The Technomancer

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

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The processor includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus and offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes for CPU-attached devices. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770, and the processor has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

The database places this CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 69,355. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9115 with an average score of 69,288 (0.1% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X with 69,515 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX with 69,875 (0.7% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with 69,996 (0.9% higher). The i7-14700K trails these competitors by margins ranging from 0.1% to 0.9%, which places it in a tightly contested performance band. In multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 multicore score is 33,440.5, while the single-core score is 2,160. The Geekbench multicore result is 20,767, and the single-core result is 2,569. PassMark multithread score is 52,392, with single-thread at 4,472.

For The Technomancer, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining frame pacing and handling game logic, AI, and physics across its 20 cores. The game was released in 2016, a period when mainstream CPUs typically had far fewer cores. The high core count of the i7-14700K means that even at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work, the processor can feed frames without becoming a bottleneck. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation: at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 171, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. This suggests that the CPU is not limiting performance at 1080p, even with minimal GPU load. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which matters for older game engines that may rely on a primary thread for critical tasks. The benchmark results show a single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2,160, indicating robust per-thread capability.

Comparing to the nearest rivals, the i7-14700K sits within 0.9% of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X in average benchmark score. This means the CPU delivers comparable compute throughput to some of the strongest desktop and mobile processors available, which in turn supports consistent frame delivery in The Technomancer across all tested settings. The processor's 28 threads allow background tasks and game threads to run concurrently without contention, reducing the likelihood of stutter. The measured FPS at 1080p Ultra is 87 average, which is higher than the 4K Ultra result of 31 average, indicating that the CPU can push high frame rates when the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1440p Low, the average FPS is 111, still well above typical display refresh rates, reinforcing the CPU's capability to sustain high throughput.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It contains 17,200 million transistors on a 335 mm² die, with a transistor density of 51.3 million per mm². The GPU operates with a base clock of 2321 MHz, a boost clock of 2581 MHz, and a game clock of 2424 MHz. Memory runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed. The card has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. It includes 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 40 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 165.2 GPixel/s, texture rate is 413.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 13.21 TFLOPS. The GPU has a TDP of 230 W, uses a dual-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, and recommends a 550 W power supply.

The GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,425. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile at 27,435 (0% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 at 27,565 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell at 27,135 (1.1% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 at 27,839 (1.5% higher). The RX 6700 XT sits essentially level with a mobile RTX 4070 and within 1.5% of a desktop RTX 3090 in average score, which positions it as a capable mid-range to upper-mid-range card for its generation. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is substantial for a game from 2016, as The Technomancer's textures and geometry are unlikely to exceed this allocation at any resolution tested.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU scaling behavior clearly. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 31, which is below the 40 FPS average at High settings and the 47 FPS at Medium settings. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset yields 57 FPS average, while High produces 73 FPS and Medium produces 86 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset reaches 87 FPS average, High reaches 112 FPS, and Medium reaches 131 FPS. The largest performance drop occurs between 1080p and 4K, with the Ultra preset falling from 87 FPS to 31 FPS, a reduction of 56 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions and settings, as the CPU maintains high scores regardless of resolution.

The 12 GB VRAM buffer is more than sufficient for The Technomancer, which was designed for hardware available in 2016. Even at 4K Ultra, the VRAM requirement is unlikely to approach 12 GB, so the card does not face memory capacity constraints. Instead, the raw compute throughput of 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 becomes the deciding factor. The boost clock of 2581 MHz ensures that the GPU operates at high efficiency during sustained loads, but the 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS shows that the architecture's shading and texture units are saturated at that configuration. The card's 64 ROPs provide a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s, which supports the observed frame rates at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU and GPU combination in The Technomancer?

A: The highest average FPS is 171, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69,355, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X's score of 69,515.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS in the measured dataset?

A: The lowest average FPS is 31, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the RX 6700 XT outperform the RTX 3090 in average GPU benchmark score?

A: No, the RX 6700 XT scores 27,425, which is 0.5% lower than the RTX 3090's score of 27,565.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 131, while at 4K Medium, it is 47, representing a reduction of 84 FPS.

Q: How many cores does the i7-14700K have, and what is its boost clock?

A: The i7-14700K has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Technomancer covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The dataset includes average FPS for all configurations, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded only for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 171 FPS, which is the highest value in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 and maximum of 151. High settings average 112 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a decline of 84 FPS, from 171 down to 87, indicating that each settings tier imposes additional GPU workload. The Medium preset's recorded minimum of 111 FPS is equal to the High preset's average, which suggests that frame time variance exists but remains within a playable range.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 111 FPS, dropping by 60 FPS compared to 1080p Low. Medium averages 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and maximum of 98. High averages 73 FPS, and Ultra averages 57 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 54 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 73 FPS matches the High preset's average, again showing some frame time overlap between settings tiers. The average FPS at 1440p Ultra of 57 is still above the 40 FPS threshold, indicating playable performance at this resolution with maximum settings.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is exactly 110 FPS lower than 1080p Low. Medium averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 54. High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The decline from Low to Ultra at 4K is 30 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 40 FPS matches the High preset's average exactly, demonstrating that the GPU is heavily loaded at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 31 FPS falls below the 40 FPS threshold, indicating a challenging configuration for the RX 6700 XT.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently records both minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions, providing the most complete picture of frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the spread between minimum and maximum is 40 FPS (111 to 151). At 1440p Medium, the spread is 25 FPS (73 to 98). At 4K Medium, the spread is 14 FPS (40 to 54). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, reducing frame time variability as it operates near its limits.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the scaling behavior of this CPU and GPU combination. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 171 at 1080p to 111 at 1440p, then to 61 at 4K. This represents a reduction of 60 FPS from 1080p to 1440p (35.1% lower) and an additional 50 FPS from 1440p to 4K (45.0% lower). The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 110 FPS, which is a 64.3% reduction.

At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 131 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, then to 47 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 45 FPS (34.4% lower), and from 1440p to 4K is 39 FPS (45.3% lower). The total reduction from 1080p Medium to 4K Medium is 84 FPS (64.1% lower). At High settings, the average FPS falls from 112 at 1080p to 73 at 1440p, then to 40 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 39 FPS (34.8% lower), and from 1440p to 4K is 33 FPS (45.2% lower). The total reduction is 72 FPS (64.3% lower).

At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 87 at 1080p to 57 at 1440p, then to 31 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 30 FPS (34.5% lower), and from 1440p to 4K is 26 FPS (45.6% lower). The total reduction is 56 FPS (64.4% lower). Across all four settings presets, the percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistently around 34.4% to 35.1%, and from 1440p to 4K is consistently around 45.0% to 45.6%. This uniformity indicates that the scaling pattern is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

The consistent percentage reductions suggest that the GPU is the limiting component in this configuration. At 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates above 170 FPS, but the GPU's workload increases proportionally with pixel count. The 4K resolution contains four times the pixels of 1080p, and the observed FPS reductions align with the increased pixel throughput requirements. The RX 6700 XT's 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 performance determine how quickly it can process the additional pixels. The data shows that the GPU's compute resources are saturated at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the average FPS drops to 31, which is below the 40 FPS average at High settings.

The 1440p results represent a balanced point for this combination. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 57, which is nearly double the 4K Ultra result of 31. The 1440p Medium result of 86 FPS is 39 FPS higher than the 4K Medium result of 47. This indicates that 1440p provides a substantial performance headroom over 4K while still delivering higher visual fidelity than 1080p. The scaling data confirms that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rates decline in direct proportion to pixel count rather than showing signs of CPU thread saturation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear basis for selecting the optimal settings preset for this hardware combination. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers 87 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 57 FPS average, which is below 60 FPS but still playable for most titles. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers 31 FPS average, which falls below the playable threshold for smooth gameplay.

The High preset offers a better balance at higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, High delivers 112 FPS average, which is 25 FPS higher than Ultra. At 2560x1440, High delivers 73 FPS average, which is 16 FPS higher than Ultra and crosses the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, High delivers 40 FPS average, which is 9 FPS higher than Ultra and reaches the minimum playable threshold. The High preset at 1440p provides 73 FPS average, which is a 28.1% improvement over Ultra at the same resolution.

The Medium preset provides the most consistent frame pacing across all resolutions, as it is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1920x1080, Medium averages 131 FPS with a minimum of 111, which ensures no frame drops below 111 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 86 FPS with a minimum of 73, maintaining a floor above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, Medium averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40, which matches the High preset's average at the same resolution. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 47 FPS average, which is 7 FPS higher than High and 16 FPS higher than Ultra.

The Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 171 FPS average, which is the highest recorded value and indicates that the CPU is fully capable of high frame rates when GPU load is minimal. However, the Low preset sacrifices visual quality for performance, and the Medium preset at 1080p delivers 131 FPS average while providing better visuals. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity for this combination. At 1440p Medium, the 86 FPS average is well above 60 FPS, and the minimum of 73 FPS ensures no significant frame drops. At 1080p Medium, the 131 FPS average and 111 FPS minimum provide a smooth experience with headroom for display refresh rates up to 120 Hz.

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, the High preset at 1440p is the most viable option, as it delivers 73 FPS average while maintaining higher settings than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 57 FPS average, is marginally below the 60 FPS threshold and may exhibit occasional frame rate dips. The 4K resolution with any preset above Low falls below 60 FPS average, with the Medium preset at 47 FPS being the most playable option. The database's measured data indicates that the RX 6700 XT is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with Medium to High settings, where it delivers frame rates that comfortably exceed playability thresholds.