Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on the surface, does not demand state-of-the-art hardware, but the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination reveal a surprisingly scalable experience. The data shows a system that can push well past the refresh rates of most standard monitors, yet it also exhibits clear performance ceilings at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, the CPU and GPU roles, and how this specific combo ranks against the broader tested database.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not uniform across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 361 at 1920x1080 to 119 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 67%. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution places a massive load on the GPU, overwhelming its 12 GB of memory and 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The system transitions from a CPU-bound state at 1080p Low, where the i7-14700K's 20 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock can generate massive frame throughput, to a GPU-bound state at 4K, where the RX 6750 XT's raw pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s becomes the limiting factor.

At Medium settings, the same resolution scaling is present but slightly less dramatic. The average FPS goes from 268 at 1080p to 169 at 1440p, and then to 89 at 4K. The min FPS at 4K Medium is 75, which is still playable, but the gap between the 1440p and 4K results (a 47% drop) highlights the GPU's struggle as the pixel count increases. The High preset shows a similar trend, with averages of 230 at 1080p, 145 at 1440p, and 76 at 4K. The 4K High result is nearly half of the 1440p High result, showing that the memory bandwidth and shader count are being saturated.

The Ultra preset is where the GPU becomes the outright bottleneck. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 165, which drops to 104 at 1440p, and then plummets to 54 at 4K. This 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured frame rate in the entire dataset, and it strongly suggests that the RX 6750 XT's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are not sufficient to handle the combination of maximum visual fidelity and 8.3 million pixels. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 48% reduction, which is nearly identical to the percentage drop seen at High, indicating that the GPU is consistently the limiting component at resolutions of 1440p and above, regardless of the preset.

For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings provide a consistently high frame rate (119 FPS average), while Medium dips to 89 FPS and Ultra falls below 60 FPS. At 1440p, the system is more versatile, with Medium offering 169 FPS and High offering 145 FPS, both of which are excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 1080p results are exceptionally high across all settings, suggesting that the CPU is often idle and the GPU is the primary driver of performance even at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony to maintain a high frame rate?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo averages 145 FPS, and at Medium, it averages 169 FPS. While 1920x1080 delivers higher frame rates (up to 361 FPS at Low), the 1440p results are still well above 100 FPS for most presets and provide a better balance between visual clarity and performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The average FPS at 4K ranges from 119 at Low to 54 at Ultra. Only the Low preset consistently stays above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset dips to an average of 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at the same resolution?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 165 FPS compared to High's 230 FPS, a 28% reduction. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 104 FPS versus High's 145 FPS, a 28% drop. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 54 FPS versus High's 76 FPS, a 29% drop. The performance cost of Ultra is consistent across all resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes min FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the min FPS is 228; at 2560x1440, it is 144; and at 3840x2160, it is 75. These figures show that even in the most demanding moments, the Medium preset maintains a playable frame rate at all resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck even at 1080p. The difference between Low (361 FPS) and Ultra (165 FPS) at 1080p is 196 FPS, which is a massive gap. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more similar across presets. The i7-14700K is likely capable of producing even higher frame rates than the RX 6750 XT can render.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1709 out of 3717 tested combinations. This places it in the 46th percentile of all combos in the database. This suggests that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is firmly in the mid-range of tested systems, with the performance data reflecting a capable but not extreme pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.60 GHz. In the context of Barony, a roguelike that is typically not known for heavy multi-threading, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The benchmark data for the CPU shows a strong single-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2569. These scores indicate that the processor can handle the game's simulation logic and draw calls efficiently.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 361. This high number suggests that the CPU is capable of delivering a massive number of frames, but the GPU's rendering limits are not fully taxed at this low setting. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is likely the key factor here, as it minimizes the time required for each frame's preparation. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4472 further confirms its strength in lightly threaded tasks.

As the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role diminishes. The frame rates drop significantly, but the CPU is likely not the bottleneck. The 4K Ultra result of 54 FPS is far below what the CPU can produce, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 361 FPS. The CPU has a 33 MB shared L3 cache, which helps with data locality, but the game's demands at higher resolutions are clearly GPU-centric. In this pairing, the i7-14700K provides more than enough headroom for the RX 6750 XT, ensuring that the GPU is always the limiting component in Barony.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT holds a rank of 1709 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This rank places it in the middle of the database, which is a reasonable position given the GPU's performance tier. The GPU has a percentile of 71 versus all GPUs, while the CPU has a percentile of 94 versus all CPUs. This mismatch suggests that the GPU is the weaker component in the pairing, and the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's mid-range standing.

The average benchmark score for the GPU is 26011, with its nearest rivals being the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (25891, deltaPct 0.5), AMD FirePro W7100 (25856, deltaPct 0.6), AMD FirePro D700 (25842, deltaPct 0.7), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (25740, deltaPct 1.1). These rivals are all within 1.1% of the RX 6750 XT's average score, indicating that the GPU is closely matched with these older or mobile parts. The CPU, in contrast, has an average benchmark score of 69355, with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, deltaPct -0.2) and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, deltaPct -0.7) being nearly identical in performance.

In the context of Barony, the combo rank of 1709 is not a reflection of poor performance but rather evidence of the wide range of hardware in the database. The measured FPS numbers are high for most resolutions and settings, and the rank is likely influenced by the presence of more powerful GPUs that can achieve even higher frame rates at 4K. The combo's position suggests that it is a balanced mid-tier setup, capable of high refresh rates at 1440p but not competitive with top-tier 4K machines.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 361 at Low to 165 at Ultra. The Medium preset averages 268 FPS with a min of 228 and a max of 309, while the High preset averages 230 FPS. The 1080p results show that the system is capable of very high frame rates, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 165 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 228 at Low to 104 at Ultra. The Medium preset averages 169 FPS with a min of 144 and a max of 195, and the High preset averages 145 FPS. The 1440p results are still impressive, with the Medium and High presets providing smooth gameplay for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset's 104 FPS average is still above 100, making it a viable option for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 119 at Low to 54 at Ultra. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS with a min of 75 and a max of 102, and the High preset averages 76 FPS. The 4K results show a significant drop in performance, with only the Low preset staying above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset's 54 FPS average is the only result below 60, indicating that this setting is not recommended for 4K gaming. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K is the highest setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the practical limit for 4K play.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the Ultra preset at 165 FPS is the best choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 230 FPS is also excellent for very high refresh rate monitors, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 65 FPS, which may not be worth the visual gain for all players.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 169 FPS is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, as it provides a high frame rate with a min of 144 FPS. The High preset at 145 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a higher average and a better min FPS. The Ultra preset at 104 FPS is still smooth, but it offers diminishing returns over Medium and High. The Low preset at 228 FPS is the best choice for competitive play where frame rate is the priority.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 119 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently high frame rate. The Medium preset at 89 FPS is playable and offers better visuals, but its min FPS of 75 may be a concern for some players. The High preset at 76 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 54 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the best compromise between visual fidelity and performance, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS while offering improved graphics over Low.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is a mid-range GPU based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, with a chip size of 335 mm² and 17,200 million transistors. It features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a base clock of 2150 MHz and a boost clock of 2600 MHz. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. These specifications are directly reflected in the measured FPS data, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate are critical.

The GPU's role in Barony is to render the game's graphics, and the data shows that it is the primary bottleneck in this combo. The 4K Ultra result of 54 FPS is a clear indication that the GPU is overworked, as the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20700 places it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable but not top-tier. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (25891, deltaPct 0.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (25740, deltaPct 1.1), showing that it is closely matched with these parts.

The 12 GB of VRAM is a significant asset, as it allows the GPU to handle high-resolution textures without running out of memory. However, the 192-bit memory bus and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are limiting factors at 4K, where the data throughput demands are high. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.31 TFLOPS is adequate for this game, but the 4K results show that it is not sufficient for maximum settings. The GPU's role is to provide a solid 1440p experience and a playable 4K experience at lower settings, which aligns with its mid-range positioning.