Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a robust performance profile in Barony, placing it in the upper-middle tier of tested system configurations. With a combo rank of 1336 out of 2935 tested combinations, this pairing sits in the 54th percentile of all systems benchmarked for this title. This ranking indicates that while the combo is not at the absolute current-generation, it comfortably outperforms a majority of setups, offering a smooth and highly playable experience across most settings and resolutions. The data reflects a balanced system where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance and the GPU’s ample memory and bandwidth combine to handle the game’s demands effectively, though certain ultra-high settings at 4K will test its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s position at rank 1336 out of 2935 places it firmly in the upper half of all tested configurations for Barony. This is a notable achievement given the game’s roguelike nature, which often involves procedurally generated environments that can place unpredictable stress on both the processor and graphics card. The ranking suggests that this system is well-suited for the majority of players, providing enough headroom to maintain high frame rates without requiring significant compromises. When examining the individual components, the CPU’s performance percentile is particularly strong; the Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that its processing power is a significant asset. The GPU, while ranking lower at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, still provides ample graphical horsepower for this specific title. The synergy between the two components results in a system that is greater than the sum of its parts for Barony specifically, as the game appears to favor the CPU’s capabilities while still utilizing the GPU’s substantial 16 GB of VRAM effectively. Compared to other combos in the database, this system is positioned well above the median, ensuring that users will encounter few, if any, performance bottlenecks in standard gameplay scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

For the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance, the High settings preset emerges as the clear recommendation across all tested resolutions. At 1080p, High settings deliver an average of 230 FPS, which is more than sufficient for even the most demanding high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 145 FPS, still providing a fluid experience that exceeds the requirements of standard 144Hz displays. Even at 4K, the High preset maintains an average of 76 FPS, which is playable and smooth for a game of this genre. The data suggests that High settings provide a significant visual upgrade over Medium while incurring a manageable performance cost. For instance, at 1440p, the drop from High to Medium only yields a 24 FPS increase (from 145 to 169 FPS), which is less impactful than the visual improvements offered by High. Conversely, the Ultra preset demands a substantial performance toll. At 4K, Ultra averages just 54 FPS, which can feel less responsive, and at 1440p, it drops to 104 FPS. While Ultra offers the best image quality, the performance hit is steep. For players with 4K displays who prioritize smoothness, High is the sweet spot. For those on 1440p or 1080p panels, High settings are recommended for an excellent balance, though players with very high refresh rate monitors (240Hz+) may prefer Medium to push frame rates closer to the 200 FPS mark, as seen at 1080p where Medium averages 268 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is well-balanced, with the GPU becoming the primary limiter at higher resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 230 FPS to 145 FPS, a decrease of approximately 37%. This is a significant drop, but the resulting 145 FPS is still highly playable. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a further decrease to 76 FPS, a 48% reduction from the 1440p figure. This pattern indicates that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the graphical demands at 4K begin to saturate the RX 7700’s capabilities. The data for Ultra settings illustrates this point more starkly. At 1080p, Ultra averages 165 FPS, which drops to 104 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then plummets to 54 FPS at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops between resolutions suggest a scaling pattern where the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors at higher pixel counts. The frame time data available for Medium settings reinforces this. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 228, but at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 144, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 75. This shows that the variance in frame delivery increases with resolution, indicating that the system is working harder to maintain performance, which could lead to occasional stutters in complex scenes at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a granular look at the system’s performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system exhibits exceptional performance. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 360, indicating that the CPU and GPU are far from being stressed. Medium settings yield an average of 268 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 228 and 308 FPS respectively, showcasing a stable frame delivery. High settings produce an average of 230 FPS, which is still remarkably high. Even with Ultra settings, the system maintains an average of 165 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on any 1080p display. At 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent, though the scaling becomes more apparent. Low settings deliver a blistering 227 FPS average. Medium settings see a drop to 169 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. High settings average 145 FPS, still excellent for most gaming scenarios. Ultra settings bring the average down to 104 FPS, which is playable but begins to show the GPU’s limitations. At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is more moderate. Low settings provide a playable 119 FPS average. Medium settings average 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, which is acceptable for 4K gaming. High settings average 76 FPS, offering a good balance. Ultra settings, however, push the system to its limits, resulting in an average of just 54 FPS, which may be too low for some players who prioritize frame rate stability.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 plays a critical role in this combo’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, which is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and complex shaders present in modern titles. The data shows that the GPU’s memory capacity is not a limiting factor in Barony, as even at 4K Ultra settings, the system is able to allocate the necessary resources without hitting a memory ceiling. The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 1900 MHz and a boost of 2459 MHz, allow it to maintain high throughput. The benchmark results for the GPU indicate a strong compute performance, with a Passmark G3D score of 20974 and a DirectX 12 score of 96, suggesting it is well-optimized for modern APIs. However, the GPU’s overall percentile rank of 58% places it in the mid-range, and the nearestRivals data shows it is closely matched with the AMD Radeon R9 370X (0.1% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% faster). This close competition explains why the GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, as it is not a top-tier part but rather a solid mid-range performer. The scaling of frame rates from 1080p to 4K, which shows a drop from 230 FPS to 76 FPS at High settings, is a direct result of the GPU’s pixel fillrate and shading capabilities being increasingly taxed at higher resolutions. The GPU’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures it can efficiently handle the game’s rendering requirements.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Barony at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the combo can run Barony at 4K. At High settings, it averages 76 FPS, and at Medium settings, it averages 88 FPS. For Ultra settings, the average drops to 54 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: For a 144Hz monitor at 1440p, the High settings preset is recommended, as it averages 145 FPS. The Medium preset is also a good choice, averaging 169 FPS, which provides more headroom above the refresh rate.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. It is 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.7% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i7-14700K. It is 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low settings preset averages 360 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 165 FPS. This represents a 195 FPS difference, showing the significant performance cost of maximum graphical fidelity.

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

A: Yes, the GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. The benchmark results indicate that this is more than sufficient for Barony, as there are no indications of memory-related performance issues even at 4K Ultra settings.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest recorded minimum frame rate is 75 FPS, which occurs at 4K resolution with Medium settings. This is the only resolution and setting combination with a reported minimum frame rate, and it remains playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a high-performance processor that significantly contributes to the overall gaming experience in Barony. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it provides ample processing power for both game logic and background tasks. The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.50 GHz, combined with a base clock of 3.80 GHz, ensures rapid single-thread execution, which is critical for the frame pacing in many games. The benchmark data confirms its strength, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that it is a top-tier processor, and this is reflected in its ability to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (up to 360 FPS on Low), demonstrating that the CPU is not a bottleneck. Even at 1440p, the CPU provides enough headroom to maintain average frame rates above 100 FPS on most settings. The processor’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and the Intel Core i7-14700K, show very similar average benchmark scores, with deltas of only 0.7% and 0.9% respectively, indicating the 9700F is at the top of its class. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s also contribute to its strong performance, ensuring that data can be fed to the cores efficiently. While the CPU is clearly capable of handling the game’s computational demands, the resolution scaling data suggests that its role diminishes as the GPU becomes the primary limiter at 4K, where the frame rates are more dependent on the graphics card’s rendering power.