Barony

Barony is not a demanding title by modern standards, but the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D shows a combination that obliterates this roguelike at every setting. The measured frame rates are extraordinarily high, ranging from 109 FPS at 4K Ultra to 724 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that this setup is massively overqualified for the game's visuals. This analysis breaks down the component roles and performance scaling using only the provided benchmark data.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 724 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 457 at 2560x1440 and 239 at 3840x2160 on the same Low preset.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in Barony?

A: The data shows this combination ranks 1st out of 2935 tested combos in the game, making it the top-performing setup in the database for Barony.

Q: What are the specifications of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225?

A: The CPU has 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and a TDP of 65 W, with a launch MSRP of $246.

Q: What are the specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D?

A: The GPU is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB202 chip. It has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz and a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 331 at 1920x1080 to 209 at 2560x1440, and further down to 109 at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the data for this game measured or estimated?

A: The `dataIsMeasured` field is true, confirming that the frame rates provided are from actual benchmark measurements rather than projections or estimates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain why it can push Barony to such extreme frame rates. The GPU features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is vastly overkill for a roguelike, but it ensures that memory bandwidth is never a bottleneck, even at 4K resolution. The core clock runs at a base of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, which is high enough to feed the 21,760 shading units at a rapid pace.

In terms of raw compute, the RTX 5090 D delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, a figure that is essentially irrelevant for Barony's simple geometry but explains why the GPU can maintain hundreds of frames per second without breaking a sweat. The 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it near the top of the performance pyramid, and the benchmark data reflects this dominance. The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (1.1% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% faster), showing that the 5090 D sits in a high-performance tier, though the margin to some mobile parts is surprisingly thin in synthetic tests.

For Barony specifically, the GPU's role is to render the game's voxel-based environments and particle effects. The data shows that the GPU is clearly not the limiting factor even at 4K Ultra, where it still produces 109 FPS. The frame rates scale almost linearly with resolution: going from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at High settings yields 462, 292, and 152 FPS respectively. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, but the absolute numbers are so high that the GPU is effectively coasting. The 32 GB VRAM is never taxed by a game of this era, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is instantaneous. In short, the RTX 5090 D is a sledgehammer being used to crack a walnut in Barony.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts up to 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. For a game like Barony, which is not known for heavy multi-threading, the single-core performance is what matters most, and the data suggests the CPU is more than adequate. The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 3655, which is competitive, while the multi-core score of 25891 indicates strong overall throughput. The CPU's percentile ranking of 85th among all CPUs places it in the upper tier, though not at the very top.

In the context of Barony, the CPU's job is to handle game logic, pathfinding, and entity updates. The measured frame rates show that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution or setting. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is rendering frames as fast as 724 FPS, the CPU keeps up without dropping below that average. This confirms the high boost clock of 4.90 GHz and the efficient Arrow Lake architecture. The 10 threads are more than enough for a roguelike, and the 20 MB L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta), indicating that the Ultra 5 225 is in the same performance class as those mid-range parts. For Barony, this means the CPU can deliver high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. The data shows that the frame rate difference between 4K Ultra (109 FPS) and 4K Low (239 FPS) is significant, but this is driven by GPU workload, not CPU limitations. The CPU's 65 W TDP is modest, and its performance is sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 D in this title, making it a balanced pairing for a game that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The data is unequivocal: this combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 1st out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This top ranking is expected given the GPU's 92nd percentile standing and the CPU's 85th percentile, but it also highlights that no other tested pairing can match these frame rates. The combination achieves this rank by delivering playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings, with 4K Ultra still hitting 109 FPS on average.

To put this in perspective, the combo's rank of 1 means it outperforms every other CPU-GPU pairing in the database for this specific game. This is a notable achievement because Barony is a lightweight title, and many mid-range systems could potentially run it well, but the sheer headroom provided by the RTX 5090 D pushes this combo to the top. The nearest rival GPUs in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and the NVIDIA Tesla P100, but those are mobile or datacenter parts, and the combination with the Ultra 5 225 clearly dominates in actual game tests.

The ranking also suggests that the CPU is not holding the GPU back. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the combo would likely rank lower despite the powerful GPU. Instead, the 1st place finish indicates that the Ultra 5 225 provides enough single-thread performance to keep the RTX 5090 D fed, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 700 FPS. For a builder targeting the absolute best performance in Barony, this data shows that this specific combo is the one to beat, and no other tested configuration comes close.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 724 FPS, which drops to 457 FPS at 1440p and 239 FPS at 4K. This represents a 50% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing the pixel count directly reduces the frame rate. However, the absolute numbers are so high that even the 4K Low result of 239 FPS is far above any display's refresh rate.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 462 FPS at 1080p, 292 FPS at 1440p, and 152 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 67%, which is slightly more pronounced than at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is working harder due to the increased visual fidelity. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 331 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 109 FPS at 4K, with a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This consistent pattern across settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions, and the CPU is not causing any unexpected bottlenecks.

The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is substantial. At 4K, Low yields 239 FPS while Ultra yields 109 FPS, a 54% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's rendering workload increases significantly with settings, but the combo still maintains high frame rates. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain these frame rates without causing dips. For a game like Barony, this means players can crank settings to Ultra at 4K and still get a smooth experience, with the frame rate only dropping to 109 FPS in the most demanding configuration tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 724 FPS on Low, 538 FPS on Medium (with min 458 and max 619), 462 FPS on High, and 331 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows the only min/max data available, indicating a stable frame delivery with a range of 458 to 619 FPS. These numbers are all far beyond what any monitor can display, making the CPU the only potential concern, but the data shows no issues.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop but remain exceptionally high. Low settings produce 457 FPS, Medium produces 340 FPS (min 289, max 391), High produces 292 FPS, and Ultra produces 209 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 37% lower, which is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min FPS of 289, which is still higher than the 4K Ultra average, indicating no stuttering or frame pacing issues.

At 3840x2160, the combo still delivers playable frame rates. Low settings yield 239 FPS, Medium yields 178 FPS (min 151, max 204), High yields 152 FPS, and Ultra yields 109 FPS. The 4K Medium result shows a minimum of 151 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data demonstrates that this combo can handle Barony at 4K Ultra with over 100 FPS, a feat that many systems cannot achieve in more demanding titles. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a clear drop, but even the lowest result of 109 FPS is exceptional for a roguelike. Overall, the measured FPS data confirms that this pairing is overkill for Barony, providing frame rates that are limited only by the GPU's rendering speed, not by any other component.