The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing. The benchmark data reveals a system that is clearly capable, but one whose performance is heavily dictated by the graphics settings and resolution chosen. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board show a component combination that scales predictably, yet the absolute numbers at the highest settings suggest that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck in this specific title. This analysis will break down the measured performance to provide a clear picture of what users can expect from this legacy game on modern hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience, particularly for users targeting higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 94.5 FPS average, which is a significant jump from the 71.4 FPS seen at Ultra, while still offering a substantial visual upgrade over the 111.7 FPS of Medium. The performance gap between High and Ultra is notable, representing a 32% reduction in frame rate for what is typically a marginal improvement in visual fidelity in a game of this era. For those with 1440p displays, High is the clear recommendation, as it is the only preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS at 63.7, whereas Ultra drops to 47.9 FPS.

For users with 4K displays, the data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not capable of delivering a smooth experience at High settings, with the average FPS falling to 31.3. Even the Medium preset at 41.9 FPS would be a compromise. The Low preset at 51.7 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches playability, but it requires a significant sacrifice in visual quality. Therefore, the optimal strategy is to prioritize High settings at 1080p or 1440p to maintain a fluid experience. Pushing to Ultra is not advisable given the substantial FPS cost, and attempting 4K gaming would require dropping to Low or Medium settings, which undermines the purpose of the higher resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in The Technomancer?

A: Based on the measured FPS, the 1920x1080 High preset offers the best balance, delivering 94.5 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the High preset is the only one to maintain an average above 60 FPS, hitting 63.7 FPS. The data suggests that Ultra settings are not worth the significant performance penalty at any resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER perform at 4K resolution in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows that 4K gaming is a challenge for this GPU. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 29, which is not playable. Even at High settings, the average is only 31.3 FPS. To achieve a stable 51.7 FPS at 4K, users must lower the settings to Low, which indicates the card is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. For example, the FPS drops by 33% when moving from 1080p High (94.5 FPS) to 1440p High (63.7 FPS). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to handle the game's demands.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets?

A: The performance difference is significant. At 1080p, the High preset provides 94.5 FPS compared to 111.7 FPS on Medium, a 15% reduction. At 1440p, the gap is similar, with High at 63.7 FPS versus 73.3 FPS on Medium. This suggests that the High preset is a more demanding setting that substantially impacts the frame rate.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested configurations?

A: The data places this combination at rank 1134 out of 1656 tested combos for The Technomancer. This puts it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is consistent with the RTX 2060 SUPER's age and position in the market, despite the powerful CPU.

Q: Can this setup achieve a consistent 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only on the High preset. The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 High is 63.7, which is above the 60 FPS target. However, the Ultra preset drops to 47.9 FPS, and the Medium preset is at 73.3 FPS, so users must stick to High to ensure a stable experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a formidable processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its high core count and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide massive computational headroom. In The Technomancer, a title from 2016, this CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor, as the game's engine was not designed to utilize such a high core count effectively. The data supports this, as we see performance scaling that is primarily tied to resolution and graphics settings, which are GPU-dependent tasks.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. Its 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its position as a top-tier processor. However, in this specific game, the measured FPS data suggests that this power is largely untapped. For instance, the game's performance is nearly identical in nature to what one would expect from a much older CPU, as the bottleneck shifts to the GPU. The CPU's role here is to ensure that frame times are consistent and that there are no stutters, which its high single-thread performance of 633 in Cinebench R15 helps to guarantee. It is a case of having a surplus of performance that is not fully utilized by the application.

How This Combo Ranks

According to the data, this specific combination of the i7-14700KF and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1134 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This rank of 1134 places it in the 68th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the other configurations but is behind a significant portion as well. This is an interesting result, as the CPU is a high-end, modern part, while the GPU is a mid-range model from a previous generation.

The ranking suggests that the GPU is the primary determinant of this combo's position. The RTX 2060 SUPER, while capable, is not a high-end card by modern standards, and its performance in this game reflects that. The data indicates that this is a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming but is not capable of pushing into the top tiers of performance, especially when compared to systems with newer, more powerful GPUs. The rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations in this title, despite the CPU's capability to support a much faster graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the system achieves 94.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 63.7 FPS, a 33% decrease. At 4K High, the frame rate plummets to 31.3 FPS, a 51% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep drop-off is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The workload on the GPU increases exponentially with pixel count, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth become the limiting factors.

This scaling pattern suggests that the CPU is not a constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a smaller difference between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU's workload would remain similar. The data shows that the frame rate is heavily influenced by the resolution, confirming that the GPU is the component that determines the final performance. For example, the difference between 1080p Low (139.6 FPS) and 4K Low (51.7 FPS) is a 63% reduction, which is a massive hit that can only be attributed to the GPU's inability to render the higher pixel count efficiently.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is very capable. The Low preset yields an average of 139.6 FPS, while Medium produces 111.7 FPS. The High preset is a solid 94.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 71.4 FPS. All settings at this resolution are playable, with even Ultra providing a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more demanding. The Low preset achieves 96.1 FPS, and Medium reaches 73.3 FPS. The High preset just manages to stay above 60 FPS at 63.7 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, falls below the playable threshold at 47.9 FPS, making it less desirable for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 51.7 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41.9 FPS, High to 31.3 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this hardware in The Technomancer, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain a solid frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive component in this system's performance in The Technomancer. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus and a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, it is a capable card for its generation, but its 12 nm process and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are dated. The data confirms this, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. Its 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it as a mid-range performer, which is exactly what the FPS numbers show.

The GPU's boost clock of 1650 MHz is not a significant factor in this game's performance. Instead, the shading units and texture mapping units are the key components, and their capabilities are limited compared to more modern cards. The measured FPS at 4K, which falls below 32 FPS on High and Ultra settings, is a direct result of the GPU's inability to handle the pixel fill rate and shader complexity required. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing, and that upgrading the GPU would yield a massive performance increase, while the CPU would have no trouble keeping up.