Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 7600

This combination of Intel's 10-core Raptor Lake refresh CPU and AMD's RDNA 3.0 midrange GPU produces a fascinating performance profile in Barony, a roguelike that clearly scales aggressively with both resolution and settings. The measured data reveals a system that can push well past 200 FPS at 1080p but drops to sub-60 territory at 4K Ultra, suggesting a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions while the CPU's 16 threads provide ample headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and highly telling about where the bottleneck sits. At Low settings, the system delivers 288 FPS at 1920x1080, which falls to 182 FPS at 2560x1440—a 37% reduction—and then to 95 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 67% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline pattern indicates the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as pixel count rises, which is expected behavior for a midrange card like the RX 7600 with its 128-bit memory bus.

Looking at High settings, the scaling tells a similar story but with different magnitudes. The 184 FPS at 1080p drops to 116 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 61 FPS at 4K (a 67% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings levels suggests that resolution scaling is largely independent of the quality preset—the same fundamental pixel-throughput limitation applies whether the game is running at Low or High.

Medium settings show the most complete dataset, with min and max FPS values recorded at every resolution. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 214 FPS with a minimum of 182 and maximum of 246. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average to 135 FPS (37% lower), with min and max of 115 and 155 respectively. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 71 FPS, with a 60 FPS minimum and 81 FPS maximum—the tightest min-max spread in the dataset, suggesting consistent frame pacing at this demanding resolution.

Ultra settings reveal the most severe scaling. The 132 FPS at 1080p drops to 83 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction) and then to 43 FPS at 4K—a 67% drop from 1080p. This 43 FPS average at 4K Ultra is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset, and the pattern strongly implies that 4K Ultra is simply beyond what this GPU can comfortably handle. The consistent 37% and 67% reduction percentages across all four settings levels point to a purely resolution-driven bottleneck rather than any settings-specific quirk.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions, and the data supports this conclusion through consistent FPS scaling. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, the card has enough memory bandwidth for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the 43 FPS average indicates severe pixel-throughput limitations.

The GPU's clock behavior provides context for these results. With a base clock of 1720 MHz, a game clock of 2250 MHz, and a boost clock of 2655 MHz, the RX 7600 has a wide operating range that allows it to scale performance based on thermal and power headroom. The 165 W TDP with a suggested 450 W PSU suggests this card is designed for mainstream systems, and the 204 mm² die size with 13,300 million transistors on TSMC's 6 nm process represents a dense, efficient design.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 57th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, scores 15199—just 0.2% higher—while the AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics scores 15270, 0.7% higher. This tight clustering around the 15000-15300 range indicates the RX 7600 sits in a highly competitive performance tier where small architectural differences translate to minimal real-world deltas.

The frame rate behavior at 4K Medium—71 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum—suggests the GPU can handle moderate settings at 4K, but the jump to Ultra pushes it past its comfort zone. The 28 FPS difference between 4K Medium and 4K Ultra (71 vs 43) is proportionally larger than the 53 FPS difference at 1080p (214 vs 132), indicating that Ultra settings impose a disproportionately heavier load at higher resolutions where pixel count compounds with quality effects.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides substantial processing headroom for Barony, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p where the GPU is less stressed. With 10 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, this CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32233—just 0.1% lower—while the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 at 0.2% lower, indicating this processor is well-positioned in its performance class.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core provide ample cache for game logic and AI calculations typical of roguelike titles. The 65 W TDP is notably modest for a 10-core processor, and the DDR4/DDR5 dual-channel memory support offers flexibility, though the data doesn't specify which memory type was used in testing. The ECC memory support and PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only) suggest this is a forward-looking platform.

At 1080p Low, the 288 FPS average likely approaches the upper limit of what the CPU can feed to the GPU, but the fact that Ultra settings at 1080p still achieve 132 FPS indicates the CPU isn't holding back the GPU even at higher quality presets. The 16 threads handle Barony's single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads effectively, and the single-thread performance—evidenced by the 3055 Cinebench R23 single-core score and 3701 Passmark single-thread score—suggests strong per-core performance for game logic.

The CPU's benchmark results show balanced performance across different workloads: 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 9090 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, and 11268 in Geekbench multi-core. The Passmark results reveal strong integer math (81524) and floating-point math (61319) capabilities, with data compression (315521) and encryption (16949) scores that indicate the CPU can handle varied workloads without becoming a bottleneck. However, the 86 Passmark find prime numbers score is notably low, suggesting some workloads might not benefit from this architecture.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: At Medium settings, yes—the system averages 71 FPS at 4K with a 60 FPS minimum, which is playable. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 43 FPS, which would feel less smooth. Low settings at 4K achieve 95 FPS, so there's a wide range of playable options depending on visual quality preferences.

Q: What's the best resolution for this system in Barony?

A: The data shows 1440p provides an excellent balance. At High settings, the system achieves 116 FPS, and at Ultra it still maintains 83 FPS—both well above the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution offers significantly more detail than 1080p while avoiding the steep performance penalties seen at 4K.

Q: How much performance drops from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The drop is consistent across all settings at approximately 37%. For example, Low settings fall from 288 FPS to 182 FPS, and Ultra falls from 132 FPS to 83 FPS. This consistency suggests the performance scaling is purely resolution-driven.

Q: Is this system CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Barony?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the system appears balanced with the GPU likely being the primary limiter. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops and the sub-60 result at Ultra. The CPU's high percentile ranking (83rd) relative to the GPU's 57th percentile supports this interpretation.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RX 7600's average benchmark score of 15171 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.2% difference) and the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.7% difference). This indicates performance within this tier is highly competitive, with no clear winner among these cards.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 155 FPS. This represents one of the most stable performance profiles in the dataset, making it a recommended configuration for consistent gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate stability. For 1080p gaming, all four settings levels provide playable frame rates—even Ultra achieves 132 FPS—so the choice comes down to visual preference. However, Medium settings at 1080p (214 FPS average, 182 FPS minimum) offer an excellent balance of smoothness and visual quality, with the minimum FPS still well above any competitive threshold.

At 1440p, Medium settings (135 FPS average, 115 FPS minimum) and High settings (116 FPS average) both provide excellent experiences. The choice between them depends on whether the user prioritizes frame rate headroom or visual fidelity. Ultra at 1440p (83 FPS average) is still playable but offers less margin for frame drops in busy scenes. Low settings at 1440p (182 FPS) would be excessive for most users unless they have a high refresh rate display and want to maximize frame times.

For 4K gaming, Medium settings (71 FPS average, 60 FPS minimum) represent the sweet spot—playable with a minimum FPS that just hits the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 4K (61 FPS average) are borderline, likely dipping below 60 FPS during intense moments. Ultra at 4K (43 FPS average) is not recommended for smooth gameplay, while Low at 4K (95 FPS) sacrifices too much visual quality for the frame rate gain.

The overall recommendation is 1440p Medium or High for the best combination of visual quality and performance headroom. The 4K Medium option serves as a viable alternative for users with 4K displays who don't require maximum frame rates, while 1080p Ultra provides the highest visual fidelity at resolutions where the system has ample performance to spare.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 288 FPS, the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 214 FPS with a minimum of 182 FPS and maximum of 246 FPS, providing a stable high-refresh-rate experience. High settings achieve 184 FPS average, while Ultra settings still maintain a solid 132 FPS average. All 1080p results are dramatically above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating this resolution poses no challenge for the combo.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected reduction. Low settings average 182 FPS, Medium settings average 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 155 FPS, High settings average 116 FPS, and Ultra settings average 83 FPS. The Medium settings result at 1440p shows the most complete performance profile with a narrow 40 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, suggesting consistent frame pacing. Even at Ultra, the 83 FPS average remains comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium settings average 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 81 FPS, High settings average 61 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 43 FPS. The Medium settings 4K result is notable for its 60 FPS minimum—exactly at the playability threshold—and a tight 21 FPS spread between minimum and maximum. High settings at 4K stand at the edge of playability, while Ultra clearly falls below acceptable levels for smooth gameplay. The 4K Low result of 95 FPS shows there's still headroom at this resolution if visual quality is reduced.

The complete dataset shows a clear pattern: the system excels at 1080p and 1440p with all settings, while 4K requires dialing back to Medium settings or lower for a consistently smooth experience. The min/max data available for Medium settings at all three resolutions reveals that this preset offers the most predictable performance profile, with frame time consistency that competitive players would appreciate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 2536 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 32nd percentile of all combinations tested. This ranking reflects the midrange positioning of both components—the CPU performs well above average (83rd percentile among all CPUs) while the GPU sits near the middle of the pack (57th percentile among all GPUs).

The combo's ranking relative to its component percentiles suggests the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. With a CPU in the top 17% of all processors but a GPU in the 57th percentile, the system's overall performance is constrained by the graphics card, particularly at higher resolutions. The ranking also implies that many of the 1181 combos ranked higher likely feature more powerful GPUs paired with similar or weaker CPUs.

This ranking context helps explain the measured FPS data. The system's strong 1080p performance aligns with a midrange GPU that can push high frame rates at lower resolutions, while the 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS reflects the GPU's 57th percentile positioning. Users considering this combo for Barony should note that while it ranks in the lower third of tested configurations, it still delivers playable frame rates at 1440p and 4K Medium, making it a viable option for mainstream gaming.

The gap between the CPU's 83rd percentile and the GPU's 57th percentile creates an interesting dynamic: users could potentially upgrade the GPU without changing the CPU and see significant performance gains, particularly at 4K. Conversely, the CPU has enough headroom that it wouldn't bottleneck a more powerful GPU in Barony's CPU-light scenarios. This suggests the combo's ranking reflects a balanced but GPU-limited configuration that has clear upgrade paths.