Barony

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 3300 out of 3717 tested combinations for Barony. That places this combo in the bottom 11% of the database, meaning roughly 89% of all tested CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects a significant bottleneck, but the data shows that the combo still clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at common resolutions.

The CPU itself is not the limiting factor here. The Core i5-11400F sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 17177. Its multi-threaded results are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7737. The GPU, however, is the weak link. The Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. That is a very low standing, and it drags the overall combo ranking down.

In practical terms, this combo is capable of running Barony smoothly at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles at 4K. The measured data confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint, as frame rates drop sharply when resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all four settings presets. At 2560x1440, three of four presets remain playable. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold.

Because the combo ranks so low overall, users should temper expectations for high-resolution or high-preset gameplay. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable at medium-to-high settings. Pushing to 4K is not recommended, as even the lowest preset only averages 53 FPS, below the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals to the Intel Core i5-11400F, based on average benchmark score, are very close in performance. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17120, which is 0.3% lower than the i5-11400F. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074, 0.6% lower. On the other side, the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, 0.4% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278, 0.6% higher. All four of these CPUs would produce nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Barony, so swapping the i5-11400F for any of them would not meaningfully change frame rates when the GPU is the bottleneck.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the Intel Arc B390 are all much older NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These deltas are small, meaning the Arc B390 performs essentially in the same class as those legacy NVIDIA GPUs in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test. In Barony, a system with the GT 710 or GT 520MX would likely produce very similar frame rates to the Arc B390 at the same settings and resolution, assuming the CPU is not the limiting factor.

It is important to note that the Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) with system-shared memory, which explains its low benchmark standing. The measured FPS data for this combo reflects that hardware configuration. Users comparing systems should recognize that the CPU alternatives listed above would not rescue the frame rates, because the GPU holds the combo back. Conversely, if the GPU were upgraded, the i5-11400F would have ample headroom, given its 71st percentile CPU standing.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Barony at 60 FPS in 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, all four settings presets exceed 60 FPS on average. Low averages 159 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS, High averages 102 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 64 FPS. Medium averages 75 FPS, and Low averages 100 FPS, but Ultra drops to 46 FPS and is not playable.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate is 53 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. That is 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). Performance is effectively in the same class.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck for this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the Core i5-11400F ranks at the 71st percentile among all CPUs. Frame rates scale heavily with resolution, which points to GPU limitation rather than CPU limitation.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1080p?

A: Ultra is playable at 1920x1080, averaging 73 FPS. That is the most demanding preset tested, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 13 FPS margin.

The Verdict

This PC can run Barony, but only at 1080p and 1440p, and not at 4K. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, the playable settings are Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, with the best playable setting being Ultra at an average of 73 FPS. At 2560x1440, the playable settings are Low, Medium, and High, with High being the best at 64 FPS. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, as every preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows that the combo is comfortably playable at 1080p with headroom to spare. Even at Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 73 FPS, which is 13 FPS above the playability threshold. At 1440p, the situation is tighter: High settings average 64 FPS, which is only 4 FPS above the threshold, so users may see occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. At 4K, the combo is not viable for smooth gameplay, and users should avoid that resolution entirely.

Overall, the verdict is that this is a 1080p gaming machine for Barony, with 1440p as a secondary option at medium or high settings. The GPU is the limiting factor, and the low GPU percentile (9th) explains why 4K is out of reach.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following average frame rates: Low settings average 159 FPS, Medium settings average 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS, High settings average 102 FPS, and Ultra settings average 73 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold, and even the minimum FPS on Medium (101 FPS) is well above playable.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are: Low settings average 100 FPS, Medium settings average 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, High settings average 64 FPS, and Ultra settings average 46 FPS. The minimum FPS on Medium is exactly at the playable threshold, while the High preset has no recorded minimum, but its average of 64 FPS leaves only a small margin.

At 3840x2160, the data is as follows: Low settings average 53 FPS, Medium settings average 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS, High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 24 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the 60 FPS threshold, and even the lowest preset falls short by 7 FPS on average.

The frame rate scaling across resolutions is steep. For example, the High preset drops from 102 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, then to 34 FPS at 4K. That is a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The Low preset drops from 159 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction as well. This consistent scaling pattern indicates a GPU-bound workload where resolution directly impacts performance.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 73 FPS. This is the highest quality option available, and the data shows it remains playable. Users can run the game at maximum settings without dropping below the playable threshold on average.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 64 FPS. This is a narrow margin, so users who prefer a safety buffer could choose Medium instead, which averages 75 FPS and has a recorded minimum of 64 FPS. However, the best settings per resolution, as defined by the highest playable preset, is High.

At 3840x2160, there is no preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. The best average frame rate is 53 FPS on Low settings, which is below the threshold. Therefore, the recommendation is to avoid 4K with this combo, or to accept sub-60 FPS performance if the user insists on that resolution.

The data suggests that 1080p Ultra is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering maximum visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate. At 1440p, High settings are the ceiling, and users should expect frame rates hovering just above 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

In Barony, the CPU and GPU roles are clearly delineated by the scaling data. The Intel Core i5-11400F is a strong processor, ranking at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024. The Intel Arc B390, by contrast, ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. This massive gap in relative standing points to the GPU as the primary performance limiter.

The evidence for GPU limitation is the steep frame rate drop as resolution increases. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset drops to 46 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K, it falls to 24 FPS, a further 48% reduction from 1440p. This pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior, where higher resolutions increase the pixel workload and directly reduce frame rates.

The CPU's role becomes less relevant at higher resolutions because the GPU is saturated. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, as shown by the high frame rates across all presets. At 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that the CPU is likely idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. The data shows that the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical across presets, which further confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck.

The CPU does matter for single-threaded performance, which is relevant for a roguelike game like Barony. The i5-11400F has a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024, which are solid numbers. However, because the GPU is so weak, the CPU's strengths are not fully utilized in this pairing. A faster GPU would allow the i5-11400F to show its potential, but with the Arc B390, the GPU limits the combo to 1080p and 1440p gaming.

At 1440p, the GPU is still the main constraint, but the margin is smaller. The High preset averages 64 FPS, which is close to the threshold, and the Medium preset has a minimum of 64 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is just barely able to keep up at 1440p with medium-to-high settings. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to run Ultra at 73 FPS, and the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution in this game.