Barony

Barony is a roguelike that is far more demanding than its genre peers, and the measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 580 combo reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions, yet capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing ranks in the 9th percentile of all tested combinations, placing it at rank 3393 out of 3717 combos, which is a poor standing driven almost entirely by the GPU’s age. The data shows a clear narrative: this is a CPU that can push hundreds of frames, but the RX 580 is the definitive bottleneck in every scenario above 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and tells a straightforward story about system balance. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 98 FPS, which is playable and smooth for most action. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average falls to 62 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average craters to 32 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-limited system; the CPU is not the constraint here, as the frame rate collapses in direct proportion to the pixel count increase.

The Low preset data reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 153 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 97 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 51 FPS. The fact that even at the lowest settings, 4K cannot reach 60 FPS confirms that the RX 580’s raw throughput is insufficient for high-resolution rendering. The gap between Low and High at 4K is 19 FPS (51 vs 32), while at 1080p, that same gap is 55 FPS (153 vs 98). This compression of performance headroom at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is saturated, leaving no room for settings adjustments to recover playable frame rates.

Comparing Medium and Ultra settings provides further insight. At 1080p, the Medium preset yields 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS, while Ultra drops to 70 FPS. At 1440p, Medium holds 72 FPS (min 61), but Ultra falls to 44 FPS. At 4K, Medium achieves 38 FPS (min 32), and Ultra slips to 23 FPS. The scaling from Medium to Ultra is consistent across resolutions, but the absolute numbers at 4K are so low that even the Medium preset becomes borderline unplayable. The measured data suggests that the limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU; the CPU’s performance is effectively masked by the graphics card’s inability to process frames fast enough.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. In PassMark, it achieves a multithread score of 41317 and a single-thread score of 4257. These figures place the CPU in the 91st percentile of all processors, indicating that it is not a limiting factor in any gaming scenario.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. Given the frame rates observed, the i7-14700F is never the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low, where the system hits 153 FPS, the CPU’s 28 threads and high boost clock are more than adequate to handle the workload. The data shows that the CPU’s performance headroom is vast; the measured FPS at all resolutions and settings is determined by the GPU, not the processor. The L3 cache of 33 MB shared and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) provide ample bandwidth for game data, but again, these are not constraints in this pairing.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon 6505P (delta -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (delta +0.6%), which are all within 1% of the i7-14700F’s performance. This indicates that the CPU is on par with top-tier desktop processors, reinforcing that its capabilities are far beyond what the RX 580 can utilize. In a game like Barony, where the CPU’s single-thread performance is often critical for roguelike logic, the i7-14700F’s 4958 Cinebench R23 single-core score ensures that no frame is lost to CPU stalls.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3393 out of 3717 tested combinations places this system in the bottom 9% of all pairings. This is a poor result, and the data indicates that the ranking is dragged down exclusively by the GPU. The CPU alone would rank in the top 10% of processors (91st percentile), but the RX 580 sits at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, making it a mid-range part from 2017. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU creates a massive imbalance that is reflected in the low overall rank.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is likely outperformed by any system with a more modern GPU, even if paired with a weaker CPU. The benchmark results show that the RX 580’s average benchmark score is 12928, which is within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (delta -0.4%) and the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (delta -0.1%). These rivals are all older or mobile parts, and the fact that the RX 580 is on par with them highlights its age. The combo’s rank of 3393 suggests that most other tested systems have a better balance of CPU and GPU, even if their CPUs are slower.

The percentile data is stark: the CPU is in the 91st percentile, while the GPU is in the 53rd. This 38-point gap is a clear indicator of imbalance. For Barony, which is CPU-light in its rendering demands but still requires a GPU capable of pushing pixels, this combo wastes the CPU’s potential. The measured FPS at 1080p High (98 FPS) is respectable, but the system’s rank indicates that many other combos achieve higher frame rates at similar or better settings, likely due to more balanced GPU choices.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 98, which comfortably exceeds 60. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average drops to 62 FPS, which is just above 60. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1080p is the safest choice, while 1440p is borderline playable on High.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 51 with Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings yield 38 FPS, High yields 32 FPS, and Ultra yields 23 FPS. The GPU is not capable of 4K rendering at playable frame rates.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 580’s average benchmark score is 12928. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, delta -0.1%), the GTX 1660 SUPER (12986, delta -0.4%), and the AMD Radeon 740M (12870, delta +0.5%). All are within 0.6% of the RX 580, meaning performance is virtually identical.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck in Barony?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4257, place it in the 91st percentile. The measured FPS drops are proportional to resolution increases, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 153 FPS, while Ultra produces 70 FPS. This is a difference of 83 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher quality presets even at the lowest resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 3393 out of 3717 total combinations, placing it in the bottom 9%. This low rank is due to the GPU’s mid-range performance (53rd percentile) combined with a top-tier CPU (91st percentile), creating an unbalanced pairing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture and a 14 nm process. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and the memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s.

In Barony, the RX 580’s role is the primary determinant of frame rate. The measured data shows that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures at all settings, as there is no indication of memory-related stuttering or crashes. The bottleneck is raw compute throughput. At 1080p, the GPU can deliver 153 FPS on Low, which is a strong result for a card of this vintage. However, as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and shader throughput become insufficient. The 4K Ultra result of 23 FPS is a clear indication that the GPU is overwhelmed.

The RX 580’s benchmark scores include a PassMark G3D score of 8813 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1005, which place it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-range standing, and the card’s nearest rivals (GTX 1660 SUPER, RTX 3050 Ti Mobile) are all similar in performance. The data suggests that the RX 580 is a capable 1080p card, but it lacks the headroom for higher resolutions in demanding titles. The 8 GB VRAM is a positive, but it does not compensate for the GPU’s aging architecture.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear guide for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 98 FPS, which is smooth and leaves headroom for consistent frame times. The Medium preset offers 114 FPS (min 97 FPS), which is even better for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the difference between High and Medium is only 16 FPS, so High is the better choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The Ultra preset drops to 70 FPS, which is still playable but offers diminishing returns over High.

At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset provides 72 FPS (min 61 FPS), making it the recommended choice for a stable experience at this resolution. The Low preset at 1440p achieves 97 FPS, but the visual quality loss is significant. Ultra at 1440p falls to 44 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users. Therefore, Medium is the optimal preset for 1440p.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset reaches 51 FPS, which is the only option close to acceptable, but it requires a significant visual downgrade. Medium yields 38 FPS, High yields 32 FPS, and Ultra yields 23 FPS. Given these numbers, 4K is not recommended for this combo. The best experience is at 1080p with High or Medium settings, where the system can maintain high frame rates with good visual quality. The data shows that the i7-14700F can handle any settings, but the RX 580’s limitations mean that users should prioritize resolution scaling over quality presets.