Barony

Barony is an old-school roguelike whose visual demands are modest, but the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination still shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions. The data reveals a system that is firmly GPU-limited at 4K, but becomes increasingly CPU-bound at 1080p, with the measured frame rates reflecting a balance that favors high refresh rate play at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the Radeon RX 6600 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 262.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 164.5 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 98 FPS, and then to 86.7 FPS at 3840x2160. This pattern shows a 67% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of pixel-throughput saturation on the GPU.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the average drops from 123.2 FPS at 1080p to 79.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 40.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that this resolution and preset combination pushes the RX 6600 beyond its comfortable operating range. In contrast, the 1080p Ultra result of 123.2 FPS shows that the GPU still has ample headroom at the lowest resolution.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 139.3 FPS, while at 4K, that same difference shrinks to 46.4 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth, not the CPU, dictate the ceiling when pixel count rises. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for this game, but the 1792 shading units struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide more than enough processing power for Barony’s roguelike logic. The benchmark results show strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 910 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3456, which is critical for a genre that often relies on rapid, deterministic simulation. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache also helps keep frequently accessed game data close at hand.

At 1080p Low, the average frame rate of 262.5 FPS suggests the CPU is nearing its practical limit for this title, as the GPU is no longer the bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 indicates that the i5-12400 can handle the game’s multi-threaded tasks, but the 3dmark_16_threads score of 5873 and the passmark_multithread score of 18747 show that scaling beyond 6 cores yields diminishing returns in this context. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 77 against all CPUs places it comfortably above average, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of 0.1%.

The data implies that the i5-12400 is not the limiting component in most configurations. Even at 1080p High, where the average is 167.9 FPS, the CPU has headroom; it is only at 1080p Low that the frame rate climbs high enough to expose potential CPU limitations. The 65 W TDP and Alder Lake architecture ensure efficient operation, but the real story is that this processor is a reliable partner that never drags down the GPU’s performance in this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at High settings provides an average of 106.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target, while 3840x2160 at High only reaches 58 FPS. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 25235 is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon 890M, which scores 25246 with a deltaPct of 0%. It is also within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 25120, indicating near-identical overall performance in synthetic tests.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the system in Barony?

A: At 1080p Low, the average frame rate of 262.5 FPS likely approaches the CPU’s ceiling, but at all other settings and resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor. The i5-12400’s single-thread score of 910 in 3dmark and 3456 in Passmark suggest it handles the game’s logic without issue.

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this setup?

A: No, the measured average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 40.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. The 4K High setting, at 58 FPS, is also borderline, making 4K unsuitable for this combination in Barony.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 1345 out of 1702 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 21% of all combinations. This low rank is likely due to the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than any CPU deficiency.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: The average frame rate drops from 164.5 FPS at Low to 79.1 FPS at Ultra, a difference of 85.4 FPS. This shows that the settings preset has a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 1345 out of 1702 tested combos, this pairing sits in the lower third of all configurations, but the context matters. The rank reflects the combination’s overall standing across all games, not just Barony, and the RX 6600’s percentile of 69 against all GPUs is moderate. The CPU’s percentile of 77 is higher, suggesting that the processor is the stronger component in this pairing.

In Barony specifically, the measured FPS data shows that this combo performs admirably at 1080p and 1440p, with most settings yielding averages above 100 FPS. The low rank is therefore more indicative of the system’s ceiling in demanding titles rather than its capability in this lightweight roguelike. The nearest GPU rival, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, has a deltaPct of -0.2%, meaning the RX 6600 is slightly faster on average, but the ranking shows that performance in this game is not solely determined by raw benchmark scores.

The combo’s rank suggests that users should not expect top-tier performance in graphically intensive games, but for Barony, the data proves it is more than sufficient. The 1345th position is a reminder that this is a mid-range setup, yet the measured results in this title show it can deliver high refresh rates without compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are consistently high across all settings. Low settings produce 262.5 FPS, Medium reaches 196.1 FPS, High achieves 167.9 FPS, and Ultra still manages 123.2 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the comfort zone of this combination, with even the most demanding preset delivering over double the 60 FPS baseline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 164.5 FPS at Low, 125.6 FPS at Medium, 106.2 FPS at High, and 79.1 FPS at Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not drastic, with the Ultra preset still exceeding 75 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance degrades more sharply. Low settings average 86.7 FPS, Medium drops to 65.2 FPS, High falls to 58 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40.3 FPS. Only the Low preset maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra struggle to stay playable. This resolution is clearly not recommended for this setup, as the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 2560x1440 at High settings, which yields an average of 106.2 FPS. This configuration provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is smooth for most displays. If a higher refresh rate is the priority, 1920x1080 at Medium, with an average of 196.1 FPS, offers an excellent balance of speed and quality.

At 4K, the only playable option is Low settings, which averages 86.7 FPS, but this sacrifices too much visual detail for marginal resolution gains. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 79.1 FPS, is also a solid choice for those who prioritize image quality over raw speed. However, the 4K Ultra result of 40.3 FPS is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it the least desirable option.

The data suggests that the optimal experience lies between 1440p High and 1080p Medium, depending on whether resolution or frame rate is more important. For most users, 1440p High represents the best compromise, as it avoids the sharp performance penalties of 4K while still delivering a high-quality image.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process, is the clear performance driver in this pairing. Its boost clock of 2491 MHz and game clock of 2044 MHz provide substantial compute power, with an FP32 throughput of 8.928 TFLOPS. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, running at 14 Gbps effective, delivers 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for Barony’s textures and effects.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show a percentile of 69 against all GPUs, placing it in the upper-mid range. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, has a deltaPct of 0%, meaning the RX 6600 and the integrated Radeon 890M perform nearly identically on average. This is surprising given the discrete nature of the RX 6600, but it highlights the efficiency of modern integrated graphics.

In Barony, the GPU’s role becomes evident at higher resolutions, where the 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs are pushed to their limits. The pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 40.3 FPS shows that the GPU lacks the raw fill rate for extreme settings. The 132 W TDP and dual-slot design keep thermals manageable, but the performance cliff at 4K is a clear indicator of the GPU’s mid-range positioning.