Barony

The Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B370 combination delivers a highly variable experience in Barony, depending on the resolution and quality preset selected. The recorded data shows a clear ceiling at 4K, where even the lowest settings fail to reach the 60 FPS playability threshold, while 1080p offers a smooth experience across all tested presets. This analysis walks through the measured frames per second data, compares the hardware to its nearest rivals, and identifies which component limits performance at each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles to maintain playable frame rates. With the High preset, the average FPS is 30. Dropping to Medium improves the average to 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 41. The Low preset lifts the average to 47 FPS, still well below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of only 22 FPS. None of these settings approach playable performance, and the data indicates that 4K is simply out of reach for this hardware pairing.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves noticeably. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium follows at 67 FPS average, with a minimum of 57 and a maximum of 78. The High preset drops to 58 FPS average, just shy of the threshold, while Ultra falls further to 42 FPS average. This resolution presents a mixed picture: Low and Medium are playable, High is borderline, and Ultra is not.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs strongly across all settings. The Low preset averages 144 FPS, which is the highest recorded number in the entire dataset. Medium averages 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 and a maximum of 123. High averages 92 FPS, and even Ultra, the most demanding preset, averages 66 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS mark, making 1080p the definitive resolution for this setup.

The scaling between resolutions reveals a steep performance drop as pixel count increases. Moving from 1080p Low at 144 FPS to 1440p Low at 91 FPS represents a 37% reduction, while 1440p to 4K Low drops from 91 to 47 FPS, a 48% reduction. The gap between presets also widens at higher resolutions, with the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p being 78 FPS, at 1440p being 49 FPS, and at 4K being 25 FPS. This pattern suggests that the GPU becomes increasingly saturated as resolution rises, compressing the performance spread between settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i7-14700F sits at the 91st percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close in aggregate performance. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, a 0.2% difference. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, 0.6% lower. The AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, 0.8% lower. These four alternatives would deliver essentially identical CPU-bound behavior in Barony, meaning any of them paired with the same GPU would produce nearly the same frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios.

The Intel Arc B370 is a much weaker component relative to the broader GPU landscape. It sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, a 0.2% difference. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. These comparisons show that the Arc B370 performs at a level comparable to graphics hardware from roughly a decade earlier, which explains its inability to handle 4K in Barony.

For users considering alternatives, pairing the i7-14700F with a stronger GPU would be the most direct path to better performance, since the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. Conversely, the Arc B370 paired with a weaker CPU would likely show similar GPU-bound behavior, as the measured data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck in most scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant constraint in Barony for this combination. The GPU's percentile rank of 5 versus the CPU's rank of 91 creates a stark imbalance. At 4K, the GPU cannot produce playable frame rates even at Low settings, averaging 47 FPS. The CPU, with 20 cores and 28 threads, is far more capable than what this workload requires.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this interpretation. When moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset, the average FPS drops by roughly one-third in most cases. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even steeper. For example, High settings go from 92 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p to 30 FPS at 4K. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where increasing pixel count directly impacts the GPU's workload while the CPU remains underutilized.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average of 144 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to reach high frame rates. The single-core benchmark scores, such as 4958 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 2429 in Geekbench single-core, indicate strong per-thread performance that supports high-FPS gaming. However, even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 66 FPS, showing that the GPU's limitations emerge once graphical demands increase.

At 1440p, the balance shifts decisively toward GPU limitation. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, while High drops to 58 FPS. The gap between these presets is only 9 FPS, whereas at 1080p the same two presets differ by 15 FPS. This compression suggests the GPU is approaching its capacity limit, where additional graphical settings have diminishing returns. At 4K, all presets produce averages between 22 and 47 FPS, with differences of only 8 to 12 FPS between adjacent settings, confirming that the GPU is fully saturated.

The Verdict

This PC can run Barony at playable frame rates, but only at certain resolutions and settings. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS average. At 1920x1080, all four tested presets clear this threshold. The Ultra preset averages 66 FPS, High averages 92 FPS, Medium averages 107 FPS, and Low averages 144 FPS. The best playable setting at this resolution is Ultra, with an average of 66 FPS.

At 2560x1440, two presets are playable. Low averages 91 FPS and Medium averages 67 FPS. High falls short at 58 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The best playable setting at this resolution is Medium, with an average of 67 FPS. Users who prefer High settings at 1440p would need to accept a frame rate below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. Low averages 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The best possible result at 4K is the Low preset at 47 FPS, which is still 13 FPS short of the playable threshold. The verdict is clear: this combination is not suitable for 4K gaming in Barony.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3428 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations in the database. The rank reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations, as the CPU alone would rank much higher if paired with a more capable graphics card. The 3717 total combos represent a wide range of hardware pairings, from integrated graphics to high-end discrete solutions, and this particular pairing lands near the lower end due to the Arc B370's weak 3D performance.

Given the GPU's 5th percentile standing, a rank near the bottom of the list is expected. The CPU's 91st percentile does little to boost the overall ranking because Barony at most tested settings is GPU-bound. Users with this combination should expect performance similar to what older discrete GPUs like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 would deliver, based on the nearest rival data, which explains the low ranking.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 66 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the test suite, and it still clears the playable threshold with a 6 FPS margin. Users can enable all graphical features at this resolution without concern.

At 2560x1440, the best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, averaging 67 FPS. The margin is slim, only 7 FPS above the threshold, but it is sufficient for consistent playability. High settings at this resolution average 58 FPS, which falls below the threshold, so users must choose Medium as the maximum quality level.

At 3840x2160, there is no setting that achieves 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 47 FPS, which is 13 FPS short. The verdict for 4K is that this hardware cannot provide a playable experience at any preset, so users should avoid this resolution or consider different hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Barony at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 66, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: Medium is the best playable setting at this resolution, with an average of 67 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS, averaging 58 and 42 respectively.

Q: Does this combination achieve 60 FPS at 3840x2160?

A: No. None of the tested presets reach 60 FPS at 4K. The highest average is 47 FPS on Low settings, while Medium, High, and Ultra average 35, 30, and 22 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770, 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and 1.4% higher than the AMD FirePro M2000.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck in this system for Barony?

A: The Intel Arc B370 GPU is the limiting factor. Its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs contrasts sharply with the CPU's 91st percentile ranking, and the frame rate scaling across resolutions confirms GPU saturation at higher settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average is 144 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only preset in the dataset that reaches triple-digit frame rates.