Barony

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3300 out of 3717 tested combinations for Barony. This places the combo in the lower percentile of systems in the database, indicating that while the game is playable at several settings, the overall capability of this pairing is limited, especially at higher resolutions. The ranking reflects a setup that can handle the game smoothly at mainstream resolutions but struggles to maintain a consistent experience at 4K, where no preset reaches the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

The Arc B390 is a significant limiting factor in this configuration. Its GPU benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database, a very low standing. This is further emphasized by its nearest rivals, which include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, all of which are entry-level GPUs from previous generations. The CPU, in contrast, is a much stronger component. The Core i5-12400F sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039. This mismatch is critical: the processor has ample headroom, but the graphics solution bottlenecks the system's overall game performance.

In practical terms for Barony, the combo's rank suggests that players should not expect high-refresh-rate gameplay at 4K, nor should they attempt the Ultra preset at 1440p. The data shows a clear performance ceiling imposed by the GPU, while the CPU's capabilities remain underutilized.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining performance for Barony at all tested resolutions. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400F with 6 cores and 12 threads, provides solid baseline performance, but the Arc B390's low percentile ranking and modest compute figures hold the system back.

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the GPU's influence. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 102 FPS on High, 118 FPS on Medium, and 159 FPS on Low, with Ultra at 73 FPS. When moving to 2560x1440, these numbers drop to 64 FPS on High, 75 FPS on Medium, and 100 FPS on Low, with Ultra falling to 46 FPS. At 3840x2160, the decline is severe: High averages 34 FPS, Medium 39 FPS, and Low 53 FPS, while Ultra drops to 24 FPS. This progression, where average FPS nearly halves from 1080p to 4K at identical settings, is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when considering the resolution scaling percentages. From 1080p to 1440p, the High preset drops from 102 FPS to 64 FPS, a reduction of roughly 37%. From 1440p to 4K, High drops from 64 FPS to 34 FPS, a reduction of about 47%. These are steep declines that point directly at the graphics processor, as a CPU-limited system would show far less variation across resolutions. The Core i5-12400F's single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark, its Cinebench R23 single-core result of 1680, and its Passmark single-thread score of 3481 all indicate a processor with enough single-thread strength to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the Arc B390 simply cannot maintain frame rates as pixel count rises.

At 1080p, the CPU matters more relative to 4K, but even here the GPU is the primary constraint. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 73 FPS, which is playable, but the gap between Low (159 FPS) and Ultra (73 FPS) is substantial, showing that the graphics card's fill rate and shader throughput limit the highest quality settings. The Arc B390's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that support this interpretation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400F provide context for its processing capability. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS posts an average score of 19047, a delta of 0% compared to the i5-12400F's average of 19039. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i5-1335U reaches 18982, a delta of 0.3%, and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, also a delta of 0.3%. In practical terms, all four processors deliver nearly identical average benchmark performance, meaning that swapping the i5-12400F for any of these would result in virtually no change in CPU-bound scenarios for Barony. The gameplay experience would remain consistent, with the GPU still being the deciding factor.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all older, entry-level NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, a delta of 1.3% above the Arc B390's 1482. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, a delta of 1.5%. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a delta of 2.5%, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a delta of 2.7%. These deltas are all within 3% of the Arc B390, indicating that all four GPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Barony. A user with any of these alternatives would see similar FPS numbers at each resolution and preset, meaning the same limitations at 4K and the same playability at 1080p.

The data shows that the CPU has multiple comparable alternatives within a narrow performance band, while the GPU's alternatives are all low-end parts from a different era. This reinforces the conclusion that the Arc B390 is the component that defines this combo's gaming profile.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Barony at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The system achieves 159 FPS on Low, 118 FPS on Medium, 102 FPS on High, and 73 FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080. All presets are above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: High is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 64 FPS. Medium runs at 75 FPS and Low at 100 FPS, but Ultra drops to 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, all presets fall below 60 FPS. The best result is Low at 53 FPS, followed by Medium at 39 FPS, High at 34 FPS, and Ultra at 24 FPS. No setting reaches the playable threshold.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals, the GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, score between 1443 and 1463, with deltas ranging from 1.3% to 2.7%. All perform effectively at the same level.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a strong match for the Arc B390?

A: The CPU is significantly stronger than the GPU. The i5-12400F ranks in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among GPUs. Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor in Barony.

Q: What are the average and min/max FPS values at medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 136. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 86. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best overall results. The Low preset averages 159 FPS, the Medium preset averages 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 136, the High preset averages 102 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. Every preset at this resolution is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains solid but the Ultra preset falls out of the playable range. Low averages 100 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 86, High averages 64 FPS, and Ultra averages 46 FPS. The High preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets are playable. Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 33, which is far below the playable threshold.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep across all presets. Low drops from 159 FPS to 53 FPS, Medium from 118 FPS to 39 FPS, High from 102 FPS to 34 FPS, and Ultra from 73 FPS to 24 FPS. These figures confirm that the Arc B390, with its 9th percentile GPU ranking, is the primary performance bottleneck.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 73 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available on this combo at this resolution, and it remains comfortably above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is High, with an average of 64 FPS. Medium runs faster at 75 FPS, and Low at 100 FPS, but High provides the best visual quality while staying above 60 FPS. Ultra is not playable here, averaging 46 FPS.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The highest average FPS is 53 on Low, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. Users aiming for 4K would need to reduce resolution or upgrade the GPU to achieve a playable experience.