Barony

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a stark example of CPU and GPU imbalance in Barony. While the processor is a modern powerhouse, the integrated graphics solution severely bottlenecks performance across all resolutions. The data shows a system where the CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU's capabilities limit the experience to lower resolutions and settings, making it clear that this configuration is not intended for high-refresh or high-fidelity gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 159 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 100 FPS, a significant reduction of 59 FPS. At 4K, the average falls further to 53 FPS. This steep decline is the primary indicator that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor; the GPU's rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count, and its performance collapses accordingly.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the system averages 102 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and only 34 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the same trend, with averages of 73, 46, and 24 FPS across the three resolutions. This consistent proportional drop—roughly a 50-60% reduction in FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40-50% reduction from 1440p to 4K—is a textbook example of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU is not the bottleneck here; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions as the GPU's workload changes.

The data also indicates that the GPU's performance ceiling is quite low. Even at the lowest tested resolution and settings (1080p Low), the system only reaches 159 FPS. While this is a playable frame rate, it suggests that the Arc B390 cannot push much beyond this point, and any attempt to increase graphical fidelity or resolution will result in a disproportionate FPS loss. The frame time data for Medium settings reinforces this, showing a minimum of 101 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K, indicating that frame pacing becomes unstable as the GPU struggles to keep up.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its benchmark results are exceptionally low, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a stark indicator of its limited capabilities. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database—the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463 score, 1.3% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460 score, 1.5% delta)—are legacy, entry-level parts from over a decade ago. This comparison firmly establishes the Arc B390 as a solution for basic computing tasks, not gaming.

The GPU's specifications align with its low benchmark scores. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the architecture's overall throughput is limited by its 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. The system uses shared memory for the GPU, with the memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the system's DDR4 or DDR5 RAM, which is far slower than dedicated GDDR6 memory found on discrete graphics cards, further hampering performance.

The GPU's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures, while not directly comparable to rival specs in the pack, are insufficient for modern gaming loads. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and FP16 performance of 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) are also modest. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 80 W TDP, and its slot width is listed as "IGP," confirming it is not a discrete card. The data clearly shows that the Arc B390 is not designed for the demands of Barony at high resolutions or settings, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra average of just 24 FPS.

CPU Role

In contrast to the GPU, the Intel Core i5-14400F is a highly capable processor that is underutilized in this pairing. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. Its Geekbench scores are 11268 (multi-core) and 2058 (single-core). The CPU's average benchmark score is 32279, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233 score, 0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354 score, -0.2% delta), which are comparable mobile processors. This demonstrates that the i5-14400F has ample processing power.

The CPU features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It has a substantial 20 MB of shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming workloads. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory and has a 65 W TDP. These specifications are more than sufficient for Barony, a roguelike game that is unlikely to stress a modern 10-core processor.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system. The FPS drops seen across resolutions are entirely attributable to the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across different resolutions. Instead, the data shows a linear decline in FPS as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. The i5-14400F is essentially waiting for the Arc B390 to finish rendering frames, leaving its extensive processing capabilities idle. The CPU's performance headroom is substantial, and it would be able to support a much more powerful discrete GPU without becoming a limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. The data is measured, not estimated, and it shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as both resolution and settings are increased.

At 1920x1080, the system performs best. The Low preset achieves an average of 159 FPS, which is the highest score recorded in the entire dataset. The High preset averages 102 FPS, the Medium preset averages 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 136, and the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system can consistently maintain frame rates above 60 FPS across all presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 100 FPS, a 59 FPS drop from 1080p. The High preset averages 64 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 86. The Ultra preset falls to 46 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low and Medium presets provide a consistently playable experience above 60 FPS, while High is borderline.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The High preset averages 34 FPS, the Medium preset averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45, and the Ultra preset averages just 24 FPS. None of the presets at 4K provide a smooth, playable frame rate. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the only resolution where the system can deliver a high-refresh experience, while 4K is only suitable for static screenshots or turn-based play.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K?*

A: Technically yes, but not well. The measured data shows that at 4K, the average FPS ranges from 53 on Low settings to 24 on Ultra settings. This is far below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS, which will likely feel stuttery.

Q: What is the best resolution for this configuration?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves consistently high frame rates. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 159 FPS. This is the resolution where the Intel Arc B390 can keep up with the demands of the game.

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

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has a score of 32233, which is a 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also close with a score of 32226, a 0.2% delta. This indicates that the i5-14400F is a high-performing CPU, well within the top tier of its class.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a discrete graphics card?

A: No. The specifications list the slot width as "IGP" and the bus interface as "IGP," which stands for Integrated Graphics Processor. It uses "System Shared" memory and relies on the system's RAM for its frame buffer, which is a significant performance limitation.

Q: What does the GPU's benchmark percentile mean?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it performs better than only 9% of the GPUs in the database. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is only slightly higher than that of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta), which are very old, low-end parts.

Q: Will lowering the settings from Ultra to Low help at 4K?

A: Yes, but not enough for smooth gameplay. At 4K, lowering from Ultra (24 FPS) to Low (53 FPS) more than doubles the frame rate. However, 53 FPS is still below 60 FPS, so the game will not be perfectly smooth. The improvement shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, but its absolute performance ceiling is too low for this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the High preset offers a balanced experience with an average of 102 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. While the Medium preset has a higher average (118 FPS), High provides better visual quality with only a 16 FPS penalty, making it the recommended preset for most players.

For players with 2560x1440 monitors, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience, averaging 75 FPS. The Low preset is also an option with 100 FPS, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The High preset at 1440p (64 FPS) is borderline, and the Ultra preset (46 FPS) is not recommended.

At 3840x2160, no preset delivers a satisfactory experience. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is the best available but still below the 60 FPS target. If 4K is a hard requirement, the game is playable but will not be smooth. The data suggests that the user should either reduce the resolution to 1440p or lower to get a playable frame rate. The Ultra preset at 4K (24 FPS) is a slideshow and should be avoided. The overall recommendation is to play at 1080p with High settings for the best combination of visual quality and performance, as this configuration is severely GPU-limited.