The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, places heavy demands on GPU compute and memory bandwidth. In this pairing, the Intel Core i7-14700K provides overwhelming CPU headroom, but the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 acts as the decisive performance limit. The data indicates a configuration that is fundamentally bound by the graphics card, making settings and resolution choices far more impactful than any CPU-side tuning. This is a classic bottleneck scenario where the GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a playable frame rate?

A: The only resolution where the average frame rate exceeds 60 FPS is 1920x1080 with Low settings, hitting 66.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the highest average is 41.7 FPS on Low settings. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach an average of 25.9 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1650's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 8713, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, scores 8746, which is a delta of -0.4% compared to the GTX 1650. This indicates the GTX 1650 is statistically tied with that mobile part in overall compute power.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU scores in the 96th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 70074. In contrast, the GPU is in the 43rd percentile. This massive disparity shows the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Ultra and Low presets at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 35.7 FPS, while the Low preset averages 66.3 FPS. This is a performance uplift of 30.6 FPS, or roughly 86% higher average frame rate, when dropping from Ultra to Low.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This limited capacity and bandwidth are likely significant contributors to the low frame rates observed at high resolutions and settings, as the card struggles to manage texture data.

Q: How does this specific combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1611th out of 1656 tested combos for this game. This places it in the bottom 3% of all tested pairings, indicating below-average overall performance for The Technomancer.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck in this system. The data shows a stark contrast between the CPU and GPU capabilities. The GPU, based on the Turing architecture, has a boost clock of 1665 MHz and offers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. While these numbers are not negligible, the card's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth prove to be a severe limitation in The Technomancer.

The benchmark results illustrate this clearly. At 3840x2160, the card averages 25.9 FPS on Low settings, but this falls to 12.4 FPS on Ultra. This suggests that the card is running out of memory bandwidth and capacity as texture detail increases, causing a dramatic performance collapse. The situation improves at 2560x1440 where the Low preset achieves 41.7 FPS, but the Ultra preset still only manages 22 FPS. The pattern is consistent: the GPU's performance is highly sensitive to settings changes, indicating that its compute and memory resources are being saturated.

The GPU's overall standing is unremarkable, with a benchmark score placing it in the 43rd percentile. Its performance is statistically similar to the NVIDIA Quadro P2200, which has a delta of 0.5%. This confirms that while the GTX 1650 is a capable entry-level card, it is not designed for the high-fidelity demands of a game like The Technomancer at higher resolutions. The 128.1 GB/s bandwidth is simply insufficient to feed the renderer at 4K, resulting in the sub-30 FPS averages seen in the data.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data for this specific pairing is damning. The combo of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is ranked 1611th out of 1656 tested combinations. This is a remarkably low position, placing it in the bottom 2.7% of all systems tested. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's. The i7-14700K is a top-tier processor, but it is paired with a graphics card that is in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs.

This ranking implies that a vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings will deliver a better experience in The Technomancer. The data suggests that the CPU's high multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 score of 44534, is entirely wasted in this context, as the game's frame rate is not CPU-bound. The performance of this combo is effectively the performance of the GTX 1650 on its own, with the CPU ensuring there are no additional frame drops. This is a textbook example of a system where the graphics card is the primary impediment to higher frame rates, and no amount of CPU power can overcome that physical limitation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the GTX 1650's capabilities across different resolutions and presets.

At 3840x2160, the card is overwhelmed. The Low preset produces an average of 25.9 FPS, which dips to 21 FPS on Medium and 15 FPS on High. The Ultra preset is unplayable at 12.4 FPS. None of these results approach a smooth 60 FPS, and even the 30 FPS console-like target is only barely met on Low.

Moving down to 2560x1440 shows some improvement. The Low preset achieves an average of 41.7 FPS, which is a playable range for many. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS, and High drops to 29.9 FPS. The Ultra preset remains problematic at 22 FPS. This resolution offers a viable, albeit compromised, experience only at the lowest settings.

At 1920x1080, the GTX 1650 finally shows its strengths. The Low preset hits an average of 66.3 FPS, providing a smooth experience. The Medium preset is also very playable at 54.8 FPS, while High averages 45.8 FPS. The Ultra preset brings the card back down to 35.7 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. This resolution is clearly where this GPU is most comfortable, offering a range of options for the user.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data suggests that the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This setting yields an average frame rate of 54.8 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. It provides a significant performance boost over the High preset (45.8 FPS) while offering a substantially better visual experience than the Low preset.

For users who prioritize a locked 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only setting that achieves this goal, with an average of 66.3 FPS. This gives a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, preventing drops below that threshold. The Medium preset is a strong compromise, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only the Low preset is a viable option, with an average of 41.7 FPS. While this is playable, it is not ideal for a game that may require precise timing. The 3840x2160 resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset fails to maintain a consistent 30 FPS. The performance at this resolution is too low for a satisfactory gaming experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a high-end desktop processor featuring 20 cores and 28 threads. Its boost clock of 5.60 GHz and substantial 33 MB of shared L3 cache make it a formidable part for any workload. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44534 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2932. This places the CPU in the 96th percentile of all processors, indicating its top-tier status.

However, in the context of this specific game and GPU pairing, the CPU's role is to ensure it does not become a limiting factor. The data shows that it is far from being a bottleneck. The GPU is in the 43rd percentile, while the CPU is in the 96th, a 53-percentage-point disparity. This means the CPU has massive amounts of headroom, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's performance ceiling. The CPU's high single-thread performance is crucial for game logic and physics, but the measured frame rates are entirely dictated by the GTX 1650's rendering capabilities.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals further confirms its strength. It is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.5% delta). This indicates that the CPU is not the source of the low frame rates. In this system, the CPU is a silent partner, waiting for the GPU to send it work. The benchmark results indicate that the i7-14700K is more than capable of handling the game's CPU demands, but the GTX 1650 is unable to keep up, resulting in the low overall performance of this combination.