Barony

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It runs at a 3.30 GHz base clock and boosts up to 4.30 GHz, with a 58 W TDP. The chip carries 12 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core. This is a modestly configured part by modern standards, but its single-thread performance and 8 threads are sufficient to drive Barony's frame rates at most settings, as the measured data shows.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i3-12100F scores 1,674 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 11,860 in multi-core, while Geekbench reports 1,932 single-core and 7,252 multi-core. The 3DMark suite shows 893 for single-thread, 1,659 for 2-threads, 2,859 for 4-threads, 4,026 for 8-threads, and 4,051 for max threads. The near-flat scaling from 8-threads to max-threads (4,026 vs. 4,051) indicates the processor is fully utilized by 8 threads—its physical and logical limit—and adding more workload does not yield gains. Passmark's multithread score of 14,015 and single-thread score of 3,444 reinforce that this CPU punches near its class ceiling.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 68 among all processors, and its average benchmark score is 13,494. Its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance are tightly clustered: the Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13,492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13,351 (1.1% lower). This means the i3-12100F sits in a performance band where minor architectural differences matter more than raw core counts.

For Barony, a roguelike that is not typically thread-hungry, the CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are adequate to avoid bottlenecking at 1080p, where frame rates reach 315 FPS on Low settings. Even at Ultra settings and 1080p, the CPU sustains 144 FPS, suggesting that the processor's single-core strength is doing the heavy lifting. The data indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, not the CPU, since frame rates scale downward consistently as resolution increases.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. It packs 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die, with a transistor density of 149.2 million per mm². The GPU has 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 ROPs, and 28 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds include a 1,700 MHz base, 2,400 MHz game clock, and 2,990 MHz boost clock, with memory running at 2,250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU delivers 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 and FP16 performance (1:1 ratio), with a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s. It has a 132 W TDP, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. The card uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and outputs via 1x HDMI 2.1b and 2x DisplayPort 2.1a.

In gaming benchmarks, the RX 9060 scores 3,322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88,183 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 39,476 in Geekbench Vulkan. Passmark scores include 17,631 for G3D, 9,919 for GPU compute, and lower scores for legacy DirectX tests (104 for DX10, 182 for DX11, 44 for DX12, 280 for DX9). The GPU's percentile ranking is 59, with an average benchmark score of 16,014. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti at 16,129 (0.7% higher), AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15,862 (1% lower), AMD Radeon RX 7700 at 15,852 (1% lower), and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15,679 (2.1% lower).

For Barony, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for all tested settings, as evidenced by playable frame rates even at 4K. The card's performance profile suggests it is well-matched to the CPU, with neither component dramatically overshadowing the other. The measured FPS data shows the GPU scaling predictably with resolution and settings, indicating that it is the primary driver of frame rates at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F fast enough for Barony at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1080p, the combo achieves 315 FPS on Low settings and 201 FPS on High settings. Even at Ultra, it maintains 144 FPS, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16,014, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti's 16,129. This places them in the same performance tier, with the RTX 3060 Ti holding a slight edge in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain high frame rates?

A: At 1440p, the combo delivers 127 FPS on High settings and 148 FPS on Medium. At 4K, High settings drop to 66 FPS, so 1440p is the sweet spot for consistently high frame rates.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in Barony?

A: At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance keeps frame rates very high (315 FPS Low), but as resolution increases to 4K, frame rates drop to 48-104 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the i3-12100F perform in multithreaded workloads compared to its rivals?

A: The i3-12100F scores 11,860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 0.3% higher than the Core i5-9500 (13,452 average) and 1.1% higher than the Core i7-1250U (13,351 average). The Core 5 120UL is 0.7% higher, while the Core 3 N355 is essentially tied at 0% delta.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM on the RX 9060 sufficient for Barony at 4K?

A: Yes. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 48 FPS, and at 4K High it reaches 66 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is not exceeded in any tested configuration, as all settings produced playable results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of frame rates across three resolutions and four settings tiers. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 315 FPS on Low, 235 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 199 and maximum of 270), 201 FPS on High, and 144 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is operating well above typical display refresh rates, and even the most demanding preset stays fluid.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show expected scaling. Low settings produce 199 FPS, Medium delivers 148 FPS (minimum 126, maximum 170), High achieves 127 FPS, and Ultra drops to 91 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 108 FPS, showing that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes more demanding. Low settings yield 104 FPS, Medium delivers 77 FPS (minimum 66, maximum 89), High drops to 66 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The 4K results show a clear progression where each settings tier costs roughly 10-20 FPS, with Ultra being the only preset that dips below 60 FPS.

The minimum and maximum FPS data, available only for Medium settings at each resolution, provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 199 FPS against a 235 FPS average, showing a tight range. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 126 FPS against a 148 FPS average, and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 66 FPS against a 77 FPS average. These ranges indicate consistent performance without severe stutters, as the minimums stay within 85-90% of the averages.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant across all settings. At Low settings, the system goes from 315 FPS at 1080p to 199 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% drop), then to 104 FPS at 4K (a 47.7% drop from 1440p). This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel count directly impacts performance.

At Medium settings, the progression is 235 FPS at 1080p, 148 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37.0% from 1080p to 1440p and 48.0% from 1440p to 4K. High settings show 201 FPS at 1080p, 127 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K, with drops of 36.8% and 48.0% respectively. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 144 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 36.8% and 47.3%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is notable. Each resolution step costs roughly 37% of the frame rate, regardless of whether the GPU is running Low or Ultra settings. This uniform scaling strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions, since the CPU's performance would not change with resolution. The fact that the frame rate ratios are nearly identical across settings tiers reinforces that the RX 9060's pixel throughput is the determining factor.

The 1080p results, particularly the 315 FPS Low and 201 FPS High, indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would plateau at a similar level regardless of resolution. Instead, the steady decline from 1080p to 4K confirms that the GPU's rendering pipeline is the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings produce frame rates above 144 FPS, so Ultra is the recommended preset for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The 144 FPS average on Ultra is more than sufficient for any display, and the 201 FPS on High offers a slight performance buffer for those with higher refresh rate monitors.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts to High settings, which delivers 127 FPS average. This provides a balanced experience with good visual quality and frame rates well above 60 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p achieve 148 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra 21 FPS unless the display is 144 Hz or higher. Ultra at 1440p drops to 91 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant 28% reduction from High.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests Medium settings as the optimal choice. The 77 FPS average on Medium comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target, with a minimum of 66 FPS ensuring no drops below that threshold. High at 4K delivers 66 FPS average, which is borderline for 60 FPS displays, and the lack of minimum FPS data makes it riskier. Ultra at 4K falls to 48 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target and not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Low settings are only advisable for competitive play at 1080p or 1440p, where the 315 FPS and 199 FPS averages respectively provide maximum responsiveness. However, the visual trade-offs in a roguelike like Barony, where environmental readability matters, likely favor Medium or High settings. The measured data shows that Medium at 4K offers the best balance of frame rate stability and visual fidelity, with the tightest minimum-to-average ratio among 4K presets.