Barony

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination delivers a robust performance profile in Barony, a roguelike title that scales impressively across a range of resolutions. The data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint only at the highest settings, while the CPU, with its substantial multi-threading capacity, ensures high frame rates at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on where each component exerts its influence.

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

The scaling behavior from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At the Ultra preset, the average frame rate falls from 166.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 102.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a drop of 38.3% from the 1080p figure. Moving to 3840x2160, the average further declines to 56.8 FPS, which is a 65.8% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the Radeon RX 6750 XT is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the pixel throughput demand overwhelms the GPU's 432.0 GB/s bandwidth and 2560 shading units.

The scaling picture changes dramatically at the Low preset. Here, the frame rate at 1920x1080 is 361.3 FPS, which only drops to 225.9 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 37.5% decrease) and then to 119.4 FPS at 4K (a 66.9% decrease from 1080p). The fact that the 4K Low result (119.4 FPS) is more than double the 4K Ultra result (56.8 FPS) suggests that while the GPU is still the primary bottleneck at 4K, the workload is far less punishing when graphical features are minimized. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 4.70 GHz, are clearly sufficient to feed the GPU at these lower settings, as evidenced by the high 1080p Low score.

The data suggests the game is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, regardless of preset. However, the gap between the 4K Low and 4K High results (119.4 vs. 74.1 FPS, a difference of 61.2%) shows that the GPU has significant headroom when settings are reduced. At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more prominent, as the frame rates exceed 230 FPS even on High, indicating that the i5-14400F's per-core performance (a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093) is more than adequate for the game's logic, allowing the GPU to operate near its full potential.

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

The Intel Core i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, provides a formidable foundation for Barony. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914, ensures that the game's simulation and AI routines do not become a bottleneck, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less taxed. The boost clock of 4.70 GHz contributes to strong single-thread performance, which is critical for frame pacing and input responsiveness in a fast-paced roguelike.

The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with the High preset, the combo achieves 230.6 FPS. This high result reflects the CPU's ability to process game state updates rapidly enough to avoid capping the frame rate. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 is statistically indistinguishable (0% deltaPct) from the Intel Core i7-12800H, yet it sits 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645. This parity in synthetic benchmarks translates to real-world consistency in Barony, where the CPU rarely seems to be the primary limiter at 1080p.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide ample bandwidth for the game's data streams. The measured frame rates suggest that the processor maintains high utilization headroom, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with GPU load when moving from High to Low settings at 1440p (147.6 FPS to 225.9 FPS). This indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in these scenarios, allowing the Radeon RX 6750 XT to stretch its legs. The data implies that in CPU-intensive scenes, the i5-14400F's architecture is robust enough to maintain high minimum frame rates, although specific minimum frame data was not measured.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT plays the dominant role in determining the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus provide a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s, which is a critical resource for handling the larger textures and detail levels of Barony at 4K. The GPU clocks are aggressive, with a base of 2150 MHz and a boost of 2600 MHz, allowing it to push a peak FP32 throughput of 13.31 TFLOPS.

The performance drop from High to Ultra settings illustrates the GPU's limits. At 4K, the average FPS falls from 74.1 on High to 56.8 on Ultra, a 23.4% reduction. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces graphical effects that heavily tax the GPU's 40 ray accelerators and 64 ROPs. While the Ultra preset is playable, the data shows a significant cost in smoothness. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20700 places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, is only 0.2% behind in average score, indicating that the RX 6750 XT is positioned in a competitive mid-to-high tier segment.

At 1440p, the GPU shows its strength, delivering 147.6 FPS on High and 171 FPS on Medium. These results indicate that the RX 6750 XT is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution. However, the shift to 4K reveals that the 12 GB VRAM, while generous, is still insufficient to maintain high frame rates when combined with the GPU's compute power at the most demanding settings. The data suggests that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at 4K Ultra, as the CPU's performance headroom is not the issue, given its strong synthetic scores.

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

Based on the measured average FPS, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides the most balanced experience, yielding 171 FPS. This is a substantial 16% improvement over the High preset at the same resolution (147.6 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many modern monitors. The Medium preset at 4K also delivers a respectable 85.9 FPS, which is 45.9% higher than the Ultra preset at that resolution, making it a viable option for 4K gaming without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

For players targeting 1080p, the High preset at 230.6 FPS is the optimal choice, as it provides a smooth, high-fidelity experience without the unnecessary performance tax of Ultra. The data shows that the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p results in a significant 28% performance drop (from 230.6 to 166.2 FPS), likely due to demanding post-processing effects. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play at 1080p where maximum frame rates (361.3 FPS) are desired, but the visual compromise is considerable.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the clear winner in the measured data. It offers a 51.2% performance increase over Ultra (85.9 vs. 56.8 FPS) and a 16% increase over High (85.9 vs. 74.1 FPS). This suggests that Medium is the "sweet spot" for 4K on this hardware, balancing the GPU's compute load with the CPU's ability to feed it. The data indicates that Ultra is only suitable for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate and can tolerate sub-60 FPS dips.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 846th out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 50th percentile of all systems tested. This rank reflects a solid mid-pack position, indicating that while the hardware is capable, there are many configurations that offer higher absolute performance. The rank is likely influenced by the GPU's 79th percentile standing, which is lower than the CPU's 88th percentile, suggesting that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

The data implies that the combo is not a top-tier performer but is far from a low-end system. In the context of the database, this rank means that approximately half of the tested systems deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The i5-14400F's high average benchmark score (32508) is offset by the RX 6750 XT's more modest average score (35327), which lags behind rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (which has a 1.3% higher average score). This indicates that users looking to improve their rank would likely need to upgrade the GPU first, as the CPU has more headroom relative to its peers.

The measured FPS data shows that the combo can achieve high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but its 4K performance is limited. The rank of 846 suggests that the system is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis showing strong results at 2560x1440. The data implies that this specific combo is a competent mid-range solution, offering a good balance of CPU and GPU capabilities without excelling in any single extreme.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 361.3 FPS
• Medium: 266.7 FPS
• High: 230.6 FPS
• Ultra: 166.2 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 225.9 FPS
• Medium: 171.0 FPS
• High: 147.6 FPS
• Ultra: 102.6 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 119.4 FPS
• Medium: 85.9 FPS
• High: 74.1 FPS
• Ultra: 56.8 FPS

The data shows a consistent trend: each step up in resolution reduces performance by roughly 35-40% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 50-60% when moving to 4K. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 230.6 to 147.6 (a 36% decrease) when going to 1440p, and then to 74.1 (a 49.8% decrease) when going to 4K. This geometric progression is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The Low preset at 1080p (361.3 FPS) demonstrates the CPU's capability, as this frame rate far exceeds the refresh rate of most displays, suggesting that the game is not CPU-limited at this resolution.

The Ultra preset at 4K (56.8 FPS) is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this is the least ideal setting for this combo. In contrast, the Medium preset at 1440p (171 FPS) is the most efficient, offering high frame rates with moderate visual demands. The High preset at 1080p (230.6 FPS) is also excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a smooth experience with good visual quality.

FAQ

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. The Medium preset achieves 171 FPS, and even the High preset delivers 147.6 FPS, both well above the 144 Hz threshold for smooth gameplay.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Barony?*

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K, the Low preset yields 119.4 FPS, and Medium yields 85.9 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 56.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard for optimal smoothness.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, which is exactly 0% different from the Intel Core i7-12800H and 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645. This indicates near-identical synthetic performance.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K and high settings. Its performance score of 35327 is 1.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, suggesting that upgrading the GPU would yield the most significant performance gains.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The High preset runs at 230.6 FPS, while Ultra runs at 166.2 FPS. This represents a 27.9% performance drop for the higher preset, indicating that Ultra is not worth the visual cost at 1080p.

Q: Does the CPU's 10-core configuration help in this game?

A: Yes. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914) ensures the game's logic doesn't bottleneck the GPU, especially at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 360 FPS on Low settings.