Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i9-14900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a performance profile in Barony that is heavily weighted toward CPU headroom, with measured frame rates ranging from a low of 58 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 385 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates a system that can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at every tested resolution and preset, though the scaling pattern reveals that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. This combination ranks 1596th out of 3717 tested combos for this roguelike title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database’s configuration pool.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the selected settings preset. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 246 FPS at 1080p to 155 FPS at 1440p and further to 81 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 48% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is increasingly burdened at higher pixel counts. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings costs 91 FPS, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs 74 FPS — the proportional impact is larger at lower resolutions because the CPU still has headroom to push more frames.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is more dramatic in absolute terms but less severe in relative terms. The 1080p Low result of 385 FPS drops to 243 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 127 FPS at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The absolute delta of 142 FPS between 1080p and 1440p Low is the largest single-resolution step in the entire dataset, which strongly suggests that at 1080p Low the system is approaching a CPU-limited ceiling. When the GPU workload is minimized, the Core i9-14900K’s 24 cores and 32 threads can drive frame rates well beyond what the RTX 3070 can sustain at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset shows the most consistent scaling: 287 FPS at 1080p, 181 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. The deltas are 106 FPS and 86 FPS respectively, with the 4K Medium result including a measured minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS. This preset appears to balance the load between CPU and GPU more evenly than Low (which is CPU-bound at 1080p) or Ultra (which is GPU-bound at 4K). The Ultra preset, by contrast, shows the steepest relative decline: 176 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and just 58 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is the only sub-60 FPS result in the entire dataset, and the 53 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K Ultra (a 48% reduction) mirrors the pattern seen at other presets, confirming that pixel count is the dominant scaling factor.

The data reveals that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p Low, the 385 FPS result is far above what the RTX 3070 can typically deliver at higher settings, indicating a CPU-bound scenario where the i9-14900K’s 6.00 GHz boost clock and 36 MB of shared L3 cache are the primary drivers. By 4K Ultra, the 58 FPS result is clearly GPU-bound, as the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth struggle to feed the rasterizer at 3840x2160. The crossover point appears to sit between 1440p High (155 FPS) and 4K High (81 FPS), where the GPU begins to dominate the performance equation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 plays a decisive role in Barony’s higher-resolution and higher-fidelity scenarios, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result of 58 FPS. This GPU, based on the Ampere architecture and fabricated on Samsung’s 8 nm process, features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. Its boost clock of 1725 MHz and base clock of 1500 MHz provide the raw compute throughput, while the 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The data shows that this memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p at all tested presets, but at 4K Ultra the combination of memory capacity and bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, producing the only sub-60 FPS average in the dataset.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 20.31 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, translate into strong performance at lower resolutions. At 1080p High, the RTX 3070 achieves 246 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it reaches 287 FPS, with a measured minimum of 244 FPS and maximum of 330 FPS. These results suggest that the GPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rates scale nearly linearly with workload reductions between presets. The 1080p Low result of 385 FPS, however, is likely constrained by the CPU, as the GPU’s pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s should theoretically support higher output.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its limits more clearly. The Ultra preset yields 111 FPS, while High yields 155 FPS, Medium yields 181 FPS, and Low yields 243 FPS. The spread of 132 FPS between Low and Ultra at 1440p is the largest of any resolution, indicating that the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth are increasingly taxed as settings rise. The 4K results reinforce this interpretation: Ultra at 58 FPS, High at 81 FPS, Medium at 95 FPS, and Low at 127 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 69 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p gap but with much lower absolute frame rates.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 61 among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208, places it slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, +0.7%) and below the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468, -1.5%). This mid-range positioning explains why the RTX 3070 can handle 1440p High comfortably but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Barony at all tested settings, as the game’s roguelike genre likely does not require massive texture pools, but the 256-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become constraints at 4K when the GPU must fetch data for every pixel.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this CPU-GPU combination holds the 1596th position out of 3717 tested combos for Barony, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the balance between the i9-14900K’s exceptional CPU performance and the RTX 3070’s mid-range GPU capability. The CPU alone ranks in the 95th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097, while the GPU ranks in the 61st percentile with an average score of 17208. The combo ranking of 1596 suggests that the RTX 3070 pulls the overall position down from what the CPU could achieve with a more powerful graphics card.

The CPU’s nearest rivals highlight its competitive position: the Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79371 (-0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (-0.6%), and the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (-1.2%), while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740 (+1.7%). These deltas are all within 2%, indicating that the i9-14900K is tightly clustered with other high-end processors in synthetic benchmarks. However, in Barony specifically, the combo ranking of 1596 out of 3717 means that most tested configurations outperform this pairing, likely because many combos feature more powerful GPUs paired with somewhat weaker CPUs.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar tight grouping: the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 (+0.7%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (+1.0%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (+1.1%), while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468 (-1.5%). These small deltas suggest that the RTX 3070 is representative of a performance tier rather than an outlier. The combo’s 1596th rank out of 3717 (approximately 43rd percentile) means that 57% of tested combos achieve higher frame rates in Barony, which is consistent with the RTX 3070’s mid-range GPU status in a game where high frame rates are achievable with modest hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 delivers excellent performance across all presets. The Low preset achieves 385 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium reaches 287 FPS with a minimum of 244 FPS and maximum of 330 FPS, providing a wide safety margin above any display refresh rate. High drops to 246 FPS, and Ultra yields 176 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 209 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU-GPU combination has substantial headroom even at the highest quality settings.

At 2560x1440, the results remain strong but show a noticeable step down. Low averages 243 FPS, Medium averages 181 FPS with a minimum of 154 FPS and maximum of 208 FPS, High averages 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 111 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 111 FPS is still well above 60 FPS, indicating that this resolution is comfortable for the RTX 3070 even with maximum settings. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium (154 FPS) exceeds the average FPS at 4K High (81 FPS), highlighting the significant impact of resolution scaling.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low averages 127 FPS, Medium averages 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS, High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 58 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only sub-60 FPS figure in the dataset, making it the sole scenario where the system fails to maintain a consistent 60 FPS threshold. The 4K Medium minimum of 80 FPS is still playable, but the 58 FPS Ultra average suggests that users targeting 4K should stick to High or Medium presets for a smoother experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 287 FPS with a minimum of 244 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display and leaves headroom for background tasks. At 1440p, Medium yields 181 FPS with a minimum of 154 FPS, comfortably exceeding 60 FPS and even 144 Hz displays. At 4K, Medium produces 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, which is the highest preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS at this resolution.

For users with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 176 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the best visual quality while still delivering frame rates far above typical refresh rates. The High preset at 246 FPS is also viable, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 70 FPS (28% reduction) for what may be marginal visual gains in a roguelike title. At 1440p, Ultra at 111 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but Medium at 181 FPS is better suited for 144 Hz monitors, as the 70 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra is substantial.

At 4K, the data clearly supports Medium as the optimal preset. The 95 FPS average with an 80 FPS minimum is smooth, while High at 81 FPS and Ultra at 58 FPS do not provide sufficient minimum frame rates for a consistently responsive experience. Low at 4K (127 FPS) is an option for competitive play, but the visual compromise may not be worth the 32 FPS gain over Medium. In summary, Medium is the safest recommendation for this combo, with Ultra reserved for 1080p and 1440p users who prioritize image quality over raw frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 385, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but only at Medium or lower presets. The 4K Medium result is 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, while 4K High drops to 81 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 58 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival GPU in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and 1.0% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037).

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested configurations for this game?

A: This combination ranks 1596th out of 3717 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p Low?

A: The 385 FPS result at 1080p Low is likely CPU-limited, as the RTX 3070’s performance characteristics suggest it could render more frames if the CPU were not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the only scenario where this combo fails to reach 60 FPS?

A: The 4K Ultra preset produces an average of 58 FPS, which is the sole sub-60 FPS result in the entire measured dataset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.20 GHz and boost clock of 6.00 GHz provide exceptional single-thread performance, which is critical for Barony as a roguelike title that may rely heavily on game logic, pathfinding, and procedural generation. 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, which helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data. The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with ECC memory support available.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i9-14900K posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, along with a Geekbench multi-core score of 21697 and single-core score of 2655. These results place it in the 95th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. The nearest rivals — the Core i9-14900KF (-0.3%), Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (-0.6%), and EPYC 7413 (-1.2%) — are all within 1.2% in average score, showing that the i9-14900K sits at the top of a tightly packed performance cluster. Its 125 W TDP and active production status indicate a desktop part designed for high sustained performance.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The 385 FPS result at 1080p Low is a direct indicator of CPU capability, as the RTX 3070 would be hard-pressed to exceed this frame rate even in less demanding titles. The 243 FPS at 1440p Low and 127 FPS at 4K Low further demonstrate that the CPU can feed the GPU at high rates even when pixel count increases, though the GPU’s limits become apparent at higher presets. The 24-core, 32-thread configuration is likely overkill for Barony’s threading model, but the single-core performance from the 6.00 GHz boost clock ensures that game logic and physics calculations are processed with minimal delay.

The CPU’s impact on the combo ranking is indirect but significant. With a percentile rank of 95 among all CPUs, the i9-14900K is one of the strongest processors in the database. However, the combo’s 1596th rank out of 3717 suggests that the RTX 3070’s mid-range GPU performance is the limiting factor in Barony. If paired with a higher-tier GPU, this CPU would likely push the combo ranking much higher, as the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low the system can achieve 385 FPS, which is far above what most GPUs can deliver. The i9-14900K’s 32 threads and large L3 cache ensure that even in complex roguelike scenarios with many entities, the CPU will not become a bottleneck until frame rates exceed 385 FPS.