Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on this hardware, behaves less like a GPU-bound modern title and more like a test of raw CPU throughput, with frame rates scaling dramatically with resolution and settings. The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combo produces exceptional results across the board, but the data reveals that the CPU is the primary driver of performance, especially at lower resolutions. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 595.4, which is more than double the 4K Ultra result of 91.2, indicating that the rendering load is the limiting factor only at the highest settings, while the processor's 16 cores and 24 threads push frame rates to extreme levels elsewhere.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, but the shape of that curve changes with the graphics preset. At Low settings, the 4K average of 199.9 is 33.6% of the 1080p figure of 595.4, showing that even at the lowest detail, the GPU is still doing significant work at higher pixel counts. However, at Ultra settings, the 4K average of 91.2 is 33.1% of the 1080p score of 275.2, which is nearly identical proportionally. This suggests that while the absolute numbers differ, the scaling pattern is uniform across presets.

More telling is the comparison at 1440p. At High settings, the 2560x1440 average of 242.2 is 63.6% of the 1080p result of 380.7. This is a smaller drop than what would be expected if the GPU were the sole bottleneck. The RTX 4080 SUPER, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth, is clearly capable, but the data points to the CPU holding performance back at 1080p. The 1080p Low score of 595.4 is exceptionally high, and the 1440p Low score of 376.7 represents a 36.7% reduction, which is a larger relative drop than the 33.6% seen at 4K Low. This indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more engaged, but the CPU is still delivering enough frames to keep the system from being purely GPU-limited until the highest settings.

FAQ

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

A: The maximum measured average is 595.4 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is nearly double the next highest result at that resolution, which is 443.2 FPS at Medium settings.

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

A: The 4K Ultra average of 91.2 FPS is only 15.3% of the 1080p Low average of 595.4 FPS. This represents a drop of 504.2 FPS, or roughly an 84.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest stress scenario to the highest.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER the primary bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: No. The 1440p Medium average of 277.9 FPS is 62.7% of the 1080p Medium result of 443.2 FPS. This drop is consistent with the scaling pattern observed at other settings, indicating the CPU is still contributing significantly to performance at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Barony?

A: This specific CPU and GPU pairing ranks 120th out of 1702 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.1% of all configurations. This is a strong result, but not the absolute top, suggesting other combos with more powerful processors or GPUs can edge it out.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, while its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, scores 47334. This puts the 13700K at a 0.1% deficit, which is a negligible difference in real-world performance.

Q: What is the most demanding setting tested for this game?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is the most demanding, producing an average of 91.2 FPS. This is the lowest average across all tested configurations, and it is 45.6% lower than the 4K High result of 128.5 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a high-end GPU with a 5 nm process node and an AD103 chip. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is substantial for high-resolution textures. The card's boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it features 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, making it more than capable of handling Barony's demands.

The data shows the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average of 91.2 FPS is the only result below the 100 FPS mark, indicating that the GPU is being fully utilized at this setting. In contrast, at 1440p and below, the frame rates are so high that the GPU is likely idling between frames, waiting on the CPU to submit draw calls. The 4K High result of 128.5 FPS is still excellent, but the drop from 4K Medium (148.6 FPS) to 4K Ultra (91.2 FPS) is a 38.6% reduction, which shows that the Ultra preset adds significant rendering work. The GPU's benchmark scores support this: a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which is just 0.2% behind.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 1702 tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 120th. This is a top-tier result, placing it in the top 7.1% of all configs tested for Barony. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's high-end capabilities. The CPU's average benchmark score of 47282 is within 0.5% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 4364P and the Intel Core i9-12900F, which suggests that the processor is not the differentiating factor at this level.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 53610 is similarly competitive, with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT trailing by only 0.2%. This rank of 120 suggests that while this combo is excellent, there are 119 other configurations that deliver higher frame rates in Barony. These likely include newer or more expensive parts, but the data does not specify which. The fact that this combo achieves a 91.2 FPS minimum at 4K Ultra is a strong indicator that it can handle the game at maximum settings without dropping below 60 FPS, which is a common target for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU has a 30 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core L2 cache, which helps with data locality in games. Its benchmark results are impressive: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

In Barony, the CPU's role is critical. The 1080p Low average of 595.4 FPS is a clear indication that the processor is capable of feeding the GPU at extremely high rates. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and the max-thread score of 12412 show strong scaling with thread count, which is beneficial for a roguelike that may have complex game logic. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, is virtually identical with a 0.1% score difference, but the data does not show how that translates to in-game FPS. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 4333, is likely the key factor in achieving the 595.4 FPS at 1080p Low, as many game engines rely on a single main thread for simulation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 595.4 FPS, which drops to 443.2 FPS at Medium, 380.7 FPS at High, and 275.2 FPS at Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 320.2 FPS, a 53.8% reduction. At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low averages 376.7 FPS, Medium 277.9 FPS, High 242.2 FPS, and Ultra 174.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 202.3 FPS, or 53.7%, which is nearly identical to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the results are lower but still smooth. Low averages 199.9 FPS, Medium 148.6 FPS, High 128.5 FPS, and Ultra 91.2 FPS. The 4K Low result is the only 4K figure above 200 FPS, and the 4K Ultra result is the only one below 100 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting is consistent: Low drops from 595.4 to 199.9 (66.4% reduction), Medium from 443.2 to 148.6 (66.5% reduction), High from 380.7 to 128.5 (66.2% reduction), and Ultra from 275.2 to 91.2 (66.9% reduction). This uniformity suggests that the game's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution, and the bottleneck shifts smoothly from CPU to GPU as pixel count increases.

Settings Recommendations

For maximum frame rates and the smoothest experience, the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p is the best choice, yielding 595.4 and 376.7 FPS respectively. These numbers are far beyond what any display can show, so they are useful only for competitive play or for users with very high refresh rate monitors. However, for a roguelike like Barony, visual clarity is not paramount, and the extra frames are unnecessary.

The Medium preset offers a better balance, with 443.2 FPS at 1080p and 277.9 FPS at 1440p. This setting likely provides improved texture and shadow quality without a significant performance penalty. For most users with 1440p monitors, Medium is the recommended starting point, as it delivers well over 240 FPS, which is sufficient for any high refresh rate display.

For those with 4K displays, the High preset is the sweet spot. The 128.5 FPS average at 3840x2160 High is well above the 120 FPS target for many modern displays, and it is 37.3 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result. The Ultra preset, while producing a playable 91.2 FPS, is only recommended for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate and are willing to sacrifice the headroom for future updates or more demanding scenes. The data shows that High at 4K provides 40.9% more performance than Ultra, making it the logical choice for a smooth experience.