Barony

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B370 produces results that are firmly below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The recorded data shows an average of 30 FPS at High settings, with no minimum or maximum values captured for that preset. Low settings improve the average to 47 FPS, still short of 60. Medium settings yield an average of 35 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 22 FPS. Across all four presets at 4K, the system remains below the playable threshold, and the spread between Low and Ultra is 25 FPS, indicating a substantial performance cost for each step up in visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves considerably. Low settings produce an average of 91 FPS, which is 31 FPS above the playable threshold. Medium settings average 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. The minimum dips slightly below 60, but the average clears it. High settings average 58 FPS, just under the threshold, while Ultra settings fall to 42 FPS. The data shows that only Low and Medium presets are playable at this resolution, with Medium being the most demanding playable option.

At 1920x1080, the system performs strongly across the board. Low settings average 144 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold. Medium settings average 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings average 66 FPS. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding setting, Ultra, maintains a comfortable margin above the playability line. The minimum recorded at Medium, 91 FPS, is itself above the threshold, showing consistent frame delivery.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is clear: as resolution increases, average FPS drops substantially. For example, at Low settings, the average goes from 144 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction, and then to 47 FPS at 4K, a further 48% reduction. The same trend holds for Medium, High, and Ultra presets, though the absolute numbers vary.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K resolution?

A: No. The recorded data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS across any preset is 47 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the verdictByResolution field lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS on average. It delivers an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. Low settings also qualify, averaging 91 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold.

Q: Is Ultra settings playable at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The average FPS at Ultra is 66, which is 6 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the best settings option at 1080p, as it is the most demanding preset that still maintains playable performance.

Q: How does the system perform at 1920x1080 on Low settings?

A: Very well. The average FPS is 144, which is 84 FPS above the playable threshold. This is the highest average FPS recorded across any resolution and preset combination in the database for this system.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 2560x1440?

A: Low averages 91 FPS while Ultra averages 42 FPS, a difference of 49 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in average FPS when moving from the least demanding to the most demanding preset at this resolution.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The recorded minimum FPS at Medium is 91 FPS, which is above the threshold. For Low, High, and Ultra settings, minimum values are not listed, but the averages are all above 60 FPS. The data indicates that at 1080p, the system maintains playable performance across all presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that at lower resolutions, the Intel Arc B370 GPU is the primary performance constraint, while the Intel Core i3-12100F has sufficient headroom to feed frames. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 144 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the CPU is not limiting at this resolution and preset combination. However, the GPU's performance scaling across presets at 1080p shows a clear dependency on graphics load: Low to Medium drops from 144 to 107 FPS, Medium to High drops to 92 FPS, and High to Ultra drops to 66 FPS. This gradual decline with each preset step indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at 1080p, as the CPU would need to be the limiting factor to see flat FPS regardless of settings.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes even more pronounced. The average FPS drops from 91 at Low to 58 at High, a 36% reduction, and then to 42 at Ultra. The minimum FPS at Medium, 57 FPS, is just below the playable threshold, which suggests that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent frame delivery under moderate graphics load. The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by the 3dmark_single_thread score of 893, is sufficient for this game's roguelike genre, which typically relies on a single primary thread for game logic.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant constraint. The system cannot reach 60 FPS even at Low settings, where the average is 47 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium to High to Ultra shows a consistent decline: 47 to 35 to 30 to 22 FPS. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is heavily pixel-bound at 4K, as the CPU would not be expected to show such a strong response to graphics settings changes if it were the limiting factor.

The CPU's role is best understood through its benchmark scores. The 4-core, 8-thread configuration achieves a 3dmark_4_threads score of 2859 and a passmark_multithread score of 14015, placing it at the 68th percentile among all CPUs. For a roguelike game like Barony, which does not typically demand high core counts, this processor provides ample compute capacity. The data shows no evidence of CPU-induced frame drops, as even at the lowest GPU-bound settings, the system maintains high FPS at 1080p.

The Verdict

This system can run Barony at playable frame rates, but the resolution and settings depend heavily on the target display. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 66 FPS and Low averaging 144 FPS. The best settings at this resolution are Ultra, which is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium are playable. Medium is the best option, averaging 67 FPS, though its minimum of 57 FPS dips slightly below the threshold. Low averages 91 FPS and provides a more consistent experience. High and Ultra are not playable at this resolution, averaging 58 and 42 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, no preset is playable. The highest average FPS is 47 at Low settings, and the Ultra preset averages just 22 FPS. Users with a 4K display would need to lower the resolution to achieve playable performance.

The verdictByResolution data confirms these findings: no playable settings at 4K, Low and Medium playable at 1440p, and all settings playable at 1080p. For a roguelike game with a 60 FPS threshold, this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable at reduced settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13492 and a delta of 0%, meaning it performs identically. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, 0.3% lower, placing it virtually on par. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% lower. These four CPUs would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Barony, with differences well within measurement noise.

The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier graphics solutions. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, a delta of -0.2%, making it effectively equal. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. These GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Barony, though the Arc B370's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 may provide compatibility advantages in other titles.

For users considering alternative hardware, the combination of any of these CPU rivals with the Arc B370 would result in nearly identical performance, since the GPU is the bottleneck in all measured scenarios. Conversely, pairing the i3-12100F with a stronger GPU would yield higher FPS, as the CPU's 68th percentile ranking suggests it has headroom beyond what the Arc B370 can deliver.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3428 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs, which heavily constrains the overall system performance despite the CPU's more respectable 68th percentile position.

The rank indicates that the vast majority of tested hardware combinations outperform this setup in Barony. However, the actual playability data shows that the system still meets the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p on all presets and at 1440p on Low and Medium settings. The low rank is more a reflection of the Arc B370's position in the GPU hierarchy than a statement about playability at common resolutions.

The data suggests that the ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. At 4K, the system falls far short of playable performance, and even at 1440p, only two of four presets are viable. At 1080p, the system is fully playable, but its performance ceiling is modest compared to systems equipped with higher-tier GPUs.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS playable threshold. The closest is Low, which averages 47 FPS, but it does not qualify as playable. The verdictByResolution data confirms that no settings are recommended at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, which averages 67 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS on average. Low also qualifies, averaging 91 FPS, but Medium provides higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold by 7 FPS. The minimum at Medium is 57 FPS, which is slightly below 60, but the average remains above.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, which averages 66 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by 6 FPS. All other presets also qualify, with Low averaging 144 FPS, Medium averaging 107 FPS, and High averaging 92 FPS. Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual quality at this resolution.

For users seeking the highest possible frame rates, Low at 1080p delivers 144 FPS, which may be preferable for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. However, for balanced visual quality and performance, Ultra at 1080p is the optimal configuration, as it provides the full visual feature set while maintaining playable frame rates.