Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, shows remarkable performance scaling on the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combo. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU's capabilities become the defining factor at 1080p. This combination ranks 182nd out of 1702 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 11% of all systems tested, a strong result that underscores its capability.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 576.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 360.6 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 189.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is being progressively loaded as pixel count increases. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, though the absolute numbers differ.

What is more telling is the relationship between resolution and settings. At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra settings is 315.6 FPS (from 576.9 to 261.3), while at 4K, that spread narrows to 102.6 FPS (from 189.1 to 86.5). This compression of performance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting component, as the pixel fill rate demands overwhelm the shading and texture capabilities. The data implies that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 5070 Ti is working near its limits, while at 1080p Low, the system is likely hitting a CPU-imposed ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores suggest a strong mid-range performer, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate data locality for game workloads. In the context of Barony, a roguelike that is not typically known for demanding CPU physics or AI, these specifications appear more than sufficient.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 77 against all CPUs indicates it outperforms the majority of processors on the market. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K, showing a delta of just 0.1% in average benchmark score. This near-parity with an older flagship suggests that the 12th-gen architecture provides excellent single-threaded performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in less-threaded game logic. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 reinforces this, indicating strong per-core efficiency that helps prevent CPU bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-12400F and RTX 5070 Ti achieves a rank of 182 out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 89th percentile of all systems tested. This is a strong showing, but the ranking relative to the GPU's own position is interesting. The RTX 5070 Ti alone sits at the 87th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. The combo ranking being higher than either individual component's percentile suggests that this pairing is well-balanced for Barony's specific workload characteristics.

The data reveals that the combo outperforms many systems with potentially more expensive components, which points to efficient scaling within Barony's engine. The high frame rates at 1440p and 1080p indicate that the CPU is not holding back the GPU significantly, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead typically becomes more pronounced. The rank of 182 suggests there are 181 other combos that perform better, but given the absolute frame rates measured, those systems must be delivering exceptional performance indeed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 576.9 FPS, which drops to 426.5 FPS at Medium, 364.0 FPS at High, and 261.3 FPS at Ultra. These numbers demonstrate that even at Ultra settings, the system delivers frame rates well beyond what most displays can show. The step from Low to Medium represents a 26% performance hit, while the step from High to Ultra represents a 28% hit, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high: 360.6 FPS at Low, 269.6 FPS at Medium, 228.8 FPS at High, and 164.2 FPS at Ultra. The relative performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, averaging around 37% reduction. At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable performance: 189.1 FPS at Low, 138.5 FPS at Medium, 123.8 FPS at High, and 86.5 FPS at Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 86.5 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold, but the margin is notably thinner than at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 378 mm² containing 45,600 million transistors. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Barony's texture-heavy roguelike environments. The GPU's core configuration includes 8960 shading units, 280 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, with a boost clock of 2452 MHz.

The GPU's benchmark results show a passmark G3D score of 32974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604. Its percentile ranking of 87 among all GPUs places it in the upper tier of graphics cards. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5070 Ti is virtually identical to the RTX 4080, with a deltaPct of 0% in average benchmark score. This positions it as a high-end performer that can handle modern games at high resolutions, and Barony's measured results confirm this capability.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 16 GB is more than sufficient for a game from 2015, and the high memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and asset loading do not become bottlenecks. The pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed to maintain the high frame rates observed at 1080p and 1440p. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti is the primary driver of performance at 4K, where the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are fully utilized.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Barony at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows 123.8 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 576.9 FPS while Ultra settings achieve 261.3 FPS, representing a 315.6 FPS difference or a 55% reduction in performance.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the RTX 4080 in average benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52086, which is identical to the RTX 4080's 52085, showing a deltaPct of 0%.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: The data suggests minimal CPU bottleneck, as the system still delivers 576.9 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating the i5-12400F can keep up with the GPU even at high frame rates.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 182nd out of 1702 tested combinations, placing it in the top 11% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What memory configuration does the GPU use?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti uses 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to specific settings based on display resolution. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings deliver 261.3 FPS, so users with high refresh rate monitors can comfortably enable maximum settings without concern. The 364.0 FPS at High settings provides additional headroom for those seeking the absolute highest frame rates, but the difference between High and Ultra is minimal in practical terms.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 228.8 FPS offer an excellent balance, while Ultra at 164.2 FPS remains highly playable. The Medium preset at 269.6 FPS is optimal for competitive play where frame rates above 240 Hz are desired. For 3840x2160 displays, High settings at 123.8 FPS provide the best visual quality while maintaining high refresh rate compatibility, though Ultra at 86.5 FPS is still viable for 60 Hz displays.

The analysis suggests that players should prioritize High settings as the default, as it offers substantial visual improvements over Medium while maintaining frame rates that exceed 120 FPS at all resolutions tested. For those with 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors at 1440p, Medium settings unlock the full potential of the display, while at 4K, High settings represent the sweet spot between visual fidelity and performance.