Barony

# Barony with Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 produces a combination that sits near the bottom of the tested hierarchy for Barony, ranking 3589th out of 3717 combos. This places the system in the 4th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that while the CPU is exceptionally strong, the GPU becomes the decisive limiting factor across nearly all resolution and settings combinations. The measured frame rates tell a consistent story: this is a 1080p-oriented setup that can handle 1440p at reduced settings, but 4K gaming requires substantial compromises to remain playable.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system delivers 137 FPS average, which drops to 87 FPS at 1440p and 45 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% reduction from 1440p to 4K when using Low settings. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed to its limits as pixel count increases.

Looking at High settings, the same trend emerges but with lower absolute values. The system produces 88 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are similar to Low settings: 37% from 1080p to 1440p, and 47% from 1440p to 4K. This consistency across settings suggests that the GTX 1650's rendering throughput, not memory bandwidth or CPU limitations, is the primary constraint.

The Medium settings row provides additional insight through its recorded minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p Medium, the average is 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 64 FPS with a range of 55 to 74. The 4K Medium result shows 34 FPS average with a minimum of 29 and maximum of 39. The minimum-to-maximum spread narrows as resolution increases, indicating that frame pacing becomes more stable at lower frame rates, though the overall experience degrades significantly.

Ultra settings present the most demanding scenario. The system manages 63 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 37% performance, while the jump to 4K costs another 48%. These scaling percentages align closely with the other settings tiers, reinforcing that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of quality preset. The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking at any resolution, as the Core i7-13700K's substantial compute resources remain underutilized while the GPU saturates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K brings 16 cores and 24 threads to this configuration, operating with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The processor's benchmark scores are robust across both synthetic and real-world tests: it achieves 30,745 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,116 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 19,429 and single-core of 2,529. The Passmark multithread score of 45,887 further confirms the CPU's capacity for parallel workloads.

However, Barony's measured frame rates reveal that this CPU power is largely irrelevant to the gaming experience in this pairing. The fact that 1080p Low produces 137 FPS while 4K Ultra produces 21 FPS — a 6.5x difference — points entirely to GPU limitations. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively flat across resolutions, or at least show diminishing differences at higher settings where CPU load typically decreases relative to GPU load. The data shows the opposite: frame rates scale almost linearly with pixel count.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is noteworthy. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46,971 on average benchmark, which is 0.2% higher than the Core i7-13700K's 46,881 average. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 are both 0.5% behind. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, especially in a GPU-bound title like Barony. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a top-tier processor, but that ranking does not translate to gaming performance when paired with a GPU that sits in the 40th percentile.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Barony at 1080p with a smooth frame rate?

A: Yes, at 1080p the system delivers 137 FPS on Low settings, 102 FPS on Medium, and 88 FPS on High. Even Ultra settings produce 63 FPS, which remains playable for most users.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Barony?

A: The data shows 1080p is the optimal resolution, with all settings tiers exceeding 60 FPS. At 1440p, Low settings achieve 87 FPS and Medium achieves 64 FPS, but High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra to 40 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the GTX 1650 in Barony?

A: 4K requires significant compromises. Low settings produce 45 FPS, Medium produces 34 FPS, High produces 29 FPS, and Ultra produces 21 FPS. Only Low settings approach playability, and even that is marginal.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct competitors?

A: The Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46,881, which is 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 9 5900's 46,971 and 0.3% below the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375's 47,022. It is 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535, which score 46,654 and 46,653 respectively.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. The consistent 36-48% performance drops as resolution increases indicate the GPU is the limiting component across all tested configurations.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1080p Medium, the system averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117 FPS. This 30 FPS spread indicates moderate frame time variation, though the minimum remains well above playable thresholds.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3589th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places the system in the bottom 3.4% of all configurations, which is a striking result given the CPU's high-end positioning. The disparity between the CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the combo's near-bottom placement highlights the GPU's outsized influence on gaming performance in this title.

The ranking makes sense when considering the GPU's absolute capability. The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 7,472, placing it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M at 7,447 (0.3% behind), the Intel UHD Graphics 750 at 7,441 (0.4% behind), and the AMD Radeon R7 350 at 7,425 (0.6% behind). The Intel Arc A310 scores 7,550, which is 1% ahead of the GTX 1650. These are all entry-level or integrated graphics solutions, confirming that the GPU is the weak link in this pairing.

The practical implication is that users with this combination are effectively using a high-end CPU with entry-level graphics performance. For Barony specifically, the combo rank indicates that most other tested configurations — including those with much weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs — deliver better frame rates. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield dramatic improvements, while the CPU has ample headroom for any future GPU upgrade.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, all settings tiers exceed 60 FPS, making this the most flexible resolution. For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, Ultra settings at 63 FPS average provides a good balance, though High settings at 88 FPS offers a smoother experience with only a modest visual reduction. Medium at 102 FPS is ideal for users with 100Hz+ displays, while Low at 137 FPS maximizes responsiveness for competitive play.

At 1440p, the recommendations become more constrained. Low settings at 87 FPS is the only tier that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium at 64 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes, as the minimum recorded frame rate is 55 FPS. High at 55 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less desirable for most users. The data suggests that 1440p users should stick to Low or Medium settings for the best experience.

For 4K, the situation is more challenging. Low settings at 45 FPS is the only tier that approaches playability, though it remains below the 60 FPS target. Medium at 34 FPS and High at 29 FPS are marginal at best, while Ultra at 21 FPS is not recommended for any gameplay scenario. The measured minimum of 29 FPS at 4K Medium indicates that even the "playable" settings can dip below 30 FPS in demanding moments. Users who insist on 4K should accept Low settings and lower frame rates, or consider reducing to 1440p for a more consistent experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce 137 FPS average, Medium produces 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 117, High produces 88 FPS, and Ultra produces 63 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 54% reduction in frame rate, with each settings tier costing approximately 25-35 FPS compared to the previous tier.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Low settings achieve 87 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a range of 55 to 74, High produces 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The Low to Ultra reduction is 54%, identical to the 1080p scaling, confirming that settings impact is consistent across resolutions. The Medium settings minimum of 55 FPS is notable, as it suggests occasional frame drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings produce 45 FPS, Medium averages 34 FPS with a minimum of 29 and maximum of 39, High produces 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. The Low to Ultra reduction is 53%, maintaining the same proportional scaling observed at lower resolutions. However, the absolute values are low enough that only Low settings approach playability. The Medium minimum of 29 FPS indicates frame pacing issues under load, with the system occasionally dropping below 30 FPS.

The complete dataset shows that the GTX 1650's performance ceiling in Barony is approximately 137 FPS at 1080p Low, while its floor is 21 FPS at 4K Ultra. The frame rate scaling is remarkably consistent: each resolution step costs roughly 36-48% performance regardless of settings tier, and each settings tier costs approximately 25-35% performance regardless of resolution. This predictability makes it easy for users to estimate performance for any untested combination of resolution and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU117 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, with 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The base clock runs at 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz, producing 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory operates on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth.

These specifications place the GTX 1650 in the entry-level segment, and the benchmark data confirms this positioning. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 7,880 and average benchmark score of 7,472 put it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (0.3% behind), Intel UHD Graphics 750 (0.4% behind), and AMD Radeon R7 350 (0.6% behind). The Intel Arc A310 is 1% ahead. These are all low-end or integrated solutions, indicating the GTX 1650 sits at the boundary between playable and marginal for modern games.

In Barony specifically, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured frame rates show that the GTX 1650 becomes the bottleneck at every resolution and settings combination tested. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads are never fully utilized, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling with resolution. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the 128.1 GB/s bandwidth struggles at higher resolutions where pixel fill and texture fetch demands increase.

The GPU's performance in Barony aligns with its overall benchmark positioning. The 137 FPS maximum at 1080p Low is respectable for an entry-level card, while the 21 FPS minimum at 4K Ultra is expected given the card's compute and memory limitations. The data indicates that users should treat this as a 1080p gaming solution, with 1440p possible only at reduced settings. The GPU's end-of-life production status and 40th percentile ranking suggest that it will struggle with future titles, though for Barony specifically, it remains a viable option at lower resolutions and settings.