The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting challenge for modern hardware. This analysis focuses on the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the AMD Radeon RX 9070, using measured benchmark data to understand its performance characteristics. The dataset provides a clear picture of how this pairing handles the game across different resolutions and settings, revealing the balance between the CPU and GPU workloads.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 144 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 94 FPS, a reduction of approximately 35%. At 4K, the average falls further to 52 FPS, which is another 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline as resolution climbs indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is particularly telling. The 50 FPS difference (from 144 to 94) shows that the GPU is working substantially harder to render the additional pixels. This is not a system where the CPU is holding back performance at lower resolutions; instead, the frame rate is directly tied to the graphics card's rendering capabilities. The trend continues to 4K, where the gap between High and Low settings becomes more pronounced, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck.

Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K in percentage terms. This suggests that while the GPU is stressed at all resolutions above 1080p, the scaling is not perfectly linear. The data indicates that at 1080p, there is enough headroom in the GPU to push high frame rates, but as pixel count increases, the rendering pipeline becomes saturated, leading to diminishing returns. For a smooth experience at 4K, users would need to rely on lower settings, as the High preset only manages 52 FPS on average.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 48 chip. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2520 MHz, with a game clock of 2070 MHz. These specifications translate into substantial raw performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290. The GPU sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-to-high-range performer.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is clearly dominant. The FPS differences between settings at the same resolution are significant. At 4K, the Low preset achieves 79 FPS, while the Ultra preset only manages 40 FPS. This 39 FPS spread highlights how sensitive the game is to graphical fidelity options. The Medium preset at 4K produces 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is a playable level, but the headroom for higher settings is limited.

The memory configuration is also relevant. With 16 GB of VRAM, the RX 9070 is unlikely to be constrained by memory capacity in this game, even at 4K. The bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s is ample for the game's demands, as The Technomancer is not known for being particularly memory-hungry. The data shows that the GPU's compute power, rather than its memory subsystem, is what determines frame rates here. The card's performance is consistent with its Passmark G3D score of 25381, which places it in a competitive position against its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, which it leads by 1.2%.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 1114 out of 3696 tested combos in this game. This places it in the top 30% of all configurations tested, which is a respectable position. The combo's ranking is influenced by both the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's solid 1080p and 1440p capabilities.

The CPU, Intel Core i7-14700K, is a 20-core, 28-thread processor that sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 indicate it is a top-tier processor for gaming workloads. The GPU, while not in the top tier, performs well enough to secure a good overall ranking. The combo's rank suggests that it is well-balanced, with neither component being a severe bottleneck for the other in most scenarios.

Compared to other combos, this setup is likely limited by the GPU. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient for the game's requirements, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores. The GPU's percentile rank of 69% is lower than the CPU's 94%, indicating that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing. This is reflected in the measured FPS, where the frame rates are more dependent on resolution and settings than on CPU load. The ranking data suggests that users with a more powerful GPU would see higher FPS, but the current combo offers a balanced experience for 1440p gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target at 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option, as it delivers 60 FPS on average with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset falls short at 52 FPS, and Ultra is not playable at 40 FPS. The Low preset at 4K achieves 79 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is substantial.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 94 FPS on average. This is a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset offers 110 FPS, which is smoother but with reduced graphical quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid as High. For competitive play, the Low preset at 143 FPS would be the choice, but for a single-player action RPG, High is the recommendation.

At 1080p, the High preset achieves 144 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 112 FPS is also very playable and offers the best visual experience. The Medium preset at 169 FPS and Low at 219 FPS are for those who prioritize frame rate above all else. The data suggests that for most users, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best experience, balancing visual quality with smooth performance. The Medium preset is a fallback for 4K, where it is the only setting that maintains a playable frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all settings. Low averages 219 FPS, Medium 169 FPS (with a minimum of 143 and maximum of 194), High 144 FPS, and Ultra 112 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the combo has significant headroom, and even the most demanding preset is well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but begin to show the GPU's limitations. Low averages 143 FPS, Medium 110 FPS (with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 127), High 94 FPS, and Ultra 73 FPS. The 1440p results are a clear step down from 1080p, with the High preset losing 50 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is still playable at 73 FPS, but the gap between Medium and High is only 16 FPS, suggesting that the High preset offers a better performance-to-quality ratio.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly. Low averages 79 FPS, Medium 60 FPS (with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 70), High 52 FPS, and Ultra 40 FPS. The 4K results are the most telling, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The difference between Low and Ultra is 39 FPS, which is a massive swing. The Medium preset is the only one that consistently hits 60 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below the threshold. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant compromises in settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K plays a supporting role in The Technomancer, as the game is not particularly CPU-intensive. The processor features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications make it a powerhouse for multi-threaded tasks, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5.

In gaming, the CPU's single-core performance is more important, and the i7-14700K excels here with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160. This is more than enough to feed the GPU in The Technomancer. The measured FPS data does not show any signs of a CPU bottleneck, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound. The CPU's high percentile rank of 94% ensures that it will not hold back the RX 9070 in this title.

The CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing and handle any background tasks. With 28 threads, it is more than capable of managing the game's logic and physics without affecting the GPU's performance. The data indicates that the i7-14700K is not a limiting factor in this combo. The game's performance is determined almost entirely by the GPU, and the CPU provides ample headroom. This is a well-matched pairing, where the CPU's strength ensures that the GPU can operate at its full potential, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The lack of any CPU-related performance drops in the measured data confirms that this processor is an excellent choice for this game.