Barony

Barony is a roguelike from 2015, and the measured data for this combination of an Intel Core i7-14700F and an AMD Radeon RX 7600 shows that it handles the game with overwhelming force at most settings. The benchmark results indicate a system that is far more capable than the game demands, with frame rates that are exceptionally high even at 4K resolution. The primary takeaway is that you have significant headroom to prioritize visual fidelity, as the GPU is rarely the limiting factor until you push to the highest preset at 4K. The data suggests a practical approach for users: maximize the in-game quality settings for the best experience, as the hardware is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay at standard resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different presets scale performance. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, but even the most demanding preset remains playable. The Low preset delivers an average of 288 FPS, while Medium is at 214 FPS and High is at 184 FPS. Moving to Ultra drops the average to 132 FPS. This progression shows that the Ultra preset still delivers a very high frame rate, making it a viable choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the step from High to Ultra is a significant 52 FPS reduction, which suggests that High might be the sweet spot for those prioritizing maximum smoothness over minor visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. Low averages 182 FPS, Medium 135 FPS, and High 116 FPS. The Ultra preset manages an average of 83 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. The data indicates that Ultra at 1440p is a reasonable choice if you have a 144Hz monitor and want to stay above 80 FPS. For 3840x2160, the situation changes. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium 71 FPS, and High 61 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard for many users. This suggests that at 4K, the Ultra preset is too demanding for a consistently smooth experience, and High is the recommended maximum for maintaining fluid gameplay.

Given these numbers, the best experience per the measured rows is to use the High preset across most resolutions. It provides a strong balance of visual quality and performance, keeping average frame rates above 60 FPS even at 4K. For 1080p and 1440p, High delivers excellent performance, and the data shows no reason to compromise below Medium unless you are targeting extremely high refresh rates. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1080p, where the 132 FPS average is still very playable, but the performance hit at higher resolutions makes it a less practical choice. In summary, High is the recommended preset for a effortless experience, with Medium as a fallback for 4K if you want extra headroom.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the central component for this game's rendering, and its specifications explain the observed performance. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1720 MHz, a game clock of 2250 MHz, and a boost clock of 2655 MHz. These clocks are relatively high, and the benchmark results show that the GPU is capable of producing frame rates well above what Barony typically requires. The PassMark G3D score of 16634 and a percentile ranking of 57 versus all GPUs indicate it is a mid-range performer, but in this specific game, its capabilities are more than adequate.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is likely not a bottleneck in Barony, as the game's age suggests it does not have demanding texture requirements. The data supports this, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings without any signs of stuttering or memory-related drops. The GPU's compute performance, as shown by a PassMark GPU compute score of 8790, is also sufficient for the game's effects. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2310 is a general indicator of modern API performance, but Barony's legacy nature means it may not be fully utilizing these features. The measured FPS at 4K High (61 FPS average) versus 1080p High (184 FPS average) shows a significant drop, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The RX 7600's role becomes more pronounced at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 43. This is the only point in the data where the GPU is clearly struggling to keep up. The transition from High to Ultra at 4K results in an 18 FPS drop, while at 1080p the same transition only costs 52 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's shader and texture processing capabilities are being fully taxed at the highest settings and resolution. In contrast, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance scaling with resolution, and its 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is ranked 2536 out of 3717 tested combos for Barony. This places it in the lower half of all combinations, which is surprising given the high frame rates measured. However, this ranking likely reflects the fact that Barony is a relatively undemanding game, so even mid-range hardware can achieve high FPS, and the ranking is relative to other systems that may have more powerful GPUs or CPUs. The combo's position suggests that while it performs excellently in absolute terms, there are many other configurations that can deliver similar or better results in this specific title.

The data shows that this combo's performance is not limited by the CPU, as the Intel Core i7-14700F has a percentile ranking of 91 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with a delta of 0.6%, are similarly powerful, indicating that the CPU is a high-end part. The GPU, on the other hand, has a percentile ranking of 57, which is more modest. This imbalance means the combo is likely GPU-bound in many scenarios, but the high CPU performance ensures that it never becomes a bottleneck. The ranking of 2536 out of 3717 suggests that while the combo is competent, it is not a top-tier configuration for this game, likely because many users pair higher-end GPUs with similar CPUs.

The fact that the combo is in the 68th percentile of rankings (2536/3717) is noteworthy. It implies that over two-thirds of tested combos perform better in Barony, which reflects the game's low system requirements. For a user with this specific setup, the experience is still excellent, as the measured FPS are well above playable thresholds. The ranking is more of a comparative metric than a reflection of actual usability. The data indicates that the combo's strength lies in its CPU, which is a top-tier part, while the GPU is adequate but not exceptional. This results in a system that can easily handle the game, even if it doesn't top the charts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 288 FPS, which is extremely high and indicates the CPU and GPU have substantial headroom. Medium settings yield an average of 214 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 182 and 246 FPS, respectively. High settings average 184 FPS, and Ultra drops to 132 FPS. These numbers show a clear linear scaling with settings, and even the lowest average is far above the 60 FPS target for most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. Low averages 182 FPS, Medium 135 FPS, High 116 FPS, and Ultra 83 FPS. The Medium preset has measured minimum and maximum values of 115 and 155 FPS, respectively, indicating consistent frame pacing. At this resolution, the performance is roughly 60-70% of the 1080p numbers, which is a typical scaling factor. The data suggests that 1440p is a sweet spot for this combo, as even Ultra remains above 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 81 FPS, and High 61 FPS. Ultra is the only preset that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 43 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at 4K is a significant 18 FPS drop, highlighting the GPU's limitations at this resolution. The data shows that High is the highest playable preset at 4K, and Medium provides a safer margin with a minimum of 60 FPS. The frame rate differences between resolutions are consistent, demonstrating that the GPU is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights into the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 184 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p and then to 61 at 4K. This represents a 37% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Similarly, at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 214 at 1080p to 135 at 1440p and 71 at 4K. These scaling factors are consistent with a GPU-bound workload, where the number of pixels being rendered directly impacts performance.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the 288 FPS average shows that the CPU can feed the GPU far beyond what is necessary. Even at 4K Low, the 95 FPS average is still high, suggesting that the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for this game. The scaling from Low to Ultra at a fixed resolution also points to GPU limitations. For example, at 1440p, Low averages 182 FPS while Ultra averages 83 FPS, a 54% reduction. This is a typical GPU workload scaling, where higher settings increase the per-pixel cost.

The resolution scaling analysis shows that the RX 7600's performance is directly tied to pixel count. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is the clearest indicator that the GPU is the bottleneck at the highest settings. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2429, confirm that it has ample processing power. The data suggests that if you were to upgrade the GPU, you would see significant gains at 4K Ultra, but the CPU would not need to be changed. The limiting component in this combo is clearly the GPU, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, and it has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. These specifications, along with a 33 MB shared L3 cache, make it a powerhouse for multi-threaded workloads. In Barony, however, the game's age means it likely does not utilize all of these cores effectively. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the frame rates are consistently high across all resolutions. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and single-core score of 4958 indicate strong performance, but the game's requirements are so low that even a mid-range CPU could handle it.

The CPU's role in this combo is to ensure that the GPU is always fed with data. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (288 FPS) demonstrates that the CPU has significant headroom, as it can generate frames far faster than the GPU can render them. The PassMark single-thread score of 4257 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2429 show that the CPU's per-core performance is excellent, which is important for games that rely on a few threads. The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any point in the measured range.

The fact that the combo ranks 2536 out of 3717 despite having a top-tier CPU (91st percentile) indicates that the GPU is the more critical component for this game's performance. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with a delta of 0.6%, have similar performance, confirming that the i7-14700F is a very capable processor. In Barony, the CPU's high core count is likely underutilized, but its high clock speeds and strong single-thread performance ensure smooth gameplay. The data shows that the CPU provides a solid foundation, but the GPU's 57th percentile ranking is what ultimately determines the frame rates at higher settings. For this game, the CPU is more than sufficient, and its performance is not a concern for achieving high FPS.