Barony

Barony is a roguelike that leans on procedural generation and systemic simulation, and the measured results for this AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + Intel Arc B390 combo show a system that is clearly bound by its graphics solution at higher resolutions. The data indicates a playable experience at 1080p, but the frame rate curve drops sharply as resolution increases, making the choice of settings and target resolution critical. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, ranks the combo against other tested configurations, and provides practical settings guidance based on the measured FPS rows.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, using a 5 nm process from TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, boosting to 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 per core and 64 KB of L1 per core. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, with a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU. The processor is unlocked, allowing for overclocking, and it sits in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs tested.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 7400F posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and a single-core score of 3072. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 25645, with a single-thread score of 3689. The chip’s average benchmark score is 32750, which places it within a tight cluster of rivals: the Intel Core i5-14600T scores 32707 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H scores 32697 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H scores 32812 (0.2% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32662 (0.3% higher). This means the Ryzen 5 7400F is essentially performance-equivalent to those four processors, with deltas of less than a third of a percent.

For Barony, a roguelike that typically involves heavy logic simulation, turn-based calculations, and procedural map generation, the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient. The game is not known for requiring massive multi-core scaling; instead, it benefits from strong single-thread performance for game logic and AI pathfinding. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3072 is strong, and its PassMark single-thread score of 3689 indicates it handles the per-frame overhead of a roguelike without bottlenecking at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 159 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is stressed more, the average FPS of 73 is still well within playable territory, indicating the CPU has headroom left.

The data shows that as resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K, the FPS drops proportionally, a classic sign that the GPU, not the CPU, is becoming the bottleneck. The CPU’s performance is consistent across the board, but the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions cap the frame rate. For a game like Barony, where the action is turn-based but real-time movement occurs, a 6-core/12-thread CPU with a 4.70 GHz boost is more than adequate. The processor’s 65 W TDP also means it runs cool and draws minimal power, which is a positive for system builders who want a capable CPU without a high-power requirement.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on Intel’s 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. Its memory is system-shared, meaning it uses a portion of the system’s DDR5 RAM, with bandwidth that is system-dependent. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, and the TDP is 80 W.

In the only available benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B390 scores 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), 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). This means the Arc B390 is only slightly faster than a decade-old entry-level GPU, which puts it firmly in low-end territory. The 9th percentile ranking is a stark indicator that this is not a gaming GPU by modern standards.

For Barony, the GPU’s role is to render the 3D voxel-style world, which can be deceptively demanding at higher resolutions due to the game’s lighting and shadow effects. The measured FPS data shows the Arc B390’s limitations clearly. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 159 FPS average, which is smooth. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 118 FPS, and at High, it’s 102 FPS. At 1080p Ultra, it falls to 73 FPS. These numbers are all playable, but the trend shows that even at 1080p, increasing settings takes a toll. Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops significantly: Low gives 100 FPS, Medium 75 FPS, High 64 FPS, and Ultra 46 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation worsens: Low delivers 53 FPS, Medium 39 FPS, High 34 FPS, and Ultra only 24 FPS.

The system-shared memory is a critical factor here. Since the Arc B390 has no dedicated VRAM, it competes with the CPU for the same DDR5 bandwidth. At higher resolutions, the memory bandwidth demand increases, and the shared pool becomes a bottleneck. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (24 FPS) is essentially unplayable, and even 4K Low (53 FPS) is marginal. The GPU’s 2500 MHz boost clock is high, but the low shading unit count and lack of dedicated memory limit its real-world performance. For a roguelike like Barony, which can have complex scenes with many entities, the GPU will struggle to maintain smooth frame rates above 1080p.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium or High settings. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 118, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 136. This provides a smooth, responsive experience with a good balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p High, the average drops to 102 FPS, which is still very playable, but the min/max data is not provided for that row, so the Medium preset’s confirmed 101 FPS minimum is safer for ensuring no stutters during intense moments. Low settings at 1080p give 159 FPS, which is overkill for a turn-based roguelike, but it’s useful for high-refresh-rate displays.

If the user targets 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, with an average of 75 FPS and a minimum of 64 FPS. That minimum is acceptable, but it’s close to the edge of what most players would consider smooth. High at 1440p delivers 64 FPS average, which is borderline, and Ultra at 46 FPS is not recommended. At 3840x2160, no preset provides a consistently smooth experience. Low gives 53 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, and Medium drops to 39 FPS, which is too low. For 4K, the data suggests sticking to Low settings if the user insists on that resolution, but the better choice is to drop to 1440p.

The sweet spot is 1080p Medium. It offers the highest FPS with a confirmed minimum above 100, ensuring no noticeable hitches. High at 1080p is also viable, but without min/max data, the Medium preset’s stability is more trustworthy. For users with a 1440p monitor, Medium is the only preset that keeps the average above 60 FPS with a minimum above 60, making it the recommended option. Ultra settings are only viable at 1080p, where 73 FPS average is acceptable, but the visual improvement over High is marginal for the performance cost. The data clearly shows that this combo is not meant for 4K gaming, and users should prioritize resolution over settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combinations for Barony. This places it in the bottom 12% of all combos, which is expected given the GPU’s 9th percentile performance. The CPU is in the 83rd percentile, but the GPU drags the overall ranking down significantly. The rank of 2601 means that there are 2600 other CPU+GPU pairings that achieve better performance in this game, and only 334 combos are worse. This is a clear indication that the system is heavily GPU-limited.

Comparing to the nearest rivals, the GPU’s performance is within 1.3% to 2.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GT 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710. These are all ancient, low-end GPUs from over a decade ago, which puts the Arc B390’s gaming capability in perspective. The CPU, on the other hand, is competitive with modern mid-range parts, but that doesn’t help when the GPU cannot keep up. The combo rank is a direct result of the GPU’s limitations, not the CPU’s.

For Barony specifically, the game is not graphically intense compared to modern AAA titles, but it still requires a minimum level of GPU performance to render at higher resolutions. The combo’s rank of 2601 suggests that most other tested systems, even those with older CPUs but better GPUs, would outperform this pairing. Users considering this combo should understand that they are buying into an integrated graphics solution that is only suitable for low-resolution, low-settings gaming. The rank is a warning that this is not a balanced system for gaming, and the CPU is wasted on such a weak GPU.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, which strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 159. At 1440p Low, it drops to 100, a reduction of 37%. At 4K Low, it falls to 53, a further reduction of 47% from 1440p. This is a steep decline that is characteristic of a GPU with limited shading units and memory bandwidth. The CPU is not the bottleneck because the FPS scales with resolution, not with game logic complexity.

Looking at Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 1080p Medium is 118 FPS, 1440p Medium is 75 FPS (a 36% drop), and 4K Medium is 39 FPS (a 48% drop from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU is being saturated at each resolution, and the CPU has plenty of headroom. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see the FPS stay relatively flat as resolution increases, but that is not the case here.

At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 24, which is a 67% reduction from 1080p Ultra (73 FPS). This dramatic drop highlights the GPU’s inability to handle high pixel counts with high settings. The system-shared memory is likely the culprit, as the GPU and CPU are competing for the same bandwidth, and at 4K, the memory pressure becomes severe. The data shows that this combo is best used at 1080p, and even there, Ultra settings are the limit. The scaling analysis confirms that upgrading the GPU would yield the largest performance gain, as the CPU is clearly capable of driving much higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo in Barony?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides the best experience, with an average FPS of 118 and a minimum of 101. This offers a smooth, stable frame rate without sacrificing too much visual quality. Low settings at 1080p give 159 FPS, but Medium is a better balance.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: No, not effectively. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only achieve 53 FPS average, and Medium drops to 39 FPS. Ultra is unplayable at 24 FPS. The GPU’s system-shared memory and low compute power make 4K unsuitable for this pairing.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 9th. The FPS drops by about 37% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% to 4K, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU has headroom, as shown by the high FPS at 1080p Low (159 FPS).

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12%. The GPU’s performance is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GT 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, which are all ancient low-end parts.

Q: What settings should I avoid with this setup?

A: Avoid Ultra settings at any resolution above 1080p. At 1440p Ultra, the FPS drops to 46, and at 4K Ultra, it is 24. Even High settings at 1440p are borderline at 64 FPS. Stick to Medium at 1080p or 1440p for a consistent experience.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance matter for Barony?

A: Yes, Barony is a roguelike that relies on game logic and simulation. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3072 and PassMark single-thread score of 3689 are strong, ensuring the CPU does not bottleneck the game’s logic at lower resolutions. The CPU is not the issue; the GPU is.