Barony

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing in Barony presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is a modern heavyweight, while the GPU, though capable, is from an older generation. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings reveal a clear narrative of where each component's influence begins and ends. This analysis digs into the data to determine which part is driving the experience and what that means for players.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.40 GHz, providing a substantial range of computational power. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates its strength, achieving a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. It also holds a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, placing it firmly in the high-performance tier. Compared to its nearest rivals, it performs within a tight margin; for instance, it is only 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmark score.

In Barony, the CPU's role appears to be one of a capable foundation that rarely becomes the primary constraint. The data suggests that even at lower resolutions, where the GPU has less work to do, the processor is able to feed the graphics card effectively. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 315.9 FPS, a figure that suggests a strong CPU capability to handle the game's logic and draw calls. However, the game is a roguelike, a genre that often involves procedural generation and complex simulation, which can be CPU-intensive. The high core count and boost clock likely provide headroom for these tasks, but the benchmark results show that the GPU is the limiting factor as settings and resolution increase. The CPU's strong single-thread performance of 5003 in Cinebench R23 is critical for frame pacing, but the overall frame rate ceiling in Barony is dictated more by the GPU.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The GPU's synthetic performance shows a Passmark G3D score of 18169, putting it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, is just 0.5% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 trails by 2.5%. This places the RTX 2070 SUPER in a solid mid-to-high tier, but it is clearly not a top-tier card by modern standards.

The GPU's role in Barony is the decisive factor for visual fidelity and resolution scaling. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the data indicates that the GPU's raw compute power is what limits performance at higher settings. The FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is the relevant metric here. As settings are pushed to Ultra, the frame rate drops significantly across all resolutions, showing the GPU struggling with the increased shading and fill-rate demands. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are the physical limits that the game's rendering engine must contend with, and the measured FPS reflects this constraint.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how performance scales with resolution. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 203.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 125.5 FPS, a 38.4% decrease. At 4K High, the frame rate falls to 66.9 FPS, a further 46.7% drop from 1440p. This steep decline is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is capable of generating frames at a high rate, but the GPU's rendering throughput becomes the bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, at Ultra settings, the frame rate goes from 147.1 FPS at 1080p to 91.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 46.6 FPS at 4K. This halving of performance from 1080p to 4K at every setting level strongly suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component in this pairing for Barony. The CPU's performance headroom is evident at 1080p Low, where it hits 315.9 FPS, but this advantage is quickly eroded as the GPU's workload increases. The data implies that an upgrade to a more powerful GPU would yield significant gains at higher resolutions, while a CPU upgrade would offer little to no benefit in this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Barony, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER holds a rank of 1052 out of 1702 combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a notable finding given the CPU's high benchmark scores. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for all resolutions and settings, and it highlights that the GPU is dragging the overall performance down relative to the CPU's potential.

The combo's rank of 1052 out of 1702 is a clear statement that while the CPU is a top-tier performer (94th percentile), the GPU's mid-pack standing (65th percentile) limits the system's overall capability in this game. This ranking suggests that many other tested combinations, likely those with a more balanced or newer GPU, outperform this setup. The data indicates that this is not a balanced pairing for Barony; the CPU is significantly overqualified for the GPU's output. This is a common scenario when a newer CPU is paired with an older GPU, and the benchmark results confirm that the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Barony?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 315.9, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the performance drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 203.9 at 1080p to 66.9 at 4K, a decrease of 137 FPS, indicating a significant GPU workload increase.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops dramatically as resolution increases, while the CPU's high benchmark scores (94th percentile) suggest it has ample headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 1052 out of 1702 tested combos for Barony, placing it in the lower half of all systems.

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 146.8 at this resolution and settings combination.

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

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield 315.9 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 147.1 FPS, a difference of 168.8 FPS, showing the substantial cost of higher graphical fidelity.

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

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080

• Low: 315.9 FPS
• Medium: 234.2 FPS
• High: 203.9 FPS
• Ultra: 147.1 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 202.6 FPS
• Medium: 146.8 FPS
• High: 125.5 FPS
• Ultra: 91.1 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 106.9 FPS
• Medium: 76 FPS
• High: 66.9 FPS
• Ultra: 46.6 FPS

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For a 1080p display, High settings at 203.9 FPS provide an excellent balance of visual quality and high frame rates, easily satisfying any high-refresh-rate monitor. Ultra settings at 147.1 FPS are also viable and offer the best visuals, but the 38.6% performance hit from High may not be worth it for a marginal visual improvement.

For 1440p, High settings at 125.5 FPS offer a smooth and visually appealing experience. Medium settings at 146.8 FPS could be preferred for users seeking higher frame rates for competitive play, while Ultra at 91.1 FPS is still playable and provides the maximum graphical fidelity. At 4K, the data suggests that High settings at 66.9 FPS are the best choice for a playable experience, as Ultra drops to 46.6 FPS, which may feel less fluid. Low settings at 4K yield 106.9 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. The data implies that for most users, High settings provide the best overall experience, balancing frame rate and visual quality.