The Technomancer

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i9-14900K pairs a 24-core, 32-thread configuration with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, carries a 36 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache. In broader compute benchmarks, the CPU sits at the 97th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 79,824.

In the context of The Technomancer, a 2016 action RPG, the CPU's raw throughput is far beyond what the title requires. The game's measured frame rates scale primarily with GPU settings and resolution rather than CPU load. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 195.7 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor even at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work. The i9-14900K's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD EPYC 7413 (deltaPct -0.3), the Intel Core i9-14900KF (deltaPct 0.7), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF (deltaPct 0.7). The performance gap between these parts is negligible, and none would produce meaningfully different results in this game.

The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads are far more than this game can utilize, given its age and genre. However, the high boost clock of 6.00 GHz ensures that any single-threaded workload — which older game engines often rely on — is handled with maximum efficiency. The dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support and PCIe Gen 5 interface (16 CPU lanes) provide a modern platform foundation, though The Technomancer does not stress these features. The data shows that at 2560x1440 High settings, the combo delivers 84.4 FPS, while dropping to Low at the same resolution yields 127.1 FPS — a clear indication that the CPU maintains headroom regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows across three resolutions and four settings tiers provide a clear picture of where this combo performs best. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 97.4 FPS average, which is above the common 60 FPS target. High at the same resolution reaches 126.5 FPS, Medium hits 149.4 FPS, and Low climbs to 195.7 FPS. For players seeking the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, Ultra at 1080p is viable, though High offers a substantial 29.1 FPS uplift over Ultra while still maintaining a high frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the picture shifts. High settings produce 84.4 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. Medium reaches 99.5 FPS, and Low hits 127.1 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 64.8 FPS — still playable but with a noticeable 19.6 FPS penalty compared to High. Given that High at 1440p offers a 30.2% improvement over Ultra (84.4 vs 64.8), the High preset is the recommended balance for this resolution. The data shows that the gap between Medium and High at 1440p is 15.1 FPS (99.5 vs 84.4), which suggests that High is the sweet spot for visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. High settings yield 48.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 51.2 FPS, and Low rises to 66.5 FPS. The Ultra preset bottoms out at 33.6 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay. For 4K, the Low preset is the only measured configuration that clears 60 FPS, though Medium at 51.2 FPS may be acceptable for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate. The data indicates that this combo is not ideal for 4K Ultra, but it can handle 4K Low with a comfortable margin.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pair in The Technomancer?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with High settings offers 84.4 FPS average, which balances visual quality and smoothness. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 97.4 FPS is also viable, but High at 126.5 FPS provides a larger margin.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers 97.4 FPS, while High reaches 126.5 FPS. The difference is 29.1 FPS, meaning High is approximately 29.9% faster than Ultra while likely offering similar visual quality in this title.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Technomancer?*

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 66.5 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. Medium and High fall below that threshold at 51.2 FPS and 48.2 FPS respectively. Ultra is not recommended at 33.6 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 195.7 FPS, indicating the CPU has ample headroom. As resolution increases to 4K, frame rates drop significantly across all settings, pointing to GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Medium at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 127.1 FPS, while Medium reaches 99.5 FPS. The 27.6 FPS gap indicates that Medium imposes a meaningful rendering cost, but both are well above playable thresholds.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 30,097, placing it directly alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (deltaPct 0), the AMD Radeon RX 570 (deltaPct -0.2), and the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (deltaPct 0.4). These parts are effectively tied in aggregate performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 755th out of 1,656 tested combos in The Technomancer. This places it in the 45.6th percentile of all combinations — slightly below the median. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning (73rd percentile among all GPUs) rather than the CPU's top-tier standing (97th percentile among all CPUs).

The CPU's synthetic benchmark average of 79,824 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with the AMD EPYC 7413 scoring 80,041 (deltaPct -0.3) and the Intel Core i9-14900KF scoring 79,245 (deltaPct 0.7). This tight clustering means the CPU choice has minimal impact on the combo's ranking. The GPU, however, shows more variance relative to its peers. The RX 7700 XT's average score of 30,097 is statistically indistinguishable from the RTX 5060 (30,109, deltaPct 0) and the RX 570 (30,158, deltaPct -0.2), but the 73rd percentile placement indicates that most GPUs in the database outperform it.

In practical terms, the 755th rank out of 1,656 combos means that a majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this title. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate progression: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 195.7 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 33.6 FPS. The CPU's high core count and boost clock do not translate into a top-tier game ranking because The Technomancer is not a CPU-intensive title. The data shows that this combo is a solid mid-pack performer, well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gameplay but not for 4K at high settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 3,456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, along with 54 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. Memory is provided by 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth with an effective memory speed of 18 Gbps.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 XT scores 22,547 in Passmark G3D and 12,912 in GPU compute, placing it at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 30,097 is effectively tied with the RTX 5060 (30,109, deltaPct 0) and the RX 570 (30,158, deltaPct -0.2). The GPU's DirectX 12 score of 79 and DirectX 11 score of 232 indicate that it is well-supported by modern APIs, which is relevant for a game like The Technomancer that relies on older DirectX pipelines.

The measured frame rates in this title reveal the GPU's performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the RX 7700 XT delivers 195.7 FPS on Low, 149.4 FPS on Medium, 126.5 FPS on High, and 97.4 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, these figures drop to 127.1, 99.5, 84.4, and 64.8 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the GPU manages 66.5 FPS on Low, 51.2 FPS on Medium, 48.2 FPS on High, and 33.6 FPS on Ultra. The data shows that the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game at all tested resolutions, as even the 4K Ultra preset does not appear to be VRAM-limited — the bottleneck is raw compute throughput.

The GPU's 245 W TDP and dual-slot design, with two 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 550 W PSU, are typical for this performance class. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for the game's data transfer needs. The data indicates that the RX 7700 XT is the determining factor in this combo's frame rates, with the CPU providing more than enough headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates across settings are: Low 195.7 FPS, Medium 149.4 FPS, High 126.5 FPS, and Ultra 97.4 FPS. The progression from Low to Medium shows a 46.3 FPS drop (23.7%), from Medium to High a 22.9 FPS drop (15.3%), and from High to Ultra a 29.1 FPS drop (23.0%). The data shows that the largest single-step penalty occurs between Low and Medium, while the High-to-Ultra transition also imposes a significant cost.

At 2560x1440, the measured values are: Low 127.1 FPS, Medium 99.5 FPS, High 84.4 FPS, and Ultra 64.8 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 27.6 FPS (21.7%), Medium to High costs 15.1 FPS (15.2%), and High to Ultra costs 19.6 FPS (23.2%). The relative penalties are similar to 1080p, indicating that the settings scaling is consistent regardless of resolution.

At 3840x2160, the measured values are: Low 66.5 FPS, Medium 51.2 FPS, High 48.2 FPS, and Ultra 33.6 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 15.3 FPS (23.0%), Medium to High costs 3.0 FPS (5.9%), and High to Ultra costs 14.6 FPS (30.3%). The Medium-to-High gap is notably smaller at 4K, suggesting that these two settings impose similar rendering loads at higher resolutions.

Comparing resolutions, dropping from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces the average from 126.5 FPS to 84.4 FPS, a 42.1 FPS (33.3%) decrease. Dropping from 1440p to 4K at High settings reduces the average from 84.4 FPS to 48.2 FPS, a 36.2 FPS (42.9%) decrease. The data shows that the scaling is not linear — the 4K penalty is proportionally larger, which aligns with the GPU's compute and bandwidth limits. At Low settings, the resolution drop from 1080p to 1440p costs 68.6 FPS (35.1%), and from 1440p to 4K costs 60.6 FPS (47.7%). The Ultra preset shows the steepest 4K penalty, falling from 64.8 FPS at 1440p to 33.6 FPS at 4K, a 48.1% reduction.