Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly unusual performance profile in Barony, a 2015 roguelike that is far more demanding on hardware than its retro aesthetic suggests. The measured data reveals a system that is profoundly limited by its graphics solution, with frame rates that scale dramatically with resolution and settings, placing this combo in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, examining what the numbers indicate about the limiting components and what users can expect from this pairing.

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

The resolution scaling data paints a stark picture of a GPU-bound system. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings, the average frame rate collapses from 92 FPS to just 30 FPS — a drop of 67.4% for a 4x increase in pixel count. This is a textbook signature of a graphics card that has run out of raw pixel throughput, not a CPU bottleneck. If the processor were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU's workload is largely independent of pixel count. The data clearly shows the opposite, confirming the Intel Arc B370 is the constraining component.

The scaling pattern becomes even more revealing when examining the Low settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 144 FPS, which drops to 91 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% reduction), and then to 47 FPS at 4K (a 48.4% reduction from 1440p). The fact that even at the lowest settings, 4K resolution halves the frame rate from the 1440p result indicates the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are severely limited. The Arc B370's specifications support this interpretation, with only 20 ROPs and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s — figures that are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in any modern context.

Interestingly, the scaling from Medium to High settings at each resolution shows a consistent penalty. At 1080p, Medium yields 107 FPS while High yields 92 FPS, a 14% reduction. At 1440p, the same settings gap produces 67 FPS versus 58 FPS, a 13.4% reduction. This suggests the game's High preset introduces a relatively modest increase in shader complexity, but the absolute frame rates remain low because the base GPU performance is so constrained. The data implies that even modest setting increases can push this card below playable thresholds at higher resolutions, with 4K Ultra dropping to just 22 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 2701 out of 2935 tested configurations in Barony, placing it in the bottom 8% of all combinations. This is a remarkably low ranking that underscores the severity of the GPU bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370's individual benchmark percentile of 5 places it among the weakest graphics solutions in the database, while the Ryzen 7 9700F sits in the 94th percentile for CPUs. This massive discrepancy between the two components explains the overall ranking — a top-tier processor is being held back by a bottom-tier graphics adapter.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals contextualizes the performance. The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7% delta). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile parts from over a decade ago, highlighting how far behind modern standards this GPU sits. The only rival it beats is the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, +1.4% delta), which is a workstation card from a similar era.

The CPU's ranking tells a completely different story. The Ryzen 7 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996 places it in a tight cluster with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, +0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, -0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, +0.7% delta). These are all high-end desktop or mobile processors, and the 9700F is essentially neck-and-neck with them in synthetic benchmarks. The data shows this is a CPU capable of feeding any modern GPU, but in this combo, it is left idle waiting for the Arc B370 to catch up.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its most defining characteristic is that it has no dedicated VRAM — the memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the system's DDR5 memory, which is shared with the CPU. In Barony, a game that can be demanding on memory bandwidth due to its procedural generation and entity management, this shared memory arrangement likely contributes to the performance ceiling at higher resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the low base clock and the integrated nature of the solution limit sustained performance. The 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 ROPs are all indicative of a low-end part, and the resulting 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance confirms its entry-level positioning. The 10 RT cores are present, but ray tracing is irrelevant in Barony, which is a traditional rasterized roguelike.

The GPU's memory being system-shared has direct implications for the measured results. At 1080p, the system can allocate enough bandwidth to achieve 144 FPS at Low settings, but as resolution increases, the demand on shared memory bandwidth grows, and the frame rate plummets. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU's DDR5 support is the theoretical ceiling, but in practice, the integrated GPU must contend with CPU memory access, creating contention that further reduces effective bandwidth. This explains why 4K performance is so poor — the GPU simply cannot access memory fast enough to fill the larger framebuffer.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results range from 144 FPS at Low settings to 66 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 107 FPS average with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS, while the High preset achieves 92 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can provide a consistently smooth experience, though even here, Ultra settings dip below the 70 FPS threshold that many players consider minimum for fast-paced action.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings still manage 91 FPS, which is playable, but Medium falls to 67 FPS (minimum 57 FPS, maximum 78 FPS), and High drops to 58 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p yield only 42 FPS, which would be borderline for a roguelike where reaction times matter. The data shows a clear pattern: 1440p is only viable at Low or Medium settings for this combo, and even then, the frame pacing may suffer in busy scenes given the relatively narrow min-max ranges.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings achieve 47 FPS, which is marginal, but Medium drops to 35 FPS (minimum 30 FPS, maximum 41 FPS), High falls to 30 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22 FPS. The 4K Medium result's minimum of 30 FPS indicates that even the average frame rate masks significant dips, which would manifest as noticeable stuttering. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Barony, regardless of settings.

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

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's tolerance for frame rate variation. At 1080p, the Medium preset stands out as the best balance, delivering 107 FPS average with a minimum of 91 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves enough headroom to handle demanding scenes without dropping below playable levels. The High preset at 92 FPS is also viable, but the 14% frame rate reduction over Medium suggests that the visual gains may not justify the performance cost for most users. Ultra at 66 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for error in intense moments.

For 1440p, the Low preset at 91 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience. Medium at 67 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced play, but the 57 FPS minimum is concerning for a roguelike where quick reactions are essential. High at 58 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the 60 FPS target that most players prefer. The data indicates that 1440p users should stick with Low settings to ensure frame rates remain above 90 FPS.

At 4K, no settings preset provides a truly playable experience. Low at 47 FPS is the best option, but even this is marginal, and Medium's 35 FPS average with a 30 FPS minimum would likely result in noticeable stuttering. Given these results, users with 4K displays should either reduce the resolution to 1440p or accept that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Barony. The data clearly shows that the Arc B370's integrated nature and shared memory architecture cannot handle the pixel throughput required at this resolution.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve playable frame rates, with Low at 144 FPS, Medium at 107 FPS, High at 92 FPS, and Ultra at 66 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (91 FPS) and Medium (67 FPS) are viable, while 4K is not recommended as even Low only reaches 47 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7%). It only outperforms the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, +1.4%).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile for CPUs with an average benchmark score of 69996, while the Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile for GPUs. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU limitation.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 91. At 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 57. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 30. These values indicate the frame rate consistency degrades as resolution increases.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F's CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996 is within 0.9% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, +0.7%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, +0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, -0.2%). It is essentially tied with all of them.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 2701 out of 2935 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all combos. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's weak performance, as the CPU is in the top 6% of all processors.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on TSMC's 4 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz are high figures that place it among the fastest mainstream processors available. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core provide substantial on-die storage for game data, which is particularly relevant for Barony's procedural generation and entity-heavy gameplay. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth from dual-channel DDR5 support ensures the processor can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9700F demonstrates strong performance across all tests. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 are both impressive, and the integer math score of 120788 and floating-point math score of 77955 indicate robust computational throughput. These results suggest the CPU is more than capable of handling Barony's game logic, AI, and world generation, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks in roguelikes. However, the measured FPS data shows that this CPU performance is largely irrelevant to the final frame rates, as the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution.

The CPU's high performance is most evident in the 1080p Low setting result of 144 FPS, which approaches the practical limit for many displays. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's demands, but the GPU's limitations become apparent as soon as the workload increases. The 94th percentile CPU ranking versus the 5th percentile GPU ranking creates an extreme imbalance that cannot be overcome by any settings adjustment. The data implies that users with this combo would benefit far more from a GPU upgrade than any CPU upgrade, as the 9700F is already performing at a level comparable to top-tier processors like the Ryzen 9 7950X and Core i7-14700KF.