Barony

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700KF compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F?

A: The i7-14700KF posts an average benchmark score of 70,163, which is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 7 9700F's average of 69,996. This is a negligible difference, effectively placing them at performance parity in synthetic workloads.

Q: What is the Intel Arc B390's performance position relative to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1,463, putting the Arc B390 just 1.3% ahead. The data indicates this is a very low-end graphics solution.

Q: How does the combo rank in Barony specifically?

A: This CPU-GPU combination ranks 2,601 out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. Despite the strong CPU, the weak GPU holds the combo back significantly.

Q: What kind of frame rates can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 102 FPS. This is playable, but far from the 159 FPS achievable on Low settings at the same resolution.

Q: Does the i7-14700KF have a high core count for gaming?

A: Yes, the i7-14700KF features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier processor for heavily threaded tasks, though Barony may not utilize all of them.

Q: Is the Arc B390 a discrete graphics card?

A: No, the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. It uses system shared memory, which means its performance is partly dependent on the system's RAM and bandwidth.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a very low standing. The data shows its nearest rivals are legacy NVIDIA parts like the GT 520MX (1,463, 1.3% behind) and the GT 710 (1,443, 2.7% behind), which contextualizes its performance as roughly a decade old. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2,500 MHz, with 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. It offers 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, but the raw throughput is limited to 7.680 TFLOPS FP32.

In Barony, the GPU's role is decisive. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 159 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 24 FPS. This massive swing of 135 FPS is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to handle higher resolutions and settings. The Arc B390's memory is "System Shared" with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it lacks dedicated VRAM. This is a critical weakness; the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which likely exacerbates the performance drop at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with its low-end positioning. For Barony, a roguelike that may not be graphically demanding, the Arc B390 can produce reasonable frame rates at 1080p, but it is fundamentally unsuited for 4K gaming. The 24 FPS at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the GPU is overwhelmed, and even at 4K Low (53 FPS), the experience is below the smooth threshold. The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP form factor suggest it is designed for efficiency rather than performance, which is consistent with its benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. Starting at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 159 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 100 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, it falls further to 53 FPS, another 47% drop from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

For High settings, the progression is 102 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is a 67% reduction in frame rate. Medium settings show 118 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 73 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 24 FPS is below playable standards, while 4K Medium at 39 FPS is borderline.

The scaling behavior shows that the CPU is not the constraint here. The i7-14700KF is a high-end processor with a 94th percentile ranking, but the frame rates drop dramatically with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 159 FPS is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, but as resolution rises, the GPU's workload increases disproportionately. The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p, where it can deliver over 100 FPS on High settings. At 1440p, it remains playable on Medium (75 FPS) but struggles on Ultra (46 FPS). At 4K, all settings result in sub-60 FPS, with only Low (53 FPS) approaching playability. The 4K Medium data includes a min FPS of 33 and max of 45, showing notable frame time inconsistency. This resolution scaling analysis confirms that the Arc B390 is the limiting component, and users should target 1080p for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In Barony, this configuration of the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,601 out of 2,935 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11.4% of all combinations, a poor showing that reflects the stark mismatch between the high-end CPU and the low-end GPU. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's 9th percentile standing, which drags the overall combo down despite the CPU's 94th percentile performance.

The data shows that the combo's performance in Barony is overwhelmingly GPU-bound. The CPU is capable of far more, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,167 and single-core score of 6,235. In contrast, the GPU's 3DMark score of 1,482 is among the lowest recorded. This imbalance means that the combo rank is essentially determined by the GPU's limitations. If the same CPU were paired with a mid-range GPU, the combo rank would likely be in the top quartile, but with the Arc B390, it languishes near the bottom.

The ranking also indicates that there are only 334 combos that perform worse in Barony, which is a small fraction of the total. This suggests that most tested configurations, even those with weaker CPUs, outperform this one because they have more capable graphics solutions. The combo's rank highlights a critical insight for builders: a powerful CPU cannot compensate for an underpowered GPU in graphically intensive scenarios. In Barony, the game's roguelike nature may not demand current-generation graphics, but the data shows that the Arc B390 still struggles at higher resolutions and settings. The 2,601 rank is a cautionary data point, indicating that this pairing is poorly suited for achieving high frame rates in this title beyond 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a formidable processor that is severely underutilized in this configuration. It features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU has a large L3 cache of 33 MB shared, along with 2 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core. Its benchmark results are impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 44,167, single-core scores 6,235, and Geekbench multi-core scores 21,462 with a single-core score of 2,578. Passmark multi-thread testing yields 52,425, and single-thread testing yields 4,480. These numbers place the CPU in the 94th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 70,163.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics, but the frame rate data indicates that it is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 159 FPS, which may be close to the CPU's limit for this game, but the dramatic drops at higher resolutions are purely GPU-driven. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% slower), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% slower), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% slower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (1% faster). These deltas are minimal, showing that the i7-14700KF is competitive with the best available CPUs.

The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than Barony likely requires, as roguelikes typically do not scale well beyond a few threads. However, the high single-core boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that the game's main thread is well-served. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the 159 FPS is respectable, and at 1080p High, 102 FPS is still smooth. The CPU's performance headroom is evident when comparing the 1080p Low result to the 4K Low result: the latter is 53 FPS, a 67% drop that cannot be attributed to the CPU. This indicates that the CPU is delivering consistent performance while the GPU fails to keep up. For builders, this data suggests that the i7-14700KF is an excellent choice for gaming, but it should be paired with a more capable GPU to avoid leaving performance on the table.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 159 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo, indicating a CPU-bound scenario at this setting.
• Medium: 118 FPS average, with a minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 136 FPS. The frame time variance is moderate, but overall smooth.
• High: 102 FPS average. This is still highly playable and represents a good balance for most users.
• Ultra: 73 FPS average. This is the lowest at 1080p, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 100 FPS average. A 37% drop from 1080p Low, showing the GPU's workload increasing.
• Medium: 75 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 86 FPS. The minimum is close to the 60 FPS line, indicating occasional dips.
• High: 64 FPS average. This is playable, but the margin for error is slim.
• Ultra: 46 FPS average. This drops below 60 FPS, making the experience less fluid.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 53 FPS average. This is just below the smooth threshold, making it borderline playable for less demanding users.
• Medium: 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 45 FPS. The frame time variance is significant, leading to noticeable stutter.
• High: 34 FPS average. This is a poor experience for most players.
• Ultra: 24 FPS average. This is nearly unplayable, with frame rates that will cause noticeable judder.

The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p, all settings produce playable frame rates, with Low exceeding 150 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium remain playable, but High and Ultra dip below 60 FPS. At 4K, all settings fail to reach 60 FPS, with only Low approaching playability. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most complete data, including min and max FPS, which shows that 1080p Medium has a range of 101-136 FPS, 1440p Medium has 64-86 FPS, and 4K Medium has 33-45 FPS. This breakdown demonstrates that the combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p possible only at lower settings. The 4K results are consistently poor, reinforcing the conclusion that the Arc B390 is the limiting factor.