The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, shows a clear progression from a GPU-bound experience at high resolutions to a more balanced load at 1080p when paired with the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. The data paints a picture of a system where the Radeon RX 6700 XT is the primary bottleneck at 4K, but the sheer power of the Core i9-14900K ensures that even at lower resolutions, frame rates remain exceptionally high. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions provides a definitive look at what this combination can deliver, and the results are consistent with the hardware's known strengths.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K highlights a significant shift in system dynamics. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 112.5 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 70.5 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. This is a substantial hit, but the frame rate remains very playable. The most dramatic scaling occurs when jumping to 3840x2160, where the High preset averages only 41.5 FPS. This represents a 63% drop from the 1080p figure, clearly demonstrating that the Radeon RX 6700 XT's compute resources are being saturated as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this. At Low settings, the system goes from 172.1 FPS at 1080p to 111.4 FPS at 1440p, and then to 62.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, at about 44%. This indicates that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The RX 6700 XT, with its 192-bit memory bus and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, struggles to feed the shader cores efficiently at 4K. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience in The Technomancer, 1440p is the practical ceiling for this GPU, as even the Medium preset at 4K only yields 49 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Technomancer at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows it is not ideal for 4K. At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 41.5. To achieve a more fluid experience, you would need to drop to Low settings, which yields 62.3 FPS. Even then, the frame rate is not consistently high, and the Ultra preset drops to a very choppy 32.3 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The benchmark results indicate that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the High preset delivers a smooth 70.5 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a playable 57 FPS. This offers a much better visual experience than 1080p while avoiding the heavy performance penalty seen at 4K.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 33721 places it in the 77th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800, scores 33493, making the RX 6700 XT 0.7% faster. Interestingly, the older AMD Radeon HD 7950 and RX 480 both score higher at 34050 and 34059, respectively, putting the RX 6700 XT 1% behind them in this aggregate metric.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 172.1 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's output. The i9-14900K's strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7040, ensures it is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance delta between the i9-14900K and its nearest rival?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 79824, placing it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the AMD EPYC 7413, which scores 80041. This makes the i9-14900K 0.3% slower than the EPYC 7413 in aggregate synthetic performance. It is also 0.7% slower than both the Intel Core i9-14900KF and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF.

Q: Does the game favor a particular settings preset at 1440p?

A: The data suggests the High preset is the best compromise. It provides a 70.5 FPS average, which is 13.1 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 57 FPS. The Medium preset offers a higher frame rate at 83.6 FPS, but the visual quality loss is substantial. High appears to be the intended balance for this hardware.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the central component for determining frame rates in The Technomancer, especially as resolution increases. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a total bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's 2560 shading units, clocked at a base of 2321 MHz and a boost of 2581 MHz, are capable of substantial throughput, but they are held back by the memory subsystem at higher pixel counts.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks contextualizes its in-game results. Its Passmark G3D score of 19786 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2435 are respectable, but its nearest rivals in aggregate score include the Radeon RX 6800, which is only 0.7% slower, and the Radeon HD 7950, which is 1% faster. This indicates the RX 6700 XT is not a top-tier card for this game's engine. The frame rate scaling from Medium to Ultra at 1440p (83.6 to 57 FPS) shows that the GPU's compute units are heavily taxed by the higher-fidelity effects. The jump from Low to High at 1080p (172.1 to 112.5 FPS) also shows a significant cost, confirming that the game's visuals have a substantial impact on the GPU's workload.

The GPU's 40 ray accelerators and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are present, but given the game's 2016 release date, these features are not likely to be heavily utilized. The core rasterization performance is what matters here, and the data shows the RX 6700 XT handles it well up to 1440p. Its 165.2 GPixel/s pixel rate and 413.0 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient for the game's demands at that resolution, but the 4K results suggest that the GPU is simply out of its depth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired smoothness. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset provides an average of 86.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the best visual fidelity. There is little reason to drop below Ultra at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset is very playable. The data shows that the High preset at 112.5 FPS is also an option for those with high-refresh monitors, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is not a performance disaster.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the clear winner. It delivers 70.5 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, which is playable but may feel less consistent in fast-paced combat. The Medium preset at 83.6 FPS is viable, but it sacrifices visual quality for a frame rate boost that may not be necessary. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the best balance of image quality and performance for this GPU.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The High preset only manages 41.5 FPS, which is not a smooth experience. The Low preset provides 62.3 FPS, which is playable but requires a significant reduction in visual quality. The Medium preset is a poor middle ground at 49 FPS. Given the data, 4K is only recommended if you are willing to play on Low settings, as the higher presets do not maintain a consistent 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 32.3 FPS is not recommended for any serious gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear picture of performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 172.1 FPS, Medium averages 129.8 FPS, High averages 112.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 86.1 FPS. These numbers show a steady decline as settings increase, with the jump from Low to Medium being the largest single drop at 42.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the averages are 111.4 FPS for Low, 83.6 FPS for Medium, 70.5 FPS for High, and 57 FPS for Ultra. The scaling is more moderate here, with a 26.6 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 62.3 FPS, Medium averages 49 FPS, High averages 41.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 32.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is exactly 30 FPS. The data shows that the gap between Medium and High at 4K is only 7.5 FPS, while the gap between Low and Medium is 13.3 FPS. This suggests that the most demanding settings are not the primary cost at 4K; rather, the sheer pixel count is the main burden.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a powerhouse that ensures the GPU is the limiting factor in The Technomancer. With 24 cores and 32 threads, it provides immense multi-threaded capability, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872. However, this game, like many from its era, likely does not scale perfectly across all cores. The CPU's single-threaded performance is equally critical, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7040 is exceptionally high. This ensures that the game's main thread, which often handles game logic and draw calls, is not a bottleneck.

The CPU's high clocks, with a boost of 6.00 GHz, further contribute to its ability to feed the GPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 172.1 FPS, which is a frame rate that would expose a weaker CPU. The fact that the frame rate scales down as resolution increases indicates that the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them. The i9-14900K's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory also help reduce latency, ensuring smooth data flow to the graphics card.

In the context of the benchmark database, the i9-14900K ranks in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 79824 puts it in the same league as the AMD EPYC 7413, which has a score of 80041. This means the CPU is not a weak point in this pairing. The data shows that the primary constraint on performance is the Radeon RX 6700 XT, especially at higher resolutions, and the i9-14900K provides all the headroom necessary to exploit the GPU's full potential at 1080p and 1440p.