Barony

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second reveal a steep but expected drop as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, this combination produces 565 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 356 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 186 FPS, which is 67% below the 1080p Low result. This pattern indicates the scene becomes progressively more GPU-bound as pixel count rises, though even at 4K the frame rates remain far above display refresh-rate thresholds for most monitors.

Scaling at Medium settings shows a similar trajectory. The 1080p Medium average of 420 FPS drops to 265 FPS at 1440p, then to 139 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result is 67% lower than the 1080p Medium number. High settings follow suit: 361 FPS at 1080p, 228 FPS at 1440p, and 119 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions are consistent across presets, suggesting the game's rendering load scales predictably with pixel count rather than interacting heavily with specific settings.

Ultra settings show the largest absolute impact from resolution changes. Starting at 258 FPS for 1080p Ultra, the average falls to 163 FPS at 1440p and 85 FPS at 4K. That 4K Ultra result is 67% below the 1080p Ultra figure, matching the relative drop seen at other presets. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is 37%, identical to the Low preset's relative reduction. This uniformity implies the game engine applies resolution scaling consistently regardless of graphics preset.

The limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, where the RTX 5070 Ti delivers between 258 and 565 FPS depending on preset, the Intel Core i5-13400F's single-thread performance likely becomes a factor. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and PassMark single-thread score of 3634 suggest capable but not exceptional single-core throughput. At 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra average dropping to 85 FPS while 1080p Low reaches 565 FPS — a 6.6x difference that cannot be explained by CPU limitations alone.

The data indicates that for 4K gaming, users should target Medium or High settings to stay above 120 FPS, while 1440p users can comfortably run Ultra at 163 FPS. At 1080p, every preset exceeds 258 FPS, making the choice purely about visual fidelity versus headroom for high-refresh displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti brings 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective transfer. The GPU's boost clock of 2452 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz support a pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s. These specifications place the card in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49957.

Benchmark results for the GPU show strong compute performance: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 scores 6604, Geekbench OpenCL reaches 212363, and Geekbench Vulkan hits 225122. PassMark G3D scores 32974, while PassMark GPU Compute reaches 20203. The card's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT at 50951 average score (2% higher), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 at 50001 (0.1% lower), and the Intel Arc A550M at 49737 (0.4% lower). The RTX 5070 Ti sits 3.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, which scores 48477.

In Barony specifically, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the game's demands, even at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 85. The 4K High preset at 119 FPS and 4K Medium at 139 FPS indicate that memory bandwidth is not a bottleneck at these settings. The 896.0 GB/s bandwidth supports the high frame rates observed at 1440p, where even Ultra settings maintain 163 FPS average.

The GPU's architecture uses Blackwell 2.0 on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die. The 8960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs provide the raw throughput for Barony's procedurally generated environments. The 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores, while not directly relevant to this roguelike's rendering, contribute to the card's overall compute capability as reflected in its synthetic benchmark scores.

The percentile ranking of 86th among all GPUs contextualizes the measured FPS. This is a high-end card, and Barony is not a demanding title by modern standards, which explains why 4K High still delivers 119 FPS average. The GPU's PassMark DirectX 11 score of 300 and DirectX 12 score of 127 suggest the card handles modern APIs efficiently, though Barony's age (released 2015) means it likely uses older rendering paths that this GPU processes with ease.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest measured average is 565 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 420 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 361 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 85, which is playable. At 4K High, the average rises to 119 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 139 FPS. For the smoothest 4K experience, Medium or High settings are recommended.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the drop is from 565 FPS to 186 FPS, a 67% reduction. At Medium, it drops from 420 FPS to 139 FPS, also 67%. High settings fall from 361 FPS to 119 FPS, and Ultra falls from 258 FPS to 85 FPS, both representing 67% decreases.

Q: Which preset provides the largest FPS headroom at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings deliver 356 FPS average, Medium delivers 265 FPS, High delivers 228 FPS, and Ultra delivers 163 FPS. Low provides the most headroom, but even Ultra exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its closest benchmark rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 49957. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT scores 50951, which is 2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 50001, essentially tied at 0.1% lower. The Intel Arc A550M scores 49737, 0.4% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT scores 48477, 3.1% lower.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 118 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it's 225 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 357 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured data set covers three resolutions and four quality presets. For 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 565 FPS, Medium averages 420 FPS with a range of 357 to 483, High averages 361 FPS, and Ultra averages 258 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the system maintains over 250 FPS average, making it suitable for 240 Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 356 FPS, Medium averages 265 FPS with a range of 225 to 305, High averages 228 FPS, and Ultra averages 163 FPS. The 1440p results show that Ultra settings still exceed 160 FPS, which comfortably covers 144 Hz and 165 Hz monitors. The Medium preset's minimum of 225 FPS ensures no frame rate drops below triple-digit territory.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 186 FPS, Medium averages 139 FPS with a range of 118 to 159, High averages 119 FPS, and Ultra averages 85 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset's minimum of 118 FPS means the system stays above 60 FPS even in the worst recorded frame. The 4K Ultra average of 85 FPS is the only preset where the system dips below 100 FPS average, though it remains well above 60 FPS for standard displays.

The FPS progression across presets follows a consistent pattern at each resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces average FPS by 25.7% (565 to 420). From Medium to High, the drop is 14% (420 to 361). From High to Ultra, the drop is 28.5% (361 to 258). At 1440p, the same transitions show drops of 25.6% (356 to 265), 14% (265 to 228), and 28.5% (228 to 163). At 4K, the drops are 25.3% (186 to 139), 14.4% (139 to 119), and 28.6% (119 to 85). The consistency of these percentages suggests each preset tier imposes a similar relative cost regardless of resolution.

Minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings, but the recorded values show healthy headroom. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 357 FPS is 85% of the average of 420. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 225 FPS is 85% of the average of 265. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 118 FPS is 85% of the average of 139. This consistent 85% ratio indicates stable frame pacing without severe drops.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset at 258 FPS average is the recommended choice. The performance headroom is substantial — even the most demanding preset leaves over 200 FPS of headroom above 60 FPS. Users with 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitors can select Ultra and still exceed the refresh rate. For those with 144 Hz displays, any preset works, but Ultra provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averaging 163 FPS is again recommended for most users. This maintains over 160 FPS average, which exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates and comes close to 165 Hz monitors. The High preset at 228 FPS offers additional headroom for 240 Hz displays, but the visual quality difference between High and Ultra is worth considering. The Medium preset's 265 FPS average is only necessary for extremely high refresh rates above 240 Hz.

For 3840x2160, the High preset at 119 FPS average is the recommended balance. It provides a 40% improvement over Ultra's 85 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity above Medium. The Medium preset at 139 FPS is the choice for users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K displays who want maximum smoothness. The Ultra preset's 85 FPS average remains playable but sacrifices 40% of the frame rate compared to Medium for marginal visual gains.

The data suggests that Barony's visual differences between Medium and High are less impactful than the frame rate gains from dropping from Ultra. At 4K, the jump from Ultra to High yields a 40% FPS increase (85 to 119), while the jump from High to Medium yields a 16.8% increase (119 to 139). At 1440p, the same transitions produce 43.6% (163 to 228) and 16.2% (228 to 265) gains respectively. The consistency of these relative improvements across resolutions makes the High preset the sweet spot for quality-per-frame rate at any resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides 10 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. This Raptor Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 mounting make it a mainstream desktop part, released in January 2023 with a launch MSRP of $196.

Synthetic benchmarks place the 13400F in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25292. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS at 25284 (0% difference), the Intel Core 5 120 at 25362 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at 25365 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H at 25201 (0.4% higher). These near-ties indicate the 13400F sits in a competitive performance band for its price class.

In Barony, the CPU's role varies by resolution. At 1080p, where the GPU produces over 500 FPS on Low settings, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant. The 13400F scores 960 in 3DMark single-thread and 3634 in PassMark single-thread. Its 3DMark 2-thread score is 1880, 4-thread is 3459, and 8-thread is 5591. These scores suggest the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics at high frame rates, though the 1080p Low result of 565 FPS may approach CPU limits.

Multi-threaded performance is strong for a 65 W part. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and single-core score of 3191, along with Geekbench multi-core of 11068 and single-core of 1996, show balanced throughput. The PassMark multi-thread score of 25032 and single-thread of 3634 reinforce this. For a roguelike like Barony, which likely uses limited threads, the 13400F's strong single-core performance is more important than its multi-core capabilities.

At 4K Ultra, where the GPU produces only 85 FPS average, the CPU is unlikely to be a bottleneck. The frame rate is constrained by the GPU's rendering workload at higher pixel counts. The transition from 1080p Ultra (258 FPS) to 4K Ultra (85 FPS) represents a 67% reduction that aligns with the pixel count increase, indicating GPU-bound behavior at 4K. At 1080p Low (565 FPS), the CPU may be the limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of higher frame rates in synthetic tests but the game's engine and CPU logic cap the output.

The CPU's 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks while gaming. Even if Barony uses only a few threads, the remaining cores handle system processes without interfering with game performance. The 20 MB L3 cache and per-core L2 cache of 1.25 MB help maintain low-latency access to game data, which is relevant for a procedurally generated roguelike where level data changes frequently. Overall, the 13400F provides sufficient performance to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5070 Ti in Barony, except possibly at the lowest 1080p settings where frame rates exceed 500 FPS.