Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i5-14600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

The data for Barony shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but reveals a fascinating CPU bottleneck at 1080p. With a combo rank of 99 out of 1702 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the top 6% of all systems measured, which is expected given the hardware involved. The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, pairs with the RTX 5080 to produce frame rates that range from a playable 96.2 FPS at 4K Ultra to a staggering 634 FPS at 1080p Low. This spread of results tells a clear story about where the performance ceiling lies in this roguelike title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the system produces 406.5 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 256.4 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 131.8 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 5080 is being pushed progressively harder as pixel count increases. The scaling is not linear — moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 37% of the frame rate, while the jump from 1440p to 4K costs another 48.6%. This suggests that at 1440p, the system still has headroom, but at 4K, the GPU is working much closer to its limits.

Looking at Low settings, the pattern intensifies. The 1080p Low result of 634 FPS drops to 399.5 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 209 FPS at 4K (a 47.7% further reduction). The fact that even at Low settings the 4K result is still above 200 FPS indicates that the RTX 5080 has substantial raw throughput for this game. However, the gap between 1080p Low and 1440p Low is suspiciously large — a 234.5 FPS difference — which hints that at 1080p, the CPU may be limiting performance, preventing the GPU from stretching its legs fully.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 brings substantial resources to Barony, including 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz, combined with 10752 shading units, deliver a measured FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS. These specifications translate into the high frame rates observed across all tested settings. The memory configuration is particularly relevant for a roguelike with potentially large, procedurally generated maps — the 16 GB capacity ensures that texture data and geometry for complex dungeon layouts remain resident without stuttering.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its gaming performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637 and a Passmark G3D score of 36565 place it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A570M at 58239 (1.6% lower avg score) and the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326 (1.9% higher), showing that the RTX 5080's aggregate benchmark performance is competitive but not dramatically ahead of these alternatives. In Barony specifically, the measured FPS data shows the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K, where the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 112.8 FPS — a clear indication that the graphics card's shading and memory bandwidth are being utilized heavily.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 99 out of 1702 tested combinations, this system sits comfortably in the top percentile. This ranking reflects the combined strength of the Core i5-14600KF and RTX 5080, both of which are high-performing parts in their respective categories. The CPU achieves a 93rd percentile ranking against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49367. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores 49166 (0.4% lower), while the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 49595 (0.5% higher) — the differences are negligible, indicating that this CPU is right at the top of its performance class.

The GPU's 89th percentile ranking is slightly lower than the CPU's, but the combination still lands in the 99th position overall. This suggests that in Barony, the system's performance is well-balanced — neither component is dramatically underperforming relative to the other. The data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of the 1702 tested configurations, making it a strong choice for players who want maximum frame rates in this roguelike. The fact that the combo rank is higher than either component's individual percentile indicates that the pairing is synergistic, with the CPU's strong single-thread performance complementing the GPU's raw throughput.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 4K, the Ultra preset delivers 96.2 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for dips. The High preset at 131.8 FPS offers a more comfortable margin while still maintaining visual quality. The Medium preset jumps to 155.9 FPS, and Low reaches 209 FPS. For players with 4K displays, High represents the sweet spot — it provides a 35.6 FPS improvement over Ultra while retaining most visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 256.4 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show (typically 144-165 Hz). The Medium preset at 297.7 FPS and Low at 399.5 FPS offer diminishing returns since the panel will cap the visible frame rate. The Ultra preset at 181.9 FPS is still well above refresh rate limits. For 1440p users, Ultra is the recommended choice — it delivers the best visuals while maintaining frame rates that exceed any current monitor's capability. At 1080p, even Ultra (289.8 FPS) is excessive, so players should prioritize maximum visual quality without concern for performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces 634 FPS on Low, 472.9 FPS on Medium, 406.5 FPS on High, and 289.8 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 54.3% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution — the GPU is so fast that even the most demanding settings cannot saturate its capabilities.

At 2560x1440, the results are 399.5 FPS on Low, 297.7 FPS on Medium, 256.4 FPS on High, and 181.9 FPS on Ultra. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced, with Low dropping by 37% and Ultra by 37.2%. This is where the GPU begins to take a more active role, though frame rates remain exceptionally high.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 209 FPS on Low, 155.9 FPS on Medium, 131.8 FPS on High, and 96.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steepest for Low settings (47.7% reduction) and slightly less for Ultra (47.1%). The 4K Ultra result of 96.2 FPS is the only measured configuration that dips below the 100 FPS threshold, suggesting that this is the most demanding scenario the system can handle comfortably.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF a bottleneck at 1080p in Barony?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests this. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 634 FPS, but at 1440p Low it drops to 399.5 FPS — a 37% reduction. If the GPU were the only limiting factor, the drop would likely be larger, indicating the CPU caps performance at lower resolutions.

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

A: The 2560x1440 Ultra setting at 181.9 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. It exceeds all current high-refresh-rate display capabilities while maintaining the maximum settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM affect Barony performance?

A: The 16 GB GDDR7 memory with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that even the most complex procedurally generated dungeon textures remain in VRAM, preventing stutter. The measured frame rates show no signs of memory-related performance drops.

Q: Is this combo worth upgrading from a lower-tier system?

A: The combo rank of 99 out of 1702 places it in the top 6% of all tested configurations. The CPU's 93rd percentile and GPU's 89th percentile rankings indicate both components are near the top of their respective categories.

Q: What causes the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 4K?

A: The 35.6 FPS difference (131.8 vs 96.2) at 4K represents the additional GPU workload from Ultra settings. This is the largest settings gap at any resolution, showing that Ultra pushes the RTX 5080 to its limits at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance relate to in-game results?

A: The i5-14600KF's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and single-core score of 4643 indicate strong overall performance. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4273 supports the high frame rates seen at 1080p, where single-thread performance is critical for game logic.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosting to 5.30 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (both DDR4 and DDR5) provide the memory bandwidth needed to feed the RTX 5080. The CPU's benchmark results are impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 32889, while single-core scores 4643, and Geekbench multi-core reaches 15636 with single-core at 2778.

In Barony, the CPU's role becomes apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates of 406.5 FPS (High) and 634 FPS (Low) suggest that game logic and draw call processing are keeping up with the GPU's output. The Passmark physics score of 2449 and integer math score of 125982 indicate strong computational throughput for game simulation tasks. The CPU's percentile ranking of 93rd against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49367, places it in elite company — its nearest rivals (i5-14600K at 0.4% lower, AMD EPYC 4345P at 0.5% higher) are essentially performance peers.

The data reveals that at 4K, the CPU is not the limiting factor — the GPU's workload dominates. However, at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (evidenced by the Passmark single-thread score of 4273) becomes critical, as the frame rates are so high that even minor CPU bottlenecks would be exposed. The 14-core configuration with 20 threads ensures that background tasks and game threads do not interfere, maintaining consistent frame pacing across all tested settings.