Barony

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers exceptional performance in Barony, securing the 244th spot out of 3717 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 7% of all systems evaluated, a position driven by the GPU’s massive frame throughput at every resolution. The data indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at 4K, but the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures that even at 1080p, where frame rates approach the monitor’s refresh ceiling, the system does not bottleneck. This is a high-end combination that sacrifices nothing in this roguelike, offering playable frame rates even at Ultra settings in 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 244 out of 3717 tested combinations places it firmly in the upper echelon of systems for Barony. To contextualize this, the rank is a direct result of the RTX 4080’s raw power, as the GPU sits in the 86th percentile of all tested graphics cards. The CPU also contributes, with a 90th percentile ranking among all processors, ensuring that the system’s overall capability is not held back by a weak link. In terms of the measured frames, the difference between this combo and the median is stark; the average FPS at 1440p High is 242, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate display. The absolute ceiling appears at 1080p Low, where the system hits a perfect 600 FPS average, a figure that suggests the game’s engine is the limiting factor rather than the hardware.

Comparing the components to their nearest rivals shows how tightly matched this hardware is. The i5-14600KF’s average benchmark score of 49394 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228, a mere 0.3% difference. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, the choice between these two processors would yield virtually identical results. The GPU tells a similar story; the RTX 4080’s average score of 54247 is only 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 SUPER’s 54209, indicating that the performance gap between these two cards is negligible in practice. This data suggests that the combo’s rank is not due to any single component being exceptional, but rather the synergy of two top-tier parts working together without a bottleneck.

The rank becomes more impressive when considering the game’s genre. Barony is a roguelike, which often features procedurally generated levels and complex simulations that can stress the CPU. However, the benchmark results show that the i5-14600KF handles this load with ease, even at 1080p where the CPU is most likely to be the limiting factor. The jump from 1080p Ultra (274 FPS) to 1080p Low (600 FPS) is a 2.2x increase, which shows that the CPU can feed the GPU enough frames to reach the game’s engine cap. This combination is not just fast; it is balanced in a way that maximizes the potential of both components.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this combo for the highest frame rate?*

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 600 FPS, which is the maximum recorded across all tested configurations. This is the highest performance level available with this hardware.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest 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 indicates that the two processors perform nearly identically in synthetic tests, with the Intel part having a slight edge.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly faster than the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: No. The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209. The RTX 4080 is actually 0.1% ahead in this metric, meaning there is no practical performance difference between the two in this game.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the system averages 383 FPS. When moving to 4K High, the average drops to 126 FPS. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate, which is significant but still leaves the game highly playable at 4K.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The benchmark results suggest that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rates scale down smoothly with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU exerts more influence, but the 600 FPS cap on Low settings indicates that the game engine, not the CPU, is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has a launch MSRP of $294.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, but with enough headroom that the CPU’s role changes across the range. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 383 FPS at 1080p to 242 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction. Moving to 4K High, the frame rate falls further to 126 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is typical of a game that is heavily reliant on pixel throughput, and the RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are clearly being utilized to their full extent at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the system hits a 600 FPS ceiling at 1080p, which is likely an engine limit, but then drops to 379 FPS at 1440p and 198 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still exceptionally high, showing that even at the most demanding resolution, the GPU is not struggling. The Medium setting shows a similar trend, with averages of 446 FPS at 1080p, 281 FPS at 1440p, and 147 FPS at 4K. The min FPS values for Medium also tell a story: at 4K, the minimum is 125 FPS, which is still highly playable, while at 1080p the minimum is 379 FPS.

The limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but the data shows it is not a bottleneck. The jump from 1080p Ultra (274 FPS) to 1080p Low (600 FPS) is a 2.2x increase, which is a larger factor than the resolution scaling alone would suggest. This indicates that the CPU can handle the game’s logic at a very high rate, but the GPU is still the primary driver of frame rate differences between settings. At 4K, the GPU is unquestionably the limiting factor, as the frame rates drop by roughly half compared to 1440p, which aligns with the pixel count increase. Overall, this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, where it can consistently deliver over 200 FPS on most settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the High preset at 1440p is the optimal choice based on the measured data. At 2560x1440 High, the system averages 242 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors and provides a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at this resolution still delivers a very playable 173 FPS average, but the 40% performance cost over High is hard to justify unless the user prioritizes maximum visual quality over raw speed. For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. It yields an average of 147 FPS, with a minimum of 125 FPS, ensuring that frame pacing remains consistent even in intense scenes. The High preset at 4K drops to 126 FPS, which is still excellent, but the Medium preset offers a higher minimum frame rate, which is more important for a roguelike where unpredictable situations can cause sudden drops in performance.

At 1080p, the High preset is the clear winner, as it produces 383 FPS average, which is more than enough for any display. The Ultra preset at this resolution is also viable at 274 FPS, but the data shows that the jump from Medium to High is more efficient than from High to Ultra. The Low preset should be avoided unless the user is chasing the absolute maximum frame rate, as it only offers a 57% increase over High at 1080p (from 383 to 600 FPS), which is unlikely to be noticeable on most monitors.

The data suggests that the game is not particularly demanding on the GPU at lower resolutions, but the Medium and High presets provide the best experience by balancing the load. The Ultra preset, while playable, does not offer a significant visual improvement over High in this title, based on the performance cost. Therefore, the recommendation is to use High at 1080p and 1440p, and Medium at 4K. This approach maximizes the frame rate while maintaining a high level of visual quality, and it also keeps the minimum FPS above 120 in all cases, which is a good baseline for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination in Barony. All figures are from the FACT PACK and represent the average frame rate unless otherwise noted.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 600 FPS average. This is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset, likely hitting the game’s engine limit.
• Medium: 446 FPS average, with a minimum of 379 FPS and a maximum of 513 FPS. The min FPS here is higher than the average of most other systems at this resolution.
• High: 383 FPS average. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, offering a massive frame rate headroom.
• Ultra: 274 FPS average. Even at the highest settings, the system maintains a frame rate far above any display’s refresh rate.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 379 FPS average. The frame rate drops by 37% from 1080p, but remains exceptionally high.
• Medium: 281 FPS average, with a minimum of 239 FPS and a maximum of 324 FPS. The minimum frame rate is still above the 240Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors.
• High: 242 FPS average. This is the optimal balance for 1440p gaming, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh displays.
• Ultra: 173 FPS average. The Ultra preset is still viable, but the 29% drop from High is notable.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 198 FPS average. The GPU handles 4K with ease, even at the lowest settings.
• Medium: 147 FPS average, with a minimum of 125 FPS and a maximum of 169 FPS. The minimum frame rate is the lowest recorded across all settings, but it remains above 120 FPS.
• High: 126 FPS average. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides a high frame rate without the need to compromise on visual quality.
• Ultra: 91 FPS average. This is the only setting where the frame rate drops below 100 FPS, but it is still perfectly playable for a roguelike.

The data reveals that the system is capable of handling 4K Ultra at 91 FPS, which reflects the RTX 4080’s power. However, the lack of min/max FPS data for most settings means that the Medium preset’s min FPS of 125 FPS is the only data point for frame consistency, and it suggests that the game can have significant frame spikes at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. In Barony, a game that is not known for heavy multi-threading, the CPU’s single-core performance is the most critical factor. The benchmark data shows that the processor excels in this area, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2445. These scores are in the top percentile of all CPUs, which translates to fast and responsive gameplay.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544, but this is less relevant for Barony. The game’s roguelike nature means that it often has to calculate complex AI and procedural generation, but the data indicates that the i5-14600KF handles this without issue. The fact that the system reaches 600 FPS at 1080p Low, which is likely an engine cap, proves that the CPU is not a bottleneck. Even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate is 274 FPS, which is more than double the refresh rate of most monitors.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent when comparing its benchmark scores to its rivals. The i5-14600KF’s average score of 49394 is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which is a 12-core processor. This shows that the i5’s higher clock speeds compensate for its lower core count in synthetic tests, and this translates to similar performance in Barony. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help with data locality, which is important for the game’s procedural generation. The 10 nm process node and 125 W TDP indicate that this is a power-efficient design, but the exact power draw in Barony is not measured. The data shows that the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 4080, ensuring that the GPU is always fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates across all resolutions.