Barony

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptionally fast combination for Barony, ranking 40th out of 2,935 tested combos. This places the system in the top 1.4% of all configurations, a position driven almost entirely by the GPU's raw horsepower. The data shows that this combo delivers playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, but its true strength lies in high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it eclipses 300 FPS. The primary bottleneck in this pairing is the CPU, which, while capable, cannot fully feed the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the scaling patterns across the measured settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 40 out of 2,935 tested combinations is a dominant result, placing it in the 98.6th percentile of all systems tested with this game. This ranking reflects the sheer performance of the RTX 5090 D, which carries the bulk of the workload. Benchmark results indicate that this system is positioned to handle Barony's most demanding scenarios without breaking a sweat.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's average benchmark score of 18,683 places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable but not elite. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks are the AMD EPYC 7643 (scoring 18,697, a delta of -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (scoring 18,730, a delta of -0.3%). This suggests that the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not the reason for this combo's top-tier game ranking.

In stark contrast, the GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (scoring 76,904, a delta of 1.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (scoring 78,940, a delta of -1.6%). This data confirms that the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier graphics card, and its performance is the dominant factor in achieving the combo's high rank in Barony. The 40th rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's immense capability, with the CPU serving as a competent but secondary component.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the undisputed star of this configuration for Barony. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process and features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This vast memory pool and bandwidth are more than sufficient for any current game, ensuring that texture loading and data streaming are never a limiting factor at any resolution.

The card's clock speeds are high, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. These specifications allow the card to achieve a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, ensuring that it can fill the screen with detailed pixels and apply complex textures at very high speeds.

In Barony, a roguelike game that is not typically considered graphically demanding, the RTX 5090 D is effectively overkill. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is never the limiting factor, even at 4K Ultra settings. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 109 FPS. The GPU's role is to provide an immense performance headroom, making the game run at hundreds of frames per second on high-refresh-rate monitors. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's capabilities are so far beyond the game's requirements that the CPU becomes the bottleneck in nearly every scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear pattern in how performance scales with resolution, highlighting the shift in the bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU can render frames so quickly that the processor cannot keep up with the game's logic and draw calls. This is evident in the frame rate differences between settings.

For example, at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 331 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 1440p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 209, a decrease of 122 FPS (approximately 37%). Moving to 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops further to 109, a decrease of 100 FPS (approximately 48%) from 1440p and a total of 222 FPS (approximately 67%) from 1080p. This significant drop-off as resolution increases indicates that the load is shifting from the CPU to the GPU.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a substantial drop, which is typical when a system is CPU-limited at the lower resolution. The GPU has so much headroom that it can easily handle the extra pixels, but the CPU's frame generation limit is the wall. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a less severe percentage drop, but it is still large, suggesting that the GPU is starting to become a more significant factor, though it is still not the primary bottleneck. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5090 D is so powerful that even at 4K, it is not fully utilized in this game, and the CPU's limitations are the primary constraint on maximum frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display refresh rate and personal preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. Given the immense power of the RTX 5090 D, there is no scenario where this system struggles to maintain playable frame rates.

For users with a 60 Hz or 144 Hz display, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 109 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and perfectly smooth for 100 Hz displays. At 1440p Ultra, the average jumps to 209 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The visual quality improvement from High to Ultra is worth the performance cost, as the system has plenty of headroom.

For users with 240 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, the High preset is the sweet spot. At 1080p High, the system achieves an average of 462 FPS, which is more than enough to saturate a 240 Hz display. At 1440p High, the average is 292 FPS, which is also excellent. The Medium preset offers even higher frame rates (538 FPS at 1080p, 340 FPS at 1440p), but the visual fidelity drop is unnecessary given the system's capability. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive esports players who prioritize absolute maximum frame rates, as it yields 645 FPS at 1080p, but this comes at a significant cost to visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data provides a detailed look at the exact average frame rates achieved across all tested resolutions and settings. All figures are drawn directly from the measured results.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: The system achieves an average of 645 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset.
• Medium: The average FPS is 538, with a minimum of 458 and a maximum of 619. This shows a 16.6% drop from Low, indicating a shift in load.
• High: The average FPS is 462. This is a 28.4% drop from Low, showing the increased load on the system.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 331. This is a 48.7% drop from Low, demonstrating that even at this resolution, the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: The average FPS is 457. This is a 29.1% drop from the 1080p Low result, indicating the impact of the increased pixel count.
• Medium: The average FPS is 340, with a minimum of 289 and a maximum of 391. This is a 25.6% drop from the Low preset at this resolution.
• High: The average FPS is 292. This is a 36.1% drop from the Low preset at this resolution.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 209. This is a 54.3% drop from the Low preset, showing that the Ultra preset is the most demanding here as well.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 239. This is a 47.7% drop from the 1440p Low result, highlighting the massive increase in GPU load at 4K.
• Medium: The average FPS is 178, with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204. This is a 25.5% drop from the Low preset at this resolution.
• High: The average FPS is 152. This is a 36.4% drop from the Low preset at this resolution.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 109. This is a 54.4% drop from the Low preset, and the lowest average FPS recorded in the dataset, though it remains perfectly playable.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this combo in Barony?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 40th out of 2,935 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.4% of all systems.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary bottleneck at 1080p. The frame rate differences between settings are significant (e.g., 645 FPS on Low vs. 331 FPS on Ultra), but the GPU has enough headroom that its limitations are not the main constraint at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on the Ultra preset?

A: The average frame rate drops from 331 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 109 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is a decrease of 222 FPS, or approximately 67%.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for a game like Barony?

A: Based on the measured results, yes. Even at 4K Ultra, the system achieves an average of 109 FPS. The GPU's 32 GB of memory and high compute power are far beyond the requirements of this game, ensuring it is never the limiting factor.

Q: What settings are recommended for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: For a 144 Hz display, the Ultra preset is recommended. At 1440p Ultra, the system achieves 209 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it achieves 109 FPS. Both are above or near the 144 Hz threshold, providing a smooth experience with maximum visual quality.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18,683. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, has a score of 18,697, which is a negligible 0.1% difference. This indicates they are statistically equivalent in performance.