Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a set of measured results in Barony that clearly illustrate the differing workloads imposed by resolution and settings. The data shows a system where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance keeps frame rates exceptionally high at lower settings. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data to explain what the scores indicate about the hardware bottleneck and overall system capability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 183 FPS at 1080p to 116 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 60 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load scales significantly with pixel count. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, though the absolute numbers differ.

The scaling behavior points to the GPU as the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves 287 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is from 287 FPS to 181 FPS, a 37% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings brings the average down to 95 FPS, another 47% reduction. These proportional declines align with the increase in pixel count, confirming that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s rendering throughput is the constraining factor at higher resolutions.

The Medium settings preset shows the most complete data, with both minimum and maximum FPS recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 213 FPS with a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 135 FPS (minimum 114, maximum 155), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 70 FPS (minimum 60, maximum 81). The minimum FPS values at each resolution are notably lower than the averages, indicating occasional frame hitches, but the spread remains relatively tight. The fact that the 4K Medium minimum (60 FPS) is exactly equal to the 4K High average (60 FPS) suggests that the Medium preset provides a more consistent experience at that resolution.

At the Ultra settings preset, the frame rates drop dramatically. The 1080p Ultra average is 131 FPS, which is still playable, but the 1440p Ultra average falls to 83 FPS, and the 4K Ultra average drops to just 43 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the only measured average below 60 FPS, indicating that this combination cannot maintain a smooth 60 FPS experience at the highest settings and maximum resolution. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is a 67% reduction, mirroring the High preset’s scaling pattern, which reinforces that the GPU workload is the dominant factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the component most responsible for the FPS differences observed across resolutions. This GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective. These specifications are directly relevant to the game’s performance, as higher resolutions demand more memory bandwidth and capacity to store textures and frame buffers.

The GPU’s boost clock of 1650 MHz and base clock of 1470 MHz are relatively modest by modern standards, but the architecture’s efficiency compensates. The TU106 chip contains 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The pixel rate is 105.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 224.4 GTexel/s. These throughput figures explain why the GPU can handle 1080p gaming with ease but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly on the Ultra preset where the pixel and texture demands increase substantially.

The RTX 2060 SUPER’s position in the GPU market is reflected in its benchmark scores. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 16462 and an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (average score 18159, delta -0.4%), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5%), AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5%), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, -1.6%). The data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER is essentially on par with the RTX 3060 Mobile, which is notable because the desktop GPU is being compared to a mobile part.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Barony at 4K, as evidenced by the playable 60 FPS average on High settings. However, the 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS suggests that the GPU’s compute throughput, not memory capacity, is the limiting factor. The game is not exceeding the VRAM allocation at any tested setting, so the performance drop at Ultra is due to the increased shader and pixel workload rather than memory pressure. The GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the ceiling that prevents higher frame rates at maximum settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Barony?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 287 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This indicates the system has substantial headroom at lower resolutions and settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings the average FPS is exactly 60, and at Medium settings the average is 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra settings the average drops to 43 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, placing it at the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, delta 0%), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, delta -0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, delta -0.5%).

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 181 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 83 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra settings.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient. The 4K Medium preset achieves an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, and the 4K High preset achieves 60 FPS average. The performance limitations at 4K Ultra (43 FPS) are due to compute throughput, not VRAM capacity.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to the RTX 3060 Mobile in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, while the RTX 3060 Mobile has an average score of 18159, resulting in a delta of -0.4%. This indicates the two GPUs are virtually identical in overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2069 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places the system in the 70th percentile of all tested hardware combinations, meaning approximately 30% of combos perform better in this specific game. The rank is determined by the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, which shows strong performance at 1080p and 1440p but weaker results at 4K Ultra.

The rank of 2069 is somewhat lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest. The CPU sits at the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU sits at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. The combined rank of 70th percentile indicates that the pairing works well together, but the GPU’s lower percentile relative to the CPU pulls the overall ranking down. This is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which showed the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The data shows that this combo is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming than for 4K. At 1080p, every settings preset achieves an average above 130 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth gaming experience. At 1440p, even the Ultra preset maintains an 83 FPS average, which is still very playable. The 4K results are the weakest aspect, with only the Low preset exceeding 90 FPS (95 FPS) and the Ultra preset falling to 43 FPS. This ranking reflects the system’s overall capability across all tested configurations, with the 4K Ultra result dragging the rank down relative to what the 1080p scores would suggest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is presented below, organized by resolution and settings preset. All values are average FPS unless otherwise noted, with minimum and maximum FPS provided where available.

1920x1080:

• Low: 287 FPS average
• Medium: 213 FPS average, 181 FPS minimum, 245 FPS maximum
• High: 183 FPS average
• Ultra: 131 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 181 FPS average
• Medium: 135 FPS average, 114 FPS minimum, 155 FPS maximum
• High: 116 FPS average
• Ultra: 83 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 95 FPS average
• Medium: 70 FPS average, 60 FPS minimum, 81 FPS maximum
• High: 60 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

The data pattern is consistent: each step up in resolution reduces the average FPS by a significant margin, and each step up in settings within a resolution also reduces FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with complete minimum and maximum data, showing that the frame time variance increases at higher resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the spread between minimum and maximum is 64 FPS (181 to 245), while at 4K Medium, the spread narrows to 21 FPS (60 to 81). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is more consistently saturated, leading to less frame-to-frame variability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, which is standard for most gaming displays, the data shows clear boundaries.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 131 FPS, so any settings level is viable for a smooth experience. The Low preset’s 287 FPS is excessive for most displays, but it demonstrates the CPU and GPU have substantial headroom at this resolution. The Medium preset’s 213 FPS average with a 181 FPS minimum is the recommended choice for 1080p, as it balances visual quality with a very high and consistent frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset’s 83 FPS average is still above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset’s 116 FPS provides a better balance for 1440p gaming, and the Medium preset’s 135 FPS is ideal for users prioritizing frame rate. The Low preset at 181 FPS is excessive, but it shows the system can handle 1440p with ease.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The High preset achieves exactly 60 FPS average, making it the minimum recommended setting for a 60 FPS experience. The Medium preset provides a 70 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum, which offers a small buffer above the 60 FPS target and is the best choice for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset’s 43 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 95 FPS is playable but sacrifices visual quality significantly. The Medium preset is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a crucial role in enabling the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. This processor features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The high boost clock is particularly important for gaming performance, as Barony is a roguelike that likely benefits from strong single-threaded performance. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 4412 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 indicate excellent single-core capability, which translates to high FPS when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core provide ample on-die storage for game data, reducing the need to access system memory. The system memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5, which is sufficient to feed the GPU at high frame rates. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a Passmark multithread score of 30459, show it is a capable multi-threaded processor, but the gaming data suggests that single-thread performance is the more relevant metric.

The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average score of 36945 (delta 0%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (-0.5%). This clustering indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is positioned in a highly competitive segment of the CPU market.

The CPU’s role in Barony becomes evident when examining the FPS data at low settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 287 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame generation capability. The fact that the 1080p Low score (287 FPS) is only 37% higher than the 1440p Low score (181 FPS) suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is beginning to limit performance, while at higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the primary constraint. This is a classic sign of a well-balanced system where neither component is severely bottlenecked, but the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures that frame rates remain high even when the GPU is fully utilized.