Barony

Barony, a roguelike released in 2015, presents an interesting benchmark case for the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. The measured data reveals a combination that is remarkably capable at high refresh rates, yet shows distinct bottlenecks depending on resolution and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand the dynamics between the six-core CPU and the RDNA 2 GPU across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The processor features a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory, making it a solid mid-range desktop part from its 2021 launch. Its benchmark percentile of 75 vs all CPUs indicates it outperforms three-quarters of the processors in the database, placing it in a comfortable position for gaming.

In Barony, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the scaling from 1080p to higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 297.9 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain very high performance. However, the data shows that the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases, which is typical for a game that is not heavily multithreaded. The 3DMark benchmark scores show the CPU's threading capabilities: it scores 5619 in the 16-thread test and 5652 in the max-thread test, but the single-thread score is only 868. This indicates that while it has respectable multi-core power, its single-core performance might be a limiting factor in scenarios that require rapid sequential calculations.

The nearest rivals for the i5-11400F, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with a deltaPct of 0, the Intel Core i7-1260P at -0.2%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U at -0.2%. These scores are nearly identical, suggesting that in compute-heavy tasks, the i5-11400F is on par with these mobile and hybrid processors. For Barony, the implication is that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the GPU takes over the rendering load. The data suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is working near its limits, but at 4K, the CPU has ample headroom.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is a RDNA 2.0 architecture GPU, built on the 7 nm process by TSMC, featuring the Navi 23 chip. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2055 MHz, with a boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz. It has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, delivering a theoretical FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 72, indicating it is better than 72% of the GPUs in the database.

In Barony, the GPU's performance is directly observable in the FPS scaling with settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 135.7 FPS, which drops to 43.8 FPS at 4K Ultra. This significant drop highlights the GPU's workload at higher resolutions. The RX 6650 XT's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M with a deltaPct of 0, the AMD Radeon RX 470 at 0.1%, and the Intel Arc A370M at -0.5%. These figures show that the GPU is statistically tied with these other cards in average benchmarks, but in Barony, the FPS numbers suggest it handles the game's demands well. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at all settings, as no VRAM-related stutters are inferred from the data. The GPU's role is clearly dominant at 4K, where the CPU's influence is minimized.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 297.9 at 1080p to 190.5 at 1440p, and further to 100.2 at 4K. This represents a 36% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 66% decrease from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 135.7 FPS at 1080p to 85.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 43.8 FPS at 4K, which is a 68% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

These scaling patterns indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The FPS drop is more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the GPU's compute units are heavily taxed. At 1080p Low, the high frame rate of 297.9 FPS suggests that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU, but the GPU is not fully utilized. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the steep FPS decline. The data implies that for a smoother 4K experience, the GPU would need to be more powerful, while the CPU has enough headroom to support higher frame rates at lower resolutions. The transition from 1080p to 4K shows a classic GPU-bound scenario where the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB VRAM and compute power are stretched.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination ranks 1088 out of 1702 tested combos in Barony. This rank places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which is surprising given the high FPS numbers. The rank suggests that while this combo performs well in absolute terms, many other combinations of CPUs and GPUs achieve higher frame rates in this specific game.

The rank of 1088 indicates that there are 614 other combos that outperform it. This could be due to the game's preference for higher-end GPUs or CPUs with better single-core performance. The combo's percentile vs all CPUs is 75, and vs all GPUs is 72, but the in-game rank is lower, implying that Barony is more demanding on specific hardware features. The data shows that the combo is not in the top tier, but it is far from the bottom, offering a balanced experience. The rank suggests that for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, there are better options, but for standard gaming at 1440p or 4K, this combo is adequate.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 297.9 at 1080p with Low settings. This is the highest measured value across all settings and resolutions.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 43.8. This is the lowest measured performance, indicating that the GPU is heavily strained at this resolution and quality level.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the combo achieves 120.5 FPS. Given the FPS drop from 1080p High (192.6) to 1440p High, the GPU is likely the limiting factor, as the resolution increase places more load on the GPU's rendering capabilities.

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

A: At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 297.9 on Low to 135.7 on Ultra, a difference of 162.2 FPS. This shows a significant performance impact from the settings presets.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Barony compare to its overall CPU and GPU percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 1088 out of 1702, which is in the 36th percentile of combos. This is lower than the CPU's 75th percentile and the GPU's 72nd percentile, suggesting that the game's specific demands are not fully met by this pairing.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at all settings?

A: Yes, the lowest recorded average FPS is 43.8 at 4K Ultra, which is still above 30 FPS. All other settings and resolutions produce averages above 64 FPS, indicating playable performance throughout.

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

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High settings preset provides an excellent balance, achieving 192.6 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold for most monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 223.6 FPS, which is also very smooth, but High offers better visual quality with only a 31 FPS reduction. For 1440p, the High preset at 120.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it balances visual fidelity with a high refresh rate, while the Ultra preset drops to 85.1 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. At 4K, the Medium preset at 75.4 FPS is the sweet spot, as it provides a playable frame rate with better visuals than Low, which hits 100.2 FPS but sacrifices quality. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended for a smooth experience, as the 43.8 FPS average may feel choppy. Therefore, the data suggests prioritizing High settings at 1080p and 1440p, and Medium at 4K for the optimal balance of performance and quality.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance in Barony. At 1920x1080, the average FPS varies significantly across presets: Low hits 297.9, Medium reaches 223.6, High achieves 192.6, and Ultra drops to 135.7. Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down: Low delivers 190.5 FPS, Medium produces 138.3 FPS, High maintains 120.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 85.1 FPS. At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the numbers are: Low at 100.2 FPS, Medium at 75.4 FPS, High at 64.2 FPS, and Ultra at 43.8 FPS. These values show a consistent pattern where each increase in resolution or settings preset reduces the average FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is most pronounced at 1080p (162.2 FPS) and narrows at 4K (56.4 FPS), indicating that the GPU's limitations become more apparent at higher resolutions, while the CPU's role diminishes. The data confirms that this combo is capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it is best suited for Medium or High settings to maintain smooth gameplay.