Barony

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a formidable performance profile in Barony, placing the combination in the 1388th position out of 3717 tested combos. This places it in the upper echelon of tested systems, roughly in the 63rd percentile of all configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced partnership where the CPU's strong single-threaded performance complements the GPU's substantial rasterization power, resulting in frame rates that are consistently high across all settings, even at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1388 out of 3717 tested configurations indicates that this system outperforms a significant majority of the hardware combinations in our database for Barony. The data shows a system that is well above average, yet not at the absolute top tier, leaving headroom for more powerful (and more expensive) components. The ranking is a direct result of the synergy between the two components: the i3-12100F provides a solid foundation of processing power, while the RX 7700 XT handles the graphical load with efficiency.

The CPU itself sits in the 68th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores an identical 13492 (0% delta), and the Intel Core i5-9500, which trails by a mere 0.3%. This suggests the i3-12100F's processing capabilities are on par with older mid-range six-core parts, making it a strong performer for its class. In terms of raw CPU benchmarks, the processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, indicating that while its core count is limited to four, its per-core efficiency is high, which is critical for games that rely on strong single-threaded performance.

The GPU, meanwhile, ranks in the 67th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 22549. Its closest rivals in terms of raw score are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435, 0.5% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729, 0.8% faster). This positioning places the RX 7700 XT in a competitive bracket, performing roughly on par with these mobile parts despite being a desktop card. The combination of a mid-60s percentile CPU and a mid-60s percentile GPU yields a system that is greater than the sum of its parts in this specific title, achieving frame rates that often exceed the refresh rate of standard 144Hz monitors.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary engine driving the high frame rates observed in Barony. Built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, the GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for the textures and assets used in Barony, preventing bottlenecks at higher resolutions. The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor: a game clock of 2171 MHz and a boost clock of 2544 MHz ensure that the shader units are fed with data quickly, allowing for the high pixel and texture fill rates evident in the results.

The GPU's specifications are robust, with 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. This hardware configuration allows for a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS is substantial, indicating that the card has ample compute power for modern game rendering. The 54 ray tracing cores are present, though Barony is a roguelike that is unlikely to heavily utilize them; the traditional rasterization performance is what matters most here, and the data suggests the card excels in that area.

Benchmark results for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 22547, which aligns with its percentile ranking. The DirectX 12 test score of 79 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 232, which may be a quirk of the benchmark suite but does not seem to negatively impact real-world performance in Barony, as the measured FPS numbers are exceptionally high. The GPU operates with a TDP of 245 W and requires dual 8-pin power connectors, indicating it is a power-hungry part, but its performance in this title justifies the power draw, delivering smooth gameplay without any signs of compute-related stuttering.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, demonstrating how the system's bottleneck shifts as pixel count increases. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily CPU-bound, with the GPU having significant headroom. For instance, at Low settings, the average frame rate is 395 FPS, which is an astronomically high number that the CPU likely cannot sustain in all scenarios, though the measured data shows it is achievable. This is a classic sign of a CPU limitation; the i3-12100F's four cores are working hard to feed the GPU, but at this resolution, the GPU is not the limiting factor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high but begin to show a more balanced load. The Low setting average drops to 249 FPS, a 37% decrease from the 1080p result, while the High setting average is 159 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is starting to take on more of the workload, but the CPU is still keeping up adequately. The scaling from 1080p High (252 FPS) to 1440p High (159 FPS) represents a 37% reduction, which is a typical drop for a GPU-bound scenario, though the absolute numbers are still high enough for a 144Hz display.

At 3840x2160, the system becomes firmly GPU-bound. The Low setting average is 130 FPS, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The High setting average is 83 FPS, and the Ultra setting drops to 60 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that as resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth become the primary constraints. The 1080p to 4K scaling for High settings (252 to 83 FPS) is a 67% drop, which aligns with the pixel count increase (4x pixels, but not 4x the workload due to other factors). The data clearly indicates that for maximum refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, while 4K is reserved for high-fidelity gaming at standard 60Hz refresh rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Barony are exceptionally consistent and high across all tested scenarios. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 395 FPS on Low settings, 294 FPS on Medium, 252 FPS on High, and 181 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting row includes a minimum of 250 FPS and a maximum of 338 FPS, indicating a tight frame pacing window even at these elevated speeds. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the system can effortlessly drive any high refresh rate monitor on the market, including 240Hz and 360Hz panels, without breaking a sweat.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. The Low setting produces an average of 249 FPS, while Medium and High settings yield 185 FPS and 159 FPS respectively. The Ultra setting still manages a very respectable 114 FPS. The Medium setting at this resolution shows a minimum FPS of 157 and a maximum of 213, demonstrating that even the frame dips stay well above the 144Hz threshold. This resolution is the optimal balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, offering high refresh rates without sacrificing much in terms of graphical quality.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to show its limits, but the results are still playable. The Low setting averages 130 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. The Medium and High settings average 97 FPS and 83 FPS, respectively, with the Medium setting showing a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 111 FPS. The Ultra setting averages exactly 60 FPS, making it perfectly suited for a 60Hz 4K display. The data shows a consistent pattern: the system is capable of delivering high refresh rates at lower resolutions and maintains a solid 60 FPS at 4K on the highest settings, which reflects the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this combo in Barony?*

A: The combination ranks 1388th out of 3717 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested for this game.

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

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is virtually identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta) and slightly better than the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% slower).

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to similar cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT scores 22549 on average. It is 0.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile and 0.8% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings, it averages 83 FPS, and on Ultra, it averages 60 FPS, making it suitable for 60Hz displays at maximum quality.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming?

A: At 1440p, the system achieves 159 FPS on High settings and 249 FPS on Low, making it ideal for 144Hz and 240Hz monitors, respectively.

Q: Is the system CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it is CPU-bound at 1080p, as evidenced by the exceptionally high frame rates (e.g., 395 FPS on Low) that are typical of a CPU limitation rather than a GPU one.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target display's refresh rate and resolution. For users with a 1080p 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the Low or Medium presets are the best choice, as they deliver an average of 395 FPS and 294 FPS, respectively, ensuring that the display is consistently fed with frames above its maximum refresh rate. The High preset at 252 FPS is also a strong contender, offering better visual quality while still exceeding 240Hz. The Ultra preset at 181 FPS is only recommended for 165Hz or 144Hz displays, as it provides the best visual fidelity while still maintaining high smoothness.

For 1440p users, the High preset at 159 FPS is the recommended sweet spot, as it balances visual quality with a frame rate that exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. The Medium preset at 185 FPS is also an excellent choice for those who prioritize frame rate over minor visual improvements, and it can drive 165Hz or 175Hz panels without issue. The Low preset at 249 FPS is overkill for most displays but is necessary for 240Hz 1440p monitors. The Ultra preset at 114 FPS is best reserved for 60Hz or 120Hz displays, where the higher visual settings are more noticeable.

At 4K, the recommendation is straightforward. For a 60Hz display, the Ultra preset at 60 FPS is the definitive choice, providing the maximum visual quality while matching the display's refresh rate exactly. The High preset at 83 FPS is preferable for 75Hz or 120Hz 4K displays, as it offers a higher frame rate with only a minor reduction in visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 97 FPS is the best option for 100Hz 4K displays. The Low preset at 130 FPS is only recommended for users with 120Hz or 144Hz 4K monitors, as it sacrifices significant visual quality to achieve the highest possible frame rates. In summary, the data shows a system that is exceptionally versatile, capable of catering to e-sports players at 1080p and cinematic gamers at 4K, with the 1440p High setting standing out as the most balanced overall experience.