The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents an interesting test for the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, yet shows the CPU's capacity to push frame rates at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the optimal settings are for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the data is the dramatic impact of resolution on frame rates, confirming a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 140.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings drops the average to 95 FPS, a reduction of 45.9 FPS. Stepping up to 4K at Low settings yields an average of 50.3 FPS, which is a further 44.7 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern shows that the RX 6600 XT's rendering throughput is the primary factor; as the pixel workload increases, the frame rate falls almost linearly.

The trend continues across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rate descends from 91 FPS at 1080p to 62.2 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 33.1 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K on High settings is 57.9 FPS, indicating a significant performance penalty. The data suggests that at 4K, the GPU is saturated, as even the jump from Low (50.3 FPS) to Medium (41.8 FPS) is a 8.5 FPS drop, while the jump from Medium to High (33.1 FPS) is another 8.7 FPS drop. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors here.

Conversely, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p on lower settings shows less severe relative drops, but still points to the GPU as the bottleneck. The Intel Core i9-14900K, with its high clock speeds and numerous cores, is not the limiting factor in these tests, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low. The 140.9 FPS result at 1080p Low shows the CPU can feed the GPU adequately; the subsequent decline in FPS as resolution increases is a direct consequence of the GPU's workload. The data indicates that users seeking high refresh rates will need to stay at 1080p, while 4K is only viable for a playable, albeit not high-refresh, experience on lower settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core processor with 32 threads, a base clock of 3.20 GHz, and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872 and a single-core score of 7040. It sits in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 79824 places it near rivals like the AMD EPYC 7413, which has an average score of 80041 (a 0.3% difference), and the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79245 (a 0.7% difference). This level of processing power is far beyond what a 2016 title like The Technomancer can saturate.

In this game's context, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, but the measured FPS data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the 140.9 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls without issue. The high core count and boost clock ensure that even in demanding scenes, the processor is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU. The difference between the 1080p Low (140.9 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (74.6 FPS) results is a 66.3 FPS gap, which is almost entirely due to the increased GPU load from higher graphical fidelity, not CPU limitations.

The data does not include CPU-specific frame time metrics, but the consistent performance scaling with resolution is a strong indicator that the i9-14900K is not the constraining component. A CPU bottleneck would typically manifest as similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU would be the limiting factor regardless of GPU load. Since the FPS changes drastically with resolution, it confirms the RX 6600 XT is the performance boundary. The i9-14900K's role here is to provide a robust foundation, ensuring that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached without being hampered by processing delays.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 74.6.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 140.9, while at 4K Low, it is 50.3. This makes the 1080p result 90.6 FPS higher than the 4K result.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data indicates the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases to 3840x2160, from 91 FPS at 1080p High to 33.1 FPS at 4K High, showing the GPU is saturated.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 73.1 FPS, while the High preset yields 62.2 FPS. The difference is 10.9 FPS in favor of Medium.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1188 out of 1656 total tested combos for The Technomancer.

Q: What is the best performance result in the entire dataset?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 140.9, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides average FPS values for three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is highest, with the Low preset achieving 140.9 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 107.7 FPS, then High at 91 FPS, and finally Ultra at 74.6 FPS. This shows a consistent 16-17 FPS drop between each successive settings tier, except for the gap from High to Ultra, which is also 16.4 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across the board. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is a 45.9 FPS reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium at 1440p averages 73.1 FPS, a 34.6 FPS drop from its 1080p counterpart. High settings at 1440p produce 62.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45.4 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 33% to 39% depending on the preset, confirming the GPU's workload is the primary constraint.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset is the only one that stays above 50 FPS, averaging 50.3 FPS. Medium averages 41.8 FPS, High drops to 33.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 21.4 FPS. These numbers show that 4K gaming with this GPU requires significant compromises in visual quality to maintain playable frame rates, and even then, the experience will not be as smooth as at lower resolutions. No minimum or maximum FPS data was provided, so the analysis is based solely on average FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 1188 out of 1656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the lower third of all configurations. This ranking is likely due to the GPU's mid-range positioning; the RX 6600 XT sits in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, but its average benchmark score of 27985 is close to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 27956 (a 0.1% difference). This suggests that while the GPU is capable, it is not a high-end part.

The CPU, in contrast, is a top-tier component. Its 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs and its proximity to rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF (which has an average score of 79240, a 0.7% difference) show it is a performance leader. The low combo rank, therefore, does not reflect the CPU's capability but rather the GPU's limitations in this specific game. In a title that is more CPU-intensive, this pairing might rank higher. However, for The Technomancer, the results indicate that the GPU holds the combo back, especially at higher resolutions where the graphics card's memory bandwidth and processing power are insufficient to deliver high frame rates. The rank suggests that many other tested systems, likely with more powerful GPUs, achieve better overall performance in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's target resolution and performance preference. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the 1080p resolution is the only one that offers this on higher settings. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves an average of 91 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 74.6 FPS, is also viable for users who prioritize image quality over a higher frame rate, as it still maintains a playable average.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset, averaging 73.1 FPS, is the recommended choice for achieving a fluid experience. The High preset at 1440p, with 62.2 FPS, is also acceptable but is closer to the 60 FPS line. The Ultra preset at this resolution, averaging 45.4 FPS, falls below the ideal threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering in action-heavy scenes. For 4K gaming, the data shows that this combo struggles. The Low preset, with an average of 50.3 FPS, is the only option that approaches playability, but it requires sacrificing most graphical features. The Medium preset at 4K, at 41.8 FPS, is playable but not smooth.

For the best overall experience, the 1080p High preset is the standout choice, offering a high frame rate with good visual fidelity. If a user has a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset provides the best balance. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this GPU if a consistent 60 FPS is required, as even the lowest settings cannot reach that mark. The data consistently shows that the RX 6600 XT is the limiting factor, so lowering the resolution has a more significant impact on performance than adjusting settings within a single resolution.