Barony

Barony, a 2015 roguelike, presents an unusual stress profile for modern hardware due to its procedurally generated environments and simulation-heavy gameplay. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations. According to the measured data, this pairing achieves a combo rank of 231 out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.9% of all tested systems. This top-decile ranking is driven largely by the RTX 4080 SUPER’s immense rasterization throughput, though the data reveals that the CPU also plays a significant role at lower resolutions where the frame rates climb into the hundreds.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured combo rank of 231 out of 2935 (top 7.9%) underscores a performance ceiling that few systems reach in this title. This ranking is a composite of the CPU's and GPU's individual strengths. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36945, a negligible delta of 0%, indicating that the Ultra 5 225 is essentially performance-equivalent to that chip in general compute tasks. The GPU, the RTX 4080 SUPER, also holds an 86th percentile rank among all GPUs, with an average score of 54209. Its closest competitor, the RTX 4080, scores 54247, placing the SUPER just 0.1% behind in average benchmarks. This near-parity between the two components means the system’s ranking in Barony is not bottlenecked by a weak link; both the processor and graphics card are top-tier performers in their respective categories.

The data shows that the 10-core, 10-thread Ultra 5 225 provides substantial headroom for Barony's CPU demands. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 indicate robust processing power. However, the sheer FPS numbers in Barony suggest that the GPU is the primary driver of the combo's high rank, particularly at 4K. The fact that this combo outranks 2704 other tested systems reflects the synergy of these two high-percentile components. It is not merely a high-end GPU paired with a weak CPU; the processor's 85th percentile standing ensures it can feed the graphics card effectively. The 0.2% delta to the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (avg score 37018) and 0.4% delta to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (avg score 37093) further confirm that the Ultra 5 225 is a solid mid-to-high-end performer that won't drag down the system's overall standing in a game like Barony.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the undisputed workhorse in this configuration. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Barony's asset streaming at any resolution. The GPU's Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, includes 10240 shading units and 112 ROPs. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, which are the raw figures that allow for the extreme frame rates observed. The boost clock of 2550 MHz (base 2295 MHz) ensures that the silicon is operating at a high frequency under load.

In the measured results, the GPU's dominance is clear. At 1080p Ultra settings, the combo still manages 273 FPS, a number that is likely far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 90 FPS, but that is still a playable and high-fidelity experience. The benchmarks for the GPU itself show a DirectX 12 score of 134 and a Passmark G3D score of 34245, placing it in the 86th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 54209 is the foundation of its performance. The RTX 4080 SUPER's closest rival, the RTX 4080, is only 0.1% behind, showing that the SUPER variant offers a marginal but measurable performance uplift. In Barony, the GPU's role is to push high pixel counts and handle the shader complexity of the roguelike's environments. The data indicates that it does so without breaking a sweat, as even the most demanding preset at 4K does not fall below 90 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The combination ranks 231 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.9% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 compare to its closest rival?

A: The Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36945, which results in a delta of 0%, indicating they are statistically tied in performance.

Q: What is the strongest performance metric for the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The GPU achieves its highest raw throughput in rasterization. It has a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, which directly contributes to the high FPS figures in the measured results.

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between the RTX 4080 SUPER and its predecessor?

A: The data shows the RTX 4080 SUPER's average score of 54209 is 0.1% lower than the original RTX 4080's 54247, suggesting they perform nearly identically in average benchmarks.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 597 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. This indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to achieve maximum frame rates, even at lower resolutions.

Q: What kind of FPS can be expected at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 126 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is well above the standard 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and frame rate is found at the High preset across all resolutions. At High settings, the game achieves 381 FPS at 1080p, 240 FPS at 1440p, and 126 FPS at 4K. These numbers are all significantly above 60 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience. The Ultra preset, while offering the highest visual quality, still delivers excellent performance, but the step down in FPS is substantial. For instance, at 4K, the drop from High to Ultra is 36 FPS (from 126 to 90). For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or 240Hz), the High preset at 1440p (240 FPS) is the best choice to fully utilize the display's capabilities.

For those prioritizing maximum frame rates over visual fidelity, the Low preset offers a massive boost. At 1080p, Low settings yield 597 FPS, which is over 200 FPS more than High settings. This makes Low the clear choice for competitive play or for use with very high refresh rate displays (e.g., 360Hz or 500Hz). The Medium preset provides a middle ground, offering 444 FPS at 1080p and 146 FPS at 4K. Considering the data, the High preset is the recommended default for its combination of visual quality and performance headroom. It provides a 40% performance buffer over the Ultra preset at 4K, making it more resilient to frame drops in complex scenes. The Medium preset, with its measured min FPS of 124 at 4K, is a safer choice for maintaining a stable frame time on lower-end displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high. The Low preset achieves 597 FPS average. Medium settings reduce this to an average of 444 FPS, with a minimum of 377 FPS and a maximum of 510 FPS. High settings produce an average of 381 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still fast, averages 273 FPS. This shows that even at the highest quality settings at 1080p, the system has more than enough power to drive a high-refresh-rate monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. The Low preset hits 377 FPS average. Medium settings average 280 FPS, with a measured minimum of 238 FPS and a maximum of 322 FPS. High settings deliver a very smooth 240 FPS average. The Ultra preset averages 172 FPS. The pattern is consistent: each step up in quality costs roughly 70-100 FPS, but even the most demanding preset at 1440p clears the 144Hz threshold with ease. At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to flex its muscles. Low settings still manage a 197 FPS average. Medium settings average 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. High settings average 126 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. The Ultra preset averages 90 FPS, which is the only configuration that dips below 100 FPS, but it remains perfectly playable on a 90Hz or 120Hz display.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a critical role in enabling the high frame rates seen in the lower resolution tests. With 10 cores and 10 threads, it has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This single-core boost speed is crucial for Barony, which relies heavily on game logic and procedural generation. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 is a strong indicator of its ability to handle these tasks. The multi-core score of 25891 shows it can handle background tasks and any multi-threaded elements of the game engine without bottlenecking. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency.

The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo. The jump from 1080p High (381 FPS) to 1080p Low (597 FPS) is a 216 FPS increase, showing that the GPU is the primary driver of performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see these frame rates plateau regardless of resolution. However, we see a clear scaling from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4412 and its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs support this. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a near-identical average score (36945 vs 36938), which would place it in a similar performance tier. This means the Ultra 5 225 provides a stable, high-performance foundation, allowing the RTX 4080 SUPER to operate at its full potential without being starved of data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shift in system bottleneck. At High settings, performance drops from 381 FPS at 1080p to 240 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K (126 FPS) results in a further 47.5% reduction. This trend is typical of a GPU-bound workload. The GPU is having to render 4 times the pixels at 4K compared to 1080p, and the 3.0x reduction in frame rate (381 to 126) reflects the increasing pixel fill rate demands. This indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER is the limiting component at these higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The system achieves 597 FPS at 1080p, 377 FPS at 1440p, and 197 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47.7%. The fact that the percentage drops are similar across settings suggests that the rendering pipeline is consistently GPU-limited. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see the 1080p and 1440p frame rates being much closer together. The data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern that points to the GPU as the primary performance constraint. The CPU, with its high boost clock and strong single-core scores, is able to keep up with the GPU's demands even at the highest frame rates, ensuring that the resolution scaling is smooth and predictable. This means that for users looking to maximize frame rates, lowering the resolution will yield proportional gains, confirming that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the component to upgrade for future performance increases.