Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, presents an unusual benchmark scenario for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination. The data indicates that this pairing ranks #1 out of 2,935 tested combos in this game, yet the measured frame rates reveal a title that is remarkably easy to drive at extreme levels. The results are characterized by massive frame rates that scale predictably with resolution, but the performance ceiling is ultimately defined by the CPU's single-thread capabilities rather than the GPU's immense raw power, especially at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high across the board. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 462 at 1920x1080 to 292 at 2560x1440, a 36.8% reduction, and then to 152 at 3840x2160, a 67.1% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates a shift in the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited, as evidenced by the 724 FPS average at Low settings, which is a figure that far exceeds what most displays can even refresh. The GPU is essentially idle-waiting for the processor to feed it instructions.

As resolution climbs, the rendering load on the RTX 5090 D increases, and the performance delta between settings presets narrows. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is 130 FPS (239 vs. 109), whereas at 1080p, that same gap is a massive 393 FPS (724 vs. 331). This widening gap at lower resolutions is a classic symptom of a CPU bottleneck; the GPU has so much headroom that it can render frames as fast as the CPU can submit them, and the settings-based load differences on the GPU are masked. At 4K, the GPU begins to flex its muscles, and the differences in pixel throughput and shading complexity between presets become more apparent, though it still never comes close to being fully stressed.

The data suggests that for players targeting high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or 240Hz), the 1440p resolution is the sweet spot for High settings, delivering 292 FPS. Pushing to 4K with Ultra settings still yields a very playable 109 FPS average, but the scaling shows that the game is not particularly demanding on the GPU. The most significant takeaway is that the RTX 5090 D is overkill for this title at any resolution below 4K, where the Intel Core i7-12700KF's processing power becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra result of 109 FPS is the only point in the dataset where the GPU is likely the dominant constraint, yet even that score is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monolithic powerhouse, and its role in Barony is primarily to eliminate any possibility of a graphics-related frame rate cap. The GPU's specifications are staggering: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, and its 21,760 shading units can theoretically output 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The boost clock of 2407 MHz is the highest in the data set, and with 176 ROPs, the pixel throughput is immense. However, benchmark results indicate that these capabilities are largely untapped by Barony.

The fact that the GPU's average benchmark score of 77,712 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and that it is closely rivaled by mobile parts like the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (which is only 1.6% slower) and the Tesla P100 (2.4% slower), underscores that the RTX 5090 D is far beyond the requirements of this game. Its 32 GB VRAM allocation is never a concern; Barony is a roguelike with simple geometry and textures, so the memory bus and capacity are completely idle. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is irrelevant when the frame buffer is so small.

The GPU's role becomes more defined at 4K Ultra, where it produces 109 FPS. This is the only configuration where the GPU's rasterization and shading work likely exceed the CPU's command submission rate. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D is not the bottleneck until the very highest resolution and preset combination, and even then, it is not being pushed to its limits. Its performance percentile of 92 indicates it is a top-tier part, but in this specific game, its headroom is so vast that it behaves more like a mid-range card would in a modern AAA title. The 92nd percentile ranking, combined with the fact that its nearest rivals are all significantly less powerful parts, highlights the sheer mismatch between the GPU's capability and the game's demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this hardware for maximum frame rate?

A: For the absolute highest frame rates, 1920x1080 with Low settings yields an average of 724 FPS. However, for a balance of visual quality and speed, 2560x1440 with High settings provides 292 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D the main performance limiter in this game?

A: No. The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is the limiting factor. The GPU only becomes the likely bottleneck at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where it still produces a very high 109 FPS average.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Low?

A: The 4K Ultra preset produces an average of 109 FPS, which is 615 FPS lower than the 724 FPS seen at 1080p Low. This represents a 84.9% drop in performance, showing the significant impact of resolution and settings on the rendering load.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 458 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 289 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 151 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Barony?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks first overall, out of 2,935 tested combinations, according to the comboRankInGame data.

Q: Is the CPU's performance sufficient to feed the GPU at 4K?

A: Yes. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains a 109 FPS average, which is far above playable thresholds. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838, is more than enough to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in this less demanding title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are staggering: Low settings produce an average of 724 FPS, Medium 538 FPS (with a minimum of 458 and maximum of 619), High 462 FPS, and Ultra 331 FPS. These numbers are all so high that they are limited by the CPU's ability to process the game logic and render commands, not the GPU's ability to draw frames. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a performance cost of 393 FPS, or 54.3%, for the maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain extremely high but begin to show more GPU influence. Low settings average 457 FPS, which is a 36.9% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 340 FPS (min 289, max 391), High averages 292 FPS, and Ultra averages 209 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra over Low at this resolution is 248 FPS, or 54.3%, a similar percentage drop to 1080p, but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is starting to take on more work.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes more significant, but the CPU still holds its own. Low settings average 239 FPS, which is a 67.0% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 178 FPS (min 151, max 204), High averages 152 FPS, and Ultra averages 109 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 130 FPS, or 54.4%. The consistency of the percentage drop from Low to Ultra across all three resolutions (54.3%, 54.3%, and 54.4%) is a strong indicator that the game's graphics engine scales linearly with the settings preset, regardless of resolution. The absolute values, however, confirm that higher resolutions place a greater burden on the GPU, pulling the system away from the CPU bottleneck observed at 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a critical and dominant role in Barony's performance, particularly at lower resolutions. With 12 cores and 20 threads based on Alder Lake architecture, this processor is a high-end desktop part, but its single-thread performance is the key metric here. The benchmark data shows a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,071, which are respectable but not top-tier. This is crucial because Barony, like many roguelikes, likely relies heavily on a single main game logic thread.

The evidence for a CPU bottleneck is overwhelming. At 1080p Low, the system produces 724 FPS. This is an astronomically high number that no current GPU would struggle to produce for such a simple game. The fact that the frame rate drops by 36.9% when moving to 1440p Low (457 FPS) and 67.0% when moving to 4K Low (239 FPS) shows that the GPU is not the constraint at 1080p; if it were, the frame rate would stay relatively flat as resolution decreases. Instead, the frame rate is capped by the CPU's single-thread throughput. The CPU is feeding the GPU with draw calls as fast as it can, and the GPU is finishing them in time.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 34,092, but this is less relevant for Barony. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,065 is more telling, suggesting that the game might utilize a second thread for some tasks, but the single-thread score remains the primary limiter. The CPU's percentile ranking of 85th among all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 35,365 place it in a competitive position, but its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700T (0.1% slower) and Intel Core i5-13600T (0.2% faster), show that it is not a leader in raw processing power. This reinforces that the RTX 5090 D's performance is being held back by the CPU in this specific game, not because the CPU is weak, but because the game is so light on the GPU that the CPU's limitations are exposed.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p 60Hz or 144Hz monitor, the High preset at 462 FPS is the clear recommendation. It provides a massive frame rate cushion that ensures no drops below the monitor's refresh rate, and the visual upgrade over Medium (538 FPS) is worth the 76 FPS cost, as the absolute number remains so high. The Ultra preset at 331 FPS is also viable, but the performance difference between High and Ultra is unlikely to be visually significant in a game with simple art assets, making High the better balance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 292 FPS is again the standout choice. It is perfect for 240Hz monitors and provides a significant visual boost over Medium (340 FPS). The Ultra preset at 209 FPS is also excellent for 144Hz displays, but the data suggests that the step from High to Ultra is not worth the 83 FPS drop, as the game's visual fidelity is not sufficiently complex to justify it. The Medium preset, with its minimum of 289 FPS, is a safe fallback if the user experiences any frame pacing issues, but the averages suggest High is stable.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations shift. The High preset at 152 FPS is ideal for 144Hz 4K monitors, offering a high refresh rate experience with solid visuals. The Medium preset at 178 FPS provides an even larger buffer, with a minimum of 151 FPS, making it the safest choice for ensuring a locked 144Hz experience. The Ultra preset at 109 FPS is the only setting that brings the frame rate below the 144Hz threshold, but it is still perfectly playable on a 120Hz or 60Hz display. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best experience per the measured rows, as it offers a 26 FPS advantage over High while the visual difference is minimal. The Low preset at 239 FPS is unnecessary, as the performance gains do not justify the significant reduction in visual quality, even for the highest refresh rate 4K monitors.