Barony

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 3545th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places the combination in the bottom 5% of all tested configurations, a surprisingly weak showing given the components involved. The ranking reflects a severe bottleneck situation where the GPU's age and limited VRAM constrain what is otherwise an extremely powerful processor.

The discrepancy between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is stark. The Core i9-14900K sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79371 (-0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 79574 (-0.6% delta), and the AMD EPYC 7413 at 80041 (-1.2% delta). The only rival that scores lower is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 at 77740, which is 1.7% behind. Meanwhile, the RX 570 sits in the 74th percentile among GPUs with an average score of 28766, placing it near the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874, -0.4% delta), AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28580, 0.7% delta), AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, -0.8% delta), and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28421, 1.2% delta).

This rank disparity means the combo's position in Barony is dictated almost entirely by the GPU. The data indicates that in a roguelike title where frame pacing and consistency matter, this pairing underdelivers relative to what either component could achieve with a better-matched partner. The 3717-combo pool includes many mid-range pairings that outperform this combination, which speaks to how heavily the RX 570 drags down the overall result.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the limiting factor in this combination. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is modest by modern standards but should be adequate for a game like Barony given its roguelike genre. The GPU's clocks run at 1168 MHz base and 1244 MHz boost, with memory at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). These figures, combined with 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, yield a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s.

The GPU's FP32 throughput is 5.095 TFLOPS, with FP16 matching at 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1). This is a GCN 4.0 architecture part built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The card draws 150 W TDP, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 450 W. It connects via PCIe 3.0 x16 and offers display outputs including 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The production status is end-of-life, with a release date of 2017-04-17 and a launch MSRP of 169 USD.

In Barony, the measured FPS data shows the GPU's VRAM capacity becoming a constraint at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop to 29 on High, 34 on Medium, and 21 on Ultra settings. The 4 GB frame buffer is insufficient for 4K Ultra detail in this title, causing the GPU to struggle. Even at 2560x1440, Ultra settings yield only 40 FPS average, while High produces 56 FPS. The GPU's age shows in these results, as it was designed for 1080p gaming in the 2017 era.

The RX 570's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. Its best result comes from the Geekbench Vulkan test at 42752, followed by Geekbench Metal at 39349, Geekbench OpenCL at 32084, and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at 880. These scores place it just below the RX 6800M in average performance, a mobile GPU that scores 28874. The comparison highlights that while the RX 570 was a capable 1080p card in its day, it cannot keep pace with modern titles at higher resolutions.

# FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K bottlenecked by the AMD Radeon RX 570 in Barony?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates a GPU bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile among all processors with an average benchmark score of 79097, while the GPU sits in the 74th percentile with 28766. The combo ranks 3545th out of 3717, meaning the GPU's performance ceiling limits the overall result.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony?

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo achieves consistently high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 138; at Medium it is 103; at High it is 88; and at Ultra it drops to 63. Higher resolutions see significant declines, with 1440p ranging from 40 to 87 FPS and 4K ranging from 21 to 46 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The RX 570's average benchmark score is 28766. The AMD Radeon RX 6800M scores 28874 (0.4% ahead), the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28580 (0.7% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 470 scores 28996 (0.8% ahead), and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 scores 28421 (1.2% behind). The RX 570 sits in the middle of this group.

Q: What is the CPU's single-threaded performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5 and a multi-core score of 39399.5. The single-thread result reflects the CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock, which is critical for games that rely on single-thread performance.

Q: Does the RX 570's 4 GB VRAM affect Barony performance at 4K?

A: The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 21 on Ultra to 46 on Low. The 4 GB GDDR5 memory is insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay at higher settings, as evidenced by the Ultra preset producing only 21 FPS. The Medium preset records a minimum FPS of 29 and maximum of 39.

Q: How does the Core i9-14900K compare to the Core i9-14900KF?

A: The Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, while the Core i9-14900KF scores 79371. This represents a 0.3% difference, with the KF variant holding a marginal edge. Both CPUs are extremely close in performance, and the difference is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Barony with this combo reveals a clear pattern: performance scales inversely with resolution, and the GPU's limitations become more pronounced as settings increase. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 138 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display. Medium settings yield 103 FPS average with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 118. High settings drop to 88 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 63 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1080p is the sweet spot for this pairing, with even Ultra settings remaining above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more noticeable. Low settings average 87 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a 37% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74, keeping gameplay mostly fluid. High settings produce 56 FPS average, which is borderline for competitive play. Ultra settings fall to 40 FPS average, indicating that the GPU cannot sustain high detail at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles significantly. Low settings average 46 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings average 34 FPS with a minimum of 29 and maximum of 39, making gameplay feel stuttery during demanding scenes. High settings drop to 29 FPS average, and Ultra settings bottom out at 21 FPS. These results make 4K gaming impractical with this configuration, even at the lowest settings.

The data also shows that the gap between settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 75 FPS (138 vs 63). At 1440p, the difference narrows to 47 FPS (87 vs 40). At 4K, the difference shrinks further to 25 FPS (46 vs 21). This pattern indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, and changing settings has diminishing returns as the resolution increases.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, and includes integrated UHD Graphics 770. The processor uses the Intel Socket 1700 and is built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm².

In Barony, a roguelike title, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain consistent frame pacing and handle game logic. The Core i9-14900K's benchmark results show exceptional performance across the board. In Cinebench R23, it scores 39399.5 in multi-core and 2262.5 in single-core. The single-core result is particularly relevant for gaming, as many titles rely on single-thread performance for main game loop execution. The Geekbench scores of 21697 multi-core and 2655 single-core reinforce the CPU's strength.

PassMark results further illustrate the CPU's capabilities. The multi-thread score is 58674, with single-thread at 4697. Integer math scores 210622, floating point math scores 152975, and extended instructions score 45154. Data compression scores 792694, data encryption scores 46813, and random string sorting scores 86971. Physics score is 3140, and find prime numbers is 231. These results place the CPU in the 95th percentile of all processors.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Core i9-14900KF at 79371 (-0.3% delta), Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 79574 (-0.6% delta), EPYC 7413 at 80041 (-1.2% delta), and Ryzen AI Max+ 395 at 77740 (1.7% delta). These comparisons show that the i9-14900K is within 2% of its closest competitors, making it one of the top-performing desktop CPUs available. However, in this specific combo, its power is largely untapped because the RX 570 cannot feed it enough frames to matter.

The CPU's 6.00 GHz boost clock and 36 MB of shared L3 cache are well-suited for gaming workloads. Barony, being a roguelike, may not heavily utilize all 24 cores, but the high single-thread performance ensures that game logic and AI calculations are handled quickly. The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 gives flexibility, though the dual-channel bus may limit memory bandwidth in some scenarios.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This makes Ultra the best choice for 1080p users who want maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 88 FPS provides additional headroom for demanding scenes, while Medium at 103 FPS offers even more margin for players who prioritize consistency.

For 2560x1440, the recommendations change. High settings produce 56 FPS average, which is below 60 but still playable for most users. Medium settings at 65 FPS provide a better balance, with a minimum of 55 FPS ensuring that most scenes remain fluid. Ultra settings at 40 FPS are not recommended for competitive play, as the frame rate dips become noticeable. Low settings at 87 FPS are the smoothest option but sacrifice visual quality significantly.

At 3840x2160, the combo cannot deliver a consistently smooth experience at any setting. Low settings average 46 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold. Medium settings at 34 FPS with a minimum of 29 FPS will feel stuttery. High settings at 29 FPS and Ultra at 21 FPS are not viable for gameplay. For 4K users, the data suggests dropping to a lower resolution or accepting significant compromises in visual quality.

The measured rows indicate that the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo. It delivers 65 FPS average with a minimum of 55 FPS, keeping gameplay fluid enough for most scenarios. At 1080p, Ultra is the recommended choice, as it provides 63 FPS average while maintaining the highest visual detail. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 138 FPS is the smoothest experience possible with this hardware.