on High, and 63.1 FPS on Ultra. These results show that the RTX 4090 is being pushed hard at 4K, but it still maintains playable frame rates even at the highest settings. The 4K High result of 75.7 FPS is the recommended target for this resolution, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining high visual quality.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this combo, and its role in The Technomancer is to provide the raw rendering power needed for high resolutions and settings. The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, a 384-bit memory bus, and 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for this 2016 title. Its base clock of 2235 MHz and boost clock of 2520 MHz, combined with 16384 shading units, deliver the 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance that drives the high frame rates seen in the data.

The GPU's benchmark performance is impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 38194 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 317684. These scores place the RTX 4090 in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, confirming its position as one of the fastest graphics cards available. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the 63.1 FPS result is a direct reflection of the GPU's rendering capabilities, while at 1080p Low, the 286.1 FPS result shows the GPU's ability to handle less demanding workloads with ease.

The RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM is more than enough for The Technomancer, even at 4K Ultra settings. The game's memory requirements are well within this capacity, allowing the GPU to store all textures and geometry without any performance degradation. The 1.01 TB/s bandwidth also ensures that data can be fed to the GPU cores quickly, preventing any memory bandwidth bottlenecks. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (deltaPct of -0.4%) and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (deltaPct of -1.3%), are all slower, confirming the RTX 4090's performance leadership in this benchmark.