Barony

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers playable frame rates in Barony, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the combination achieves a moderate 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs, yet the GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all tested graphics cards, creating a significant performance bottleneck. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain how the system scales, where the limits lie, and which settings offer the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and predictable drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 159 FPS, which falls to 100 FPS at 1440p and further to 53 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets, with the most demanding setting showing the steepest relative decline: Ultra at 1080p delivers 73 FPS, dropping to 46 FPS at 1440p (a 37% loss) and 24 FPS at 4K (a 48% loss from 1440p).

The magnitude of these drops indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this configuration. When a system is CPU-bound, resolution increases typically have a smaller impact on frame rates because the processor workload remains constant. Here, the frame rate nearly halves when moving from 1440p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated by the increased pixel count. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, both of which are legacy low-end parts. This contextualizes the measured performance, confirming that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, Low produces 159 FPS while Ultra produces 73 FPS, a difference of 86 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low (53 FPS) and Ultra (24 FPS) is only 29 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, allowing higher settings to meaningfully impact performance. At 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even dropping to Low settings cannot fully compensate, though the 53 FPS at Low is substantially better than the 24 FPS at Ultra.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units, with 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2500 MHz, delivering a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS.

A critical aspect of this GPU is its memory configuration: it uses System Shared memory, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which means the GPU relies on the system's DDR4 memory through the CPU's dual-channel bus. The Core i5-11400F supports DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, but this is shared between the CPU and GPU workloads. This arrangement can cause contention, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU needs to access more data.

The measured FPS data reflects these hardware characteristics. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 159 FPS, which is high but not exceptional for a roguelike title. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is its only benchmark result, and its percentile rank of 9 indicates that it performs worse than 91% of all tested GPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the GT 520MX and GT 625 OEM, have similar scores (1463 and 1446 respectively), with delta percentages of 1.3% and 2.5% relative to the Arc B390. This places the GPU firmly in the entry-level category, and the benchmark results confirm that it struggles with demanding graphical loads.

The lack of dedicated VRAM is particularly problematic at 4K. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset produces only 24 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable playability. Even at Low settings, the 4K result of 53 FPS is barely acceptable. The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are modest, and the system shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance degradation at higher resolutions, where memory bandwidth becomes a critical factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process node. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

In CPU-centric benchmarks, the i5-11400F demonstrates solid performance. Its Cinebench R23 scores are 14340 for multi-core and 2024 for single-core. Geekbench results show 7737 for multi-core and 1777 for single-core. The 3DMark tests reveal scaling from 868 in single-thread to 5619 in 16-thread and 5652 in max-thread tests. The PassMark multithread score is 16908, with single-thread at 2981. These numbers indicate a capable mid-range processor that should not bottleneck a GPU of this class in most scenarios.

The CPU's percentile rank is 71, meaning it outperforms 71% of all tested CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (avg score 17120, delta 0.3%), the Intel Core i5-12450H (avg score 17239, delta -0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (avg score 17278, delta -0.6%). These rivals have very similar average scores, confirming that the i5-11400F is a balanced performer within its segment.

In the context of Barony, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for a roguelike game, which typically does not require high core counts. The 4.40 GHz boost clock provides strong single-threaded performance, which is often more important for game logic and physics. However, the FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or settings combination. The frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU's capabilities, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when resolution increases. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data, and given the GPU's low performance ceiling, the i5-11400F likely has ample headroom remaining.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile of all tested graphics cards. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 71st percentile, indicating that the processor is not the weak link in this pairing.

The disparity between CPU and GPU performance creates an imbalanced system. In a game like Barony, which is not particularly demanding on the CPU, the i5-11400F's capabilities are largely wasted when paired with the Arc B390. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is comparable to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and GeForce 800M (1460), both of which are ancient parts from a different era. This comparison underscores the GPU's dated performance profile, despite being based on newer architecture.

The combo's rank of 2601 out of 2935 means that 334 other tested combinations perform worse. This suggests that while the Arc B390 is a weak GPU, there are even less capable configurations in the database. However, the vast majority of combos (88.6%) outperform this pairing, making it a decidedly low-tier option for Barony. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the system fails to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any setting, and only achieves 60 FPS or above at 1080p on Medium settings or lower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance targets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 159 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS, providing a significant visual upgrade while maintaining excellent fluidity. The High preset at 1080p yields 102 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 73 FPS, which is playable but shows a substantial performance cost for the highest visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers exactly 100 FPS, which is excellent for this resolution. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users. The High preset at 1440p drops to 64 FPS, which is borderline but acceptable. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less responsive.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset delivers 53 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playability. The Medium preset at 4K produces 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, while the High preset yields 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 24 FPS. None of these 4K settings achieve 60 FPS, and only Low is moderately playable.

For users targeting 60 FPS, the recommended settings are Medium at 1080p or Low at 1440p. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, High at 1080p or Medium at 1440p offer good experiences. At 4K, Low is the only viable option, and users should expect sub-60 FPS performance regardless of settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS values from the benchmark database:

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 159 FPS
• Medium: 118 FPS (minimum 101 FPS, maximum 136 FPS)
• High: 102 FPS
• Ultra: 73 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 100 FPS
• Medium: 75 FPS (minimum 64 FPS, maximum 86 FPS)
• High: 64 FPS
• Ultra: 46 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 53 FPS
• Medium: 39 FPS (minimum 33 FPS, maximum 45 FPS)
• High: 34 FPS
• Ultra: 24 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings from Low to Medium to High to Ultra costs roughly 20-30% in frame rate, with the exact percentage varying by resolution. The minimum FPS values, available only for Medium settings, indicate that frame pacing is relatively stable, with the minimum typically being 80-85% of the average. This suggests that the system does not experience severe stuttering, even when the GPU is under heavy load.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F + Intel Arc B390 combo capable of running Barony at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at 1080p on Low, Medium, or High settings, the combo achieves 159, 118, and 102 FPS respectively. At 1440p, only Low (100 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 4K, no settings combination reaches 60 FPS, with the highest being Low at 53 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gameplay?

A: Medium at 1440p provides 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. Low at 1440p delivers 100 FPS for users who prioritize frame rate, while High drops to 64 FPS and Ultra falls to 46 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446). This places it in the 9th percentile of all tested GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The i5-11400F ranks in the 71st percentile of CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of GPUs. The FPS drops of 33-48% when moving from 1080p to 4K indicate GPU saturation, not CPU limitations.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 53 FPS, Medium delivers 39 FPS, High delivers 34 FPS, and Ultra delivers 24 FPS. None of these achieve smooth 60 FPS gameplay, and only Low is considered playable.

Q: How does the i5-11400F's performance compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (17278). The Intel Core i5-12450H is 0.4% higher at 17239.