Barony

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a profoundly GPU-bound experience in Barony, with the data showing frame rates that scale almost entirely with resolution and graphics preset. As a roguelike, the game’s demands are modest, but the measured rows reveal a configuration that is consistently capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions, with a clear performance ceiling emerging at 4K Ultra. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, the hardware's role, and how this combo ranks against other tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and predictable drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 184 FPS at 1080p to 116 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 68 FPS, and then to 61 FPS at 4K, which is another 55 FPS lower. This scaling pattern—roughly a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K—is characteristic of a system where the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is not the bottleneck here; instead, the Radeon RX 7600's pixel throughput is what determines the final frame count.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when looking at the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 132 FPS, but this falls to 83 FPS at 1440p and then to 43 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 48% reduction, indicating that the GPU is being saturated by the increased pixel count. In contrast, the Low preset shows the least dramatic scaling, with 288 FPS at 1080p, 182 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. This suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor, though the headroom is larger.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is absolutely not constrained by the CPU. With 288 FPS on Low settings, the processor is feeding frames far faster than any standard display can show. Even at 4K Low, the 95 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold, showing that the GPU has enough raw power to handle the game at lower settings. The real story is the Ultra preset at 4K, where the 43 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS target, indicating that this is the only configuration in the measured data where the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the workhorse of this configuration for Barony, and its specifications directly explain the FPS patterns observed. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game at all tested resolutions, as Barony is a roguelike with relatively simple textures and geometry, so VRAM capacity is not a bottleneck. The core clocks are also relevant: the base clock is 1720 MHz, the game clock is 2250 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2655 MHz. These high clocks contribute to the strong pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and the texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s, which are the key metrics for a game that relies on filling the screen with sprites and effects.

The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are the components that do the heavy lifting when resolution increases. At 1080p, the 132 FPS average on Ultra reflects the raw compute power, but the drop to 43 FPS at 4K Ultra shows the limits of the 64 ROPs when pushing over 8 million pixels. The benchmark data supports this, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2310 and a Passmark G3D score of 16634, both placing the GPU in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-range part, and the measured FPS in Barony reflects that positioning—it can handle the game at high settings in 1440p, but 4K Ultra is a step too far.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (with a deltaPct of -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 680M (with a deltaPct of -0.7%). These are close in average benchmark score, but the RX 7600's performance in Barony is distinct. The data shows that the RX 7600 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card for this title, but the 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS suggests that users should avoid that preset if they want smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Barony, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600 achieves a rank of 2536 out of 3717 combos. This places it in the 32nd percentile of all tested configurations, which is a modest ranking. The combo is not at the top of the charts, but it is also far from the bottom. The ranking reflects the fact that the RX 7600 is a mid-range GPU, and while the i7-12700KF is a high-end CPU, the game's performance is overwhelmingly determined by the GPU.

The CPU itself, when benchmarked in isolation, has an average benchmark score of 35365 and sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (with a deltaPct of -0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (with a deltaPct of 0.2%). This shows that the i7-12700KF is a very strong processor, but its power is largely unused in this game. The combo's rank is therefore dragged down by the GPU, which is in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. The data indicates that if the user were to pair this CPU with a stronger GPU, the combo rank would likely improve significantly, but as it stands, the RX 7600 is the limiting factor.

Comparing to other combos, the data shows that this pairing is perfectly adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Barony, but it is not a top-tier combination. The rank of 2536 out of 3717 suggests that many other configurations, likely those with higher-end GPUs, will outperform it in this title. However, for a user with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo provides more than enough power to enjoy the game at high frame rates, as the measured FPS data shows.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional results across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 288 FPS, the Medium preset averages 214 FPS (with a minimum of 182 FPS and a maximum of 246 FPS), the High preset averages 184 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 132 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is never constrained, and even the most demanding setting of Ultra provides well over 120 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. The Low preset averages 182 FPS, the Medium preset averages 135 FPS (with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS), the High preset averages 116 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 83 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 115 FPS is still comfortably above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS is also playable, though it is a noticeable step down from the 132 FPS seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the data shows the system's limits. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. The High preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the threshold, but the Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering in fast-paced action. The data is clear: 4K Ultra is not a viable option for this combo, but 4K Low and Medium are perfectly acceptable.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 288, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K with Low settings the average is 95 FPS, and with Medium settings the average is 71 FPS (with a minimum of 60 FPS). However, at High settings the average drops to 61 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 43 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 has an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, has a deltaPct of -0.2%, meaning it is 0.2% lower in score. The AMD Radeon 680M has a deltaPct of -0.7%, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X has a deltaPct of +0.6%.

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

A: The combo ranks 2536 out of 3717 tested combinations.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p High and 4K High?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 184. At 4K High, the average FPS is 61. This represents a drop of 123 FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo fail to reach 60 FPS average?

A: The only measured configuration that fails to reach a 60 FPS average is 3840x2160 with the Ultra settings preset, which achieves an average of 43 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a high-end desktop processor, and its specifications suggest it is far more powerful than what Barony requires. With 12 cores (a mix of performance and efficiency cores), 20 threads, a base clock of 3.60 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, this CPU is built for heavy multi-threaded workloads. Its benchmark scores are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838, a Geekbench multi-core score of 14367, and a Passmark multi-thread score of 34092. These numbers place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is significantly stronger than the average processor.

However, the measured FPS data in Barony shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The fact that the FPS scales so predictably with resolution (from 184 FPS at 1080p High to 61 FPS at 4K High) is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9282 and the single-thread score of 1043 further confirm that the CPU has ample headroom for this title. The game is a roguelike, which typically relies on single-threaded performance for game logic, but the i7-12700KF's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4071 is more than sufficient to feed the GPU frames.

The data suggests that the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is producing 288 FPS, the CPU is able to keep up without issue. The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also help reduce latency, though the game's demands are modest. In this context, the i7-12700KF is overkill for Barony, but it ensures that the system is future-proof and that the RX 7600 can perform to its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset at 132 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still delivering a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most 1080p monitors (typically 144 Hz). If the user has a 240 Hz monitor, the High preset at 184 FPS or even the Medium preset at 214 FPS would be more appropriate to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

For users with a 1440p display, the High preset at 116 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS is also viable for a 60 Hz to 75 Hz monitor, but for higher refresh-rate displays, the High preset is recommended. The Medium preset at 135 FPS is a solid choice for competitive play, though the visual difference between Medium and High in this game is likely minimal.

For users with a 4K display, the data strongly recommends the Low preset at 95 FPS or the Medium preset at 71 FPS. The High preset at 61 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 43 FPS should be avoided. The Medium preset offers the best compromise, with a minimum FPS of 60, ensuring that the game never drops below the key playability threshold. Ultimately, the data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with high settings, while 4K should be reserved for lower settings to maintain smooth performance.