Barony

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a 2015 roguelike that is far more demanding on frame rates than its retro aesthetic suggests. Measured data shows this pairing ranks 316th out of 3,717 tested hardware combos for this title, placing it comfortably in the top percentile of systems. The benchmark results reveal a configuration that crushes the game at every resolution and setting tier, with the CPU's high core count and the GPU's massive memory bandwidth working together to produce triple-digit frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings substantial processing power to Barony, featuring 14 cores and 20 threads running on the Raptor Lake architecture. This 10 nm processor operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz, providing the kind of high-frequency responsiveness that roguelike titles need for rapid game-state calculations. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache, combined with 2 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core, ensures that procedural generation and entity logic have quick access to frequently used data.

In synthetic benchmarks, this processor demonstrates its capability with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,544 and a single-core score of 4,594. The Geekbench results show 17,085 for multi-core and 2,445 for single-core performance. PassMark tests reveal strong integer math performance at 125,982 and floating-point math at 93,048, both relevant to the physics and collision detection systems in Barony.

The CPU's overall benchmark average of 49,394 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs tested, with nearest rivals showing remarkably tight competition. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, just 0.3% behind, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G achieves 49,196 at a 0.4% deficit. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 trails by 0.8% with a score of 48,995, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 leads by 0.8% at 49,796. This clustering indicates that the i5-14600KF sits at the very top of desktop processor performance tiers.

For Barony specifically, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU in most scenarios, but it provides the headroom needed to maintain consistently high frame rates without bottlenecking. The PassMark physics score of 2,449 suggests adequate handling of the game's object interactions, while the data compression score of 485,140 and encryption score of 27,608 show strong general-purpose throughput. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a versatile part, though power consumption is not a primary factor in the measured game performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, built on the 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip containing 45,900 million transistors across a 379 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz, and its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1438 MHz, delivering 23 Gbps effective throughput across a 256-bit bus for 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is particularly important for Barony's procedurally generated environments, which require rapid texture streaming and asset loading.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's compute capabilities include 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operations pipelines. It achieves 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the same for FP16, with pixel rates of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rates of 816.0 GTexel/s. The 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores, while not directly relevant to a roguelike's rendering demands, contribute to the GPU's overall throughput and efficiency. The card's 320 W TDP requires a 700 W suggested power supply and uses a single 16-pin connector.

In GPU benchmarks, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 34,245 in PassMark G3D and 19,822 in GPU compute tests. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 219,065 and Vulkan score of 260,075 indicate strong API-level performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 confirms modern rendering capabilities. The GPU sits in the 86th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 54,209.

The nearest rivals show interesting dynamics. The standard RTX 4080 scores 54,247, just 0.1% higher, meaning the SUPER variant is essentially a sidegrade in synthetic tests. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X leads by 1.1% at 54,828, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S lead by 2.7% and 2.8% respectively. These comparisons suggest that the RTX 4080 SUPER is competitive but not dominant in raw benchmark scores, yet its actual game performance in Barony tells a more compelling story.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how this system scales across resolutions, with the GPU becoming increasingly important at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 597 FPS average, which is extraordinarily high and suggests the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 377 FPS, a 36.8% reduction, while 4K Low produces 197 FPS average, another 47.7% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower settings, the GPU is doing more of the work, but the CPU remains capable of feeding it frames.

The Medium settings tier shows similar scaling with 444 FPS at 1080p, 280 FPS at 1440p, and 146 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result includes measured minimum and maximum values of 124 and 168 FPS respectively, showing frame time consistency. High settings produce 381 FPS at 1080p, 240 FPS at 1440p, and 126 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings yield 273 FPS at 1080p, 172 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each settings tier shows the GPU's workload increasing exponentially. At Low settings, 4K delivers 33% of the 1080p frame rate; at Medium, 32.9%; at High, 33.1%; and at Ultra, 33%. This consistent ratio indicates that the system is GPU-bound at 4K across all settings, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom. The fact that 4K Ultra still maintains 90 FPS average demonstrates that this GPU has enough raw power to handle even the most demanding roguelike scenarios without dropping below playable thresholds.

The minimum FPS values recorded only for Medium settings show that 1080p Medium maintains a minimum of 377 FPS, 1440p Medium has a minimum of 238 FPS, and 4K Medium has a minimum of 124 FPS. These minimums represent 84.9%, 85%, and 84.9% of their respective averages, indicating stable frame delivery without major stutters. The consistency across resolutions suggests that the 16 GB VRAM is never a limiting factor, even at 4K with higher texture detail.

FAQ

*Q: What is the most balanced setting for 4K gaming in Barony?*

A: Medium settings at 3840x2160 deliver 146 FPS average with a minimum of 124 FPS and maximum of 168 FPS. This provides a significant jump from High's 126 FPS while maintaining smooth gameplay, and the minimum frame rate stays well above typical display refresh rates.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54,209, while the standard RTX 4080 scores 54,247. The delta is -0.1%, meaning the SUPER variant is statistically identical to the original card in these tests, though the SUPER has a higher boost clock of 2550 MHz compared to the original's specifications.

Q: Can this system maintain 60+ FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 90 FPS, which is 50% above the 60 FPS threshold. This provides comfortable headroom for demanding scenes, though no minimum FPS data is available for Ultra settings to confirm worst-case scenarios.

Q: What CPU benchmark scores place the i5-14600KF in context?

A: The processor achieves 32,544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,594 in single-core. Its PassMark multithread score is 38,697 and single-thread score is 4,273. The overall average benchmark score of 49,394 puts it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p compared to 1080p?

A: At Low settings, 1440p delivers 377 FPS compared to 597 FPS at 1080p, a 36.8% reduction. At Ultra settings, 1440p achieves 172 FPS versus 273 FPS at 1080p, a 37% reduction. The consistent scaling indicates the GPU is the primary performance driver at these resolutions.

Q: Which settings tier provides the best frame rate stability?

A: Medium settings are the only tier with complete minimum and maximum FPS data across all resolutions. The 4K Medium minimum of 124 FPS represents 84.9% of its average, while 1440p and 1080p show similar ratios, indicating Medium offers the most consistent performance profile.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings selection depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K displays, Medium settings provide the best balance with an average of 146 FPS and a documented minimum of 124 FPS, which ensures smooth gameplay without the 20% performance drop to High's 126 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 90 FPS average, which is still highly playable but offers diminishing visual returns for the 38.4% performance cost compared to Medium.

At 1440p, High settings deliver 240 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The jump to Ultra reduces performance to 172 FPS, a 28.3% decrease, while the visual improvements in a roguelike title are typically minimal. For competitive play or maximum smoothness, Low settings at 1440p produce 377 FPS, but Medium's 280 FPS with a minimum of 238 FPS provides better visual quality without sacrificing responsiveness.

For 1080p users, High settings at 381 FPS are the recommended choice, as they offer excellent visual fidelity while maintaining frame rates far beyond any display's refresh rate capabilities. Medium at 444 FPS provides extra headroom for particularly chaotic scenes, but the difference is unlikely to be perceptible on standard monitors. Ultra at 273 FPS is viable for those who prioritize visual quality above all else, though the performance difference between High and Ultra is significant at 28.3%.

The data suggests that Medium settings are the sweet spot for consistent performance across all resolutions, as it is the only tier with complete minimum and maximum FPS measurements. The minimum FPS values for Medium represent approximately 85% of the average across all three resolutions, indicating reliable frame pacing. Players with variable refresh rate displays should consider Medium to avoid frame rate dips below their monitor's floor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for the Intel Core i5-14600KF with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER in Barony is as follows:

At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 597 FPS. Medium settings yield 444 FPS average with a minimum of 377 FPS and maximum of 510 FPS. High settings achieve 381 FPS average. Ultra settings deliver 273 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 54.3% performance reduction, reflecting the increased GPU workload at higher detail levels.

At 2560x1440, Low settings reach 377 FPS average. Medium settings achieve 280 FPS average with a minimum of 238 FPS and maximum of 322 FPS. High settings produce 240 FPS average. Ultra settings deliver 172 FPS average. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 36.8% decrease at Low, 36.9% at Medium, 37.0% at High, and 37.0% at Ultra, demonstrating consistent GPU-bound scaling.

At 3840x2160, Low settings maintain 197 FPS average. Medium settings deliver 146 FPS average with a minimum of 124 FPS and maximum of 168 FPS. High settings produce 126 FPS average. Ultra settings achieve 90 FPS average. The 4K results show a 50% reduction from 1440p at Low settings, 47.9% at Medium, 47.5% at High, and 47.7% at Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 90 FPS remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The system's overall ranking of 316 out of 3,717 tested combinations places it in the top 8.5% of configurations tested for Barony. The RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score of 54,209, combined with the i5-14600KF's 49,394, creates a balanced pairing where neither component is severely bottlenecked. The highest measured average FPS of 597 at 1080p Low indicates the system can handle maximum refresh rate displays, while the lowest measured average of 90 FPS at 4K Ultra still provides excellent gameplay experience.