Barony

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is the processing powerhouse in this combo, and its specifications explain why it never becomes the bottleneck in Barony, even at extreme frame rates. With 20 cores and 28 threads, this Raptor Lake-R architecture chip provides massive parallel throughput, which is critical for a game like Barony that simulates complex dungeon generation, enemy AI, and physics. The CPU’s base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz deliver the high single-thread performance that roguelike games often favor for game logic and procedural generation. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 33 MB L3 cache. This large L3 pool is particularly beneficial, as it keeps frequently accessed game state data close to the cores, reducing latency that could otherwise cause stutters during fast-paced exploration.

Synthetic benchmarks confirm the processor’s strength. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44,167 and single-core score of 6,235 indicate exceptional headroom across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. This is further reflected in the Passmark multithread score of 52,425 and single-thread score of 4,480. The data shows the CPU sits in the 94th percentile versus all CPUs, which places it among the top tier of desktop processors. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.9% in average benchmark score, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% ahead. The Ryzen 7 9700F trails by 0.2%, and the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% behind. These deltas are marginal, suggesting that in Barony, where frame rates often exceed 300 FPS at lower resolutions, the CPU’s raw processing power is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier also indicate this is a high-performance part designed for sustained workloads, not a power-sipping efficiency chip.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant force in this pairing, and its architecture dictates nearly all performance scaling in Barony. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5nm process at TSMC, the GPU packs 21,760 shading units, 680 tensor cores, and 170 RT cores. The chip, GB202, contains 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The memory subsystem is equally imposing: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This enormous memory bandwidth is crucial for Barony’s procedurally generated textures and particle effects, which can rapidly fill the frame buffer. The base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost of 2407 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). Raw compute figures include 104.8 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s.

Benchmark results place this GPU in the 92nd percentile versus all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326. Geekbench Vulkan and OpenCL scores reach 376,915 and 310,674, respectively. The interesting part of the nearestRivals data is that the RTX 5090 D is compared against laptop and data-center parts: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% ahead in average score, while the RX 6850M XT trails by 1.6%, and two NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 2.1% to 2.4% behind. These deltas are within noise, but they underscore that the RTX 5090 D is in a performance tier where even the most demanding settings struggle to slow it down. In Barony, the GPU’s role is primarily to render the game’s voxel-based environments and lighting effects at high resolutions. The 32 GB VRAM is overkill for this title, but it means there is no scenario where memory capacity or bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, even at 4K with Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: Barony scales almost linearly with resolution, and the GPU is the primary limiter at higher settings, while the CPU holds the reins at 1080p. Starting at 1920x1080, the frame rates are astronomical. At Low settings, the combo averages 724 FPS. This number is so high that it indicates the CPU’s single-thread performance is the constraint, as the GPU has plenty of headroom. At Medium settings, the average drops to 538 FPS, with a minimum of 458 and maximum of 619. High settings at 1080p yields 462 FPS, while Ultra drops to 331 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 393 FPS, a 54% reduction, which shows that even at 1080p, the GPU’s rendering load is starting to matter, but the absolute numbers remain far above what any display can show.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with a steeper slope. Low settings average 457 FPS, Medium averages 340 FPS (min 289, max 391), High averages 292 FPS, and Ultra averages 209 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (724 FPS) to 1440p Low (457 FPS) is 37%, which is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count (2.25x more pixels, but the frame rate does not scale linearly due to CPU overhead). At Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (331 FPS) to 1440p (209 FPS) is 37% as well, indicating the GPU is now the bottleneck. At 4K (3840x2160), the numbers become more grounded. Low settings average 239 FPS, Medium averages 178 FPS (min 151, max 204), High averages 152 FPS, and Ultra averages 109 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is dramatic: at Low, the drop is 48% (457 to 239 FPS); at Ultra, the drop is 48% (209 to 109 FPS). This consistent 48% reduction across settings strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the pixel count quadruples but the frame rate roughly halves due to memory bandwidth and shading unit limits.

The data shows that the transition point where the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck is around 1440p. At 1080p, the CPU’s 20 cores and 5.6 GHz boost clock are the ceiling, as evidenced by the 724 FPS Low result. At 4K, the RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power is still enough to push over 100 FPS at Ultra, but the scaling is clearly tied to resolution and settings, not CPU capabilities. For a game like Barony, which is not known for heavy post-processing, these frame rates are exceptional.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves the top spot in this benchmark database for Barony. The comboRankInGame field shows a rank of 1 out of 2,935 tested combinations. This is the best possible result, placing this pairing above all other CPU-GPU combos tested for this specific title. The data is measured, not estimated, which adds credibility to the result. The rank is likely driven by the combination of the CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,235) and the GPU’s massive memory bandwidth (1.79 TB/s), which together eliminate any potential stutter during procedural generation.

Given the CPU’s 94th percentile standing and the GPU’s 92nd percentile, it is no surprise that this combo leads. What is remarkable is the margin. The next closest rivals for the CPU, such as the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, are within 1% in synthetic benchmarks, yet the combo rank suggests that in Barony, the i7-14700KF’s specific combination of high boost clock and large L3 cache (33 MB) provides a tangible advantage in game performance. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals are all within 2.4% in average benchmark score, but the RTX 5090 D’s lead in the database implies that Barony benefits from the GPU’s raw shading power rather than just memory throughput. The rank of 1 out of 2,935 means there is no other tested configuration that surpasses this pair in average FPS across all settings and resolutions. This is a definitive top-tier result, and users with this hardware can expect no performance ceiling in Barony.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS is 724, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 109 FPS. Given the 48% drop from 1440p Ultra (209 FPS) and the GPU’s heavy load, the RTX 5090 D is the limiting component at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations in Barony?

A: It ranks 1st out of 2,935 tested combos, making it the best-performing configuration in the database for this game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The minimum FPS for Medium settings at 1920x1080 is 458, with an average of 538 and a maximum of 619.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF significantly faster than its nearest rival in synthetic tests?

A: The data shows it is 0.9% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% faster, so the deltas are very small.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and size?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance on which settings deliver the best experience in Barony, depending on the display’s refresh rate. For 1080p displays with a 240Hz or 360Hz refresh rate, the Low setting at 724 FPS is excessive, but the Medium setting at 538 FPS (min 458) offers a better balance of visual quality and speed. High at 462 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 331 FPS still exceeds any standard display’s capability, so there is no reason to sacrifice quality. The data shows that at 1080p, even Ultra settings never dip below 300 FPS, meaning the GPU is never stressed enough to warrant reducing settings for competitive play.

At 1440p, the situation changes. For a 240Hz display, the Medium setting at 340 FPS (min 289) is the sweet spot, as it provides a high frame rate with improved visuals over Low. High at 292 FPS is also acceptable, but Ultra at 209 FPS may dip below 240Hz in some scenes, so it is less ideal for competitive play. For a 144Hz display, Ultra at 209 FPS is perfectly smooth and provides the best visual fidelity. At 4K, the choice depends entirely on the display. For a 144Hz panel, the High setting at 152 FPS is the best option, as it stays above the refresh rate. Medium at 178 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 109 FPS will not hit 144Hz. For a 60Hz display, Ultra at 109 FPS is overkill but provides the richest visuals without any stutter. The data shows that the Medium preset consistently offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions, with minimum FPS values that remain high (151 at 4K, 289 at 1440p, 458 at 1080p), ensuring smooth gameplay even in the most chaotic procedural dungeon rooms.