Barony

Barony is a roguelike that scales heavily with raw framerate, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers exceptional headroom across all tested resolutions. The benchmark data shows this combo achieving a rank of 782 out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 21% of all systems. This pairing demonstrates that the 6-core, 12-thread processor is sufficient to feed the high-end GPU, resulting in frame rates that are limited more by the game engine and display refresh rate than by hardware constraints. The measured results indicate a system that is overkill for standard 1080p high-refresh monitors but provides a smooth, high-fidelity experience at 4K.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and can boost up to 4.40 GHz, providing a substantial frequency range for single and multi-threaded workloads. The processor features a 12 MB shared L3 cache and 512 KB L2 cache per core, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, which is adequate for feeding the GPU in this title.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-11400F demonstrates strong single-thread performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1777. This single-thread capability is crucial for Barony, a roguelike where game logic and entity updates often rely on a few primary threads. The processor's multi-threaded performance is also solid, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a Passmark multithread score of 16908. The 3DMark results show scaling from 1691 in the 2-thread test to 5652 in the max-thread test, indicating efficient utilization of the available cores.

The processor's percentile rank of 71 compared to all CPUs suggests it is a mid-to-upper-tier performer. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% faster), Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% slower), and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% slower). These margins are negligible, confirming that the i5-11400F's performance is tightly clustered with other mainstream processors.

For Barony specifically, the data reveals that even at 4K Ultra settings, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The system achieves 76 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a demanding scenario for the GPU, yet the processor manages to keep up. At lower resolutions like 1080p Low, the CPU must work harder to push 501 FPS, and the fact that it sustains these rates indicates the 6-core design with high boost clocks provides sufficient headroom. The 12 threads allow background tasks and game subsystems to operate without starving the primary rendering threads.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for different resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 501 FPS on Low, 372 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 317/428), 320 FPS on High, and 229 FPS on Ultra. All presets exceed the 144Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors, meaning the choice at 1080p comes down to visual quality versus framerate headroom. The Ultra preset at 229 FPS is still high enough for competitive play and offers the best visual fidelity, making it the recommended choice for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the data shows 316 FPS on Low, 235 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 200/270), 202 FPS on High, and 145 FPS on Ultra. The drop from High to Ultra is significant (57 FPS), but 145 FPS remains above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh monitors. For players with 144Hz monitors, the Ultra preset is viable, but High offers a more substantial framerate buffer with 202 FPS, ensuring consistent frame pacing. The Medium preset at 235 FPS is the sweet spot for those prioritizing framerate stability.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The system achieves 165 FPS on Low, 123 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 104/141), 105 FPS on High, and 76 FPS on Ultra. Here, the Ultra preset drops below 80 FPS, which may be acceptable for a roguelike but is not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset at 105 FPS provides a balanced experience with good visual quality. The Medium preset at 123 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K, as it maintains a smooth framerate while offering better visuals than Low.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the most consistent performance across all resolutions, with measured minimum FPS values that suggest frame pacing stability. For 1080p and 1440p, Ultra is viable, but for 4K, Medium or High offers the best balance between visual fidelity and playable framerates.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F sufficient for the NVIDIA RTX 5070 in Barony?

A: Yes, the data shows no CPU bottleneck. The system achieves 501 FPS at 1080p Low and 76 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating the processor can feed the GPU effectively across all tested settings. The 6-core, 12-thread design with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provides ample performance for this roguelike.

Q: Can the RTX 5070 run Barony at 4K 120Hz?

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. At 4K Medium, the system delivers 123 FPS (min 104, max 141), which exceeds 120Hz. At 4K High, it drops to 105 FPS, which is below 120Hz. For a locked 120Hz experience, Medium settings are recommended.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 501 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 229 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in framerate when switching from Low to Ultra, showing that Ultra settings impose a significant GPU load.

Q: How does the RTX 5070's 12GB VRAM perform in this game?

A: The 12GB of GDDR7 memory with a 192-bit bus and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for Barony. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 76 FPS, and there is no evidence of VRAM limitations in the measured data. The memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures without performance degradation.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of visual quality and framerate?

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 High is the optimal balance, delivering 202 FPS with good visual fidelity. This resolution provides a 77% framerate improvement over 4K High while maintaining sharpness. For 4K users, Medium at 123 FPS is the best compromise.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's performance in Barony consistent with its benchmark scores?

A: Yes, the GPU's Passmark G3D score of 29137 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077 indicate strong directX 12 performance. The measured framerates in Barony are consistent with this level of performance, placing the GPU in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 782 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 21% of all systems tested. This ranking is notable because the CPU itself has a percentile rank of 71 among all CPUs, while the GPU has a percentile rank of 82 among all GPUs. The system's overall ranking is slightly lower than the GPU's percentile, suggesting that the CPU does impose some limitation in the most extreme scenarios, but the impact is minimal.

The CPU's nearest rivals show performance deltas of less than 1%, indicating the i5-11400F is well-matched with the RTX 5070. The AMD EPYC 7H12 is only 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core i5-12450H is 0.4% slower, making the processor choice largely irrelevant for this game. The GPU's nearest rivals also show small deltas, with the AMD Radeon Pro 580 being 0.1% faster and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile being 2% slower.

The combo rank of 782 is driven by the system's ability to maintain high framerates across resolutions. In Barony, the combination of the i5-11400F's 6 cores and the RTX 5070's 6144 shading units results in a balanced system that scales well with resolution. The ranking suggests that this combo outperforms the majority of systems, but there is room for improvement with higher-end CPUs that have better multi-threaded performance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Barony, the GPU's role is dominant, as the framerate scales significantly with resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 501 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 76 FPS. This 85% reduction in framerate when moving from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra demonstrates that the game is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The GPU's pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s are more than sufficient for the geometry and texture loads of Barony.

The GPU's benchmarks show strong performance in DirectX 12 (3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077) and compute workloads (Passmark GPU Compute score of 15787). The Geekbench Vulkan score of 178923 indicates good API efficiency. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 29137 places it in the 82nd percentile, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% faster).

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is ample for Barony, as the game does not appear to have high memory demands based on the consistent performance across settings. The memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not cause stutters. The GPU's TDP of 250 W and suggested PSU of 600 W indicate it requires robust power delivery, but the measured FPS data shows no thermal or power throttling.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. All measurements represent average FPS, with minimum and maximum values recorded for the Medium preset only.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 76 FPS average
• High: 105 FPS average
• Medium: 123 FPS average, with a minimum of 104 FPS and maximum of 141 FPS
• Low: 165 FPS average

2560x1440 (QHD):

• Ultra: 145 FPS average
• High: 202 FPS average
• Medium: 235 FPS average, with a minimum of 200 FPS and maximum of 270 FPS
• Low: 316 FPS average

1920x1080 (FHD):

• Ultra: 229 FPS average
• High: 320 FPS average
• Medium: 372 FPS average, with a minimum of 317 FPS and maximum of 428 FPS
• Low: 501 FPS average

The data reveals several important trends. First, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent across resolutions, with Ultra settings costing approximately 54% of the framerate at 1080p, 54% at 1440p, and 54% at 4K. This consistent percentage indicates that the settings presets impose similar relative loads on the GPU regardless of resolution.

Second, the Medium preset's minimum FPS values provide insight into frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 104 FPS is within 15% of the average, suggesting stable performance. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 200 FPS is within 15% of the average. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 317 FPS is within 15% of the average. This consistency indicates the system does not experience significant frame drops.

Third, the framerate scaling with resolution is nearly linear. Going from 1080p to 1440p (a 1.78x increase in pixels) reduces framerate by approximately 37% across settings. Going from 1440p to 4K (a 2.25x increase in pixels) reduces framerate by approximately 48%. This scaling suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU maintains enough headroom to support these framerates.

The highest measured framerate is 501 FPS at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 76 FPS at 4K Ultra. The spread of 425 FPS between these extremes highlights the GPU's capability range. For players using high-refresh monitors (240Hz or higher), the 1080p Medium preset at 372 FPS provides sufficient headroom, while 1440p Ultra at 145 FPS is just above the 144Hz threshold. The 4K High preset at 105 FPS is suitable for 100Hz displays, and 4K Medium at 123 FPS works well with 120Hz panels.