Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on this hardware pairing, delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations. The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination produces results that are consistently above the threshold for smooth gameplay, with the most demanding settings at 4K still producing an average of 71 FPS. The data indicates that this is a powerful pairing that scales predictably with resolution and settings, making it a strong candidate for high-refresh-rate displays at 1440p and even for 4K gaming with adjusted quality.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable performance drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the High preset, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 results in a drop from 299 FPS to 189 FPS, a reduction of 37%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the frame rate falls to 99 FPS, representing a 48% decrease from the 1440p figure and a 67% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at the Low preset. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 469 FPS, but this drops to 296 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 155 FPS at 3840x2160. The 1080p to 4K transition at Low settings shows a 67% reduction in frame rate, which is a steeper relative drop compared to the High preset. This is because Low settings place less strain on the GPU, allowing the CPU to push higher raw frame rates at lower resolutions, but the 4K pixel count still overwhelms the GPU's throughput capabilities.

At the Medium preset, the data includes minimum and maximum FPS values, revealing more about the frame pacing. At 3840x2160, the average is 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS. The variance of 34 FPS between min and max suggests that while the average is excellent, there are occasional dips that could be perceptible on a high-refresh-rate monitor. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 220 FPS with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS, showing a similar 66 FPS spread. The 1920x1080 Medium result shows an average of 348 FPS with a range from 296 to 401 FPS.

The Ultra preset produces the lowest frame rates but still remains playable. At 4K Ultra, the average is 71 FPS, which is just above the standard 60 FPS target. At 1440p Ultra, the average jumps to 135 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 214 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra shows a 67% reduction, consistent with the Low preset's scaling, indicating that the 4K resolution is the dominant factor in performance loss regardless of settings.

The data suggests that this combo is not CPU-limited at any tested resolution. The frame rate drops between 1080p and 1440p are substantial (ranging from 37% to 44% depending on the preset), which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain more constant across resolutions. The 4K results, while lower, are still high enough to demonstrate that the RX 9070 XT has sufficient raw power to handle the pixel count, but the scaling curve indicates diminishing returns as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how each preset affects performance, and the optimal choice depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 3840x2160, the High preset at 99 FPS is the best balance between visual quality and frame rate, as it provides a significant improvement over the Ultra preset's 71 FPS while maintaining a higher average than the Medium preset's 115 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 115 FPS is a viable alternative for those who prioritize smoother motion over slight visual fidelity gains, especially given that its minimum FPS of 98 is still well above typical display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 189 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Ultra preset at 135 FPS is also an excellent choice for users with 144Hz displays, offering a 29% increase in visual quality settings while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most monitors' refresh rates. The Medium preset at 220 FPS is ideal for competitive play or for users with 240Hz displays, as it provides a substantial frame rate boost over High without a dramatic loss in visual quality.

For 1920x1080, the data shows that the High preset at 299 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a near-doubling of frame rate over Ultra (214 FPS) while still offering high visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 348 FPS is the best option for esports-style play where maximum frame rates are paramount, and the Low preset at 469 FPS is only necessary for extremely high refresh rate displays (360Hz and above) where every frame counts.

The Ultra preset is generally not recommended for 4K gaming, as the 71 FPS average is close to the minimum threshold for smooth play and leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. At 1440p and 1080p, Ultra is a reasonable choice for users with standard 60Hz or 144Hz displays, but the frame rate gains from dropping to High are substantial enough that most users will find High to be the sweet spot. The Medium preset's minimum FPS data suggests it has the most consistent frame pacing, making it a safe choice for those sensitive to stutter.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 71 FPS, which is the lowest measured result across all configurations.

Q: Does this combo achieve over 200 FPS at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 1920x1080, the combo exceeds 200 FPS on all presets except Ultra. The High preset averages 299 FPS, Medium averages 348 FPS, and Low averages 469 FPS. Only Ultra at 214 FPS falls below the 300 FPS mark.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 189 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 135 FPS. This represents a 54 FPS difference, or a 29% reduction in frame rate when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: Is the combo more CPU or GPU limited?

A: The data indicates the combo is GPU-limited, as frame rates drop substantially with each resolution increase. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 299 at 1080p to 99 at 4K, which is a 67% reduction, suggesting the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 98, with an average of 115 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 920th out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 25% of all tested systems for Barony.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination ranks 920th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This puts the pairing in the top 24.7% of all systems tested for this game, which is a strong result given the game's release date in 2015 and its roguelike genre. The rank indicates that while this is a high-performing setup, there are 919 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking position is notable because it places this combo above the median but not near the top of the chart. This is likely due to the game's age and the fact that many other modern GPUs and CPUs can achieve similarly high frame rates at the tested settings. The RX 9070 XT's percentile of 55 among all GPUs is modest, which aligns with its mid-pack ranking in this game. However, the CPU's percentile of 91 among all CPUs is much stronger, indicating that the processor is a high-performing component that is not the limiting factor.

The combo's rank of 920 out of 3717 suggests that while the absolute frame rates are high, the game is not particularly demanding, and many other hardware combinations can achieve similar results. The data shows that even the lowest average FPS (71 at 4K Ultra) is well above what would be considered unplayable, so the rank may be influenced by combos that achieve even higher frame rates, possibly due to more aggressive GPU overclocks or higher-power variants. For a user with a 1440p or 1080p display, this ranking is more than adequate, as the frame rates exceed what most displays can show.

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 cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, placing it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data suggests it performs this task without becoming a bottleneck. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, as the CPU maintains high performance across all resolutions. Even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU workload is lightest, the CPU allows the combo to achieve 469 FPS, indicating it has significant headroom. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for this roguelike title, which is unlikely to utilize all available threads but benefits from the high single-thread performance of the Raptor Lake architecture.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, show a deltaPct of 0.6%, meaning the i7-14700F is slightly ahead in average benchmark score. This small difference in synthetic benchmarks is unlikely to translate into meaningful FPS differences in Barony, as the game's frame rates are primarily GPU-limited. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking reinforces that it is a high-end processor that provides excellent performance for gaming workloads, and its 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-threaded performance for game logic. The data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo's performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of the combo's performance.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are as follows:

• Ultra: 71 FPS average
• High: 99 FPS average
• Medium: 115 FPS average, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS
• Low: 155 FPS average

At 2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 135 FPS average
• High: 189 FPS average
• Medium: 220 FPS average, with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS
• Low: 296 FPS average

At 1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 214 FPS average
• High: 299 FPS average
• Medium: 348 FPS average, with a minimum of 296 FPS and a maximum of 401 FPS
• Low: 469 FPS average

The data reveals that the combo achieves over 100 FPS in every configuration except 4K Ultra, and over 200 FPS in all 1080p and 1440p configurations except 4K. The Medium preset consistently shows the most detailed data with min and max values, indicating a stable frame delivery. The gap between Low and High settings is substantial at every resolution, with Low typically providing 50-60% higher frame rates than High. The Ultra preset's performance drop from High is consistent, ranging from 29% at 1440p to 31% at 1080p and 4K. This breakdown confirms that the combo is versatile, capable of handling high refresh rates at lower resolutions while still providing playable frame rates at 4K.