Barony

Barony is a roguelike that is far more demanding on the frame rate than its genre might suggest, and the data for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination shows a system that can obliterate this title at almost any setting. The measured results indicate that the primary challenge is not achieving high frame rates, but rather managing the massive headroom available. The Ultra preset remains the only setting that produces sub-100 FPS at 4K, while every other configuration at 1080p and 1440p exceeds 140 FPS, making this combo a top-tier performer for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates strongly suggest that the High preset offers the most balanced experience for the majority of users. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 321 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Stepping up to the Ultra preset at the same resolution yields 232 FPS, a significant drop of 89 FPS (or roughly 28%) for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a roguelike with a stylized aesthetic. The Ultra preset is the least efficient choice in this data set.

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the Ultra preset is only viable at lower resolutions. At 2560x1440, Ultra produces an average of 148 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. However, at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 76.3 FPS. While playable, this is the only configuration that approaches the lower bounds of high-refresh-rate gaming. The data indicates that the High preset at 1440p, with an average of 207.1 FPS, is the optimal combination of visual quality and performance headroom.

The Medium and Low presets are generally unnecessary for this hardware. The Low preset at 1080p produces an average of 510.1 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of virtually all consumer displays. The performance gain from Low to High is only about 37%, but the visual trade-off is substantial. Therefore, the High preset is the recommended starting point, with users able to comfortably experiment with Ultra on 1080p or 1440p displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the frame rates observed. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This memory subsystem is more than adequate for Barony's texture and asset demands, which is evident from the relatively smooth scaling between settings presets. The GPU's 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs, paired with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, deliver the raw compute power needed for high polygon counts and effects.

The GPU's performance percentile, 83rd among all GPUs, places it well above the average, and its benchmark scores reflect this. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and the PassMark G3D score of 29137 show a balanced architecture capable of handling both modern APIs and legacy workloads. The GPU's role in Barony is clear: it is the primary driver of performance at all resolutions, as evidenced by the significant frame rate increases when moving from 4K to 1080p. The data shows the RTX 5070 is not a bottleneck, but rather a high-performance engine that easily saturates the CPU's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly indicates a GPU-bound workload. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 321 FPS at 1920x1080 to 207.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 35.5%. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate falls further to 110.1 FPS, representing a 65.7% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a system where the GPU's fill rate and pixel processing capabilities become the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. At the Ultra preset, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 232 FPS to 76.3 FPS, a 67.1% reduction. The fact that the frame rate scales almost perfectly with the pixel count (4K has four times the pixels of 1080p) confirms that the RTX 5070 is fully engaged. The CPU is not a limiting factor here; if it were, the frame rate at 1080p would plateau, and the drop to 4K would be less severe. The data shows a classic GPU-bound scenario where resolution is the primary determinant of performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 on the High preset provides an excellent balance, with an average of 207.1 FPS. This is significantly above the 110.1 FPS at 4K High and maintains a high level of visual fidelity without the extreme performance cost of 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields an average of 76.3 FPS. This is playable but is the only configuration tested that falls below the 100 FPS mark. For a smoother experience, the High preset at 4K is recommended, which delivers 110.1 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K on the High preset?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 321 FPS, which is 2.9 times faster than the 110.1 FPS achieved at 3840x2160. This significant difference highlights the GPU's workload at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate no CPU bottleneck. The frame rate scales consistently with resolution, which is a sign of a GPU-bound workload. The Intel Core i5-13400F has a strong multi-core score of 21279 in Cinebench R23, ensuring it can feed the GPU adequately.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 510.1 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This indicates the system has immense performance headroom, far exceeding the needs of standard displays.

Q: Should I use the Low preset to get the highest frame rates?

A: The data suggests it is unnecessary. The High preset at 1080p already achieves 321 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The Low preset's 510.1 FPS offers no practical benefit for the visual quality loss.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is ranked 337 out of 1702 tested combinations for Barony. This places it in the top 20% of all tested systems, indicating a very strong performance profile for this specific title. The high ranking is unsurprising given the individual component strengths; the GPU sits in the 83rd percentile for all GPUs, and the CPU is in the 82nd percentile for all CPUs.

The combo's rank suggests that it outperforms the vast majority of systems users are likely to have. While there are 336 combinations that are faster, the performance gap is likely to be minimal at lower resolutions where the frame rates are already extremely high. At 1080p and 1440p, the scores are so high that the practical difference in gameplay between this combo and one ranked higher would be negligible, as both would be limited by the display's refresh rate. The ranking shows the balanced nature of the hardware pair.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F plays a supporting but crucial role in this configuration. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it provides ample parallel processing power for game logic and physics. Its boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often critical for game simulation. The CPU's benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is never starved of data. The measured frame rates, which scale almost perfectly with resolution, prove that the i5-13400F is not a bottleneck. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide sufficient bandwidth for the GPU to operate at its full potential. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13620H, has an average score of 25201, a mere 0.1% difference, showing that the i5-13400F is performing at the top of its class. This ensures that the RTX 5070 is the sole limiting factor, and only at 4K with the Ultra preset does the system begin to show any strain.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 510.1 FPS, Medium averages 377.4 FPS, High averages 321 FPS, and Ultra averages 232 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system has massive headroom, with even the most demanding preset providing over 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive. The Low preset delivers 317.7 FPS, while Medium and High achieve 239.8 FPS and 207.1 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset is the only one to drop below 150 FPS, with an average of 148 FPS. This resolution offers the best balance for high-refresh-rate monitors, as all presets are well above 144 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset still manages a very playable 169.5 FPS. The Medium and High presets deliver 121.7 FPS and 110.1 FPS, respectively, which are still excellent for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 76.3 FPS. This is the only configuration where the system falls below the 100 FPS threshold, showing that Barony at 4K Ultra is the true stress test for this hardware combination.