Barony

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Barony, ranging from a highly playable 64 FPS at 4K High to a blistering 302 FPS at 1080p Low. The data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures that even the heaviest settings remain fluid at lower pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is the expected signature of a GPU-bound workload at higher pixel counts. At 1080p High, the combo produces 193 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average falls to 122 FPS, a reduction of 71 FPS. The jump to 4K High yields just 64 FPS, which is 129 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This pattern—where the delta between 1080p and 1440p is large (71 FPS) and the delta between 1440p and 4K is even larger (58 FPS)—indicates that the rendering load is scaling aggressively with pixel count.

This behavior implies that the RTX 5050’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are being taxed heavily at 4K, where fill-rate and memory bandwidth become critical. The 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth is a fixed resource, and the data suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting component. For players targeting high refresh rates, the 1440p results are more favorable: 122 FPS at High is smooth, and the Low setting at 1440p reaches 191 FPS, which is near the threshold for 165 Hz displays. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU’s role becomes more relevant, as the GPU is no longer the bottleneck. The 1080p Low result of 302 FPS is a strong indicator that the i7-12700K’s 5.00 GHz boost clock and 20 threads are capable of feeding the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates.

The interpolation between settings at each resolution reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the title at higher resolutions. At 4K, dropping from Ultra (46 FPS) to High (64 FPS) yields an 18 FPS improvement, while dropping from High to Medium (74 FPS) adds another 10 FPS. The jump from Medium to Low (100 FPS) is the largest single step at 4K, a 26 FPS gain. This suggests that the Low preset removes a significant rendering burden, likely related to shading or texture filtering, which directly alleviates the pressure on the 8 GB frame buffer.

GPU Role

The RTX 5050’s specifications directly explain the measured performance deltas across settings. With a boost clock of 2572 MHz and 2560 shading units, the GPU has a theoretical FP32 throughput of 13.17 TFLOPS. This is a modest figure for a modern card, and the data reflects that in Barony, a roguelike that does not appear to be heavily optimized for multi-GPU scaling. The 8 GB memory size is a critical factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 46. The data implies that the Ultra preset at 4K likely exceeds the comfortable capacity of the VRAM, causing the GPU to struggle with memory-intensive effects.

The 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are also notable. At 1440p, the Medium preset shows a 142 FPS average with a min of 120 FPS, which indicates that the GPU can maintain a stable frame pacing when the memory bandwidth is not saturated. However, at 4K High, the 64 FPS average is less stable, as the memory system is pushed closer to its limits. The RTX 5050’s 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate and 205.8 GTexel/s texture rate are the physical constraints that govern resolution scaling. The data shows that doubling the pixel count from 1440p to 4K more than halves the frame rate on the High preset (from 122 to 64), which is a direct consequence of the pixel rate being fixed.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile of 66 versus all GPUs places it in the mid-range, which aligns with its measured behavior. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5050’s average benchmark score of 21035 is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713), but 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153). In Barony, this mid-range positioning means the GPU is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but it will not sustain 4K Ultra at playable frame rates. The data suggests that the RTX 5050 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where its memory bandwidth and compute throughput are sufficient.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1775 out of 2935 combos for Barony. This places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a slightly above-average configuration for this game. The rank is likely influenced by the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU is a high-end part (84th percentile versus all CPUs) that is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show that the i7-12700K is closely matched with several other processors. The Intel Core i5-13600T has an average benchmark score of 35305, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-12700K’s 35287. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is 0.2% higher (35365), and the Intel Core i7-13700T is 0.3% higher (35403). These deltas are negligible, meaning the CPU choice has minimal impact on the overall combo ranking. The GPU’s rivals, however, show more variance: the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is 1.6% lower in average score, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is 0.6% higher. This suggests that the GPU is the primary differentiator in the combo rank.

The rank of 1775 out of 2935 implies that while this system is capable, there are many faster configurations. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as its multithreaded score of 34404 in Passmark is substantial. Instead, the GPU’s 66th percentile ranking is the limiting factor. For a player using this combo, the expectation should be that 1080p and 1440p gaming will be excellent, but 4K will require settings adjustments.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Barony?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 302, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. The 4K High preset yields 64 FPS, while the 4K Ultra preset drops to 46 FPS. The 4K Low preset reaches 100 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. This is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the frame rates are very high (193 FPS at High, 302 FPS at Low), suggesting the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU’s performance is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate variance at 1440p Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium preset has an average of 142 FPS, with a minimum of 120 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS, showing a 43 FPS spread.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1775 out of 2935 tested combinations for Barony, placing it in the upper-middle tier of performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target display resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is viable, delivering 138 FPS, which is above the 120 Hz refresh rate threshold. However, the Medium preset at 225 FPS offers a smoother experience for high-refresh monitors (240 Hz), with a min FPS of 191 ensuring no drops below 144 Hz. The High preset at 193 FPS is a balanced choice, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium while still maintaining frame rates above 165 Hz.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 122 FPS. This is ideal for 120 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 142 FPS is also excellent, with a min FPS of 120 that aligns perfectly with 120 Hz V-sync. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS is playable but not optimal for fast-paced action. The Low preset at 191 FPS is unnecessary unless the player prioritizes maximum frame rates over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the data suggests that the High preset (64 FPS) is the highest playable option for a 60 Hz display, though it is borderline. The Medium preset (74 FPS) is actually smoother and is the recommended choice for 4K, as it provides a better balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset (46 FPS) is not recommended for serious gameplay, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset (100 FPS) is the best choice for players who want to push refresh rates closer to 100 Hz, but the visual downgrade may be significant. The data clearly shows that for this combo, 4K Ultra is not a viable target, while 1080p Ultra and 1440p High are the best experiences.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. The Passmark single-thread score of 4013 is particularly relevant for Barony, as roguelike games often rely on a primary game thread. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking versus all CPUs reflects its capabilities.

In this game, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as the frame rates scale primarily with resolution. However, the CPU’s high single-thread performance ensures that the 1080p Low setting (302 FPS) is achievable without bottlenecking the GPU. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache and the Alder Lake architecture (10 nm process) provide low latency, which is beneficial for game logic. The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 means it can be paired with fast memory, though the data does not specify the memory used in this test.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are all within 0.4% of its average score, indicating that the i7-12700K is not a performance outlier. The data suggests that swapping to a slightly different CPU would have a negligible impact on Barony’s frame rates, as the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 20 threads are more than sufficient for a game like Barony, which is likely not heavily multithreaded. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 are standard for this generation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data points were measured for this combination in Barony. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 302 FPS. The Medium preset averages 225 FPS, with a minimum of 191 FPS and a maximum of 258 FPS. The High preset averages 193 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 138 FPS. This shows a steady decline from Low to Ultra, with the largest single drop (62 FPS) occurring between Medium and High.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 191 FPS. The Medium preset averages 142 FPS, with a minimum of 120 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS. The High preset averages 122 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is less steep than at 1080p, with a 104 FPS difference between the extremes.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 100 FPS. The Medium preset averages 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. The High preset averages 64 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 46 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only setting that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for standard displays. The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers the best balance of frame rate stability, as evidenced by the min/max data points, while the High preset is the highest visual quality that remains above 60 FPS at 4K.