Barony

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B570 lands at rank 2344 out of 2935 tested combos for Barony. This places the combination in the lower-middle portion of the database, roughly at the 20th percentile of all tested systems for this title. The ranking reflects that while neither component is a slouch in absolute terms, the pairing does not extract exceptional performance from this particular roguelike.

Looking at the component-level standing, the CPU sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs tested, while the GPU is at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The gap between these two percentile positions suggests that the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this pairing for Barony's workload. The CPU's strong relative position — 89th percentile — means it has ample headroom, while the GPU's more modest 65th percentile placement aligns with the overall combo rank being dragged down by the graphics subsystem.

The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings presets confirm this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 245 FPS, which is a very playable number. However, the progression from Low to Ultra at any given resolution shows a substantial drop, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint as graphical load increases. The combo rank of 2344 out of 2935 suggests that many other tested systems — often those with higher-tier GPUs paired with comparable or weaker CPUs — outperform this specific configuration in Barony.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 brings 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both locked at 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These specifications place the B570 as a mid-range offering in the Battlemage generation, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die.

In Barony specifically, the GPU's 10 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's demands, even at 4K Ultra. The measured data shows no indication of VRAM-related stuttering or texture thrashing, as the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 51, which is a stable figure. The GPU's 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, which translate into the frame rates observed.

The B570's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is relevant for Barony, as the game's rendering pipeline can leverage modern API features. The GPU's passmark DirectX 12 score of 72 and DirectX 11 score of 118 provide context for its raw API-level performance. The Vulkan score of 96844 in Geekbench suggests strong low-level API performance, though Barony's engine appears to favor the DirectX path based on the measured results.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avg score 20534, delta 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (avg score 20582, delta -0.1%). This places the B570 in a competitive band where small percentage differences separate it from both mobile high-end and desktop mid-range alternatives. The Quadro M4000M (20480, delta 0.4%) and Radeon R9 M390X (20662, delta -0.5%) also sit nearby, though these are older architectures.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points to the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 245 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 154 FPS, and 4K Low yields 81 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 37% reduction, while 1440p to 4K is a 47% reduction. These are significant drops that indicate the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases.

The High preset tells a similar story: 156 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 47% respectively, mirroring the Low preset's scaling almost exactly. This consistency across presets suggests that the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are the limiting factors rather than any specific rendering feature.

At Medium settings, the same pattern holds: 182 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The minimum and maximum FPS at Medium (155-209 at 1080p, 98-132 at 1440p, 51-69 at 4K) show a widening spread as resolution increases, indicating more frame-time variance at higher pixel counts. This is consistent with GPU-bound behavior where individual frame complexity causes larger swings.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest scaling: 112 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and just 37 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS is below the generally accepted 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, confirming that this combo is not suited for maximum settings at native 4K. The resolution scaling analysis strongly indicates that the CPU has headroom — the consistent percentage drops across presets are a hallmark of GPU limitation, not CPU limitation.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers strong performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 245 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced roguelike gameplay. Medium settings yield 182 FPS with a minimum of 155 and maximum of 209, providing a solid margin above 144 Hz displays. High settings drop to 156 FPS, still well above 144 Hz. Ultra settings at 1080p produce 112 FPS, which remains playable on high-refresh monitors but starts to approach the 60-75 Hz comfort zone.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but show the GPU's strain. Low settings average 154 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 115 FPS with a range of 98 to 132, giving a playable experience on 120 Hz displays. High settings drop to 99 FPS, which is borderline for 100 Hz monitors but acceptable for 60 Hz. Ultra at 1440p yields 71 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is playable but not smooth on high-refresh displays. Medium settings average 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69, putting the experience right at the 60 FPS threshold — acceptable for casual play but with noticeable dips. High settings drop to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard. Ultra at 4K produces only 37 FPS, which is not recommended for a playable experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, all presets are playable; at 1440p, Low through High are playable with Ultra being marginal; at 4K, only Low and Medium approach playability. The min FPS data at Medium settings (155 at 1080p, 98 at 1440p, 51 at 4K) indicates that even the minimum frame rates stay above 50 FPS at 4K Medium, but the average of 60 FPS leaves little margin for demanding scenes.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony?

A: The data shows 1080p as the sweet spot. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 245 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain 112 FPS. At 1440p, High settings drop to 99 FPS and Ultra to 71 FPS. At 4K, only Low (81 FPS) and Medium (60 FPS) are playable.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 60 with a minimum of 51, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 52 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 37 FPS. For a consistently smooth experience, 4K Low or Medium is the practical ceiling.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The B570's average benchmark score is 20556. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534 (0.1% higher), while the Intel Arc A750 scores 20582 (0.1% lower). The AMD Quadro M4000M (20480) and Radeon R9 M390X (20662) are within 0.5% either direction.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Barony?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 65th percentile. The resolution scaling data shows consistent FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all presets, which is characteristic of GPU limitation.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 98, with an average of 115 and a maximum of 132. This provides a stable experience with no significant frame drops.

Q: How does this combo rank overall for Barony?

A: The combination ranks 2344 out of 2935 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, consistent with the GPU's 65th percentile standing being the limiting factor.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, High settings (156 FPS) provide an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, while Ultra (112 FPS) is viable for those prioritizing image fidelity. Medium (182 FPS) is the best choice for high-refresh 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, as it maintains a comfortable margin above the refresh rate.

For 1440p, High settings (99 FPS) are the recommended choice for 60 Hz displays, providing a solid experience. Medium (115 FPS) is better suited for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors, as the 98 FPS minimum stays above typical VRR ranges. Ultra (71 FPS) is playable but not ideal for fast-paced roguelike gameplay where reaction time matters. Low (154 FPS) is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. Medium settings (60 FPS average, 51 FPS minimum) are the highest playable preset, though the minimum dips may be noticeable. Low settings (81 FPS) provide a smoother experience and are recommended for those who prefer consistent frame delivery. High (52 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) are not recommended for regular play, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data indicates that the best overall experience for this combo in Barony is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the display resolution. These settings maximize the balance between visual detail and frame rate, keeping the minimum FPS well above playable thresholds. For users with 4K displays, the recommendation is to run at 4K Low for the smoothest experience, or accept the 60 FPS average of Medium with occasional dips.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features a 24 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In Barony, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as the resolution scaling data demonstrates. The CPU's benchmark scores — Cinebench R23 multicore of 14769 and singlecore of 2085 — indicate strong processing capability. The passmark single-thread score of 4516 and multithread score of 37816 further confirm the CPU's competence for gaming workloads.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 89th among all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (avg score 46030, delta 0.1%), Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, delta -0.1%), AMD EPYC 4364P (45970, delta 0.2%), and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960, delta 0.2%). These rivals are all within 0.2% of the Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46062, showing that the CPU is competitive with high-end mobile and server parts.

The fact that Barony's frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases — from 245 FPS at 1080p Low to 81 FPS at 4K Low — while the CPU has significant headroom indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The 14 threads are more than sufficient for Barony's threading model, which is typical for a roguelike game that does not heavily utilize multi-core processing. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz provides strong single-thread performance where it matters for game logic and physics.

The CPU's 14 cores with 14 threads (no hyperthreading) are adequate for Barony's requirements, and the 24 MB L3 cache helps with game data locality. The 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that the CPU can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, even at 4K resolutions where data transfer demands are higher. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (245 FPS) approaches the practical ceiling for many displays, confirming that the CPU can drive frame rates well beyond typical monitor refresh rates when the GPU is not constrained.