Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i5-12600KF + Intel Arc B570

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. This pairing lands at rank 2344 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data reveals a system that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU becoming increasingly dominant as pixel count rises, while the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance ensures headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and steep drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 156 FPS at 1920x1080 to 99 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 57 FPS, and then further down to 52 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 66.7% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at High settings, indicating that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the drop is from 245 FPS at 1080p to 154 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 81 FPS at 4K. This 164 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is substantial, but the relative decline (from 245 to 81, a 66.9% drop) mirrors the High setting behavior. This consistency suggests that the GPU's rendering workload scales almost linearly with pixel count, with no unexpected bottlenecks emerging at any particular resolution.

At Medium settings, the measured values include minimum and maximum frame rates, providing additional insight. The 1080p Medium run averages 182 FPS with a minimum of 155 FPS and maximum of 209 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 115 FPS with a range of 98 to 132 FPS. The 4K Medium result shows an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS. The minimum frame rates at 4K Medium (51 FPS) are notably close to the average, suggesting some frame pacing consistency even at the highest resolution.

Ultra settings produce the most demanding workload. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 112, falling to 71 at 1440p and 37 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, and it indicates that this combination cannot deliver a smooth experience at maximum settings in 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra shows a 66.9% performance reduction, consistent with the other presets, reinforcing the conclusion that resolution scaling is the dominant factor.

The data implies that for this game, the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% of the average frame rate, and the move from 1440p to 4K costs another 45-50%. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the Arc B570's memory bandwidth and compute resources become increasingly strained as pixel count grows, with the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth and 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance being the likely constraints.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and represents the Arc 5 generation. Its specifications directly influence the measured results. The GPU operates at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, which is a notable design choice — there is no clock variation under load, meaning performance scaling is entirely dependent on other factors. The 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units provide the raw processing power, while the 18 ray tracing cores handle any RT workloads.

Memory configuration plays a critical role in the higher resolution results. The 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus delivers 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This bandwidth figure is likely a limiting factor at 4K, where the pixel fill rate demand (200.0 GPixel/s) and texture rate (360.0 GTexel/s) require substantial memory throughput. The 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS suggests that the memory subsystem is saturated, as the core compute could theoretically handle more work if bandwidth were not constrained.

The GPU's transistor count of 19,600 million on a 272 mm² die, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process, indicates a dense, modern design. The 72.1 million transistors per square millimeter density is high, but the relatively modest 150 W TDP and dual-slot form factor suggest thermal headroom is sufficient for sustained gaming loads. The 1x 8-pin power connector and 450 W suggested PSU are consistent with a mid-range card.

Benchmark scores contextualize the GPU's position. The PassMark G3D score of 14195 places the Arc B570 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1%), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (deltaPct 0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (deltaPct -0.5%). These margins are extremely tight — all within 0.5% — indicating that the Arc B570 sits in a highly competitive performance band where slight driver or game-specific optimizations can flip the ranking.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844 provide additional context. The Vulkan score is notably higher than the OpenCL score of 83514, suggesting the architecture favors Vulkan workloads, which could benefit Barony if it utilizes that API. The PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118 versus DirectX 12 score of 72 indicates that older APIs may run more efficiently, which is relevant for a 2015 game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-12600KF and Arc B570 achieves rank 2344 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places the system in the 79.8th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 20% of tested combos perform worse. The ranking reflects the balanced nature of this pairing — neither component is drastically over- or under-powered relative to the other for this game.

This rank of 2344 is notably low for a system with a CPU that benchmarks at the 79th percentile among all processors and a GPU at the 65th percentile. The discrepancy suggests that Barony's performance profile may not fully utilize the strengths of this particular hardware combination. The game is a roguelike, which often has less demanding graphics than AAA titles, but the data shows that the GPU still becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 27799 places it nearly exactly at parity with its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872 (deltaPct -0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712 (deltaPct 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887 (deltaPct -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896 (deltaPct -0.3%). These deltas are all within 0.3%, meaning the i5-12600KF is essentially tied with these processors in synthetic benchmarks, yet the ranking in Barony may differ due to game-specific engine behavior.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 20556 places it at the 65th percentile, with the nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (deltaPct 0.1%). The Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (deltaPct -0.1%) is the closest competitor, suggesting that within the Intel Arc family, the B570 nearly matches its predecessor's performance. This tight grouping indicates that the Arc B570's position in the market is well-defined, but its rank in Barony may be influenced by driver maturity or game-specific optimizations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings based on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings produce playable results, with Low at 245 FPS, Medium at 182 FPS, High at 156 FPS, and Ultra at 112 FPS. For competitive or fast-paced play, the Medium preset at 1080p offers an excellent balance — 182 FPS is far above the display refresh rate of most monitors, and the minimum of 155 FPS ensures no noticeable dips.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 99 FPS, which is suitable for 60 Hz or even 100 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 115 FPS (minimum 98 FPS) provides a smoother experience if the display supports higher refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is still playable but may feel less responsive in action-heavy roguelike moments. Low at 154 FPS is available for those prioritizing maximum frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the options narrow considerably. The Low preset at 81 FPS is the only setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, which could result in occasional stutter on a 60 Hz display. The High preset at 52 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra at 37 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the safest choice, with Medium acceptable if the player tolerates occasional frame drops.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering the best balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p Medium, the system runs at 182 FPS, which is 73% of the Low preset's performance but with significantly better visuals. At 1440p Medium, 115 FPS is 75% of the Low preset's 154 FPS. The consistency of this ratio across resolutions indicates that Medium settings scale predictably and do not introduce unexpected bottlenecks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are: Low 245 FPS, Medium 182 FPS (min 155, max 209), High 156 FPS, and Ultra 112 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 63 FPS, from Medium to High costs 26 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 44 FPS. The largest relative drop occurs between Low and Medium, suggesting that Medium introduces significant graphical effects that tax the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 154 FPS, Medium 115 FPS (min 98, max 132), High 99 FPS, and Ultra 71 FPS. The differences between presets are 39 FPS (Low to Medium), 16 FPS (Medium to High), and 28 FPS (High to Ultra). The Medium to High gap narrows at this resolution, indicating that the GPU's resources are being allocated differently as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 81 FPS, Medium 60 FPS (min 51, max 69), High 52 FPS, and Ultra 37 FPS. The preset gaps are 21 FPS (Low to Medium), 8 FPS (Medium to High), and 15 FPS (High to Ultra). At 4K, the differences between presets become smaller in absolute terms but represent larger percentages of the base performance. The Medium to High gap of 8 FPS is particularly narrow, suggesting that High settings do not add much visual benefit relative to their performance cost at this resolution.

The minimum FPS data points are only available for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 155 FPS is 85% of the average; at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 98 FPS is 85% of the average; and at 4K Medium, the minimum of 51 FPS is 85% of the average. This consistent ratio suggests that frame pacing is stable across resolutions, with no anomalous spikes or crashes in the 1% lows.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 81 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. High and Ultra presets drop to 52 FPS and 37 FPS respectively, which are below smooth playability thresholds.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS, making it the most balanced option. The High preset at 99 FPS is also viable, while Ultra at 71 FPS may be acceptable for less demanding play.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 20556 is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), Intel Arc A750 (20582), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662). This places it in a tightly contested performance band.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in Barony?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The i5-12600KF's strong multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multicore 23391, PassMark multithread 27575) provide ample headroom.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 112 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is well above 60 FPS and suitable for high refresh rate displays, though it is the lowest of the 1080p presets.

Q: Does the Medium preset performance vary significantly across resolutions?

A: The Medium preset scales from 182 FPS at 1080p to 115 FPS at 1440p and 60 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates at each resolution are 155, 98, and 51 FPS respectively, maintaining a consistent 85% of the average across all three.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF provides the processing foundation for this combination. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it offers substantial multi-threading capability for a desktop processor. The base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz ensure strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for a roguelike where game logic and AI calculations often run on a single thread. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 1.25 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core, provides ample cache hierarchy for the game's data access patterns.

The CPU's benchmark scores reveal its capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and single-core score of 3302 indicate strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and max-thread score of 7952 show that scaling is nearly flat beyond 8 threads, with the 8-thread score at 6128. This suggests that the 10-core, 16-thread configuration is well-suited for games that utilize up to 8 threads effectively.

The PassMark suite provides additional context. The multithread score of 27575 and single-thread score of 3925 place the CPU at the 79th percentile among all processors. The integer math score of 87830 and floating-point math score of 67074 indicate strong arithmetic capabilities, while the physics score of 1539 and data compression score of 343231 show proficiency in diverse workloads. The extended instructions score of 22003 and random string sorting score of 35602 round out the processing profile.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are all within 0.3% of its average score of 27799. This includes the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872), AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27712), AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (27887), and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896). The fact that the i5-12600KF matches a flagship i9 from a previous generation and the gaming-oriented 5800X3D in average benchmarks demonstrates its efficiency. However, in Barony specifically, the ranking at 2344 out of 2935 suggests that the game may not fully leverage the CPU's capabilities, or that the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p.

The CPU's architecture, Alder Lake on the 10 nm process with a 215 mm² die size, provides a modern foundation. The support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with dual-channel configuration, allows for flexible system builds. The 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes from the CPU provide sufficient bandwidth for the GPU's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, ensuring no bottleneck from the interconnect. The unlocked multiplier, given the "KF" suffix, allows for overclocking, though the stock performance may already be sufficient for Barony's demands.