Barony

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B370 lands at rank 2701 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. That places this configuration in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a surprisingly low standing for a combination featuring a high-end desktop processor. The ranking suggests that the integrated-class GPU is the dominant constraint, dragging what would otherwise be a capable CPU platform into the lower echelons of game performance.

The combo's percentile position becomes more telling when considering the CPU's own standing. The Ryzen 7 7700X holds an 85th percentile rank among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,909. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35,802, 0.3% behind), Intel Core 7 250H (35,728, 0.5% behind), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (35,719, 0.5% behind), and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (35,670, 0.7% behind). This is a processor that sits comfortably near the top of the CPU hierarchy, yet the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs effectively negates that advantage in gaming workloads.

The data implies a severe bottleneck scenario. In Barony, a roguelike title that typically responds well to strong single-thread performance, this combo still fails to climb the rankings because the GPU simply cannot deliver frames fast enough to utilize the CPU's capabilities. The rank of 2701 is a clear signal that this pairing is unbalanced for gaming, with the GPU acting as a hard ceiling on performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process from Intel. Its memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM; the GPU borrows from system memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent. This is a fundamental characteristic that shapes its gaming behavior.

In Barony, the GPU's memory situation is particularly consequential. With no dedicated VRAM pool, the Arc B370 relies on the Ryzen 7 7700X's dual-channel DDR5 memory subsystem, which provides 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The system-shared memory approach means texture loading and frame buffer operations compete with CPU memory traffic, a factor that likely contributes to the performance ceiling observed in the measured FPS data.

The GPU's raw compute specifications are modest: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. It also features 10 ray tracing cores, though Barony's roguelike visuals are unlikely to stress ray tracing workloads. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures place the Arc B370 firmly in integrated graphics territory, as confirmed by its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The nearest GPU rivals in the benchmark database are ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% ahead), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% ahead), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% ahead), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% behind). The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 sits almost exactly in the middle of these much older parts, reinforcing its position as an entry-level graphics solution. For Barony, this means the GPU will determine playable settings and resolutions, with the CPU leaving substantial performance on the table.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the GPU bottleneck intensifies as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 144 FPS average, which drops to 91 FPS at 1440p and further to 47 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67% decrease from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a steep decline that points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor.

Moving through the settings presets shows similar scaling patterns. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 92 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p to 30 at 4K, a 67% drop from the lowest to highest resolution. Medium settings show 107 FPS at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K, again a 67% reduction. Ultra settings produce 66 FPS at 1080p, 42 at 1440p, and 22 at 4K, a 67% decline as well.

The consistency of this ~67% drop across all settings presets is revealing. In a CPU-limited scenario, resolution scaling would show a much flatter curve, because the processor would be the bottleneck regardless of pixel count. Here, the uniform percentage decrease across every preset indicates that the GPU is saturated at all resolutions and settings, with its fixed compute and memory bandwidth determining the frame rate ceiling.

The 1080p results are the only ones that approach playable territory for demanding settings, with High at 92 FPS and Ultra at 66 FPS. At 1440p, even Low settings only reach 91 FPS, and the higher presets fall below 70 FPS. At 4K, every preset averages 47 FPS or lower, with Ultra dipping to 22 FPS. The data suggests that this combo is best suited to 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable only at lower settings and 4K generally impractical for smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings achieve 144 FPS average, the highest measured in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 and maximum of 123 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High settings produce 92 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 66 FPS. All 1080p results exceed 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for the Arc B370.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance penalty is substantial. Low settings yield 91 FPS average, still above 60 but noticeably lower than the 144 FPS at 1080p. Medium settings average 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 78 FPS, meaning the minimum dips below 60 FPS. High settings produce 58 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings maintain average frame rates above 60 FPS, with Medium's minimum falling short.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS with a range of 30 to 41 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. Every 4K result falls below 60 FPS, and even Low settings struggle to maintain a consistent 48 FPS. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (30 at 4K, 57 at 1440p, 91 at 1080p) show that frame pacing degrades progressively with resolution increases.

The pattern across all resolutions and settings is uniform: the Arc B370's performance scales linearly with pixel count, with no evidence of CPU limitations even at 1080p Low where the CPU could theoretically push higher frame rates. The Ryzen 7 7700X's capabilities, including its 5.40 GHz boost clock and strong single-thread performance (3dmark single thread score of 1090), are simply not exercised in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1080p with High settings, delivering 92 FPS average. This provides a smooth frame rate while maintaining visual quality above the Low preset. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 26 FPS (from 92 to 66), a 28% performance penalty that may not justify the visual gains in a roguelike title where readability matters more than graphical fidelity.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 144 FPS is the clear choice, but this sacrifices visual detail that could aid in gameplay clarity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced alternative at 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS ensuring consistent performance without drops below 60.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts to Low settings at 91 FPS, as Medium drops to 67 FPS average with a 57 FPS minimum that could cause perceptible stutter. High and Ultra at 1440p fall below 60 FPS average, making them poor choices for responsive gameplay.

4K is generally not recommended for this combo. Even Low settings only achieve 47 FPS, and the visual complexity of Barony's procedurally generated dungeons may not benefit enough from the resolution increase to justify the frame rate penalty. The data shows that 1080p High represents the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 92 FPS average providing headroom for the frame time variations that roguelike games often exhibit during complex scenes.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, only Low settings (91 FPS average) and Medium settings (67 FPS average) exceed 60 FPS. However, Medium's minimum FPS drops to 57, so Low settings are the only option that guarantees a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1080p?

A: Ultra settings at 1080p achieve 66 FPS average, which is above 60 FPS. However, High settings at 92 FPS provide a more comfortable margin, making High the recommended ceiling for consistent performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it between the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% behind) and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% ahead). Its performance is nearly identical to the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% ahead) and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% ahead).

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No. The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution. The uniform ~67% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets indicates the GPU is saturated, while the Ryzen 7 7700X's high percentile ranking (85th) and strong synthetic scores suggest significant untapped CPU headroom.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 91 FPS while Ultra averages 42 FPS, a difference of 49 FPS. This represents a 54% performance reduction from Low to Ultra, highlighting the significant cost of higher settings on this integrated GPU.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with this configuration?

A: The data indicates 4K is not practical. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 47 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 35 FPS, High at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 22 FPS. None of these provide a consistently smooth experience for gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 architecture processor built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 6,570 million transistors on a 71 mm² die. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3 cache, providing ample fast memory for game logic and AI calculations typical of roguelike titles.

In Barony, the CPU's role is theoretically significant. Roguelike games often involve complex procedural generation, pathfinding, and simulation logic that can leverage multiple cores. The 7700X's multithreaded performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19,088 and 3DMark max threads score of 8,852. Its single-thread performance, measured at 1,987 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1,090 in 3DMark single thread, is equally robust for games that rely heavily on one primary thread.

However, the measured FPS data tells a different story. The GPU bottleneck is so severe that the CPU's capabilities remain largely unused. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo reaches 144 FPS, but this is still far below what the 7700X could theoretically support in a less graphics-constrained pairing. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and its close rivalry with processors like the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (35,670, 0.7% behind) suggest it belongs in a much higher-performing game system.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 at dual-channel with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth is also relevant, as the Arc B370's system-shared memory architecture depends on this bandwidth. The 7700X's PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes provides ample interface bandwidth, but the GPU's IGP bus interface limits data transfer to the system memory path. In this configuration, the CPU is clearly the stronger component, but the pairing's overall rank of 2701 out of 2935 combos reflects the GPU's inability to translate CPU power into gaming performance.