Barony

Barony is a roguelike that leans on procedural generation and tight feedback loops, and this particular pairing of an Intel Core i7-12700KF with an Intel Arc B390 produces a distinctly lopsided experience. The data shows a system where the CPU is far more capable than the GPU, resulting in performance that is heavily dictated by graphics settings and resolution. The benchmark results indicate that while the processor has ample headroom, the graphics solution is the primary bottleneck, making this combo best suited for lower resolutions and medium settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz. This is a high-end desktop part from the Core 12th Gen series, and its benchmark scores reflect that positioning. In Cinebench R23, it scores 28,838 points in multi-core and 4,071 points in single-core tests. Its Geekbench scores are 14,367 multi-core and 2,255 single-core. These numbers place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is significantly more powerful than the average processor.

Looking at its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-13700T (deltaPct of -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T (deltaPct of 0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (deltaPct of 0.2%). Even its own sibling, the i7-12700K, performs almost identically in average benchmark score, with a difference of only 0.2%. This suggests that the KF variant (without integrated graphics) offers no performance advantage over its K counterpart in this context.

For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike, the CPU workload is often more about consistent single-thread performance and handling game logic than about massive multi-threaded rendering tasks. The i7-12700KF's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 4,071 Cinebench R23 single-core score and its 3dmark single-thread score of 1,043, is robust. This means the processor is well-equipped to handle the game's simulation and AI decisions without breaking a sweat. The multi-threaded capabilities, with a 3dmark max threads score of 9,983, are also strong, but they are unlikely to be fully utilized by a roguelike of this nature. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; it has more than enough headroom to feed frames to the GPU, which is where the performance ceiling lies.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is a stark contrast to the CPU. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus and bandwidth are also "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This is a fundamental limitation for gaming performance.

The GPU's benchmark results confirm its low-end positioning. In the 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1,482 points. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it is slower than the vast majority of discrete graphics cards. Its nearest rivals are not modern gaming GPUs but rather older, low-power parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct of 1.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (deltaPct of 1.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (deltaPct of 2.5%). The fact that it is competing with these legacy mobile and OEM parts highlights its limited graphics processing power.

In Barony, this GPU is the definitive bottleneck. Even with a powerful CPU, the frame rates are constrained by the Arc B390's ability to rasterize the scene. The GPU has 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. While these numbers exist, the shared memory architecture means that performance is heavily dependent on system RAM speed and bandwidth. The benchmark data shows that this GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p with medium settings, and the situation worsens dramatically as resolution increases. The GPU's role is clear: it is the limiting factor, and its performance dictates that users must lower expectations to achieve playable frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. This scaling is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 159 FPS. This is a very playable frame rate, suggesting that the CPU is able to push frames quickly when the GPU's load is low. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 100 FPS, a 37% decrease. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 53 FPS, a 47% drop from 1440p.

The pattern is even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p Medium, the average is 118 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 75 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 39 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings shows a 67% reduction in frame rate. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count. The CPU is not the issue here; if it were, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (game logic, physics) does not scale with resolution.

The data indicates that the limiting component is clearly the Intel Arc B390. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints become more apparent at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 24 FPS, which is essentially unplayable. Even at 4K High, it only reaches 34 FPS. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial, confirming that users should stick to 1080p or perhaps 1440p with lower settings if they want a smooth experience. The system is CPU-heavy and GPU-light, and the resolution scaling reflects this imbalance perfectly.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand database of tested combos for Barony, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 2,601 out of 2,935. This puts it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the GPU's weak performance. The CPU's high percentile ranking (85th) does not compensate for the GPU's abysmal 9th percentile ranking.

The combo rank is a holistic measure of how well the two components work together for this specific game. A rank of 2,601 means that out of 2,935 combos, only 334 are worse. This is a poor showing, and it directly reflects the fact that the GPU is a severe bottleneck. The data suggests that pairing a high-end CPU like the i7-12700KF with an IGP like the Arc B390 is an inefficient combination for gaming. The CPU is essentially idle, waiting for the GPU to catch up. In a game like Barony, which is not particularly demanding on graphics, this combination still fails to deliver high frame rates at higher resolutions. The ranking confirms that this is a mismatched pairing, where the CPU's potential is wasted by the GPU's limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of what to expect from this combo. Here is the exact breakdown:

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Ultra: Average 73 FPS.
• High: Average 102 FPS.
• Medium: Average 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS.
• Low: Average 159 FPS.

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Ultra: Average 46 FPS.
• High: Average 64 FPS.
• Medium: Average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS.
• Low: Average 100 FPS.

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Ultra: Average 24 FPS.
• High: Average 34 FPS.
• Medium: Average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS.
• Low: Average 53 FPS.

At 1080p, the combo is quite playable. Even at Ultra settings, the average of 73 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs about 86 FPS, which is a significant hit but still leaves room for playability. At 1440p, the performance starts to become more strained. Ultra settings fall below 60 FPS at 46 FPS, and only Low settings (100 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) provide a comfortable experience. At 4K, the combo is not suitable for gaming. All settings fail to reach 60 FPS, and even Low settings only manage 53 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K is effectively a slideshow at 24 FPS.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: Is this combo capable of running Barony at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 102 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is a smooth and playable experience.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pair?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 with Medium settings offers an excellent balance, with an average of 118 FPS and a minimum of 101 FPS. For a higher visual quality, 1080p High at 102 FPS is also a strong choice.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: The performance is poor. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 24 FPS (Ultra), 34 FPS (High), 39 FPS (Medium), and 53 FPS (Low). None of these are ideal for a smooth gaming experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF the reason for the low frame rates in this combo?

A: No. The CPU is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs and has high benchmark scores, such as 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The bottleneck is the Intel Arc B390 GPU, which is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What does the combo rank of 2,601 out of 2,935 mean for this pairing?

A: It indicates that this is a poorly matched combination for Barony, ranking in the bottom 11% of all tested combos. The powerful CPU is held back by the weak integrated GPU.

Q: Can the Intel Arc B390 handle the game at 1440p?

A: It can, but with limitations. At 2560x1440, Low settings yield an average of 100 FPS, and Medium yields 75 FPS. However, High and Ultra settings fall to 64 FPS and 46 FPS respectively, which may not be smooth enough for all players.