Barony

The data shows that this Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination is a potent pairing for Barony, delivering highly playable frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. However, the performance scaling reveals a clear divide: at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU does the heavy lifting, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. The benchmark results indicate a system that can absolutely crush the game at lower resolutions but will require settings adjustments to maintain high refresh rates at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies where the performance limit lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 316.9 FPS, which is an exceptionally high figure that suggests the CPU is feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them, but the GPU is still keeping up. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 200.9 FPS, a 36.6% reduction, which is a massive hit that points to the GPU being increasingly tasked. At 4K Low, the average falls to 102.9 FPS, which is another 48.8% drop from 1440p.

This pattern intensifies with higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 147.5 FPS, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 90.9 FPS, a 38.4% decline. The most significant scaling occurs at 4K Ultra, where the average plummets to just 47.2 FPS, a 48.1% drop from 1440p and a 68% drop from 1080p Ultra. This steep degradation is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2070 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, is being saturated at 4K, especially with the heavier visual workloads. Conversely, the i7-14700K’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that at lower resolutions, the frame rate is not artificially capped by the CPU. The data suggests that for a consistent 4K experience, the GPU is the limiting component, while at 1080p and 1440p, the combination is well-balanced, with the CPU having enough headroom to push the GPU to its limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 100 FPS?

A: The system can achieve over 100 FPS at all settings at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, it only surpasses 100 FPS on Low settings, with an average of 102.9 FPS. For High settings at 4K, it drops to 65.2 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700K’s performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70104, which is a negligible 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, putting it 0.5% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 9115 trails by only 0.3% with a score of 69887.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems for Barony?

A: The combination ranks 1061 out of 1702 tested combos, placing it in the top 62.3% of all systems. This suggests that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is still a solid performer for this specific game.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER capable of handling 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The data shows it can average 65.2 FPS at 4K High and 79.1 FPS at 4K Medium. For a smoother experience above 60 FPS, Medium settings are recommended, as Ultra settings bring the average down to 47.2 FPS.

Q: What is the difference between the CPU’s multi-core and single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the i7-14700K scores 44534 in multi-core and 6287 in single-core. The high single-core score is particularly relevant for Barony, a roguelike where game logic and simulation often rely on single-threaded performance.

Q: Does the GPU’s memory bandwidth impact its performance in Barony?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s across a 256-bit bus. While this is not the highest, the data shows that the GPU is still able to deliver strong performance at 1080p and 1440p. The bandwidth appears sufficient for the game's demands, as the bottleneck at 4K is more about raw compute power than memory speed.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the data points to Medium settings as the sweet spot for this configuration. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers an average of 150.1 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors and a significant upgrade over the 125.1 FPS at High settings. The jump from Low to Medium at 1440p costs 50.8 FPS (from 200.9 to 150.1), but the visual improvement is generally worth it, and the frame rate remains far above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 4K, Medium settings are also the optimal choice, providing an average of 79.1 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over the 65.2 FPS at High and keeps the experience smooth. While Low at 4K offers a higher average of 102.9 FPS, the visual quality trade-off is too steep for most users. Ultra settings should be avoided at 4K, as the 47.2 FPS average dips below the playable threshold for many. For 1080p, all settings are viable, with even Ultra providing a high average of 147.5 FPS. However, for the smoothest possible experience, Medium at 233.2 FPS or High at 201.6 FPS are excellent choices that leave headroom for demanding scenes. Overall, Medium is the recommended preset for a universal experience, offering high frame rates without sacrificing the visual clarity that makes Barony's dungeons readable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the i7-14700K and RTX 2070 SUPER combo shows its strength. Low settings yield an average of 316.9 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 233.2 FPS. High settings produce 201.6 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a robust 147.5 FPS. This demonstrates that at 1080p, even the most demanding preset is far from taxing the system.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high. Low settings average 200.9 FPS, which is a significant but expected drop from 1080p. Medium settings average 150.1 FPS, and High settings average 125.1 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 90.9 FPS, which is still very smooth and an excellent result for a 1440p Ultra experience.

At 4K, the GPU begins to show its limitations. Low settings average 102.9 FPS, which is playable but a major step down from 1440p. Medium settings average 79.1 FPS, and High settings average 65.2 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with the system only managing an average of 47.2 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steepest on Ultra, indicating that the 8 GB of VRAM and the GPU's compute capabilities are being overtaxed at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the defining component for visual quality in this setup. With its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, it provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and 2560 shading units allow it to render Barony's environments effectively at these resolutions. The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the average FPS drops significantly. The 47.2 FPS at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the GPU's compute power (9.062 TFLOPS FP32) is insufficient for the most demanding settings at that resolution.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is also telling. It has an average benchmark score of 22206, which puts it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. It performs nearly identically to the NVIDIA RTX A400 (score 22307, 0.5% lower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (score 22006, 0.9% lower). However, it is 2.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile and 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5700. This places the 2070 SUPER as a solid mid-range performer, capable of handling most games at 1440p but struggling with 4K Ultra. For Barony, this means the GPU is the component to watch when pushing resolution and settings, as its 8 GB VRAM and compute limits are the primary constraints at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a powerhouse that ensures the GPU is fully utilized at lower resolutions. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it offers immense multi-threaded capability, scoring 44534 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. More importantly for gaming, its single-core performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 score of 6287 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4472. The processor's boost clock of 5.60 GHz is a key factor in this, as it allows for rapid processing of game logic, which is often the bottleneck in roguelike games like Barony that feature complex procedural generation and simulation.

The CPU's performance percentile is in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074. It is virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3% delta). However, it is 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270. The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system for Barony. At 1080p Low, the 316.9 FPS average suggests that the CPU can push frames far beyond what the GPU can render. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 147.5 FPS average is likely still CPU-bound, as the GPU has more headroom. The i7-14700K's role is to provide a stable, high-frequency foundation that allows the RTX 2070 SUPER to perform at its full potential, especially at 1440p and below.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Barony, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1061 out of 1702 total combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings, which is surprising given the high individual performance of both components. The ranking suggests that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU is holding the combo back in the overall standings for this game.

The data implies that other combinations with more powerful GPUs, even with slightly weaker CPUs, would rank higher due to the game's scaling behavior. The i7-14700K is overkill for Barony at 1080p, but its performance is wasted when paired with a GPU that cannot keep up at 4K. The combo's rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's 65th percentile standing. While the system is perfectly capable of delivering an excellent experience in Barony, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, it does not compete with top-tier 4K systems. The rank of 1061 out of 1702 indicates a solid, dependable setup for most gamers, but it is not a leaderboard-topping configuration. The system's strength lies in its versatility, offering high refresh rates at lower resolutions and playable frame rates at 4K with settings adjustments.