Barony

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Barony, positioning itself in the 45th percentile of tested configurations. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, but transitions to a CPU-limited state at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 360 FPS. This combo ranks 1336th out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier, with its performance ceiling dictated by the graphics card at higher resolutions and the processor at lower ones.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Barony?*

A: The combo ranks 1336th out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the 45th percentile of all tested configurations. This indicates a solid, mid-tier performance level for the game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (score 32233) and 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i9-11900 (score 32226). It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (score 32354) and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-12800H (score 32121). Essentially, it is statistically tied with these processors.

Q: What is the performance relationship between the RX 7700 and the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. This is 1.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (score 16129), indicating the RX 7700 is slightly slower in this specific metric.

Q: What is the best-case frame rate scenario for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 360 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium settings, it averages 268 FPS, and at Ultra settings, it averages 165 FPS.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS?

A: The only tested configuration that falls below 60 FPS is at 3840x2160 (4K) with Ultra settings, where the average frame rate drops to 54 FPS. All other tested configurations maintain an average of 76 FPS or higher.

*Q: Does the CPU or GPU act as the primary bottleneck for this combo in Barony?*

A: The bottleneck shifts based on resolution. At 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates scale significantly with settings. At 1080p, the CPU becomes the primary limiter, as frame rates are extremely high and show less scaling between Low and High settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the defining component for visual fidelity in Barony, and its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a substantial buffer for high-resolution textures. The GPU's performance is characterized by a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. This clock speed, combined with 2560 shading units, allows the card to process the game's geometry and effects efficiently.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution scales. At 4K, the workload shifts heavily onto the graphics card. The data shows a clear progression: at 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 119 FPS on Low settings to 76 FPS on High, and further to 54 FPS on Ultra. This 65 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K demonstrates how sensitive the RX 7700 is to shader and texture complexity at that resolution. The card's 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs are tasked with filling the massive pixel count, and the results show that Ultra settings at 4K are beyond its comfort zone for maintaining high refresh rates.

In contrast, the GPU's role is less demanding at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the RX 7700 has ample headroom. The difference between Low (360 FPS) and High (230 FPS) is 130 FPS, but the frame rates are so high that the GPU is not the primary constraint; the CPU is. The RX 7700's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 20974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 1.7% higher on average, meaning the RX 7700 offers comparable raw compute power, but in this game, its 16 GB memory capacity is a distinct advantage for higher-resolution texture packs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F serves as the central processing unit, and its architecture is pivotal in determining the maximum achievable frame rates. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it offers robust multi-threading capabilities for background tasks, but Barony appears to be sensitive to single-thread performance. The CPU's base clock is 2.50 GHz, which can boost up to 4.70 GHz, and this boost clock is critical for gaming performance.

The CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p, where the GPU is not overwhelmed. The data indicates a CPU bottleneck at this resolution. For instance, at 1920x1080, the average frame rate only drops from 360 FPS on Low to 230 FPS on High, a 130 FPS difference. While this seems like a large gap, the absolute numbers suggest the CPU is hitting its limit. The i5-14400F's single-core performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3701, is strong but finite. The game engine cannot push beyond a certain point, regardless of how much GPU headroom is available.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14400F holds its own against its peers. It scores 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 9090 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its average benchmark score of 32279 puts it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals show negligible differences, with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scoring 0.2% higher and the Intel Core i7-12800H scoring 0.5% lower. This indicates that the CPU is not a weak link in the system; rather, it is a capable processor that establishes a high performance ceiling, which the GPU can only fully utilize at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1336th out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 45.5th percentile of all configurations, which is a solidly mid-pack result. The ranking suggests that while the combo performs well, there are many other pairings that achieve higher frame rates, likely those with more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance.

The rank of 1336 is a holistic measure of the system's in-game performance across all tested settings. It does not mean the system is slow; rather, it reflects the competitive landscape. For every combo that ranks above it, there is a combination of hardware that either pushes more pixels or processes game logic faster. The 45th percentile placement indicates that this system is better than a majority of the tested configurations, but it is not in the top tier. The bottleneck analysis shows that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, so combos with a higher-ranked GPU would likely perform better. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, so a processor with a higher boost clock or better single-core performance could edge out this combo. The data suggests this is a balanced pairing, but it does not excel in any single resolution category to break into the top quartile.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions reveals a classic bottleneck shift. This system is demonstrably GPU-limited at 4K and CPU-limited at 1080p. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution decreases, the frame rate increases disproportionately, indicating that the GPU is relieved of work while the CPU remains the constant.

At 1080p, the average frame rate on High settings is 230 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 145 FPS, a 37% decrease in performance. This significant drop is a direct result of the GPU having to render 78% more pixels (1920x1080 vs 2560x1440). The GPU is now the primary constraint. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average High settings frame rate drops from 145 FPS to 76 FPS, a 48% decrease. This further confirms that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, as the pixel count doubles again.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, on Ultra settings, the average frame rate goes from 165 FPS at 1080p, to 104 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 54 FPS at 4K. The scaling between 1440p and 4K is steeper than between 1080p and 1440p, which is expected due to the exponential increase in pixel count. The data suggests that 1440p is the "sweet spot" for this combo, where the GPU is sufficiently utilized to produce high frame rates (145 FPS on High) without being overwhelmed, while the CPU is not holding the system back. At 4K, the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and users must dial down settings to achieve playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured frame rates for this hardware combination in Barony. The tests were conducted at three resolutions and four quality presets.

1920x1080 (Full HD)

At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, producing very high frame rates. The lowest average is 165 FPS at Ultra settings, which is still exceptionally smooth. The Low preset achieves an average of 360 FPS, demonstrating the CPU's capability to drive the game engine to its limits. The Medium preset shows an average of 268 FPS, with a minimum of 228 FPS and a maximum of 308 FPS. The High preset averages 230 FPS. These numbers indicate that users with high refresh rate monitors will be fully satisfied at this resolution.

2560x1440 (Quad HD)

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The High preset averages 145 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 1080p result but still well above 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 227 FPS, showing that the GPU can still handle a light load. The Medium preset averages 169 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 104 FPS, which is a playable and smooth experience for most users. The data shows a clear correlation between settings and performance, with a 123 FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets.

3840x2160 (4K UHD)

At 4K, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The Ultra preset averages only 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may be noticeable to some users. The High preset averages 76 FPS, which is a playable frame rate. The Medium preset averages 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, showing that the GPU can still push high frame rates if the visual load is reduced. The 65 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is the widest of all tested resolutions, confirming the GPU's sensitivity to workload at 4K.