Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers strong performance in Barony, a roguelike that scales well across resolutions. The measured data shows this combo handles 1080p and 1440p with high refresh rates, while 4K remains playable at medium-to-high settings. This pairing ranks in the 79th percentile for the CPU and 58th percentile for the GPU, suggesting the graphics card is the more limiting factor in demanding scenarios, though the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for this title's logic and procedural generation.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound pattern at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average framerate falls from 167 FPS at 1920x1080 to 105 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 55 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 37% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU that has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit memory bus delivering 336.0 GB/s bandwidth—sufficient for 1440p but increasingly strained at 4K.

At Low settings, the pattern is even more pronounced. The RTX 2060 produces 261 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 165 FPS at 1440p, and further to 86 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result being nearly three times slower than 1080p Low indicates the GPU's raw throughput—6.451 TFLOPS FP32—becomes the bottleneck when pixel count quadruples. Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is substantial: 86 FPS versus 39 FPS, a 2.2x difference. This suggests that at 4K, texture fill rate and memory bandwidth are heavily taxed by Ultra settings, which likely increase shadow complexity and draw distances.

The Medium preset shows the most balanced scaling pattern, with 194 FPS at 1080p, 123 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. The minimum framerates recorded for Medium settings—165 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K—indicate that even in heavy scenes, the combo maintains playable performance. The 4K Medium result of 64 FPS average with a 55 FPS minimum is particularly notable because it shows the RTX 2060 can sustain above 60 FPS at 4K when settings are moderated.

The scaling data points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU's role becomes more relevant at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 261 FPS result likely approaches the CPU's frame delivery limit for this game, especially given the i5-12600KF's single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and 3925 in Passmark single-thread tests. Between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings, the drop is 96 FPS, which is a larger absolute change than the 79 FPS drop between 1440p and 4K. This nonlinear scaling suggests the CPU starts to saturate around 200+ FPS, making the 1080p results more CPU-influenced than the 4K results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF brings 10 cores and 16 threads from its Alder Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz, combined with a 20 MB shared L3 cache, provide strong single-threaded performance that benefits Barony's game logic and AI calculations. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302 indicate this CPU excels at the kind of sequential work typical of roguelike simulation.

Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and Geekbench multicore score of 12137. Barony, being a roguelike, may not fully utilize all 16 threads, but the CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and max-thread score of 7952 show consistent scaling across thread counts. The Passmark multithread score of 27575 further confirms the CPU's ability to handle background tasks, procedural generation, and physics without bottlenecking the GPU.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 79 among all CPUs places it above most mainstream processors, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct -0.3) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (deltaPct -0.3). The i5-12600KF's average benchmark score of 27799 is nearly identical to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D's 27896, showing that for this game, the 10-core Alder Lake design matches a dedicated gaming CPU with 3D V-Cache. The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, with dual-channel configuration, gives builders flexibility, though the measured FPS data reflects the specific configuration tested.

In Barony's measured results, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low settings, where the 261 FPS average suggests the GPU is not the sole limiter. The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz helps maintain high frame pacing in scenes with many entities, while the 10 cores handle the game's background simulation. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, evidenced by the 39 FPS Ultra result versus 86 FPS Low—a 2.2x difference that tracks with GPU workload rather than CPU capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2937 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. That places it in the lower-middle portion of the combo ranking, which initially seems at odds with the strong FPS numbers. However, this rank reflects the entire pool of tested combinations, many of which pair higher-tier CPUs with more powerful GPUs. The RTX 2060's percentile of 58 among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 14111, positions it as a mid-range card. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (deltaPct 0), AMD Radeon 680M (deltaPct 0.1), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (deltaPct 0.6)—all within 1% of the RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 15290.

The CPU's ranking is notably better, at the 79th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 27799. This means the i5-12600KF is a top-tier processor relative to the full CPU landscape, but when combined with a mid-range GPU, the overall combo rank suffers. The data suggests that in Barony, this combo delivers above-average performance for its GPU class but cannot compete with combos featuring high-end GPUs like the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT, which would dominate 4K Ultra results.

The rank of 2937 out of 3717, being roughly in the 21st percentile of combos, reflects that most tested configurations likely include newer or more expensive GPUs. Yet the measured FPS shows this combo handles 1440p High at 105 FPS and 1080p Ultra at 120 FPS, which are strong results for a GPU that launched with a 349 USD MSRP. The combo's position is more a function of the GPU's age (released 2019-01-06) than any deficiency in the pairing. For a roguelike like Barony, where visual fidelity matters less than gameplay clarity, this rank is acceptable given the playable framerates across all tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce 261 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 194 FPS average with minimum 165 FPS and maximum 224 FPS, providing a smooth experience with headroom for V-sync at 144 Hz or even 165 Hz displays. High settings drop to 167 FPS average, still well above 144 Hz thresholds. Ultra settings produce 120 FPS average, which remains smooth for most displays, though the lack of recorded minimum/maximum values suggests variance may be higher.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU beginning to work harder. Low settings produce 165 FPS, matching the minimum of the 1080p Medium result—a sign that resolution scaling is hitting expected GPU limits. Medium settings average 123 FPS with minimum 104 FPS and maximum 141 FPS, making this the sweet spot for 1440p gaming at high refresh rates. High settings drop to 105 FPS, still smooth for 100 Hz monitors. Ultra settings produce 76 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060's 6 GB memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors. Low settings produce 86 FPS, which is surprising given the 4K resolution—this shows the game is not extremely demanding at low settings. Medium settings average 64 FPS with minimum 55 FPS and maximum 74 FPS, crossing the 60 FPS threshold for acceptable 4K play. High settings drop to 55 FPS, which is borderline but playable on VRR displays. Ultra settings produce 39 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The gap between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) at 4K highlights the GPU's texture and shading limitations more than its compute capacity.

The Medium preset at 4K deserves special attention: it's the only 4K setting with recorded minimum/maximum values, showing 55 FPS minimum and 74 FPS maximum. This 19 FPS variance indicates the game's scenes vary in complexity, but the average of 64 FPS means most of the experience stays above 60 FPS. The 1080p Medium results show a similar pattern with a 59 FPS spread (165 to 224), suggesting Barony has dynamic scene complexity that affects framerate more at lower resolutions where the CPU can deliver higher peak rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Barony at 4K with playable framerates?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the combo averages 64 FPS at 3840x2160, with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 74 FPS. High settings drop to 55 FPS average, which is playable but tighter. Ultra settings at 39 FPS are not recommended for smooth play.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if I have a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 123 FPS average with a 104 FPS minimum, which suits 144 Hz displays. At 1920x1080, High settings deliver 167 FPS average, and Low settings reach 261 FPS—both exceed 144 Hz requirements.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896). It sits slightly above the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27712) by 0.3%.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The data suggests yes, especially at 4K. The GPU ranks in the 58th percentile with an average benchmark score of 15290, while the CPU ranks in the 79th percentile. At 1080p Low, the 261 FPS result may approach CPU limits, but at 4K Ultra (39 FPS), the GPU is clearly the limiting component.

Q: What framerate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 105 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for this configuration, but based on the Medium preset's spread, expect variability around the average.

Q: How does this combo's overall ranking compare to its component rankings?

A: The combo ranks 2937 out of 3717 tested combinations, which is lower than both the CPU's 79th percentile and GPU's 58th percentile rankings. This indicates the combo's performance is limited more by the GPU than the CPU, and many better-ranked combos likely feature higher-tier GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset at 167 FPS average is the best balance of visual quality and performance. It provides smooth gameplay on 144 Hz monitors while maintaining higher fidelity than Medium. If you have a 240 Hz display, the Low preset at 261 FPS will maximize refresh rate utilization, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for a roguelike where readability matters. Ultra at 120 FPS is also viable, but the jump from High to Ultra may not justify the 47 FPS drop.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, averaging 123 FPS with a 104 FPS minimum. This keeps framerates above 100 FPS consistently, which is ideal for responsive gameplay. High settings at 105 FPS are acceptable if you prefer better visuals, but the margin above 60 FPS is smaller. Ultra at 76 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-twitch reactions. Low at 165 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors (which typically cap at 144-165 Hz) and sacrifices too much visual detail.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the only setting that delivers an average above 60 FPS (64 FPS average, 55 FPS minimum). This is the recommended choice for 4K play. High settings at 55 FPS may work on VRR displays with a 48-60 Hz range, but the risk of dropping below the VRR floor is real. Low at 86 FPS is smoother but significantly reduces visual quality, making it a secondary option for competitive play. Ultra at 39 FPS should be avoided for anything beyond static screenshots.

The overall best experience across all resolutions is the Medium preset. It provides the most consistent framerates with recorded minimum values that remain above 55 FPS at 4K, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 165 FPS at 1080p. For a roguelike like Barony, where procedural generation and entity density cause framerate fluctuations, the Medium preset's combination of average FPS and minimum FPS gives the most predictable performance. If you prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness, High at 1080p or 1440p is a reasonable compromise, but Medium offers the best safety margin against framerate dips in complex scenes.