Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Barony, a roguelike title that scales heavily with raw frame generation. The data shows a system that is overqualified for 1080p gaming but still presents a compelling argument for 4K high-refresh-rate displays. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four quality presets, examining the distinct roles the CPU and GPU play in achieving these results.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Barony?*

A: This combo ranks 1336 out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Does this system hit playable frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the combination achieves 76 FPS on High settings and 119 FPS on Low settings, indicating that 4K gaming is viable, especially when turning down the preset.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded?

A: The highest recorded average is 360 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, demonstrating the system's massive headroom at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H. It is 0.4% slower than the AMD EPYC 9474F.

Q: How does the GPU compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, which is 1.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129.

Q: Does the system maintain high minimum frame rates?

A: The data shows strong minimums. At 2560x1440 on Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 144, while at 1920x1080 on Medium it is 228, suggesting consistent frame pacing without major dips.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary driver of performance in Barony, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial buffer for texture data, allowing the game to run at Ultra settings without apparent memory constraints. The memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is a key asset, ensuring that the large data streams required by high-resolution textures and effects do not become a bottleneck.

The GPU's clock speeds are notable, with a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The "game" clock of 2041 MHz suggests a sustained performance level that aligns with the measured FPS averages. The architecture's 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units provide the raw compute power necessary for the game's rendering tasks. The pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are directly reflected in the system's ability to push high frame rates.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 58th among all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer, but its average benchmark score of 15852 shows it is competitive. The nearest rival data is telling: the RX 7700 is only 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is a well-regarded card. This proximity in synthetic benchmarks translates to the measured in-game results. At 4K Ultra, the GPU manages 54 FPS, which is demanding for any card. However, the jump to 76 FPS at High and 88 FPS at Medium shows how the GPU's strengths are more effectively utilized when the computational load is reduced.

The data suggests that the RX 7700 is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the frame rate drops to 54 FPS, a level that is often considered the threshold for smooth gameplay. The fact that it can scale up to 119 FPS at 4K Low proves that the GPU has significant untapped potential when not constrained by the most demanding settings. The GPU's role becomes less dominant at lower resolutions, where the CPU can keep up with its output, but at 4K, the GPU's capabilities are the primary determinant of the final frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides a solid foundation for Barony. While the game is not heavily threaded, the CPU's Zen 4 architecture and 4 nm process node ensure that it can handle the game's logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. The base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are high enough to maintain high single-threaded performance, which is often crucial for game simulation.

The CPU's cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3 cache. This hierarchy is efficient for gaming workloads, providing quick access to frequently used data. The 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth on a dual-channel DDR5 interface is sufficient to feed the CPU and GPU with data, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU can generate frames at a very high rate.

The CPU's benchmark scores illustrate its capability. A Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943 show strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks. The 3DMark single-thread score of 951 is a critical indicator for gaming, as it demonstrates the CPU's ability to process instructions quickly. The PassMark single-thread score of 3685 further corroborates this.

In Barony, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p. At this resolution, the GPU is not as heavily taxed, and the CPU must work harder to feed it frames. The measured 360 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the CPU is capable of very high throughput. The CPU's percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs places it ahead of many older and lower-end models, ensuring it will not hold back the GPU in most scenarios.

The CPU's nearest rivals show a tight cluster of performance. It is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i7-13620H. This indicates that, while the CPU is not a top-tier part, it is in a performance bracket where differences are minimal. For Barony, the 8400F's 12 threads are ample, and the high clock speeds ensure that the game's main thread is processed with minimal latency.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear sweet spot for this combination. At 4K, the High preset at 76 FPS is arguably the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, which, while playable, sacrifices the smoothness that the system is capable of. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 4K delivers a remarkable 119 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 145 FPS, which is an excellent experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset hits 169 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays, with a minimum of 144 FPS ensuring no drops below the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 104 FPS is also viable, but it is close to the 100 FPS mark where the benefits of higher settings begin to outweigh the marginal frame rate loss.

For 1080p, the data shows that the system is so powerful that the choice of preset is purely about visual preference. The Low preset at 360 FPS is overkill for any current monitor. The Medium preset at 268 FPS is still far beyond what most displays can show. Even the Ultra preset at 165 FPS is more than sufficient for a 165Hz monitor. The recommendation for 1080p is to use the Ultra or High preset, as the system has ample headroom to maintain high frame rates while maximizing visual quality.

The most compelling argument is for the High preset at 1440p. It provides a 145 FPS average, which is a great match for popular 144Hz and 165Hz monitors, and it avoids the diminishing returns of the Ultra preset. At 4K, choosing High over Ultra yields a 22 FPS improvement, which is a significant jump in perceived smoothness. The data suggests that the system is best utilized by targeting High settings at 1440p or 4K, rather than pushing for Ultra at lower resolutions where the visual differences are less noticeable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations, this CPU and GPU pairing ranks 1336 out of 2935. This places it in the 45th percentile of all systems, meaning it outperforms more than half of the tested configurations. This is a respectable position, given that the GPU is not a top-tier model and the CPU is a mainstream part.

The ranking is a direct result of the combination's strong performance at 1440p and 4K. While the raw CPU and GPU scores are mid-pack, the synergy between the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is effective for Barony. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance does not bottleneck the GPU, and the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth prevent memory-related dips that could hurt the ranking.

The rank of 1336 suggests that there is a large number of faster combinations, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is a close rival. However, the gap in performance is not enormous. The system is clearly capable of delivering a high-end experience, especially when the settings are tuned appropriately. The combo rank confirms the balance of the pair, as a significantly weaker CPU or GPU would likely result in a much lower rank due to a bottleneck.

It is important to note that this rank is specific to Barony. In other games, the combination might rank higher or lower depending on how well they utilize the CPU's threads or the GPU's specific architectural features. For this roguelike, the rank of 1336 out of 2935 is a solid showing, indicating a system that is well above average for the task.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the system produces an average of 360 FPS on Low, 268 FPS on Medium, 230 FPS on High, and 165 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 228 and a maximum of 308, showing a tight frame range. At 2560x1440, the averages are 227 FPS on Low, 169 FPS on Medium, 145 FPS on High, and 104 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down as expected. The system achieves 119 FPS on Low, 88 FPS on Medium, 76 FPS on High, and 54 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, which is a notable spread. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent pattern of decreasing frame rates as the graphical load increases. The difference between Low and Ultra is 195 FPS at 1080p, 123 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K.

This breakdown highlights the system's versatility. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that they are virtually uncapped, allowing for maximum refresh rates. At 1440p, the system hits the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, with High settings providing a 145 FPS average. At 4K, the system is still capable of smooth gameplay, but the player must be more selective with settings, choosing between the high frame rate of the Low preset and the visual fidelity of the High preset. The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding and the Low preset being the least.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is a critical indicator of where the bottleneck lies. Between 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by 37% on the High preset (from 230 to 145). The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe, with the High preset falling by 48% (from 145 to 76). This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the Low preset dropping from 360 to 227 (37%) and then to 119 (48%). This non-linear scaling points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain very high frame rates. The fact that the 1080p scores are so high suggests that the CPU is doing its job efficiently. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU must work harder to render more pixels. The steep drop between 1440p and 4K indicates that the RX 7700 is hitting its limits in terms of raw pixel throughput. The 4K results show that the GPU is the dominant constraint, as the CPU has already demonstrated it can push well over 200 FPS at lower resolutions.

The data suggests a balanced system that becomes GPU-bound at 1440p and heavily GPU-bound at 4K. The CPU's high clock speeds and strong single-threaded performance ensure it is not a limiting factor in this game. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller difference between the 1440p and 4K results, as the GPU would be waiting on the CPU. Instead, the significant drop at 4K confirms that the GPU is the component that dictates the final frame rate at high resolutions. For players who want to use a 4K display, the system can do so, but they must accept either lower settings or a lower frame rate. For 1440p and below, the system is optimally balanced, providing excellent performance without a clear bottleneck.