Barony

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Barony, a roguelike title that is far more demanding on the GPU than the CPU at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates show this combo is capable of pushing well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains comfortably playable. This analysis breaks down how the resolution scales performance, the specific roles of the processor and graphics card, and how this combination ranks against other tested systems.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured data is the dramatic drop in frame rate as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 383 at 1080p to 242 at 1440p, then down to 126 at 4K. That is a 63% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is a classic sign that the workload is becoming heavily GPU-bound at higher pixel counts, as the RTX 4080’s rendering pipeline is tasked with filling an increasing number of pixels.

Looking at the Low settings across resolutions reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combo hits an average of 600 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of what the game engine or the measurement method can capture. At 1440p Low, that drops to 379 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 198 FPS. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K result is less than a third of the 1080p result indicates that pixel throughput is the primary constraint, not the CPU. If the processor were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller gap between resolutions, especially at Low settings where the GPU load is reduced.

The Medium settings data provides a useful middle ground. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 446, with a min of 379 and a max of 513. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 281, with min and max of 239 and 324. At 4K Medium, the average is 147, with min and max of 125 and 169. The consistent scaling factor here—approximately 60% of the previous resolution’s performance—suggests a well-behaved rendering pipeline where the RTX 4080’s memory bandwidth and compute units are being utilized efficiently as resolution scales.

Ultra settings tell the most demanding story. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 274. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 173. At 4K Ultra, the average is just 91 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Ultra is 101 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra is 82 FPS. This shows that the performance penalty of moving from 1440p to 4K is slightly less severe than from 1080p to 1440p, likely because the GPU is already saturated at 1440p Ultra, and the additional pixel load at 4K cannot double the render time.

What does this say about the limiting component? At 1080p, especially at Low and Medium settings, the CPU is likely playing a larger role. The i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads, which is more than enough for Barony’s logic, but the game’s single-threaded performance may still cap the maximum frame rate. The fact that 1080p Low hits 600 FPS suggests the engine has a high ceiling, but the drop to 383 FPS at High settings at the same resolution indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is already being stressed by higher quality presets. By 1440p, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck across all settings, and at 4K, the RTX 4080 is working hard to maintain playable frame rates, with Ultra dipping below 100 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake Refresh generation, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications matter for Barony because roguelikes often involve complex procedural generation, pathfinding, and simulation logic that can be sensitive to single-thread performance and memory latency.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-14700F scores 4,958 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 35,122 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The single-core score is particularly relevant for a game like Barony, where the main game loop may not scale perfectly across all 28 threads. The boost clock of 5.40 GHz helps ensure that lightly threaded tasks receive maximum per-core performance. The multi-core score of 35,122 indicates that if Barony does utilize multiple threads for background simulation or asset streaming, the CPU has ample headroom.

The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of tested processors in the database’s aggregated benchmark score. Its average benchmark score is 53,620. Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700F scores 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon 6505P, which has an average score of 53,701. It scores 0.3% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53,469), 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53,288), and 0.8% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P (53,206). These are very tight margins, indicating that the i7-14700F sits at the top tier of CPU performance, though it is not the absolute fastest in this metric.

In the context of Barony’s measured FPS, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the frame rate reaches 600 FPS. This is an extreme scenario where the GPU is barely taxed, and the engine’s frame generation is likely limited by the CPU’s ability to submit draw calls and update game state. At 1080p High, the frame rate drops to 383 FPS, which is still far above any practical refresh rate, but the drop suggests that the GPU is now doing enough work to become a co-bottleneck. The i7-14700F’s 28 threads and 5.40 GHz boost clock ensure that even in worst-case scenarios with many entities on screen, the CPU will not hold back the RTX 4080 at 1440p or 4K.

The CPU’s memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5, with dual-channel memory bus. The measured FPS does not specify which memory type was used, but the dual-channel configuration is standard and adequate for gaming. The CPU’s TDP is 65 watts, which is modest for a 20-core part, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700. It does not have integrated graphics, so a discrete GPU is mandatory, which is already present in this combo. The CPU’s production status is Active, and its launch MSRP is $359, but pricing is not a factor in this analysis.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC’s 5 nm process. It features the AD103 chip with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The GPU has 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output processors. It also includes 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. The base clock is 2,205 MHz, and the boost clock is 2,505 MHz. Memory is 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

These specifications are directly relevant to Barony’s performance. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for a roguelike, which typically has modest texture and geometry requirements. The 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth is a key factor in the resolution scaling behavior seen in the measured data. As resolution increases, the GPU must access more texture data and fill more pixels, and the memory bandwidth becomes a critical resource. The RTX 4080’s bandwidth is high enough to maintain strong performance even at 4K, though the Ultra preset at 4K still drops to 91 FPS average.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are also substantial, with FP32 performance rated at 48.74 TFLOPS. This raw compute power is what allows the RTX 4080 to handle the rendering work at 1440p High with an average of 242 FPS and at 4K High with 126 FPS. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are high figures that align with the measured frame rates. The GPU’s TDP is 320 watts, with a suggested PSU of 700 watts, but these figures do not directly affect game performance in the measured data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 scores 34,457 in Passmark G3D and 20,671 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its percentile versus all GPUs is 86, and its average benchmark score is 54,247. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, which is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698, which is 2.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757, which is 2.7% higher. It is important to note that these rival scores are aggregate benchmarks, not Barony-specific results, and the measured FPS in this game may differ from these rankings.

The GPU’s role in Barony becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU has excess headroom, allowing frame rates above 400 FPS at Medium and 600 FPS at Low. At 1440p, the GPU is still the primary driver, with all settings above 170 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with average FPS ranging from 91 at Ultra to 198 at Low. The RTX 4080’s boost clock of 2,505 MHz helps maintain these high frame rates, as the GPU can dynamically raise its clock speed under load. The memory clock of 1,400 MHz, or 22.4 Gbps effective, is also a factor, as the high bandwidth prevents the GPU from stalling on texture fetches.

The RTX 4080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which ensures compatibility with Barony’s rendering API. The GPU is triple-slot in width, with a length of 310 mm, a height of 140 mm, and a width of 61 mm. It uses a 1x 16-pin power connector and has a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. These physical characteristics are relevant for system builders but do not affect the measured FPS. The GPU’s production status is End-of-life, and its launch MSRP was 1,199 USD, but again, this is not a focus here.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 244 out of 3,717 tested combos for Barony. This places it in the top 6.6% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing but not the absolute top. The rank is based on the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, aggregated into a single score. Given that the combo achieves 600 FPS at 1080p Low and 126 FPS at 4K High, it is clear that this is a high-performance pairing.

The rank of 244 out of 3,717 means there are 243 combos that scored higher in Barony. These higher-ranked combos likely include more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4090 or newer generations, or possibly CPUs with higher single-thread performance. However, the i7-14700F and RTX 4080 combo is still in the 94th percentile of all tested systems, which is excellent for a mainstream high-end build. The data suggests that this combo is well-balanced for Barony, with no significant bottleneck at any resolution.

Comparing to the nearest rivals of each component provides context. The CPU is within 0.8% of its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks, meaning that swapping to a Ryzen 9 7900X or an EPYC 7313P would yield negligible differences in CPU-bound scenarios. Similarly, the GPU is within 2.7% of its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks, so the RTX 4080’s Barony performance is representative of its class. The combo’s rank of 244 reflects the combined strength of both parts, not just one component.

It is importantly the combo rank is specific to Barony. In other games, the rank could be higher or lower depending on how well the game utilizes the CPU’s 28 threads and the GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM. For a roguelike like Barony, which is not typically considered a graphics showcase, the RTX 4080 might be overkill at 1080p, but it provides future-proofing for 4K displays and higher refresh rates. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra, averaging 91 FPS, shows that even the most demanding preset is playable on this combo.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p High settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 242 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings, with no min or max FPS recorded for that configuration.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53,620, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53,288) and 0.8% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P (53,206). It is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701).

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

A: The highest average FPS is 600, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is likely near the engine’s maximum frame rate cap.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 91, which is well above typical playable thresholds. The steep drop from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank in Barony?

A: The combo is ranked 244 out of 3,717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.6% of all systems tested in this game.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average FPS values for this combo, organized by resolution and settings. Where available, min and max FPS are also provided.

1920x1080:

• Low: average 600 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 446 FPS, min 379, max 513
• High: average 383 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 274 FPS, no min/max recorded

2560x1440:

• Low: average 379 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 281 FPS, min 239, max 324
• High: average 242 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 173 FPS, no min/max recorded

3840x2160:

• Low: average 198 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 147 FPS, min 125, max 169
• High: average 126 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 91 FPS, no min/max recorded

These numbers paint a clear picture. At 1080p, the combo is capable of frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of virtually any gaming monitor, even at Ultra settings. At 1440p, the performance is still excellent, with every setting above 170 FPS. At 4K, the combo remains playable across all settings, with Ultra averaging 91 FPS and Low reaching 198 FPS.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only instances of min and max FPS data, which is useful for understanding frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the min of 379 FPS and max of 513 FPS show a spread of 134 FPS, indicating some variability but still a very smooth experience. At 1440p Medium, the min of 239 and max of 324 show a similar spread of 85 FPS. At 4K Medium, the min of 125 and max of 169 show a spread of 44 FPS, which is a tighter range in absolute terms but a larger percentage variation relative to the average of 147 FPS.

For a roguelike, where sudden spikes in on-screen entities or procedural generation events can cause frame drops, the min FPS values are the more critical metric. The worst-case min FPS recorded across all tested configurations is 125 FPS at 4K Medium, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that even in the most demanding moments, the combo maintains excellent frame pacing.

The data confirms that this is a highly capable pairing for Barony, with no configuration dropping below 91 FPS average. The GPU dominates the performance curve as resolution increases, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at any setting. For users targeting 1440p high refresh rate or 4K 60-100 FPS, this combo delivers without compromise.