The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination. The measured data reveals a configuration that is decidedly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, placing the results in context against the hardware’s known capabilities and its standing among 1,656 tested combos.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K shows a classic performance curve, but the rate of decline reveals the workload's nature. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 188.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 123.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 34%. Moving further up to 3840x2160 yields an average of 68.7 FPS, which is a 45% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline at 4K strongly indicates that the rendering load is overwhelming the GPU, making it the primary bottleneck.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, with Low settings, the frame rate falls from 283.6 FPS at 1080p to 184.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 102.1 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 4K performance is often less than half of the 1080p performance points to a pixel-bound scenario. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is being pushed to its limits by the 4K resolution, regardless of the complexity of the scene.

At 1080p, the performance ceiling appears to be influenced by the CPU. The jump from Low (283.6 FPS) to High (188.5 FPS) is significant, but the sheer magnitude of these numbers suggests that the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution. The frame rates are so high that they may exceed the game engine's internal limits or encounter single-threaded bottlenecks. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p, the headroom for the GPU is so vast that the CPU's capability in managing draw calls and game logic becomes the ceiling for performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 102.1 FPS on Low settings to 54.7 FPS on Ultra. This represents a performance penalty of roughly 46% for the maximum visual fidelity preset.

Q: Is this combo more powerful than the average system tested?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs tested, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is in the 87th percentile of all GPUs tested. The combination ranks 136th out of 1656 combos for this game, placing it in the top 8% of tested systems.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K?

A: The benchmark data shows that the i7-14700KF and the i7-14700K have nearly identical average scores, with a deltaPct of 0. This indicates that the two processors deliver essentially the same level of performance in general benchmarks.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS target at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High settings preset averages 68.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 77.6 FPS, and the Low preset averages 102.1 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short, averaging only 54.7 FPS.

Q: Can the system handle high refresh rate gaming at 1440p?

A: Yes. The data shows that at 2560x1440, even the Ultra preset averages 93.4 FPS, which is suitable for a 90Hz or 100Hz display. The High and Medium presets achieve 123.8 FPS and 141.1 FPS respectively, which are well-suited for 144Hz monitors.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080?

A: According to the benchmark database, the RTX 5070 Ti and the RTX 4080 have an identical average benchmark score, with a deltaPct of 0. They are considered performance peers in this database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a total of 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 70,104 is nearly identical to its direct rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, which scores 70,074.

In The Technomancer, this CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. The measured results show that at 4K, the frame rate is heavily dependent on the GPU, as evidenced by the 68.7 FPS on High settings versus 188.5 FPS at 1080p. The CPU is not the limiting factor at 4K. However, the situation changes at 1080p. The data shows 283.6 FPS on Low settings, which is an extremely high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance is sufficient to push the game engine to its limits, but the performance is still capped by the game's engine or the CPU's ability to process the game's logic at those speeds.

The processor's high multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,557, are not fully utilized in this title, which is typical for a game from 2016. The game's engine was designed before the era of high-core-count CPUs. The data indicates that the i7-14700KF's strength here is its high single-core boost clock of 5.60 GHz and the substantial 33 MB of L3 cache, which help minimize latency and ensure a steady supply of frames to the RTX 5070 Ti, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU's work is more prominent.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti holds the 136th position out of 1,656 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places the system in the top 8.2% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high level of performance for this specific game.

This ranking confirms the strength of both components. The CPU's 96th percentile standing and the GPU's 87th percentile standing are both high, but the combination's rank suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for this title. The RTX 5070 Ti, despite its high performance, is not being held back by the i7-14700KF. The data shows that at 1440p and 4K, the system is firmly GPU-bound, allowing the GPU's full potential to be realized. The high ranking relative to the total number of combos underscores that this is a top-tier setup for playing this game, capable of delivering high frame rates at the most demanding resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields an average of 283.6 FPS, while the Medium preset achieves 219 FPS. High settings produce 188.5 FPS, and even the Ultra preset, which is typically the most demanding, manages a very high 143.8 FPS. These figures show that 1080p is not a challenge for this hardware, with the CPU potentially limiting performance at the very top end.

Moving to 2560x1440, the load on the GPU increases, and the frame rates adjust accordingly. The Low preset still provides an excellent 184.1 FPS. Medium settings drop to 141.1 FPS, and High settings average 123.8 FPS. The Ultra preset, which aims for maximum visual quality, still produces a highly playable 93.4 FPS. This resolution offers a sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming, with all presets exceeding 90 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Low preset delivers 102.1 FPS, which is a solid result. The Medium preset averages 77.6 FPS, and High settings drop to 68.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 54.7 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the performance gap between presets narrows in percentage terms, but the absolute frame rates drop significantly, confirming the GPU-limited nature of 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations

For a 4K display, the data points to the High settings preset as the optimal choice for a smooth experience. It provides an average of 68.7 FPS, which is above the standard 60 FPS target and offers a significant visual boost over the Medium preset's 77.6 FPS. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, drops to 54.7 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter on a 60Hz display. Therefore, High is the recommended starting point for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the system has ample headroom. The Ultra preset averages 93.4 FPS, making it the best choice for users with high refresh rate monitors. For those with a 144Hz panel, the High preset, at 123.8 FPS, is a better fit to maximize the display's potential. The Medium and Low presets offer even higher frame rates but with diminishing visual returns.

For 1080p gaming, the hardware is overkill. The Ultra preset's 143.8 FPS is more than sufficient for any 144Hz monitor, and it provides the best visual experience. Users with a 240Hz or higher refresh rate display could utilize the High preset at 188.5 FPS or the Medium preset at 219 FPS to push frame rates even higher. The Low preset at 283.6 FPS is only relevant for competitive play where maximum frame rate is the sole priority. In summary, the data recommends using Ultra for 1440p and 1080p, and High for 4K, to balance visual fidelity with a consistently smooth frame rate.