The Technomancer

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable experience in The Technomancer, but the data reveals a configuration that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings to hit smooth frame rates. This combination ranks in the 39th percentile of tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The measured FPS shows a clear pattern: this system is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain 60 frames per second at 4K, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The following analysis breaks down the settings, component roles, and scaling characteristics based strictly on the measured data.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings preset for this combo depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the measured data shows a range from 150 FPS at Low settings to 77 FPS at Ultra settings. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 150 FPS is the clear choice, while those prioritizing visual fidelity can still achieve a solid 77 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset at 115 FPS offers a balanced compromise, and the High preset at 98 FPS is also perfectly playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain playable across all presets. The Low preset delivers 98 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The High preset at 64 FPS and Medium at 75 FPS are both above the 60 FPS threshold, making them viable options for a smoother visual experience. The Ultra preset falls to 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS ideal but still acceptable for a slower-paced action RPG. The data suggests that High or Medium are the sweet spots at this resolution, offering a good balance between visual quality and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset is the only one that maintains a playable average frame rate at 54 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41 FPS, and the High preset falls to 35 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 28 FPS. Benchmark results indicate that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises. For a smooth experience, the Low preset is the only recommendation, while players should avoid Ultra entirely. The data implies that this combination is not suited for 4K gaming at high or ultra settings, and users would be better served by targeting 1440p for a more balanced experience.

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. In the context of The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU in most scenarios. The CPU's benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071, indicating strong overall performance.

The processor's 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a game from this era, which typically relies on fewer threads. The measured FPS at 1080p, where the CPU is more likely to be a factor, shows a linear progression from 150 FPS at Low to 77 FPS at Ultra. This scaling suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rate differences are primarily driven by GPU workload. The single-thread performance, as shown by the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, is solid and likely provides enough headroom for the game's logic and physics.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 5050's processing limits the output. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 77 FPS is more likely constrained by the GPU's pixel and texture throughput than by the CPU. The i7-12700KF's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide ample performance for this workload, ensuring that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate across all tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the clear limiting factor in this combo, especially at higher resolutions. This GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2572 MHz, and it has 2560 shading units. The benchmark results for the GPU, such as a Passmark G3D score of 17326, place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-range performance.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a critical detail for The Technomancer. While the game is from 2016, the measured data shows that the GPU struggles at 4K, where the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are likely stressed. At 3840x2160, the frame rates are consistently below 60 FPS, with the Low preset at 54 FPS being the only playable option. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s and 8 GB capacity are insufficient for high-detail 4K rendering.

The GPU's role is more prominent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the RTX 5050 delivers between 77 and 150 FPS, showing that it can handle the game's demands when the pixel count is reduced. However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant drop, with the High preset falling from 98 FPS to 64 FPS, a 35% decrease. This indicates that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are heavily taxed as resolution increases. The RTX 5050's FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p but fall short at 4K, where the pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s becomes a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1721 out of 2825 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the 39th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 39% of the tested systems. The data shows that this is a mid-to-low tier configuration for this game, which is consistent with the GPU's mid-range standing.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T with an average score of 35403, a 0.1% difference, and the Intel Core i5-13600T with an average score of 35305, a 0.2% difference. The i7-12700KF itself has an average benchmark score of 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates that the CPU is a high-performance component, but the combo's rank is dragged down by the GPU.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT has an average score of 20713, which is 1.6% lower than the RTX 5050's 21035. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile has a score of 21379, 1.6% higher. This shows that the RTX 5050 sits in a tight performance band with these other mid-range cards. The combo's rank of 1721 suggests that while the CPU is powerful, the GPU's limitations prevent this system from achieving higher placement in the database. The gap between the CPU's 85th percentile and the GPU's 66th percentile underscores the imbalance, with the GPU being the primary constraint on overall gaming performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 35% across all settings. For example, the High preset falls from 98 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even more severe, with the High preset falling from 64 FPS to 35 FPS, a 45% decrease. This accelerating decline is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is stark. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 150 FPS to 54 FPS, a 64% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 77 FPS to 28 FPS, a 64% reduction as well. This consistent percentage drop across all settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's performance is unlikely to change with resolution, so the fact that frame rates scale almost linearly with pixel count points to the RTX 5050's rendering capabilities as the bottleneck.

The data implies that the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K textures and shading, leading to the low frame rates. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU has enough headroom to provide playable frame rates, but the 4K results are below the 60 FPS threshold for all presets. This suggests that users targeting 4K should look for a higher-tier GPU, while those at 1080p or 1440p can enjoy this combo with appropriate settings adjustments.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the best experience, with average FPS ranging from 77 at Ultra to 150 at Low. 2560x1440 is also viable, with the Low preset hitting 98 FPS and High at 64 FPS, but 4K results are below 60 FPS for all presets.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, a pattern typical of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core of 28838, suggest it is not the constraint.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?

A: The measured data shows 4K performance is poor. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra fall to 41, 35, and 28 FPS respectively. Only the Low preset is marginally playable, making 4K generally unsuitable for this game with this hardware.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. It is 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (score 20713) and 1.6% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (score 21379). This places it in a tight competitive band with these mid-range GPUs.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 98 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS. This represents a 49% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the CPU's 12-core configuration provide any benefit in this game?

A: While the Intel Core i7-12700KF has 12 cores and 20 threads, the game's performance scaling with resolution suggests the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate. The CPU's strong single-core performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2255, likely prevents it from being a bottleneck, but the extra cores are not the main factor in this game's results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination. The data shows a consistent pattern of decreasing performance as resolution and quality settings increase.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 150 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 115 | 98 | 132 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 98 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 77 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 98 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 75 | 64 | 87 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 64 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 50 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 54 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 41 | 35 | 48 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 35 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 28 | - | - |

At 1080p, the Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 98 and a maximum of 132, indicating some frame pacing variance but overall smoothness. The 1440p Medium preset has a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 87, showing a tighter range. At 4K, the Medium preset's minimum of 35 FPS and maximum of 48 FPS highlight the GPU's struggle to maintain consistent frame delivery. The absence of min/max data for other presets means only average FPS is available, but the overall trend is clear: this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring substantial settings reductions to achieve playable frame rates.