Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, presents an interesting benchmark case when paired with the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The data shows a combination that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, particularly at higher resolutions, while the processor provides ample headroom. The measured FPS across various settings and resolutions provides a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 89.8 FPS, which is a strong performance indicator for a smooth experience, especially in a fast-paced roguelike where reaction time is critical. Pushing to Ultra at this resolution yields 62.9 FPS, which is still playable, but the 27 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests a significant performance cost for marginal visual gains, making High the recommended preset for maximum fluidity without compromising visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset drops to 56.9 FPS, which is still respectable, but the Medium preset at 65.2 FPS offers a better balance for maintaining higher frame rates. The data indicates that Ultra at 1440p (42.7 FPS) begins to strain the GTX 1650, and the Low preset (89.4 FPS) is the only option that provides a frame rate comparable to the 1080p High experience. For users prioritizing a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear choice, as it is the highest quality setting that stays above that threshold.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where the GTX 1650’s limits become pronounced. The High preset averages only 30.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to a nearly unplayable 19.4 FPS. The Low preset at 46.4 FPS is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, but it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target. Consequently, for 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, users should expect a sub-optimal but functional experience. The data strongly suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with High settings or 1440p with Medium settings.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested configurations in Barony?

A: The benchmark data places this specific CPU and GPU combination at rank 1604 out of 1702 tested combos for this game. This places it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems, indicating that while it is functional, it is not a high-performance pairing for Barony.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS for the Low preset is 136, while the Ultra preset averages 62.9 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of over 50% when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is in the 94th percentile compared to all CPUs, while the GPU is only in the 43rd percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a steep decline, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 136 FPS, which was achieved at a resolution of 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the GTX 1650's benchmark score compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, scores 8746, which is a 0.4% difference, showing they are statistically equivalent in performance.

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

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops to 62.9, which is still above 60. The first configuration where the average falls below 60 FPS is at 2560x1440 with the High preset, which averages 56.9 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s ranking of 1604 out of 1702 tested configurations places it in the lower echelon of systems benchmarked for Barony. This low ranking is unsurprising given the GPU’s performance percentile. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 8713. Its closest competitors in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, -0.4%), AMD Radeon 550X (8749, -0.4%), and NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8671, 0.5%), indicating it is a mid-to-low-tier performer.

In contrast, the Intel Core i7-14700F is a high-end processor, ranking in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 54097. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54450, -0.6%) and AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54681, -1.1%), showing that the CPU is competitive with top-tier silicon. This massive disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is the defining characteristic of this combo, explaining its poor overall ranking. The system is severely front-heavy, with the CPU’s potential being largely untapped by the GPU’s limitations in this particular game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 136 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this system. The Medium preset averages 104 FPS, High averages 89.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 62.9 FPS. This shows a linear and predictable scaling of performance with quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts down. The Low preset averages 89.4 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p Low score. Medium averages 65.2 FPS, High averages 56.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 42.7 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is 8.3 FPS, which is more pronounced than at 1080p, highlighting the GPU's increasing struggle.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1650 is clearly overburdened. The Low preset averages 46.4 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a borderline playable frame rate. Medium averages 36.3 FPS, High averages 30.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 19.4 FPS. The performance degradation from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 27 FPS difference, showing that even the lowest settings cannot provide a smooth experience at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average FPS falls from 89.8 to 56.9, a reduction of 32.9 FPS. This is a 36.6% performance loss for a 77.8% increase in pixel count, indicating that the scaling is not linear and the GPU is being heavily taxed by the additional pixels.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 on the High preset is even more severe. The average FPS drops from 56.9 to 30.1, a 26.8 FPS reduction. This represents a further 47.1% performance loss. The cumulative effect from 1080p to 4K on High settings is a 59.7 FPS drop, meaning the system retains only 33.5% of its original 1080p performance.

This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, with its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit memory bus, is the principal limiting component. The Intel Core i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel workload increases, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck. The result is that this combo is effectively a 1080p gaming solution, with diminishing returns and playability issues at higher resolutions.