The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT. This combination of a modern, high-core-count CPU with a previous-generation mid-range GPU creates a specific performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The data indicates a system that is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to struggle when pushed to 4K. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance to help determine the optimal way to run this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 91 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average FPS drops to 60, which is a 34% reduction. Pushing further to 4K High, the average plummets to 33 FPS, representing a 64% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The RX 5700 XT is simply running out of pixel-pushing power as the resolution increases.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 139 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 50 FPS at 4K (a 64% drop from 1080p). This shows that even when the graphical load is reduced, the GPU remains the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the Core i7-14700F is not the constraint here; it has ample headroom to feed frames to the GPU, but the RX 5700 XT's rendering capabilities are exhausted well before the CPU becomes a concern. The result is that the 4K experience is largely unplayable for smooth action, while 1440p offers a borderline playable experience, and 1080p is the sweet spot for this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the decisive component in this pairing for The Technomancer. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it may be a contributing factor to the severe drop at 4K, where memory capacity and bandwidth demands increase substantially. The GPU's architecture, RDNA 1.0, and its processing power, rated at 9.754 TFLOPS for FP32, are the core determinants of the frame rates seen in the benchmark results.

The card's clock speeds play a direct role in its performance. With a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz, the GPU's performance is dictated by how well it can sustain these frequencies under load. The benchmark results show a clear ceiling. For instance, the jump from Medium to Ultra settings at 1080p costs 36 FPS (from 107 to 71), and at 4K, the cost is 12 FPS (from 38 to 26). This demonstrates that the GPU's compute units and texture units (160 TMUs and 64 ROPs) are fully utilized, and each increase in graphical fidelity directly translates to a measurable loss in frame rate. The GPU is, without question, the performance ceiling for this combination.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations for The Technomancer, this specific pairing of the Core i7-14700F and RX 5700 XT lands at a rank of 2741 out of 3696 combos. This puts it in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that it is not a high-end configuration for this specific game. While the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU holds the combo back significantly.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's relative standing. The RX 5700 XT has a percentile ranking of 59 against all GPUs, meaning it performs better than 59% of them. However, in a game like The Technomancer, this is not enough to secure a high combo rank. The data implies that many other systems, likely pairing high-end CPUs with more powerful GPUs, will achieve far higher frame rates. The i7-14700F is performing its role admirably, but the overall rank reflects that the system's gaming performance is constrained by its graphics card, especially when compared to the full spectrum of possible hardware combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a clear matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. The following is a detailed breakdown of the average frame rates, with minimum and maximum data where available.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably in all settings. With Ultra settings, the average FPS is 71. Dropping to High yields an average of 91 FPS. The Medium preset provides an average of 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. For the highest frame rates, the Low preset delivers an average of 139 FPS. This resolution is clearly where this combo is most comfortable, with all settings providing playable to highly fluid performance.

At 2560x1440, the strain on the GPU becomes evident. The Ultra preset sees the average FPS drop to 47. High settings maintain a 60 FPS average, which is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The Low preset achieves an average of 91 FPS. This resolution is a viable option, but users will need to be mindful of their settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed. The Ultra preset averages only 26 FPS, which is not playable. High settings improve this to an average of 33 FPS, still a stuttery experience. The Medium preset provides an average of 38 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS, indicating significant frame time inconsistency. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. 4K is not a realistic option for this hardware combination in The Technomancer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is found at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the High preset is the best choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance, delivering an average of 91 FPS. This provides a significant cushion above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset, at 107 FPS average, is also an excellent choice, offering a noticeable boost in smoothness with a minor reduction in visual quality compared to High.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended starting point, as it hits the 60 FPS average target. However, given the lack of minimum FPS data for this setting, players who are sensitive to frame drops may prefer the Medium preset. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, providing a more consistent experience that is less likely to dip below 60 FPS. This makes it the safer choice for a locked 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset should be avoided at this resolution, as the 47 FPS average will be noticeable.

For 3840x2160, no setting provides a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset comes closest with a 50 FPS average, but this requires a significant sacrifice in visual quality for a frame rate that is still not ideal. The data strongly suggests that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Technomancer. Users with a 4K display should consider running the game at a lower resolution instead of compromising on settings at the native resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a powerhouse that is not the limiting factor in this game. With 20 cores and 28 threads, its multi-threaded capabilities are immense, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122. Its single-thread performance is also strong, with a score of 4958 in the same test. This combination of high core count and strong single-core speed ensures that the CPU will not bottleneck the RX 5700 XT in The Technomancer.

The game's engine is likely not optimized to utilize all 20 cores, but the 28 threads and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensure that the main game logic and rendering threads are handled with ease. The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache also helps to reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial in open-world or action-heavy scenes. The data confirms this: the massive frame rate drops are solely attributable to the GPU's inability to handle the increased resolution. The i7-14700F is performing its job efficiently, providing the GPU with all the data it needs, but it cannot compensate for the graphics card's raw performance limits.

In summary, this system is a classic example of a CPU that is far ahead of its GPU for this specific workload. The measured performance is a direct reflection of the RX 5700 XT's capabilities, and the i7-14700F provides a stable and powerful foundation that will serve well for future GPU upgrades. For now, 1080p is the playground for this combo, with 1440p being a viable but more demanding alternative.