Barony

Barony is a roguelike that does not demand high-end hardware, yet the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the Intel Arc B370 reveal a combination that is strictly entry-level, ranking 2701st out of 2935 tested combos. The data shows a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p but struggles significantly as resolution increases, with the integrated GPU acting as the primary bottleneck. This analysis breaks down the specific performance metrics, the division of labor between CPU and GPU, and what the frame rate scaling indicates about this pairing's limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU/GPU combo in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 2701st out of 2935 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all recorded systems, indicating it is among the weaker configurations tested for this game.

Q: How does the CPU perform relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36945, representing a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower, showing the Ultra 5 225 is essentially on par with these processors.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low ranking, placing it in the bottom 5% of all graphics processors, which aligns with its integrated graphics nature and its benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable in Barony with this setup?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 144 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium settings, the average drops to 107 FPS, and at High settings, it falls to 92 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The Arc B370's 5th percentile ranking and the dramatic frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 4K point to graphics processing being the primary constraint, while the CPU's performance is comparable to much more capable desktop processors.

Q: What is the performance difference between the lowest and highest quality settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate ranges from 22 FPS on Ultra settings to 47 FPS on Low settings. This represents a 114% performance increase when switching from Ultra to Low, highlighting the extreme sensitivity to graphical load at this resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. Its specifications are modest, featuring 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. The GPU also includes 10 ray tracing cores and operates at a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its raw compute performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The most critical detail regarding this GPU is its memory configuration: it uses "System Shared" memory. This means it has no dedicated VRAM of its own and relies on the system's main memory (DDR5), with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This architecture is a significant disadvantage for gaming performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth and latency is inherently higher than with dedicated GDDR memory.

In the context of Barony's benchmark results, the GPU's limitations are clear. At 1920x1080, the GPU can manage 144 FPS average on Low settings, but this falls to 66 FPS on Ultra. The performance scaling across settings shows a consistent pattern of the GPU struggling with increased graphical demands. The 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark score of 1184 places the Arc B370 in the 5th percentile, and its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which are both legacy mobile graphics solutions. This confirms the Arc B370's performance class is far below any modern discrete GPU, making it suitable only for light or older titles at lower resolutions and settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, which is a configuration without hyper-threading. The base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.90 GHz. It has a 65 W TDP and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The processor also includes 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, along with 192 KB of L1 cache per core.

The CPU's benchmark results indicate strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. It scores 3655 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 25891 points in multi-core, which are respectable numbers. Its average benchmark score of 36938 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within a 0.5% performance delta. This demonstrates that the Ultra 5 225 is a capable processor that would not be a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, including Barony.

For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike with a release date in 2015, the CPU workload is likely not extreme. The 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient for the game's logic and AI calculations. The high boost clock of 4.90 GHz is beneficial for single-threaded performance, which remains important in many game engines. The data confirms the CPU is not the primary constraint in this pairing; its 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 5th percentile ranking, making it clear that the processor has ample headroom while the graphics solution is overwhelmed.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2701st out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This rank places it in the lowest 8% of all systems tested, which is a poor result for gaming performance. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's severe limitations, as the CPU's performance is competitive with other mid-range desktop processors. The disparity is evident when comparing the CPU's 85th percentile ranking to the GPU's 5th percentile ranking.

This combo rank of 2701 means that more than 2700 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs deliver better performance in this game. The only systems that would rank lower are those with even older or less capable integrated graphics. The data indicates that this is not a pairing intended for serious gaming, even for a relatively undemanding title like Barony. The high rank number serves as a warning that users should expect significant compromises in visual quality and resolution to achieve playable frame rates. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the CPU is performing at a level comparable to much stronger rivals, while the GPU is dragging the entire system down to the bottom of the performance charts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend in how performance scales with resolution. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 107 FPS average on Medium settings. Moving up to 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops to 67 FPS, a 37% decrease. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 35 FPS, a 67% decrease from the 1440p result and a 73% decrease from the 1080p result.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render rises exponentially. The fact that the frame rate drops so sharply with each resolution step shows that the Intel Arc B370 is unable to keep up with the increased pixel workload. If the system were CPU-bound, the frame rates would remain relatively stable across resolutions, as the CPU's workload would not change significantly. Instead, the data shows the GPU is saturated.

The specific numbers highlight the problem. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS is 22, which is unplayable for most users. Even at 4K Low settings, the average FPS is only 47, which is borderline. The system is only capable of delivering a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1080p on Low and Medium settings. The 144 FPS result at 1080p Low is the only point where the system truly excels, but this is an outlier that requires turning down all graphical features. The scaling pattern confirms that the Arc B370 is the limiting component, and users must trade off resolution and settings to find a playable balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 combination in Barony.

At 1920x1080, the system performs best. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 144 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. High settings produce an average of 92 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, resulting in an average of 66 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 91 FPS. Medium settings average 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. High settings average 58 FPS. Ultra settings fall to an average of 42 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 47 FPS. Medium settings average 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. High settings average 30 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 22 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: Low settings offer the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 78 FPS (144 vs 66). At 1440p, the difference is 49 FPS (91 vs 42). At 4K, the difference is 25 FPS (47 vs 22).

For practical use, the results indicate that users should target 1080p resolution for the best experience. High settings at 1080p provide a playable 92 FPS average. For a smoother experience, Medium settings at 107 FPS is a better option. At 1440p, Low settings are required to get close to 100 FPS, while High settings drop to 58 FPS. At 4K, no setting provides a consistently smooth experience, with even Low settings averaging only 47 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 30 FPS, which indicates occasional stutters.

The performance across all settings and resolutions confirms that this combo is only viable for 1080p gaming. The GPU's shared memory architecture and low compute power are the root causes of the sharp performance degradation at higher resolutions. Users with this configuration should accept that 4K gaming is not feasible and that 1440p will require significant graphical compromises. The 1080p results are the only ones that offer a consistently good gaming experience, particularly on Low and Medium settings.