Barony

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers an exceptionally playable experience in Barony, with frame rates that remain fluid even at 4K Ultra. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the sheer headroom at 1080p suggests the CPU is more than capable of feeding the graphics card. The measured results show a clear scaling pattern that defines the performance envelope of this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the RTX 4060 becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 341.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 109.9 FPS at 3840x2160—a 68% reduction. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits at 4K, while the CPU still has significant headroom to spare.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced in absolute terms: the average drops from 156.5 FPS at 1080p to 51.6 FPS at 4K, a 67% decrease. The pattern holds across all presets, with 1440p showing roughly a 36-38% reduction from 1080p, and 4K adding another 50% drop from 1440p. This consistent scaling curve strongly suggests that the limiting component in this combo is the graphics card, not the processor.

The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this pairing. At High settings, the system maintains 139.5 FPS at 2560x1440, which is a comfortable margin above typical high-refresh-rate displays. The 4K results, while playable at 69.9 FPS on High, clearly indicate that the RTX 4060 is working near its capacity, whereas the 1080p results show the GPU is not yet the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth play a critical role in these results. With a boost clock of 2460 MHz and a base clock of 1830 MHz, the card delivers strong raw compute performance, evidenced by its 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput. The 128-bit memory bus is a potential constraint, but the measured frame rates suggest it is sufficient for Barony's demands across all tested configurations.

The GPU's 66th percentile ranking among all tested GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, and its benchmark scores reflect this positioning. The PassMark G3D score of 19545 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 indicate solid DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with the game's measured results. The RTX 4060's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 0.6% higher on average, while the Intel Arc B580 trails by 0.7%, showing this is a tightly contested performance bracket.

The card's 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU requirement are modest, but the data shows that power delivery is not a limiter here. The 4K Low result of 109.9 FPS demonstrates that even when the GPU is not fully stressed by visual effects, it can still deliver playable frame rates at the highest resolution, though the Ultra preset's 51.6 FPS confirms that maximum settings are a stretch for this card at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 991st out of 1702 tested combinations in Barony. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the overall distribution, which is somewhat surprising given the strong absolute frame rates measured. The rank reflects the fact that many other combos in the database feature more powerful GPUs that achieve higher averages.

The CPU itself, however, is a strong performer. The i5-14600KF holds a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49367. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4345P, scores 0.5% higher, while the Intel Core i5-14600K trails by 0.4%. This indicates the processor is not the bottleneck in this combo's ranking—the GPU's 66th percentile position is the limiting factor.

The combo's rank of 991 out of 1702 means roughly 58% of tested pairings outperform it. This is a direct consequence of the RTX 4060's mid-range positioning rather than any deficiency in the CPU. The measured frame rates show that this combo is highly capable for Barony, but the ranking confirms that users seeking top-tier performance would need a more powerful GPU to climb the charts.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 217.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings the average FPS is 69.9, and it drops to 51.6 FPS at Ultra. Low settings at 4K produce 109.9 FPS, so playable frame rates are achievable but with visual compromises.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M?

A: The RX 6600M has an average benchmark score 0.6% higher than the RTX 4060, making them essentially equivalent in synthetic testing.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF + RTX 4060 combo ranks 991st out of 1702 tested combos in Barony.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 341.5 FPS, which is far beyond display capabilities, indicating the GPU is not yet saturated. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking suggests it has ample headroom.

Q: What is the single-core performance of the i5-14600KF?

A: The CPU scores 4643 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 2778 in Geekbench single-core, both of which are strong results that support high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data clearly shows that Ultra settings provide a premium experience only at 1440p, where the combo achieves 95.9 FPS. At 4K, Ultra drops to 51.6 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. The High preset is the optimal balance for 4K users, delivering 69.9 FPS while still maintaining substantial visual quality over Medium's 81.6 FPS.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset's 156.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the best visual quality while still exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates. At 1440p, High settings at 139.5 FPS offer an excellent experience, with Medium at 157.4 FPS for those prioritizing higher frame rates. The Low preset, while yielding 217.2 FPS at 1440p and 341.5 FPS at 1080p, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for the marginal gains in smoothness, given that even Ultra at 1440p clears 95 FPS.

The data suggests that users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays should favor High settings at 1440p, while those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably enable Ultra at 4K. The Medium preset is a reasonable fallback for users seeking a safety margin, but the High preset's superior visual quality at only a 12% frame rate cost over Medium at 4K makes it the standout recommendation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF's 14 cores and 20 threads provide substantial multi-threaded capability, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz and base clock of 3.50 GHz. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and single-core score of 4643 demonstrate both strong parallel and single-thread performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in Barony's simulation-heavy gameplay.

The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 cache per core contribute to the CPU's responsiveness, while the 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high-end positioning. The processor's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 0.6% higher on average, showing the i5-14600KF is competitive with flagship processors from the previous generation.

The benchmark results indicate the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 341.5 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show, and the scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K closely follows what would be expected from GPU limitations. The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 38697 and single-thread score of 4273 further confirm its capability, ensuring that it can consistently feed the RTX 4060 without introducing frame pacing issues.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce 341.5 FPS, followed by Medium at 252.4 FPS, High at 217.2 FPS, and Ultra at 156.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 89.1 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 60.7 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low settings yield 217.2 FPS, Medium achieves 157.4 FPS, High reaches 139.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 95.9 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 36% reduction at Low, a 38% reduction at Medium, a 36% reduction at High, and a 39% reduction at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more modest. Low settings produce 109.9 FPS, Medium delivers 81.6 FPS, High achieves 69.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 51.6 FPS. The 4K resolution causes a 50% reduction from 1440p across all presets, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the system at this resolution. The complete dataset shows a consistent and predictable scaling pattern, making it easy for users to estimate performance at intermediate settings.