Barony

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 creates a stark contrast in generational capability. The CPU, a Comet Lake part from the 10th generation, provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support position it as a solid mid-range processor from its era. In contrast, the RTX 5090 is a flagship Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU on a 5 nm process, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus. The data shows this combination ranks 109th out of 1702 tested combos for Barony, placing it in the top 6.4% of all configurations tested, a strong overall standing driven almost entirely by the GPU's immense throughput.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F's role in Barony is defined by its 6 cores and 12 threads, a configuration that handles the game's logic and entity processing. Its single-thread performance, scoring 688 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1454 in geekbench_singlecore, is modest by modern standards but sufficient for a roguelike where the simulation is not excessively demanding. The processor's max-thread score of 4735 in 3dmark indicates that while it can utilize its 12 threads effectively, the absolute ceiling is limited compared to higher-core-count parts. In the context of this game, the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests it is adequate, but the benchmark results show that at lower resolutions, the GPU's frame generation outpaces the CPU's ability to feed it, leading to a bottleneck.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database, including the AMD EPYC 7552 and Intel Core i5-8500, have average scores within 1.2% of the i5-10400F. This indicates that in synthetic workloads, the 10400F performs nearly identically to these parts. For Barony specifically, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p, where the difference between Low (474.5 FPS) and Ultra (313.5 FPS) settings at the same resolution shows a 161 FPS drop. This is not a CPU limitation per se, but rather the GPU being held back by the CPU's instruction throughput. The 2.90 GHz base clock is rarely a limiting factor, as boost behavior up to 4.30 GHz is more relevant for gaming. The data suggests that the CPU provides a stable platform for the game's core mechanics, but its 14 nm process and older architecture prevent it from matching the GPU's raw output in frame-rate-heavy scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications dictate the performance envelope for Barony. With a boost clock of 2407 MHz and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has an extraordinary capacity for rendering frames. The 21760 shading units and 176 ROPs are directly responsible for the high pixel throughput, which is evident in the measured frames per second. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking against all GPUs, alongside an average benchmark score of 84306, places it in the top tier of available hardware, only slightly ahead of the RTX 5090 D (0.1%) and RTX 5050 Mobile (0.2%).

In Barony, the GPU's role becomes the primary factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the card produces 106.3 FPS, while at 4K Low, it achieves 229.1 FPS. This 122.8 FPS difference is a direct result of GPU load scaling with settings complexity. The 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what this game requires, meaning there is no memory capacity bottleneck; the limiting factor is purely the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth. The data shows the GPU is the clear performance driver, as evidenced by the 4K High result of 144 FPS, which is nearly double the 1080p High result of 401 FPS when accounting for resolution scaling. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power ensures that even at 4K, the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower settings, where the CPU's limits begin to surface.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 109 out of 1702 tested combinations for Barony is a strong result, placing this system in the upper echelon of tested hardware. This ranking is heavily influenced by the RTX 5090's raw performance, as the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking is below the GPU's 94th percentile. The data indicates that while the combination is powerful, it is not the absolute best, likely due to the CPU holding back the GPU in certain scenarios. For instance, at 1080p Low, the 474.5 FPS average is impressive but not the highest possible, as a faster CPU would likely push this number higher.

Comparing to other combos, the 109th rank out of 1702 means there are 108 configurations that achieve higher performance in Barony. These would almost certainly pair the RTX 5090 with a more modern, higher-clocked CPU. The delta between this combo and the top performers is not quantifiable from the given data, but the CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% lower score), show that the i5-10400F is not a top-tier processor. The combo's overall standing reflects the GPU's ability to compensate for CPU limitations, particularly at 4K where the GPU is more fully utilized. The data suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, such as 1080p with low settings, the ranking could be lower, but the average across all tested resolutions keeps it in the top 6.4%.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to avoid CPU bottlenecks?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 313.5 to 474.5, while at 4K, it ranges from 106.3 to 229.1. The smaller performance gap between settings at 1080p (161 FPS difference between Low and Ultra) compared to 4K (122.8 FPS difference) suggests the CPU is more of a limiting factor at 1080p. Higher resolutions like 4K reduce CPU pressure, making the GPU the primary driver.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in this database?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 84306, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D (84241) and 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (84171). It is also 1.3% higher than the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (83209). These deltas are minimal, indicating near-identical synthetic performance among these GPUs.

Q: Does the 32 GB of VRAM on the RTX 5090 affect Barony's performance?

A: The measured data does not indicate any VRAM-related performance limits. The 32 GB GDDR7 memory with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is far more than Barony requires, so the average FPS figures are not constrained by memory capacity or bandwidth. The performance differences across settings are due to compute load, not memory allocation.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance relative to its multi-thread performance?

A: The i5-10400F scores 688 in 3dmark_single_thread and 4735 in 3dmark_max_threads, showing a significant scaling across threads. In cinebench_r23, it scores 1453 single-core and 10297 multi-core. This indicates that while the CPU is capable of multi-threaded work, its single-thread performance is modest, which can affect frame pacing in games that rely heavily on a single main thread.

Q: How does the combo rank in Barony compared to all tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 109th out of 1702 tested combinations. This places it in the top 6.4% of all configurations, which is a high position, but not the very top. The ranking reflects the GPU's strength while acknowledging the CPU's limitations in maximizing frame rates.

Q: Is there a significant FPS drop from 1080p to 4K for this combo?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial drop. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 401 at 1080p to 144 at 4K, a 257 FPS reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 474.5 to 229.1, a 245.4 FPS reduction. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K, but still maintains playable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data for this combo reveals a clear GPU-bound trend at higher resolutions, with the CPU's influence diminishing as pixel count increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at High settings drops from 401 to 279.1, a 121.9 FPS decrease, which is a 30.4% reduction. Continuing to 4K, the High setting average drops further to 144 FPS, representing a 48.4% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern is consistent with the RTX 5090's massive compute resources, which are better utilized at 4K.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 474.5 FPS at 1080p drops to 406 at 1440p (a 14.4% reduction) and then to 229.1 at 4K (a 43.6% reduction from 1440p). The smaller relative drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (14.4%) compared to High settings (30.4%) suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is more of a limiting factor at 1080p, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck across all settings, as evidenced by the 106.3 FPS at Ultra, which is the lowest measured frame rate. The data indicates that the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p to GPU at 4K, with the crossover occurring somewhere in the 1440p to 4K range depending on settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the settings that offer the best experience depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 4K, the High preset delivers 144 FPS, which is a smooth experience for most displays, while the Ultra preset drops to 106.3 FPS, a 26.2% reduction from High. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 171.1 FPS, which is higher than High, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High is typically noticeable in a roguelike's texture detail. For 4K users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the High preset at 144 FPS is the recommended choice, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate that exceeds standard 60 Hz displays and approaches 144 Hz capabilities.

At 1440p, the High preset yields 279.1 FPS, which is well beyond any standard refresh rate, while Ultra achieves 200.3 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 406 FPS, but this is unnecessary for practical use. For 1440p, the Ultra preset at 200.3 FPS is the best experience, as it provides the highest visual quality without dipping below 200 FPS, ensuring no perceptible stutter on most monitors. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 313.5 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any display, and the High preset at 401 FPS is only marginally better. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU limits the maximum frame rate, so the Ultra preset is the most sensible choice to get the best visual quality without sacrificing measurable performance. Overall, the High preset at 4K and Ultra preset at 1080p and 1440p provide the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate based on the measured data.