The Technomancer

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 was measured in The Technomancer, an action RPG that launched on 2016-06-27. At 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, the combo produced average FPS numbers from 89 at 4K Medium down to 249 at 1080p Low. The system ranks 744th out of 2,077 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper quartile. The CPU itself sits in the 95th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is in the 73rd percentile among all graphics cards. This suggests a balanced pairing where either part can become the limiting factor depending on the graphics preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and RTX 5070 lands at rank 744 of 2,077 tested combo results in The Technomancer, a high placement in the sample. The CPU, which sits in the 95th percentile of all tested processors, has an average benchmark score of 79,097. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14900KF (average score 79,371, where the 14900K is 0.3% lower), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79,574, 0.6% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77,740, where the 14900K is 1.7% above). This indicates the CPU is competitive at its own tier, with differences under 2% from the fastest alternatives.

The RTX 5070, meanwhile, sits at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40,377. Its adjacent rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, a 0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063, 0.8% better than the 5070), the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870, the 5070 is 1.2% lower), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39,568, the 5070 is 2.0% above). These deltas are tiny—the 5070's position within 2% of four other cards means that in absolute terms, the GPU performance is very close to a cluster of mid-range workstation cards.

Here the combined rank of 744 reflects a strong CPU paired with a mid-tier GPU. The data implies that the CPU is not the limitation in this title; the GPU determines whether frame rates climb or fall. At lower resolutions and presets, the CPU can push frame rates beyond 200, but the GPU becomes the gate after that.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 brings 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, with 672 GB/s of bandwidth, base clock of 2325 MHz, and a boost of 2512 MHz. In The Technomancer, the measured FPS values show that the GPU is the primary component influencing output. At 4K settings, the average frame rate ranges from 89 at Low to 46 at Ultra, a spread of 42 frames per second. At 1440p, the Low setting reaches 162, while Ultra drops to 86. At 1080p, the range is 249 (Low) to 130 (Ultra).

The width of this span—60 frames at 1080p, 79 at 1440p, and 43 at 4K—indicates that the game's render workload shifts heavily from memory bandwidth to pixel shading. The 672 GB/s figure is substantial for a decade-old title; even at 4K Ultra, the game never goes far below 1080, which shows that the bandwidth is sufficient. The scenario that pushes the GPU hardest is 4K Ultra, where the average is 46. The board's memory size and capability are evidently adequate: the 12 GB does not appear to be a limiting factor within any tested configuration, as all tested presets ran without hitting a memory ceiling.

Given that the game released in 2016, one might expect its engine to be more CPU-bound than GPU-bound. The data, however, shows a GPU bottleneck at High and Ultra settings at 1440p and 4K. The frame rates at Medium and Low settings stay above 60 at 4K, indicating the GPU can still deliver playable numbers when the workload is pulled back. The RTX 5070's specifications align with the way the FPS numbers boost when moving from 4K to 1440p to 1080p—a sign that pixel generation is the key limit.

Resolution Scaling

The measurements provide a clear picture of how frame rate responds to each step up in resolution. At Low preset, the average goes from 249 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p to 89 at 4K—a drop of 87% from 1080p to 4K. If we use the ratio, the 1080p value is roughly 2.8 times higher than 4K.

At Medium, the drop from 1080p (191) to 1440p (126) is 65 frames, then to 4K (59) another 67. That represents a halving from 1440p to 4K. At High, the numbers go from 163 (1080p) to 102 (1440p) to 59 (4K). At Ultra, the 1080p figure of 127 falls to 33 (1440p) and then to 59 (4K). Wait, but the data shows 83 at 1440p Ultra and 46 at 4K Ultra—correct: 1080p 127, 1440p 60? Actually let's check the data: 1080p Ultra avg 127, 1440p Ultra avg 83, 4K Ultra avg 46. So the pattern: at every preset, resolution scaling is not uniform; the biggest jump is from 1440p to 4K at Ultra, which drops by 37 frames (83 to 46). At Lox Settings, the 1440p to 4K drop is 91 (162 to 89).

It is clear that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor as the number of pixels rises. The CPU, which has ample headroom, does not show any meaningful impact beyond 1080p; the FPS drops are consistent with the GPU’s brute-force raster task. The RTX 5070’s memory bus width and bandwidth permit 1440p high-activity work, but at 4K, the only settings that keep frame rates at or above 60 are Low and Medium.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows at each resolution and four settings give practical guidance for balancing visual fidelity against frame rate. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 89 frames per second (249 vs 102). The rate increase from Medium (191) to Low (249) is 58 frames, while from Medium to High it is 28 frames. For players wanting a high refresh rate, Low delivers 249, which is the highest measured value at any resolution or preset. If one prefers more detail, Medium at 1080p sustains 109 frames per second—well above most display frequencies.

At 1440p, Medium yields 89 frames per second, while High is 98 (actually 107? Let’s see the numbers: 1440p Low 162, Medium 125, High 107, Ultra 86. So there is a 55-point difference between Low and Ultra. For a balance, Medium at 125 is quite smooth; High at 107 is also acceptable. Any setting above does not break the 60 threshold except Ultra (83) still above.

At 4K, the choice is constrained. Low gives 89 FPS, Medium gives 69, High gives 59, and Ultra gives 46. For a fluid experience, the data suggests that Medium (69) is the optimal balance because High (59) and Ultra (46) drop below the 60 threshold. If one prefers the highest possible quality, High at 59 is playable but shows a 10 FPS penalty compared to Medium. Starting at 4K Ultra yields 46, which is a 33% reduction from Medium.

Thus, based on measured values, Medium at 4K and 1440p, and one of the available presets at 1080p, will provide the best combination of visual quality and performance. The launch MSRP for the GPU is 549 USD, and for the CPU it is $589—both figures are one-off mentions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured in The Technomancer with this combo?

A: The highest average is 249 frames per second, observed at 1440p Low. At 1080p Low, it reaches 249, which is also the maximum across all tested points.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The closest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (delta 0.1% below the 5070) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% better). The RTX 5070 also outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2.0%.

Q: At what resolution does the CPU stop being the limiting factor?

A: At 1080p Low and Medium, the FPS is over 200, indicating the CPU can keep up. Above 1440p, the GPU becomes the bottleneck as FPS falls to below 90.

Q: What is the best preset for a 4K monitor?

A: The data shows Medium at 4K provides an average of 69 fps, which is higher than High (59) and Ultra (46) and higher than Low (89). There is no single best, but for a stable frame, Medium stands out at 69.

Q: How does the Intel Core i9-14900K compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i9-14900K is 0.3% below the i9-14900KF, 0.6% below the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, and 1.2% below the AMD EPYC 7413. It defeats the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 by 1.7%. The differences are small.

Q: Does the game run at a consistent frame rate across all resolutions?

A: No. The tables show FPS values ranging from 46 (4K Ultra) to 249 (1080p Low). The inconsistency is the standard for these measured presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K with a 6.0 GHz boost and 24 cores (32 threads) is a monster on paper. In Cinebench R23, it scores 39,399.5 multi-core and 2265.3 single-core. At the time of the 2016 game, this CPU will provide a huge margin of headroom. The CPUpercentile is 95. The measured frame rates indicate that at 1080p Low, the CPU can sustain over 240 FPS, which is far above the refresh rate of any typical monitor. This is a confirmation that the CPU is not the constraint in any tested preset.

At 1440p High (107 average) and 4K High (59), the CPU load is also not the direct bottleneck. The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads mean it is far beyond an individual task, and the game is not multi-threaded; it will rely on high single-thread scores. The i9-14900K's single-core Cinebench R20 of 2935 and Geekbench single-core 2655 are enough to push a 2016 title to high frame rates. The tiny delta differences with its closest rivals (as above) confirm that this CPU is operating at the top of its class.

In short, the CPU provides a high baseline. Whatever framerate limits exist in the measured data are introduced by the GPU. The i9 will not in any way prevent the GPU from reaching its peak ¼ of the time.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 249 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 190 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 163 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 127 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 89 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 125 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 107 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 86 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 89 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 69 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 59 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 49 |

The 1080p numbers show a huge swing from 191 to 249 when going from Medium to Low, and then a 56 drop to High (163) and a 36 drop to Ultra (127). At 1440p the sequence is 162, 125, 107, 83 (Low to Ultra). At 4K it is 89, 69, 59, 49. The minFps values provided only for Medium at 1080p and 1440p: 148 and 103 respectively. But the avg itself is enough to characterize the behavior. The scale indicates performance is 6 times as high at 1080p Low than at 4K Ultra. So the nature of the gameplay—dense 3D scenes—makes the GPU the primary component that rallies the system. The fact that 1080p Low can hit 249 FPS means that the CPU+GPU combination is not exotic, even though the game is well below the hardware's cooling.