Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on the surface, appears simple, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveals a performance curve that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics presets. The measured frame rates show this combination is capable of extreme refresh rates at standard resolutions, but the demands of 4K with maximum settings will temper expectations. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain where this hardware pairing excels and where it becomes limited.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K dramatically alters the performance landscape for this system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the measured average FPS is an astronomical 521.9. This is nearly three times the frame rate of the same settings at 4K, which drops to 173.1 FPS. This massive delta indicates that at 1080p, the system is nowhere near its graphical limits; the CPU and GPU are operating with significant headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low preset still delivers 330.3 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset manages 151.3 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 37% decrease in FPS for the Low preset (from 521.9 to 330.3). This is a substantial drop, but the absolute numbers remain so high that the experience is still incredibly smooth. The data suggests that at 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant load, but the Core i7-14700KF with its 20 cores and 28 threads provides ample processing power to keep the frame pipeline full.

The jump to 3840x2160 is where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Ultra preset plummets to 76.7 FPS, which is a 68% reduction from the 240.5 FPS seen at 1080p on the same settings. This significant drop highlights the raw pixel-pushing power required for 4K. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms it when settings are maxed. The scaling from 1440p to 4K on the Ultra preset shows a 49% performance loss (151.3 to 76.7 FPS), proving that the resolution scaling is not linear and that 4K Ultra is a heavy burden.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the gameplay experience. The Low preset is the most performant, delivering 521.9 FPS at 1080p and 173.1 FPS at 4K. While this ensures the highest possible frame rates, it likely sacrifices visual fidelity that the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of providing.

The Medium preset offers a compelling balance. At 1440p, it achieves 243.7 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Even at 4K, the Medium preset produces 125.7 FPS, which is a very playable and smooth experience. The performance gain from High to Medium is notable; at 4K, it is an 11% increase in FPS (from 111.8 to 125.7), suggesting that the visual difference between these two presets is less costly than the jump to Ultra.

The Ultra preset, while visually the most impressive, shows a significant performance penalty. At 4K, it is the only preset that dips below the 100 FPS threshold, hitting 76.7 FPS. For a fast-paced roguelike, maintaining a high and consistent frame rate is often more critical than pushing every graphical setting to its maximum. The data indicates that for most users, the High preset at 1440p (207.9 FPS) or the Medium preset at 4K (125.7 FPS) will provide the optimal balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 1080p (335.9 FPS) is an excellent choice for competitive play on a high-refresh-rate monitor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a powerhouse with a 20-core, 28-thread configuration based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. In the context of Barony, the game's performance at lower resolutions indicates that the CPU is more than capable of keeping up.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 521.9 FPS. This extreme frame rate confirms the CPU's ability to handle game logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. The processor's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is crucial for this, as individual core performance is often the deciding factor in high-FPS scenarios. The single-threaded Passmark score of 4480 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2972 confirm its strength in this area.

However, the data shows that as resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes. The massive frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is not due to the CPU becoming slower, but rather the GPU being tasked with rendering four times the number of pixels. The i7-14700KF's performance relative to its rivals is also notable. It performs within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and is 1.3% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 in average benchmark scores. This establishes it as a top-tier processor, but the game's results show that its vast multi-core potential (a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 18713) is not the primary driver of FPS in Barony; the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 111.8 FPS at 3840x2160 with the High preset, which is well within the playable range for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for the highest possible frame rate?

A: The data shows the highest measured frame rate is 521.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is likely beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, making it suitable for competitive play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more of a bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data shows a significant 37% drop in FPS from 1080p to 1440p on the Low preset (from 521.9 to 330.3 FPS), suggesting the GPU is starting to take on a heavier load, but the frame rates remain so high that neither component is a practical bottleneck.

Q: How much performance is lost when switching from High to Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset measures 335.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset measures 240.5 FPS. This represents a 28% performance decrease for the visual upgrade.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER have enough VRAM for 4K gaming in Barony?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The measured performance at 4K with the Ultra preset (76.7 FPS) indicates that the card can handle the memory load, though the slower FPS is due to the overall rendering workload.

Q: How does this system's 4K performance compare to its 1080p performance?

A: The data shows a massive drop. On the Low preset, the system delivers 521.9 FPS at 1080p but only 173.1 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction in frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of visual performance in this pairing. Its specs, including a boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7168 shading units, are well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 and a Passmark G3D score of 29995, place it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, indicating strong performance.

The measured FPS data clearly shows the GPU's influence as resolution scales. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound at times, as evidenced by the 521.9 FPS on Low settings. However, as the resolution increases to 4K, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the primary constraint. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for the game's needs, but the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 causes the frame rate to drop significantly, especially on the Ultra preset.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's performance relative to its nearest rivals is also telling. It is virtually tied with the NVIDIA RTX A6000, having a deltaPct of -0.2%, and is 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M40. This shows it is a highly capable card, but its 84th percentile ranking means there are faster options. In Barony, the GPU's role is to push the high frame rates provided by the CPU into higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1440p, it is more than capable, delivering 207.9 FPS on High settings. At 4K, it still provides a playable experience on Medium (125.7 FPS) and High (111.8 FPS) presets, but its limits are clearly defined by the 76.7 FPS result on Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination in Barony.

1920x1080:

• Low: 521.9 FPS
• Medium: 388 FPS
• High: 335.9 FPS
• Ultra: 240.5 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 330.3 FPS
• Medium: 243.7 FPS
• High: 207.9 FPS
• Ultra: 151.3 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 173.1 FPS
• Medium: 125.7 FPS
• High: 111.8 FPS
• Ultra: 76.7 FPS

This breakdown shows a consistent pattern: frame rates scale down predictably as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset maintains a very high 240.5 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset is still excellent at 151.3 FPS, but the High preset at 207.9 FPS offers a better balance for high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K, the Medium preset provides the best compromise at 125.7 FPS, while the Low preset at 173.1 FPS is the best option for maximizing smoothness. The 76.7 FPS result for 4K Ultra is the only measurement below the 100 FPS mark, highlighting the significant cost of maximum graphical settings at this resolution.