Barony

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title that proves highly scalable across modern hardware. The measured frame rates indicate a system capable of maxing out high-refresh-rate displays even at demanding resolutions, with the data showing a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, scaling characteristics, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured results.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings a substantial processing foundation to Barony, with its 14 cores and 20 threads operating at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache, which provides ample headroom for the game's logic and procedural generation systems common in roguelikes. The processor's benchmark scores place it in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394.

In the context of the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where frame rates soar. At 1080p Low settings, the combo produces 466 FPS, a figure that far exceeds the GPU's typical rendering ceiling at higher settings, indicating the CPU is feeding the graphics card efficiently. The processor's single-thread performance, highlighted by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594, is critical for a game like Barony where game logic and AI calculations often rely on fewer threads. The multi-core capabilities, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544, ensure that background tasks and the game's broader simulation don't introduce stutter.

Comparing the i5-14600KF to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tightly clustered field. It sits 0.3% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 in average benchmark score, 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, and 0.8% above the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%. These minuscule deltas suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p, the i5-14600KF delivers performance statistically indistinguishable from its closest competitors, meaning the measured frame rates are representative of a top-tier desktop platform.

The processor's 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus, contribute to its adaptability, but the game's results suggest the CPU is never the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 70, the CPU is clearly not the constraint; the processor's headroom allows the GPU to become the primary driver of performance. The data indicates that the i5-14600KF provides a stable platform that scales effectively from 1080p to 4K without introducing frame-time inconsistencies, as evidenced by the consistent FPS deltas across settings at each resolution.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the primary performance driver in this configuration, especially as resolution and settings increase. This Ampere architecture GPU, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process, features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The GPU's 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs operate at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, providing the raw compute power needed for high-resolution rendering. The memory clock runs at 1188 MHz, translating to 19 Gbps effective, which is crucial for feeding the large frame buffers required at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rivals show interesting comparisons: the RTX 3080 Ti scores 0.8% above the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, trails the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB by 1.2%, and is 1.7% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40, while leading the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 by 2%. These deltas are surprisingly small, indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti's performance in synthetic benchmarks is comparable to these other cards, though the measured game FPS reveals its true gaming prowess.

In Barony, the GPU's role becomes apparent in the scaling from Low to Ultra settings. At 4K, the average FPS drops from 154 at Low to 70 at Ultra, a span of 84 FPS that underscores the GPU's workload scaling with visual fidelity. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient to handle the game's textures and effects at 4K Ultra without hitting memory limits, as the measured 70 FPS average indicates stable rendering. The GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance provides ample compute for the game's shaders and particle effects, which are common in roguelike environments.

The RTX 3080 Ti's role is also evident in the medium settings data, which is the only setting tier with recorded minimum and maximum FPS. At 1080p Medium, the card delivers an average of 347 FPS with a minimum of 295 and maximum of 399, showing consistent frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 219 FPS with a minimum of 186 and maximum of 252, and at 4K Medium, it averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 and maximum of 132. These ranges indicate the GPU maintains smooth performance without severe frame spikes, a characteristic that enhances the gameplay experience in a genre where reaction time matters.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic scaling pattern, with the CPU dominating at 1080p and the GPU taking over as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 466 at 1080p to 294 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 154 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline at Low settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck even at the lowest visual fidelity, as the CPU's frame generation capability exceeds what the GPU can render.

The scaling at High settings tells a similar story, with FPS dropping from 298 at 1080p to 188 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 98 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across Low and High settings suggest that the game's rendering load scales predictably with pixel count, and the GPU is the limiting factor in both cases. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 347 at 1080p to 219 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and to 114 at 4K (a 48% reduction), maintaining the same scaling pattern.

At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 213 at 1080p to 135 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and to 70 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). This consistent 37% and 48% reduction pattern across all settings strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p. The RTX 3080 Ti's rendering throughput scales inversely with pixel count, and the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed it without becoming a constraint. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor at Low and Medium settings where FPS exceeds 300, but at 4K, the GPU's pixel rendering limits performance.

The scaling behavior also shows that the game is not heavily dependent on memory bandwidth at lower settings, as the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings. However, at 4K, the GPU's 912.4 GB/s bandwidth becomes more critical, and the measured FPS at Ultra (70) suggests the card is pushing its limits. This analysis indicates that for users aiming for 4K gaming, the RTX 3080 Ti is the primary constraint, while at 1080p, the i5-14600KF provides ample performance to exceed 200 FPS at Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 466, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the CPU and GPU combination can deliver extremely high frame rates at the lowest visual fidelity, far exceeding typical display refresh rates.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 70. This is the lowest measured average across all configurations, indicating that 4K Ultra is the most demanding scenario for this hardware.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the average FPS drops from 294 at Low settings to 135 at Ultra settings, representing a 54% reduction in performance. This significant drop highlights the GPU's workload increase with higher visual fidelity.

Q: Are there any frame rate consistency data points available?

A: Yes, the Medium settings at all three resolutions include minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 295 to 399 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 186 to 252 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 97 to 132 FPS, all with the stated average FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900's score of 49228. This negligible difference suggests comparable CPU performance in most workloads.

Q: How does the GPU compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, which is 2% higher than the RTX 5070's score of 40377. This indicates the older card still holds a slight performance advantage in synthetic benchmarks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are organized by resolution and settings, with all data points coming directly from the FACT PACK. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 466 FPS at Low, 347 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 295 and maximum of 399), 298 FPS at High, and 213 FPS at Ultra. These results show a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance by roughly 25-30%, with the CPU providing enough headroom to keep frame rates well above 200 FPS even at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 294 at Low, 219 at Medium (minimum 186, maximum 252), 188 at High, and 135 at Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent 37% reduction in FPS across all settings, which aligns with the increase in pixel count. The Medium settings data shows a frame range of 66 FPS, indicating some variance but overall stable performance.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 154 at Low, 114 at Medium (minimum 97, maximum 132), 98 at High, and 70 at Ultra. The 4K data shows a 48% reduction from 1440p across all settings, demonstrating the GPU's increasing workload with resolution. The Medium settings at 4K have a frame range of 35 FPS, which is tighter than at lower resolutions, suggesting the GPU maintains more consistent frame pacing at higher pixel counts. The data confirms that the RTX 3080 Ti can handle 4K gaming at playable frame rates, with High settings providing a 98 FPS average that exceeds standard 60 Hz displays.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, all settings tiers provide excellent performance, with even Ultra settings achieving 213 FPS average. The Medium settings at 1080p offer a balanced experience with 347 FPS average and a minimum of 295 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors up to 240 Hz. For users with 360 Hz displays, the Low settings at 466 FPS would be necessary, but this sacrifices visual quality for frame rate.

At 1440p, the High settings provide an excellent balance with 188 FPS average, which comfortably supports 144 Hz and 165 Hz monitors. The Ultra settings at 135 FPS still exceed 120 Hz, making them viable for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium settings at 219 FPS are ideal for 200 Hz monitors, while the Low settings at 294 FPS can push beyond 240 Hz. For most users, High settings at 1440p offer the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, as the 188 FPS average maintains smooth gameplay without the visual compromises of Medium or Low settings.

At 4K, the High settings provide the best experience with 98 FPS average, which supports 60 Hz and 90 Hz displays with room to spare. The Ultra settings at 70 FPS are playable but may not provide consistent 60 FPS minimums, as the Medium settings show a minimum of 97 FPS. The Medium settings at 114 FPS are the best choice for 4K gaming on 120 Hz displays, offering a 35 FPS headroom above the minimum. For users prioritizing visual quality over frame rate, Ultra settings at 70 FPS are viable, but the High settings represent the sweet spot for 4K gaming, providing a 28 FPS improvement over Ultra while maintaining high visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination ranks 987th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 26.5% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the system's strong performance, though the position is influenced by the large number of combos tested, many of which likely feature more recent or higher-end components. The rank indicates that this combo outperforms the majority of tested systems, but it is not at the very top of the leaderboard.

The ranking is consistent with the hardware's benchmark percentiles, where the CPU sits in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 83rd percentile. The combo's overall rank of 987 suggests that while both components are above average, the combination does not reach the elite tier occupied by systems with top-of-the-line GPUs like the RTX 4090 or latest generation cards. The measured FPS data supports this assessment, as the combo delivers excellent performance but is not the fastest possible configuration.

In the context of Barony, the combo's rank of 987 out of 3717 indicates that it provides a high level of performance that would satisfy most gamers. The system's ability to exceed 100 FPS at 4K High settings and 200 FPS at 1080p Ultra places it well above the median combo. The rank also suggests that users seeking higher performance would need to upgrade to a more powerful GPU, as the CPU's 90th percentile ranking indicates it is not the limiting factor. Overall, this combo offers a strong balance of CPU and GPU performance, ranking in the top quarter of all tested configurations and delivering a smooth gaming experience across all resolutions and settings.