Barony

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a broad spread of performance in Barony, ranging from a highly playable 60 FPS at 4K High to a blistering 287 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured data reveals a system whose frame rates are heavily dictated by resolution and preset, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling factor as pixel count climbs. This combination ranks 2616th out of 3717 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database, yet the actual gameplay experience across common settings shows that this pairing remains capable of smooth output in this roguelike title, provided expectations are aligned with the hardware's mid-range GPU class.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K shows a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, where the demands on the rendering hardware increase substantially with each step up in resolution. At 1080p High, the combination produces 183 FPS, which drops to 116 FPS at 1440p High, and then falls further to 60 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 66% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at the High preset, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER's processing throughput is the limiting factor as pixel count quadruples.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset, where the frame rates start from a very high 287 FPS at 1080p and decline to 181 FPS at 1440p, before settling at 95 FPS in 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 67%, nearly identical to the High preset's scaling. This consistency across presets suggests that the resolution change imposes a fixed additional workload on the GPU, regardless of the graphical complexity of the scene. The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with 131 FPS at 1080p falling to 83 FPS at 1440p and finally 43 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction.

These numbers indicate that the CPU, the i9-14900K with 24 cores and a 6.00 GHz boost clock, is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or converge at lower resolutions, but instead, they scale nearly linearly with the pixel count. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system has substantial headroom, as evidenced by the very high frame rates, while at 4K, the GPU's raw pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become the decisive factors. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game at these settings, but the compute units are saturated at the higher resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this CPU and GPU combination in Barony?

A: The highest average frame rate is 287 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combination maintain a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 60 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, and 70 FPS with Medium settings. However, the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, averaging 43 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its closest rival, the RTX 3060 Mobile, based on the benchmark data?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the RTX 3060 Mobile's score of 18159. This indicates near-identical raw performance in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the frame rate range for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 135, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K a top-tier processor according to the benchmark database?

A: Yes, the i9-14900K ranks in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. It trails the Core i9-14900KF by 0.3% and the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus by 0.6%.

Q: How many total combinations does the database include, and where does this specific pairing rank?

A: The database includes 3717 tested combinations. This specific pairing of i9-14900K and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2616th in Barony.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a desktop processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture using a 10 nm process. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. The processor's large L3 cache of 36 MB shared across the cores helps maintain data locality for game logic, and its dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provides ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 21697.

In the context of Barony, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, as the frame rate scaling with resolution is consistent. The i9-14900K's high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 4697, ensures that game logic and physics are handled without introducing a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system can reach 287 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of the game engine's rendering loop, and the CPU has the headroom to sustain such high frame rates. This is further supported by the fact that the CPU's percentile ranking is 95, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database.

The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes provide a modern foundation, but the measured results suggest that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the determining factor for overall performance in this title. The processor's nearest rival, the Core i9-14900KF, scores 0.3% higher on average, showing that the non-K variant is virtually identical in performance. The CPU's robust multi-threading capabilities, with a Passmark multithread score of 58674, are not fully utilized by a game like Barony, which is a roguelike with less demanding CPU workloads compared to modern AAA titles, but the headroom ensures stable frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 2616th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 30th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's lower-tier status within the database, as the CPU is a top-tier part, but the overall system performance is dragged down by the mid-range graphics card. The RTX 2060 SUPER has a percentile rank of 62 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093, while the i9-14900K ranks at 95, showing a clear disparity in the capability of the two components.

The combo's rank of 2616 suggests that there are 2615 other configurations that achieve higher average frame rates in Barony, which is expected given that many combos pair high-end CPUs with much more powerful GPUs. However, the ranking does not tell the full story, as the measured FPS data shows that this combo can still deliver excellent playable experiences at 1080p and 1440p with most presets. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% slower) and the Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% slower), are closely matched in synthetic performance, indicating that this GPU is in a competitive mid-range tier.

The gap between the CPU and GPU performance is significant, with the i9-14900K being a top-5% processor, while the RTX 2060 SUPER is in the 62nd percentile. This imbalance means that in CPU-light games like Barony, the GPU is the sole limiter, and the combo's rank could improve with a more powerful graphics card. Conversely, in CPU-heavy workloads, the i9-14900K would boost the combo's standing, but the game's performance data indicates that resolution scaling is purely GPU-driven.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using a 12 nm process, with a chip designation of TU106. It operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, and its FP32 performance is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16462 in Passmark G3D and 6721 in Passmark GPU Compute, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011.

In Barony, the GPU's role is central to the measured frame rates, as the data shows a clear dependency on resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the GPU is able to push 287 FPS, indicating that it is not fully saturated, but as the resolution increases to 4K, the average FPS at High drops to 60, showing that the GPU's compute units are working at their limit. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding, yielding only 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game, as the memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is ample for the textures at these settings.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's performance is closely matched with its nearest rivals, with the RTX 3060 Mobile being 0.4% faster and the Radeon Pro 5700 being 0.5% faster in average benchmark scores. This indicates that the GPU is competitive within its class, but it lacks the raw power of higher-tier cards, which is reflected in the combo's overall rank. The GPU's 175 W TDP and dual-slot design are standard for the time, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate ensures compatibility with the game, but the measured data confirms that it is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 287 FPS, the Medium preset averages 213 FPS with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS, the High preset averages 183 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 131 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system has significant headroom, with even the Ultra preset providing a smooth experience well above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show a clear step down. The Low preset averages 181 FPS, the Medium preset averages 135 FPS with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS, the High preset averages 116 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 83 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset is still playable, but the High preset is the sweet spot for those wanting a balance of quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed to its limits. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, the Medium preset averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS, the High preset averages 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 43 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, the High preset is the maximum playable option, as the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and the Medium preset offers a slightly higher average with better minimum frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the High preset at 183 FPS provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, while the Ultra preset at 131 FPS is still excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 287 FPS is only necessary for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 116 FPS is recommended for a smooth experience, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining frame rates above 100. The Ultra preset at 83 FPS is also viable, but the lower minimum frame rates may cause slight stutters in demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 135 FPS is a good fallback for those who prefer higher frame rates over visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the best choice for a smooth experience, providing a 10 FPS improvement over the High preset's 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 60 FPS ensuring consistent performance. The High preset is also playable at 60 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the standard 60 FPS threshold, and the Low preset at 95 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a marginal gain. Overall, the data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring a compromise on settings to maintain playable frame rates.