Barony

Barony is a roguelike, a genre that typically leans on CPU logic for dungeon generation, entity updates, and simulation, rather than raw GPU throughput. The Intel Core i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides a massive amount of parallel processing headroom. Its 2.10 GHz base clock and 5.40 GHz boost clock ensure that single-threaded game logic runs swiftly, while the multi-threaded workload capabilities are reflected in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122. This combination of high core count and high boost clock makes it a strong foundation for a game like Barony, where the CPU is often the primary bottleneck for maintaining high frame rates, especially when many entities are active on screen. The benchmark data confirms this, as the system achieves frame rates well above typical display refresh rates at all tested resolutions.

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 built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture. Its configuration, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, is designed to handle both heavily threaded workloads and tasks that require high per-core performance. In the context of Barony, this means the CPU can manage the game's simulation and AI logic without becoming a limiting factor. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low settings, the system averages 597 FPS, a figure that is almost entirely CPU-bound, demonstrating the processor's ability to feed the GPU with frames as fast as it can render them. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency in complex game states.

The data shows a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the CPU becomes less of a bottleneck. At 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings drops to 377, and at 4K it further decreases to 197. This is a classic sign that the CPU is capable of producing far more frames than the GPU can handle at higher resolutions. The i7-14700F's performance is not just about raw core count; its single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2429, is equally important for roguelike games that often have a primary game thread. The processor sits in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6505P, has an average score that is just 0.2% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% behind, showing that this CPU is at the top of its class for this type of workload. In essence, the i7-14700F ensures that Barony's simulation speed is rarely a limiting factor in the overall experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 316 out of 3717 tested combos for Barony. This places the system in the top 8.5% of all configurations tested, which is an excellent result. It implies that this specific CPU and GPU pairing is highly effective for this game, delivering performance that is superior to the overwhelming majority of other hardware combinations. While the individual components are top-tier, the rank suggests a well-balanced pairing where neither part is significantly holding back the other. The data reflects a system that is capable of delivering a high-quality experience at all settings, but the rank also indicates there is still a large number of other combos that can outperform it, likely those featuring even higher-end CPUs or GPUs.

This rank is a strong indicator that the combination is not just powerful on paper, but also in practice for Barony. The synergy between the CPU's high core count and the GPU's massive rendering power ensures that frame rates remain high even in the most demanding scenarios. It is a combination that provides a significant performance buffer, allowing for high settings at high resolutions without worrying about frame drops. The fact that it ranks so highly out of thousands of combinations underscores that this is a top-tier setup for this specific title. For a player looking at this data, a rank of 316 means they are getting a system that is in the top tier of what was tested, providing confidence in its ability to handle the game with ease. The data shows the system outperforms 3401 other combinations, which confirms its overall capability.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F strong enough to keep up with the RTX 4080 SUPER in Barony?

A: Yes, the benchmark data indicates a well-balanced pairing. The CPU's performance is shown by its 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122. The system achieves a combo rank of 316 out of 3717, proving the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU in this game.

Q: What kind of frame rates can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: Based on the measured data, you can expect an average of 240 FPS. This is a very high frame rate, well above what most high-refresh-rate monitors can display, ensuring a very smooth and responsive experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6505P, scores 53701, which is a negligible 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, putting it 0.6% behind the i7-14700F in average performance.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this setup?

A: The system is capable of excellent performance at all tested resolutions. At 4K Ultra, it averages 90 FPS. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low yields 597 FPS. The sweet spot for high refresh-rate gaming at a high visual quality is 1440p, where it averages 240 FPS on High settings.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for Barony?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER comes with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. This is more than sufficient for a roguelike game like Barony, even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, as the game's asset sizes are not particularly demanding.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER perform compared to the non-SUPER RTX 4080?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209. Its nearest rival, the standard RTX 4080, has an average score of 54247, which is a 0.1% difference. This indicates the SUPER variant is essentially on par with the original RTX 4080 in raw compute performance.

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

The benchmark data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its raw power. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 597 FPS. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 444 FPS, with a minimum of 377 FPS and a maximum of 510 FPS. At High settings, the average is 381 FPS. Finally, at Ultra settings, the system still manages a very high average of 273 FPS. This resolution is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, as the frame rates are extremely high.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptional. The Low preset yields an average of 377 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 280 FPS, with a minimum of 238 FPS and a maximum of 322 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 240 FPS, which is a perfect match for 240Hz monitors. At Ultra settings, the average is 172 FPS. This resolution represents a good balance, as the frame rates are still high enough for competitive play while offering improved visual fidelity over 1080p.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU becomes the primary focus. The Low preset averages 197 FPS. Medium settings provide an average of 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. On High settings, the average is 126 FPS. At Ultra settings, the system still maintains an average of 90 FPS. Even at the most demanding resolution and settings, the system remains comfortably playable, showing that the RTX 4080 SUPER has the power to handle 4K gaming in this title. The data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern, where each increase in resolution or settings results in a predictable decrease in average frame rate.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the driving force behind the visual output in this configuration. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. This is more than enough memory and bandwidth for Barony, ensuring that textures and geometry can be loaded quickly without stuttering. The GPU's core clocks are set at a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2550 MHz, which are high frequencies that contribute to its strong compute performance. Its raw processing power is evidenced by a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 260075.

The GPU's role in the benchmark results is clear when examining the scaling between resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU is the limiting factor. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU's workload increases, and the frame rates begin to reflect the GPU's capabilities. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 90 FPS, which reflects the RTX 4080 SUPER's ability to handle high-fidelity rendering. The GPU's performance is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54209 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080, indicating that this card is at the top of its class. The 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores are part of the Ada Lovelace architecture, but for a game like Barony, the standard rasterization performance is what matters most, and the data shows it excels in that area.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the best settings to use for different priorities. For players with a 60Hz display, the 4K Ultra preset, which averages 90 FPS, is the best choice as it provides the highest visual fidelity while still delivering frame rates well above 60 FPS. This ensures a smooth and visually rich experience without sacrificing performance. If a player prefers higher frame rates over maximum visual quality, the 4K High preset, with an average of 126 FPS, offers a strong balance, making it suitable for 120Hz displays.

For players with a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the 1440p High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 240 FPS, which is perfectly in line with the refresh rate of a 240Hz display. This preset provides a great balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring a highly responsive and immersive experience. If a player wants to maximize visual fidelity on a 144Hz monitor, the 1440p Ultra preset, which averages 172 FPS, is also an excellent option, as it still exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, the 1080p Low preset, with an average of 597 FPS, provides the absolute highest performance. This setting is ideal for players who want to minimize input lag and achieve the maximum possible frame rate. However, the visual quality is significantly reduced. A more practical recommendation for most players would be the 1080p Medium preset, which still provides a very high average of 444 FPS with a minimum of 377 FPS, ensuring that even in the most intense moments, the frame rate does not drop below a playable level. This preset offers a significant visual improvement over Low while maintaining extremely high performance. Ultimately, the best setting depends on the player's monitor and preferences, but the data shows that 1440p High is the sweet spot for a high-refresh-rate experience without compromising on visual quality.