Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a performance profile in Barony that is dominated by the graphics card, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested resolutions. The data indicates a pairing where the 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost of 4.70 GHz is more than sufficient to feed the GPU, even at lower settings where frame rates are extremely high. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as the 20,851 multi-core score in Cinebench R23 and a 2,943 single-core score, place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with the nearest rival (AMD Ryzen 5 7500F) being just 0.2% faster on average. This puts the processor in a strong position to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

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

The Ryzen 5 8400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, operating at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration, based on the Zen 4 architecture on TSMC’s 4 nm process, gives it a solid foundation for gaming. In Barony, a game that is not known for utilizing massive thread counts, the 8400F's single-thread performance is often the more critical factor. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,685 show that individual cores are capable, which helps maintain high frame rates. The processor’s L3 cache is 16 MB shared, which is adequate for the game’s data demands.

The data shows that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this combination. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 469. This is a scenario where the CPU is heavily tasked to generate frames as fast as possible. The fact that the system can reach these heights suggests the 8400F's 6 cores are being utilized effectively, but the GPU is still the primary driver of performance. The 8400F sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,005. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, scores 24,964, a delta of just 0.2%, meaning the 8400F is effectively on par with its closest competitor. This parity indicates that any performance difference in Barony will come from the GPU, not the CPU.

The 12 threads also provide a safety margin for background tasks and any game logic that might be multi-threaded. The CPU’s 65W TDP is low, suggesting it runs cool, but this is a characteristic of the chip, not a performance metric. In the context of the measured FPS, the CPU's role is to provide a stable platform. The difference between the 1080p Low (469 avg FPS) and 1440p Low (296 avg FPS) is a significant drop of 173 FPS, which is a 36.9% reduction. This drop is a direct result of the GPU being pushed harder at higher resolutions, not a CPU limitation. Even at 4K Low, the average FPS is 155, which is still very high, and the CPU is not the constraining component in that scenario.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience, balancing visual quality and performance. At 4K, the High preset delivers an average of 99 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K averages 115 FPS, with a minimum FPS of 98 and a maximum of 132, showing a consistent frame time. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 71 FPS average, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 4K yields 155 FPS, but the visual sacrifices are often not worth it for a roguelike where clarity is useful.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 189 FPS average, which is an excellent target for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 220 FPS, with a minimum of 187 FPS, offering a very smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 135 FPS, which is still very playable. The Low preset at 1440p is 296 FPS, which is exceptionally high. For most users, the 1440p High or Medium presets provide the best balance, as they are well above 144 Hz thresholds and offer better visual fidelity than Low.

At 1080p, the High preset averages 299 FPS, which is near the 300 FPS mark and is ideal for competitive or very high refresh rate setups. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 349 FPS, with a minimum of 296 FPS, showing that even the minimum is above 240 Hz. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 215 FPS, which is still very high. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 469 FPS, but this is often unnecessary. The data suggests that the High preset is the recommended starting point across all resolutions, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while still maintaining high average FPS (99 at 4K, 189 at 1440p, 299 at 1080p). The Ultra preset is viable but shows a notable FPS penalty compared to High (71 vs 99 at 4K, 135 vs 189 at 1440p, 215 vs 299 at 1080p), representing a 28% to 29% performance drop for marginal visual gains.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data shows that the 1440p High preset offers an excellent experience with an average FPS of 189, which is above 144 Hz. At 4K High, the average is 99 FPS, which is also smooth, but 1440p provides more headroom for frame time consistency.

Q: How does the CPU perform compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25,005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F’s score of 24,964. This indicates near-identical performance between the two processors.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 4K averages 71 FPS. While this is above the 60 FPS minimum for playability, it is significantly lower than the High preset’s 99 FPS, making High a better choice for smoother gameplay.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 98 FPS, which occurs at 4K Medium settings. This indicates that even at high resolutions, the frame rate does not drop below a smooth threshold.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The RTX 4070 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The measured FPS data does not indicate any VRAM-related issues, as even the 4K Ultra preset maintains an average of 71 FPS.

Q: How does the system rank among other tested combos?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 883rd out of 3,717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 23.8% of all systems tested for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 883rd out of 3,717 tested combos in Barony. This ranking places it in the 76.2nd percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the other configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that this pairing is well-suited for the game. The rank is a composite measure of the system’s performance across all settings and resolutions. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 81st percentile ranking both contribute to this high overall position.

The data shows that the combo is particularly effective due to the RTX 4070’s strong performance. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, has a 0.1% higher average score, but the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of VRAM and higher clock speeds make it more suitable for gaming. The ranking of 883 out of 3,717 suggests that there are many weaker systems, but also that there is headroom above this combo. The fact that the system can achieve an average of 99 FPS at 4K High and 299 FPS at 1080p High shows that it is not entry-level, but rather a high-mid-range performer. When compared to the Intel Core i7-11850H, which is 0.3% slower than the 8400F, the CPU is not a weak link.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing for Barony. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for the game’s textures and assets, even at 4K Ultra settings. The GPU’s base clock is 1920 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These clocks are high, and the 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for efficient operation. The GPU has 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, which are substantial numbers for rasterization performance.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strength. Its PassMark G3D score is 26,927, and its average benchmark score is 37,648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores 37,507, which is 0.4% lower, indicating that the RTX 4070 is slightly ahead of that older card. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 29.15 TFLOPS, which is high for non-ray tracing workloads. In Barony, the GPU is responsible for the significant FPS differences between settings. For example, at 1080p, moving from Low (469 FPS) to Ultra (215 FPS) is a 254 FPS drop, which is a 54.2% reduction, solely due to increased GPU load.

The 12 GB VRAM is a key asset. At 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to hit a VRAM limit, as the average FPS of 71 is acceptable. The GPU’s 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but are not fully utilized in a rasterized game like Barony. The memory clock speed of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) ensures that data is fed to the cores quickly, which is evident in the high frame rates. The GPU’s role is clearly to handle the rendering load, and the data shows it does so effectively, with the CPU providing a robust foundation that does not bottleneck it.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 469 FPS. The Medium preset averages 349 FPS, with a minimum of 296 FPS and a maximum of 401 FPS. The High preset averages 299 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 215 FPS. This shows a clear progression: each step up in quality reduces the average FPS, with the most significant drop being from Low to Medium (120 FPS) and from High to Ultra (84 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 296 FPS. The Medium preset averages 220 FPS, with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS. The High preset averages 189 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 135 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 76 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 155 FPS. The Medium preset averages 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. The High preset averages 99 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 71 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 40 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 28 FPS.

The data shows that the relative performance penalty for higher settings is consistent across resolutions, but the absolute FPS values are higher at lower resolutions. For instance, the Ultra preset at 1080p (215 FPS) is higher than the High preset at 1440p (189 FPS), which is higher than the Medium preset at 4K (115 FPS). This indicates that the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings, showing 296 at 1080p, 187 at 1440p, and 98 at 4K. These minimums are all above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience even in demanding scenes.

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

The resolution scaling in Barony clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this system. When moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 299 to 189, a reduction of 110 FPS, or 36.8%. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops from 189 to 99, a reduction of 90 FPS, or 47.6%. This shows that the GPU's workload is scaling with the pixel count. The data is more telling at Low settings: from 1080p (469 FPS) to 1440p (296 FPS) is a 36.9% drop, and from 1440p to 4K (155 FPS) is a 47.6% drop.

These percentage drops are very similar across settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would not drop so significantly when resolution increases, because the CPU workload would remain relatively constant. The fact that the FPS nearly halves at each resolution step, especially from 1440p to 4K, confirms that the RTX 4070 is being pushed to its limits at higher resolutions. The CPU’s role is to keep up with the GPU’s demands, and the data shows it does so without causing a bottleneck. The 8400F’s strong single-thread performance ensures that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is not heavily taxed, the CPU can still produce 469 FPS.

The consistent scaling pattern suggests that for 4K gaming, the High preset is the optimal choice, as the Ultra preset’s 71 FPS is a significant drop from High’s 99 FPS. The data indicates that the system is not CPU-limited; if it were, we would expect to see a smaller FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p, and a plateau at 4K. Instead, the linear scaling of the FPS drops points to the GPU's rasterization and pixel processing capabilities being the primary constraint. The RTX 4070’s 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate are being fully utilized at higher resolutions, and the CPU is providing a stable platform for these operations.