Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a revealing performance profile in Barony, a roguelike that proves less demanding on the CPU than the integrated graphics solution. The combination ranks 2601st out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems, a position driven almost entirely by the GPU's limited capabilities. Across the measured resolutions, the data shows a system where the graphics processor is the consistent bottleneck, with the CPU's substantial multi-threading headroom going largely unused.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at every setting level. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 159 FPS at 1920x1080 to 100 FPS at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then further to 53 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 67% total drop from 1080p. This pattern of diminishing returns with each resolution increase is characteristic of a graphics card operating at its limits, where the pixel count directly dictates performance.

At Medium settings, the scaling shows a similar trajectory: 118 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p (a 36% decrease), and 39 FPS at 4K (a 67% decrease from 1080p). The High preset follows the same curve, with 102 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentages across different presets strongly suggests that the limiting factor is the GPU's fill rate and shading throughput, not memory bandwidth or CPU processing, as the relative performance penalty for higher resolutions remains constant regardless of graphical load.

The Ultra preset presents the most extreme case, with 73 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is barely playable, and the scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 48% performance loss. This indicates that at Ultra settings, the Intel Arc B390 is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and demanding effects, pushing its pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s to the breaking point. The data implies that the Arc B390's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are insufficient for 4K gaming at any preset, making 1080p the only resolution where this combo delivers consistently smooth performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows indicate that Low settings at 1920x1080, delivering 159 FPS average, is the only configuration that provides a substantial performance buffer. This preset offers more than double the frame rate of 4K High (34 FPS) and is the only setting where the system approaches the refresh rate capabilities of modern monitors. For players prioritizing smoothness in a fast-paced roguelike, this is the optimal choice according to the data.

Medium settings at 1080p, with an average of 118 FPS and a minimum of 101 FPS, also provides a strong experience. The minimum frame rate above 100 FPS suggests that even in intense moments, the system maintains playable performance. The jump from Low to Medium costs 41 FPS (a 26% reduction) but the minimum of 101 FPS ensures no drops below the 100 FPS threshold, making this a viable compromise for those wanting better visual fidelity without sacrificing responsiveness.

The High preset at 1080p (102 FPS average) is the highest setting that remains above 60 FPS, but the margin for error is thinner. At 1440p, only Low (100 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, while High (64 FPS) is marginal and Ultra (46 FPS) falls short. The 4K resolution is not viable for any preset, with the best option being Low at 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The data suggests that players should stick to 1080p or 1440p with Low or Medium presets for the best balance of image quality and frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all presets exceed 60 FPS, with Low reaching 159 FPS and Medium hitting 118 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (100 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) are above 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 never reaches 60 FPS even at Low (53 FPS).

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048), 0.2% lower than the Intel Core 5 221E (40144), 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (40246), and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i9-13905H (40313). These are extremely tight margins, indicating the 7700 is statistically tied with its immediate competitors.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a discrete or integrated GPU?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. It uses system shared memory, meaning its performance is dependent on the system's RAM and bandwidth, which is a key factor in its low benchmark scores.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower).

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

A: No, the measured data shows that 3840x2160 is not playable at any setting. The highest average FPS at 4K is 53 on Low, followed by 39 on Medium, 34 on High, and 24 on Ultra. All of these fall below the 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset's 24 FPS is particularly poor.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values are at Medium settings: 101 FPS at 1920x1080, 64 FPS at 2560x1440, and 33 FPS at 3840x2160. The minimum FPS data for Low, High, and Ultra presets are not provided, but the averages suggest these would be lower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 159 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 136, High averages 102 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. This resolution is the only one where every preset maintains an average above 70 FPS, making it the definitive target for this configuration.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 100 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS (minimum 64, maximum 86), High averages 64 FPS, and Ultra averages 46 FPS. The data shows that at 1440p, only the Low preset provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while Medium is playable but close to the threshold, and High is marginal at best.

At 3840x2160, the Intel Arc B390 clearly struggles. Low settings average 53 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS (minimum 33, maximum 45), High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 14 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is only 5 FPS, suggesting that the GPU's shading units are saturated and additional settings changes yield diminishing returns.

The progression across resolutions reveals a linear relationship between pixel count and performance. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at each setting drops by roughly 35-40%, and from 1440p to 4K, it drops by another 45-50%. This consistent scaling indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, with no CPU or memory limitations visible in the data.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2601st out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 11.4th percentile of all systems. This low ranking is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile performance rating, while the CPU sits in the 87th percentile of all processors. The 78-percentage-point gap between CPU and GPU percentiles highlights a severely imbalanced pairing.

The combo's position in the ranking is driven by the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These rivals are all legacy or low-end parts, confirming that the Arc B390 is at the bottom of the GPU performance spectrum.

The high combo rank number (2601) relative to the total (2935) indicates that most other systems outperform this pairing. However, the game Barony is a roguelike, which may not demand high frame rates. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (159 FPS) and Medium (118 FPS) shows that this combo can still deliver smooth gameplay at lower resolutions, despite its poor overall ranking.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample headroom for gaming workloads. In Barony, the CPU's role appears minimal, as the FPS scaling is entirely consistent with GPU-bound behavior.

The 7700's benchmark scores are strong: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930, along with a Geekbench multicore score of 15371 and single-core score of 2525. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8484 and max-thread score of 8479 show that performance scales well with core count, but this game likely does not utilize all 16 threads. The PassMark multithread score of 34470 and single-thread score of 4063 further demonstrate the CPU's capability.

Given that the combo ranks 2601st out of 2935, the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 7700's 87th percentile ranking versus all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 9th percentile, suggesting that swapping in a more powerful GPU would dramatically improve the system's ranking. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and Intel Core 5 221E, all have similar average scores within 0.6%, indicating that the 7700 is well-positioned in its performance class, but this does not help the combo's overall standing.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key specifications that determine its gaming capability.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, making it one of the weakest graphics solutions in the database. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, is a 2011-era entry-level mobile GPU, and the Arc B390 is only 1.3% faster. This context explains why the combo struggles at higher resolutions in Barony.

The Arc B390 uses system shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent" rather than a fixed value. This is a significant limitation, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K even at Low settings (53 FPS), and its performance drops by 67% from 1080p Low (159 FPS) to 4K Low (53 FPS). This behavior is consistent with a GPU that lacks dedicated VRAM and sufficient ROP throughput for high-resolution rendering, making it suitable only for 1080p or undemanding 1440p gameplay.