Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on the surface, does not demand state-of-the-art hardware, yet the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination reveal a component dynamic that shifts decisively with resolution and settings. The data indicates this pairing delivers dramatically different experiences depending on the target, ranging from a high-refresh-rate monster at 1080p to a borderline playable 4K machine at maximum quality. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration proves more than adequate to feed the graphics card at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is steep and consistent, demonstrating a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 183 FPS at 1080p to 115 FPS at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then further down to 60 FPS at 4K, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as the workload on the graphics processor increases exponentially with pixel count.

The data suggests that the transition from 1080p to 1440p is the most punishing relative step for this combo. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 286 FPS at 1920x1080 to 181 FPS at 2560x1440, a 105 FPS drop. The subsequent step to 4K Low yields 94 FPS, a further 87 FPS reduction. This shows that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the resolution scaling is not linear; the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K overwhelms the 8 GB VRAM buffer and the 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth of the GPU, leading to significant performance erosion.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced, with the average frame rate collapsing from 131 FPS at 1080p to 83 FPS at 1440p and finally to 43 FPS at 4K. This 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combination is not suitable for maximum-quality 4K gaming in Barony. The data reveals that the sweet spot for this pairing is 1080p or 1440p, where the frame rates remain high enough to leverage high refresh rate displays, while 4K is only viable at lower settings, where the 94 FPS Low result is respectable but the 43 FPS Ultra result is not.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, is the defining component in this combo's gaming performance. Its boost clock of 2589 MHz and game clock of 2359 MHz are high for the RDNA 2.0 architecture, but the memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s is a limiting factor in Barony at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show that the GPU's role is to provide substantial raw frame throughput at lower resolutions, but its 8 GB VRAM capacity and bandwidth are stressed at 4K, particularly when texture quality and other memory-intensive settings are increased.

The GPU's performance profile is further contextualized by its nearest rivals in the database. The RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 24442, placing it slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, which scores 24170, a delta of 1.1%. This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the RX 6600 XT is a capable performer, but the measured FPS in Barony shows that this translates to a 60 FPS average at 4K High, which is playable but not exceptional. The GPU's 70th percentile ranking versus all GPUs suggests it is a mid-to-high tier part, and the data confirms that it is the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the 43 FPS average is below the desired 60 FPS standard.

The 7 nm process node and 11,060 million transistors on the Navi 23 chip allow for a high pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s. However, these theoretical capabilities are constrained by the 128-bit memory interface. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU can deliver 286 FPS at 1080p Low, proving that it has immense raw compute power, but the scaling to 4K is poor. The drop from 286 FPS at 1080p Low to 94 FPS at 4K Low is a 67% reduction, which is directly attributable to the memory subsystem struggling to keep up with the increased pixel fill rate demand.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 3717 tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 2665th specifically for Barony. This places it in the lower 28th percentile of all tested combos for this game, indicating that while the hardware is competent, there are 2664 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this specific title. The rank of 2665 is a notable data point, as it suggests that Barony is not a title where this particular CPU-GPU pairing excels relative to the broader pool of tested hardware.

The ranking is influenced by the fact that the CPU, while having a strong average benchmark score of 17177 and a 71st percentile ranking against all CPUs, is paired with a GPU that has a 70th percentile ranking. The combination's rank in Barony is more reflective of the GPU's performance ceiling at high resolutions, as the game is primarily GPU-bound. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7H12 with a delta of 0.3% and the Intel Core i5-12450H with a delta of -0.4%, highlight that the 11400F is solidly middle-of-the-pack in terms of processing power, but this does not boost the combo's rank in a GPU-heavy title.

The data implies that this combo is not optimized for Barony specifically, despite the game's modest genre requirements. The rank of 2665 out of 3717 means that a significant portion of other tested systems, likely those with more powerful GPUs, will outperform this setup in achieving higher average FPS. However, the measured FPS data shows that this ranking is not a condemnation of the hardware; it is merely a reflection of the competitive landscape, where the RX 6600 XT's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are limiting factors for 4K performance, which is where many high-end combos gain their ranking advantage.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo exhibits exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 286 FPS, Medium produces 213 FPS (with a minimum of 181 FPS and maximum of 245 FPS), High delivers 183 FPS, and Ultra still manages a robust 131 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT are more than sufficient for any competitive or high-refresh-rate monitor, as even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains a frame rate well above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong but shows the first signs of GPU limitation. The Low setting averages 181 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium averages 134 FPS (with a minimum of 114 FPS and maximum of 155 FPS), High averages 115 FPS, and Ultra drops to 83 FPS. The data shows that 1440p is a viable resolution for this combo, with all settings except Ultra maintaining averages above 100 FPS, and even Ultra being perfectly playable at 83 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more variable and setting-dependent. Low settings average 94 FPS, which is playable. Medium averages 70 FPS (with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 81 FPS), which is right at the edge of smooth gameplay. High settings average 60 FPS exactly, which is the minimum standard for many gamers. Ultra settings, however, collapse to an average of 43 FPS, which is not smooth and indicates that the 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are insufficient for maximum quality at 4K. The measured data clearly shows that 4K is only recommended for Low or Medium settings with this hardware, and even then, the minimum FPS of 60 at Medium suggests occasional stutters.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Barony at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows an average of 94 FPS at 4K Low and 70 FPS at 4K Medium. At 4K High, the average is exactly 60 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 43 FPS, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU pairing in Barony?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as it delivers an average of 183 FPS at High settings and 131 FPS at Ultra. 2560x1440 is also excellent, with 115 FPS average at High settings, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120) and 0.6% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (17074), but it is 0.4% slower than the Intel Core i5-12450H (17239) and 0.6% slower than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (17278).

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p. The GPU delivers 286 FPS at Low and 183 FPS at High, indicating that the RX 6600 XT is being fully utilized and is not constrained by the i5-11400F's processing power.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in the entire test suite?

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values are for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 181 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 114 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 60 FPS. No minimum data is provided for Low, High, or Ultra settings.

Q: How does this combo's rank in Barony compare to its overall hardware percentiles?

A: The CPU ranks in the 71st percentile and the GPU in the 70th percentile against all respective parts. However, the combo ranks 2665th out of 3717 tested combinations in Barony, which is roughly the 72nd percentile, showing that the pairing underperforms its individual component rankings in this specific game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Rocket Lake architecture, plays a supporting role in Barony, as the game's frame rates are predominantly dictated by the GPU. The CPU's base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024. The data shows that at 1080p, where the GPU is not as heavily taxed, the CPU is capable of sustaining frame rates up to 286 FPS at Low settings, indicating no significant CPU bottleneck.

The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU in a game like Barony. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and Passmark multithread score of 16908 demonstrate that its 12 threads are more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics calculations. However, the benchmark results show that the CPU's performance headroom is not the limiting factor, as the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound workload.

The CPU's 71st percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17177, places it in the upper-middle tier of processors. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7H12 and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, have similar average scores, indicating that the 11400F is a well-balanced part for gaming. In Barony, the CPU's role is to avoid being a bottleneck, and the data confirms it succeeds in this, as even at 1080p Low with 286 FPS, the frame rate is not artificially capped by the processor. The 14 nm process node and 65 W TDP make it an efficient part, but the performance data is what matters most: this CPU provides enough throughput to allow the RX 6600 XT to operate at its full potential across all tested resolutions.