Barony

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 delivers a playable but constrained experience in Barony, a roguelike that is far more forgiving of lower frame rates than fast-twitch shooters. The data shows this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it offers a wide range of settings headroom, while 1440p and 4K resolutions push the GPU to its limits. The measured results indicate that the RX 570 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing, as the i5-12400’s six-core, twelve-thread configuration provides ample processing power for this title. The combination ranks at 1632 out of 1702 tested combos, placing it in the lower tier of performance, but this does not preclude a smooth experience at the right settings and resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the clear recommendation. The data shows an average of 90.8 FPS at this setting, which is well above the threshold for a responsive roguelike experience. This provides a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset while maintaining a frame rate that is nearly double that of the 4K High preset. If you prefer maximum frame rates for the most responsive input, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 136.7 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire measured data set and ideal for maximizing refresh rate potential.

Pushing to the Medium preset at 1080p yields 105.5 FPS, still an excellent result, but the jump to High only costs about 15 FPS and provides a notably better visual presentation. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 64.6 FPS, which is playable but begins to sacrifice the smoothness that makes the lower presets so comfortable. At 2560x1440, the High preset is the highest setting that maintains a 60+ FPS average, hitting 55.2 FPS, which is close but slightly below the 60 FPS mark. The Low preset at 1440p is the only other option that clears this threshold, with an average of 89.8 FPS. For 4K, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable for any semblance of smooth gameplay, averaging 45.1 FPS, while all other presets fall below 32 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Barony at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 45.1 FPS, which is playable, while the High preset drops to 27.9 FPS and the Ultra preset falls to 20.6 FPS. For a consistent experience at 4K, the Low preset is the only practical choice.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains a 60 FPS average at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 is the highest setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 90.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 64.6 FPS, which is still above 60 but with less headroom.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system for Barony?*

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary constraint. The RX 570 has a 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the i5-12400 has a 77th percentile ranking among CPUs. More tellingly, the frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 points suggests it has ample headroom.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The i5-12400’s average benchmark score is 19850. This places it virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores 19831, a delta of 0.1%. It is also within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-11600K, which scores 19771. This indicates the i5-12400 is competitively positioned in its performance class.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 136.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64.6 FPS. This represents a drop of 72.1 FPS, or roughly 53%, when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1440p High sufficient for gameplay?

A: The data shows an average of 55.2 FPS at 2560x1440 on High settings. This is below the 60 FPS target many players prefer, but it remains a playable experience for a roguelike title. For a more consistent 60+ FPS experience, dropping to Medium (64 FPS) or Low (89.8 FPS) would be recommended.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases, clearly highlighting the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 90.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 55.2 FPS, a reduction of 35.6 FPS or about 39%. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the High preset falling to 27.9 FPS, which is a 62.9 FPS drop from 1080p and a further 49% reduction from the 1440p score.

This scaling pattern is indicative of a system where the AMD Radeon RX 570’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being saturated. The GPU’s pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, does not show a similar bottleneck; if it were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain more consistent across resolutions. The data suggests that lowering settings at 1440p is a more effective strategy than attempting to play at 4K, as the Low preset at 1440p (89.8 FPS) provides a far better experience than the Low preset at 4K (45.1 FPS).

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1632 out of 1702 combos in Barony. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested configurations, which is a low standing. However, this ranking is heavily influenced by the age and performance tier of the GPU. The RX 570 is an end-of-life product, and its performance is far below modern mid-range and high-end cards.

Despite the low overall rank, the combo is not without merit. The i5-12400 is a solid modern processor, and its 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs shows it is not holding the system back. The bottleneck is almost entirely the GPU. This means that for a user with this CPU, a future GPU upgrade would yield a massive performance increase without needing to change the processor. The combo’s rank is a reflection of the GPU’s limitations, not a poor pairing of components.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache is ample for a game like Barony, which is not typically demanding on cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935 and a single-core score of 2249, indicate strong processing power. Its Passmark single-thread score of 3456 is particularly relevant for gaming, as many titles still rely on strong single-core performance.

In the context of this game, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary. The frame rates are heavily dictated by the GPU at all resolutions, especially at 1440p and 4K. The i5-12400’s performance is more than sufficient to feed the RX 570, and its scores are very close to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (-0.2% delta). This suggests that the CPU is not a source of frame rate instability or a performance ceiling in this configuration. The data indicates that the CPU has significant headroom, and the system’s performance is entirely gated by the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average frame rates for the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 570 in Barony.

1920x1080:

• Low: 136.7 FPS
• Medium: 105.5 FPS
• High: 90.8 FPS
• Ultra: 64.6 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 89.8 FPS
• Medium: 64 FPS
• High: 55.2 FPS
• Ultra: 39.5 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 45.1 FPS
• Medium: 32 FPS
• High: 27.9 FPS
• Ultra: 20.6 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with the Low preset offering a high refresh rate experience. At 1440p, the High preset falls just below 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset becomes difficult to play. At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a frame rate above 40 FPS, and all other presets are effectively unplayable for a smooth experience. This pattern reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the system and provides a clear roadmap for users looking to optimize their settings based on their display resolution.