Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Barony, with the data indicating that 4K gaming is possible but requires settings compromises. The measured frame rates show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions, with the combo ranking in the 80th percentile of tested configurations for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium. The measured average at this setting is exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. While this clears the playable threshold, the minimum frame rate suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS in heavy scenes.

The High preset at 4K falls short of the 60 FPS target, averaging 52 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 37 FPS. Low at 4K achieves 81 FPS average, but the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality while staying at the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is fully playable, delivering an average of 71 FPS. All four presets clear the 60 FPS bar at this resolution, with Low reaching 154 FPS, Medium at 115 FPS, and High at 99 FPS. The Ultra preset provides the maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, averaging 112 FPS. The performance headroom is substantial across the board: Low hits 245 FPS, Medium averages 182 FPS, and High achieves 156 FPS. The minimum frame rate at Medium is 155 FPS, indicating no perceptible stutter even in demanding moments.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F sits in a tight performance cluster based on average benchmark scores. Its closest rival is the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70163 compared to the 9700F's 69996, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is nearly identical at 69875, just 0.2% behind. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, trailing by 0.7%, while the Intel Core i7-14700K at 69355 is 0.9% slower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would produce near-identical frame rates in Barony, as the game's performance at lower resolutions is likely limited by the GPU rather than the processor.

For the Intel Arc B570, the benchmark data places it alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 versus the B570's 20556, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 is effectively a match at 20582, just 0.1% ahead. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, 0.4% behind, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 is 0.5% ahead. While these are the nearest scoring rivals, the desktop-class B570 would likely outperform mobile variants in sustained workloads, though the aggregate scores suggest similar overall capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + Intel Arc B570 in Barony shows consistent scaling:

1920x1080:

• Low: 245 FPS average
• Medium: 182 FPS average, 155 FPS minimum, 209 FPS maximum
• High: 156 FPS average
• Ultra: 112 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 154 FPS average
• Medium: 115 FPS average, 98 FPS minimum, 132 FPS maximum
• High: 99 FPS average
• Ultra: 71 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 81 FPS average
• Medium: 60 FPS average, 51 FPS minimum, 69 FPS maximum
• High: 52 FPS average
• Ultra: 37 FPS average

The frame rate deltas between presets reveal the GPU's scaling efficiency. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 133 FPS (from 245 to 112), a 54% reduction. At 1440p, the same preset jump drops from 154 to 71 FPS, a 54% reduction. At 4K, the drop from Low to Ultra is from 81 to 37 FPS, a 54% reduction as well. This consistent percentage scaling indicates the Arc B570 responds predictably to increasing graphical load across all resolutions.

Resolution scaling is equally informative. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 182 at 1080p to 115 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 60 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). At Ultra settings, the progression is 112 → 71 → 37 FPS, with similar percentage drops. This pattern suggests the game scales resolution demands in a linear fashion, typical of roguelike titles with relatively simple geometry but potentially heavy particle or lighting effects.

The Verdict

Based on the verdict data, this system can run Barony at all three tested resolutions, but with different quality ceilings.

At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 112 FPS average provides the full experience with substantial headroom, making this the ideal resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 71 FPS. The 71 FPS average provides an 11 FPS margin over the playable threshold, which should accommodate most in-game fluctuations. The Medium preset at 115 FPS offers a smoother experience if frame rate consistency is preferred over maximum visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system is limited to Low and Medium presets for playable performance. The Medium preset exactly meets the 60 FPS average, but the 51 FPS minimum indicates that demanding scenes will drop below the threshold. The High preset at 52 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS are not playable by the established 60 FPS standard. For a consistent 4K experience, the Low preset at 81 FPS is the safer choice, though it sacrifices visual quality.

The data shows this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a secondary option for users willing to accept Medium settings with occasional frame dips.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum playable preset at 4K for this system?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves exactly 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at 4K.

Q: Can this combo run the game at Ultra settings in 1440p?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at this resolution are playable.

Q: How much performance is lost moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 182 at 1920x1080 to 60 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 122 FPS or approximately 67%. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium is 51 FPS compared to 155 FPS at 1080p.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates recorded at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 155 and the maximum is 209, with an average of 182 FPS. This represents the only resolution in the dataset with both minimum and maximum values recorded.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 4K playable?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages only 37 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 52 FPS also fails to meet the threshold.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p High compared to 4K High?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average is 99 FPS, while at 3840x2160 High, the average drops to 52 FPS. This represents a 47 FPS reduction, or approximately 47% lower performance when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2985th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places the system in the 19.7th percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly 80% of tested systems perform better in this game. Despite this relatively low overall ranking, the measured frame rates show the combo is perfectly capable of running the game smoothly at mainstream resolutions.

The ranking reflects the fact that Barony is a lightweight roguelike title, and many higher-end configurations achieve significantly higher frame rates. However, the practical impact is minimal since the system already exceeds 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p across all presets. The ranking position is more indicative of the hardware's position in the broader market rather than any deficiency in playability for this specific title.

The percentile data for the individual components provides additional context. The CPU ranks in the 94th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile among all graphics cards. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU explains why the system performs well at lower resolutions but struggles at 4K Ultra, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals distinct workload distribution between the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and the Intel Arc B570 across resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 245 FPS at Low settings, which strongly suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render. The 133 FPS drop from Low to Ultra (245 → 112 FPS) at this resolution indicates the GPU is the primary constraint when visual quality increases. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all processors means it is unlikely to bottleneck even at these high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra shows a similar percentage reduction (54%), but the absolute numbers are lower. The GPU workload increases by roughly 78% from 1080p to 1440p (based on pixel count), yet the frame rates at Medium drop by only 37% (182 → 115 FPS). This sub-linear scaling suggests the CPU begins to play a more significant role at this resolution, though the GPU remains the dominant factor.

At 3840x2160, the situation reverses. The GPU is clearly the limiting component, as evidenced by the dramatic frame rate drops at higher presets. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS represents a 67% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score of 112 FPS, which aligns closely with the 4x pixel count increase. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K because the GPU simply cannot produce frames fast enough to stress the processor.

The preset scaling provides further insight. At every resolution, the difference between Low and Medium is larger than between Medium and High, but the difference between High and Ultra is the smallest. This suggests the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly heavy on the GPU, such as advanced lighting or shadow techniques, while the CPU workload remains relatively constant across presets.

In summary, the Ryzen 7 9700F provides ample headroom at all resolutions, never becoming a significant bottleneck in Barony. The Arc B570 is the performance determinant, particularly at 4K where its 10 GB memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Medium settings but not for higher presets. The data indicates that users seeking higher 4K performance should prioritize GPU upgrades, while 1080p and 1440p users are well-served by the current balance.