Barony

Barony, a roguelike released on June 22, 2015, presents an interesting scaling scenario for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, yet the CPU’s headroom becomes apparent at lower settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to characterize the bottleneck dynamics, the GPU's specific role, and the practical settings for playable performance.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 90.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 52.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a 41.7% reduction, and then to 28.5 FPS at 3840x2160, a 68.5% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a pixel-bound workload where the GTX 1650's fillrate and memory bandwidth become exhausted.

The data suggests that the Core i5-12600KF is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a 46% performance loss, which is a typical consequence of quadrupling the pixel count. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at these resolutions. If the processor were the constraint, the frame rates would plateau or show a less dramatic decline as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more telling. The 1080p Low preset achieves 134.3 FPS, which drops to 87.5 FPS at 1440p and 45.5 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 34.8% indicates that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor. However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p Low suggest that the CPU is capable of driving well over 134 FPS in this roguelike, as the GPU is fully saturated. The data indicates that the i5-12600KF is never the primary constraint in this configuration; the GTX 1650's architecture is the definitive performance ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the decisive component in this pairing. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth, is a modest allocation for modern gaming. The benchmark data shows that this memory configuration is sufficient for the art style of Barony, but the GPU's raw compute capabilities are what limit the higher presets. The GPU’s base clock of 1485 MHz and boost clock of 1665 MHz are the clocks that must handle all the rendering work, and the measured FPS indicates they are pushed to their limits.

The GPU's 896 shading units and 32 ROPs are directly reflected in the scaling behavior. At Ultra settings, the 4K average of 18.3 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high pixel count and maximal visual effects. The GTX 1650's FP32 performance of 2.984 TFLOPS is a determining factor here, as the Ultra preset likely enables additional shader complexity that this entry-level Turing card cannot handle at high resolutions.

The GPU's role is also defined by its VRAM capacity. While the 4 GB frame buffer is not explicitly tested for capacity limits in the data, the performance differential between Medium and High settings at 1440p (64.2 FPS vs 52.8 FPS) suggests that the GPU is not running out of memory, but rather hitting compute limits. The GTX 1650's 75 W TDP and lack of external power connectors indicate a design for low-power systems, which aligns with its end-of-life production status and its position in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in all measured scenarios, with its performance ceiling determining the playable limits.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1657 out of 1702 tested combos for Barony. This places it in the bottom 2.6% of all system configurations tested for this game, which is a poor showing for a modern CPU paired with an older GPU. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's age and performance class, as the processor is a capable desktop part.

The CPU's individual benchmark performance is strong, with an average benchmark score of 27827, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, matches its average score at 27829 with a deltaPct of 0, indicating that the i5-12600KF offers performance equivalent to a previous generation flagship. This demonstrates that the processor is not the weak link. The GPU, however, is a different story. Its average benchmark score of 8713 places it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, scores 8746 with a deltaPct of -0.4, showing that the GTX 1650 is at the very bottom of the modern GPU hierarchy.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (84th) and the combo's low rank (1657th) is stark. This indicates that the GTX 1650 is severely holding back the i5-12600KF in Barony. The CPU is capable of far higher frame rates, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 134.3 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain that performance at more demanding settings. The data suggests that this combo is fundamentally unbalanced for this game, with the GPU acting as a severe performance bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings, prioritizing a stable frame rate over maximal visual fidelity. For 1080p gaming, which is the most likely target for this GPU, the Medium preset offers the best balance. The 101.7 FPS average at 1920x1080 Medium is a smooth experience for a roguelike, and it is only 24.3% lower than the Low preset's 134.3 FPS. The High preset, at 90.5 FPS, is also acceptable, but the drop to Ultra at 66.2 FPS shows diminishing returns on visual quality versus performance cost.

For 1440p, the options are more limited. The Low preset achieves a playable 87.5 FPS, while Medium drops to 64.2 FPS. The High preset at 52.8 FPS is borderline, but the Ultra preset at 40.2 FPS is not recommended for a game that benefits from smooth input. The data indicates that 1440p Medium or Low are the reasonable choices, with High being a compromise for slower-paced sections.

At 4K, the situation is dire for this GPU. Only the Low preset, at 45.5 FPS, is marginally playable. The Medium preset at 35 FPS is a significant step down, and the High and Ultra presets at 28.5 FPS and 18.3 FPS respectively are not suitable for consistent gameplay. Given the CPU's strength, the recommendation is to stick with 1080p for the best experience. The data shows that the i5-12600KF has ample headroom to handle the game's logic, so the settings should be chosen to maximize GPU headroom. The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which offers a high frame rate without sacrificing all visual detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete breakdown of average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset:

At 1920x1080:

• Low settings produce an average of 134.3 FPS, the highest of any configuration.
• Medium settings yield 101.7 FPS, a 24.3% decrease from Low.
• High settings reach 90.5 FPS, a further 11% drop from Medium.
• Ultra settings fall to 66.2 FPS, a 26.9% reduction from High.

At 2560x1440:

• Low settings achieve 87.5 FPS, which is 65.2% of the 1080p Low performance.
• Medium settings deliver 64.2 FPS.
• High settings manage 52.8 FPS.
• Ultra settings produce 40.2 FPS, which is the lowest playable threshold in this resolution.

At 3840x2160:

• Low settings result in 45.5 FPS, the only preset with a reasonable frame rate.
• Medium settings drop to 35.0 FPS.
• High settings fall to 28.5 FPS, which is below the standard 30 FPS playability bar.
• Ultra settings yield 18.3 FPS, making the game essentially unplayable at this preset.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the GTX 1650's performance is insufficient for high-fidelity settings at higher resolutions. The 1080p Medium preset is the sweet spot, offering a frame rate that is 53.3% higher than the 1440p High preset while likely providing a visually similar experience. The combination of a strong CPU and weak GPU means that users should prioritize resolution and settings that offload work from the graphics card to maintain a responsive experience.