Barony

The data for Barony with the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT reveals a combination that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher loads while the CPU demonstrates significant headroom. The measured FPS values show a clear and consistent pattern across all tested configurations, indicating a system that can handle the game exceptionally well at lower resolutions but begins to strain under the combined weight of 4K and Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and component roles based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

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

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic and consistent reduction in average frame rates across all settings presets, which strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component in this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from a very high 286.5 at 1080p to 178.9 at 2560x1440, and finally to 92.7 at 4K. This represents a steep decline of roughly 68% from the 1080p baseline to the 4K result, indicating that the rendering load at higher pixel counts is taxing the RX 6600 XT significantly.

The scaling pattern persists across other presets, with High settings showing 181.2 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 59.6 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset demonstrates the most pronounced drop, starting at 133.3 FPS at 1080p, falling to 82.5 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 46.2 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold while the 1440p Ultra result remains above it suggests that the GPU's resources are being exhausted at the highest resolution and quality combination, with the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth becoming critical factors.

This behavior indicates that the Intel Core i5-10400F is not the constraining factor in this scenario. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, appear sufficient to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p where CPU overhead would typically be most apparent. Instead, the data points to the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT as the performance limiter, particularly as resolution increases and the demand on the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth grows.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process, demonstrates its capabilities and limitations through the measured results. The GPU's boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz contribute to a strong performance profile, but the data shows that the card's 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory bus become increasingly relevant at higher resolutions. The 256.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay, where even Ultra settings maintain playable frame rates, but the 4K Ultra result of 46.2 FPS suggests the memory subsystem is being pushed to its limits.

The GPU's compute capabilities, including 2048 shading units and a FP32 performance of 10.60 TFLOPS, are clearly adequate for Barony's demands at lower resolutions. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the card can deliver very high frame rates across all settings, with the Low preset reaching 286.5 FPS and the High preset at 181.2 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is not fully utilized at these settings, and the CPU may be providing frames faster than the game can process them, although the CPU's single-thread performance of 688 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1453 in cinebench_r23_singlecore suggests it has ample headroom.

The transition to 4K reveals the GPU's constraints more clearly. The 92.7 FPS at Low settings and 59.6 FPS at High settings show that while the card can handle 4K, the performance margin is significantly reduced. The 46.2 FPS at 4K Ultra represents the worst-case scenario, where the combination of high pixel count and demanding settings overwhelms the GPU's resources. The GPU's percentile rank of 71 against all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 27985, which is very close to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti at a 0.1% delta, contextualize its position in the market.

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

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable at 4K with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 92.7, achieved with Low settings. The Medium preset delivers 71.4 FPS, High delivers 59.6 FPS, and Ultra delivers the lowest at 46.2 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168. It is 0.4% faster than the AMD EPYC 7552, which scores 14115, and 0.8% faster than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which scores 14277. It is also 1.1% faster than the Intel Core i5-8500 and 1.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT capable of maintaining 60 FPS at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows 82.5 FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This indicates the GPU has sufficient headroom at this resolution.

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

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings produce 286.5 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 133.3 FPS. This represents a performance gap of 153.2 FPS, or roughly 53% lower performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT's average benchmark score compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 27985. This is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 27956, and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, which scores 27883. It is also 0.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which scores 28238.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1230 out of 1702 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings. This suggests that while the hardware is capable, there are many other combinations that deliver better performance in Barony.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT in Barony places it at rank 1230 out of 1702 tested combinations. This ranking indicates that the combination is below the median in terms of performance, with roughly 72% of tested setups delivering better results. The ranking is likely influenced by the fact that Barony is a roguelike game, which may not be heavily optimized for the specific strengths of this hardware combination.

The CPU's percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs and the GPU's percentile rank of 71 against all GPUs suggest that both components are individually competent, but their combined performance in this game does not boost them into the upper echelons of the rankings. The relatively high rank number (1230) suggests that many other CPUs and GPUs, particularly those with higher core counts or more powerful GPUs, are able to achieve better frame rates in this title.

This ranking data implies that for users seeking the absolute best performance in Barony, other combinations would be more suitable. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo still delivers playable frame rates in most scenarios, with only the 4K Ultra preset falling below 60 FPS. The ranking seems to reflect a broader comparison across all hardware combinations, where the i5-10400F's 6 cores and 12 threads, while sufficient for this game, may not match the multi-threaded performance of higher-tier CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver excellent frame rates, with Ultra providing 133.3 FPS and Medium providing 214.3 FPS. The data suggests that Ultra settings at 1080p are entirely viable, offering a high-quality experience without sacrificing smoothness, as even the most demanding preset remains well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 82.5 FPS, which is still very playable, while High settings provide 116 FPS for a more comfortable margin. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 134.6 FPS or Low at 178.9 FPS would be preferable to maximize frame rates. The data indicates that 1440p Ultra is the best choice for visual fidelity without compromising playability.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. The Ultra preset falls to 46.2 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. The High preset delivers 59.6 FPS, which is borderline, while Medium at 71.4 FPS provides a safer margin. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset appears to be the recommended choice, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance, with Low at 92.7 FPS available for users who prioritize frame rate over graphics.

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

The complete set of measured average FPS values provides a detailed picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce 286.5 FPS, Medium settings produce 214.3 FPS, High settings produce 181.2 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 133.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that the game is highly playable at 1080p, with even the most demanding settings delivering frame rates far above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings deliver 178.9 FPS, Medium settings deliver 134.6 FPS, High settings deliver 116 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 82.5 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of roughly 35-40% across all presets, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops more significantly. Low settings produce 92.7 FPS, Medium settings produce 71.4 FPS, High settings produce 59.6 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 46.2 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a further reduction of approximately 45-50%, with the Ultra preset being the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold. This breakdown highlights the GPU's limitations at 4K, particularly with higher quality settings, and reinforces the recommendation for Medium settings at this resolution.

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting role in this combination, and the data suggests it is not the primary bottleneck in Barony. The CPU's base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide adequate single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 688 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 1453. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without limiting the GPU.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is also respectable, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 10297 and a passmark_multithread score of 12115. However, Barony, being a roguelike game, may not heavily utilize all 12 threads, meaning the CPU's 6 physical cores are likely sufficient for the game's demands. The lack of a significant FPS drop at 1080p, where CPU limitations would typically manifest, supports this conclusion.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 14168 and its percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs place it in a solid mid-range position. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277), have similar scores, indicating that the i5-10400F is well-matched for this class of hardware. The data implies that upgrading the CPU would not provide meaningful performance gains in Barony, as the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU's role is to maintain stable frame delivery, which it does effectively across all tested configurations.