Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, presents an interesting case for modern hardware. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination shows exceptionally high frame rates across all settings and resolutions, indicating that this game is far from a stress test for this particular pairing. The dataset reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet capable of producing over 450 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, which points to a significant amount of headroom in the CPU.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for the best experience in Barony. Across all three tested resolutions—1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160—the "Ultra" preset delivers the lowest average frame rates, while "Low" delivers the highest. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the "Low" preset at 1080p yields a staggering 469 FPS average, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The "Medium" preset at 1080p still achieves an exceptional 349 FPS average, with a minimum of 296 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The "High" preset at 1080p drops to a 299 FPS average, still a very playable number.

The choice of the best preset depends heavily on the target resolution. At 4K, the "Ultra" preset produces an average of 71 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for dips. The "High" preset at 4K, however, offers a significantly better balance, boosting the average to 99 FPS. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth experience at 4K, "High" is the superior choice over "Ultra," as the 28 FPS gain (from 71 to 99) is substantial and likely more impactful than the marginal visual improvement of the highest preset. At 1440p, the "High" preset provides a 189 FPS average, which is ideal for 144Hz displays, while "Ultra" at 135 FPS still comfortably exceeds 120Hz. The most balanced experience, considering both visual quality and performance, appears to be the "High" preset at 1440p, which combines high image fidelity with a frame rate that outpaces most high-refresh-rate monitors. For maximum competitive smoothness at 1080p, "Low" is the clear winner, but "Medium" offers a near-identical experience with likely better visuals, given its 349 FPS average and 296 FPS minimum.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4070 combination holds the 663rd rank out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 22.6% of all tested systems, a strong showing that reflects the high frame rates observed. This ranking is likely influenced by the fact that Barony is a lightweight game, allowing the CPU and GPU to perform near their peak potential without being a bottleneck. The data indicates that this combo is not at the absolute top, likely because many other tested combos include more powerful (and more expensive) components that can push even higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU becomes more relevant.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's performance is a key factor. The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This is a very high score, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (scoring 46030, a 0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (scoring 46098, a -0.1% difference). This indicates that the Ultra 5 235 is essentially on par with these high-end mobile and desktop chips in general compute benchmarks, which bodes well for its ability to feed the GPU in a game like Barony. The GPU, the RTX 4070, has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (scoring 37628, a 0.1% difference), showing it sits in a competitive mid-to-high tier for graphics performance. The combination of an 89th percentile CPU and an 81st percentile GPU logically produces a system that ranks in the top quarter of all combos for this specific title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 plays a central role in determining the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Barony, a game from 2015 with relatively modest texture requirements. The data suggests that VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor here, as the game runs smoothly even at 4K, with the "High" preset achieving an average of 99 FPS. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2475 MHz, and its performance in the measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern with settings.

The GPU's compute capabilities, such as its 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate, contribute to the high frame rates observed. The most telling evidence of the GPU's role comes from the FPS drop when increasing resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 469 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 155 FPS. This 67% reduction in frame rate as resolution quadruples is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU is working harder to fill more pixels, and its performance ceiling is being reached. In contrast, the relatively small differences between settings at a fixed resolution show that the CPU can easily handle the increased draw calls and game logic. The RTX 4070, with its 5888 shading units, is the primary driver of the experience, and its performance scales predictably with the workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is incredibly fast. The "Low" preset achieves an average of 469 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. "Medium" results in a 349 FPS average (minimum 296 FPS, maximum 401 FPS), "High" yields 299 FPS, and "Ultra" brings up the rear with a still-impressive 215 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the frame rates are so high that the GPU has plenty of spare capacity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high but begin to show the GPU's influence. The "Low" preset averages 296 FPS, "Medium" averages 220 FPS (minimum 187 FPS, maximum 253 FPS), "High" averages 189 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 135 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with the "Ultra" preset falling by 80 FPS (from 215 to 135), which is a 37% reduction. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The "Low" preset averages 155 FPS, "Medium" averages 115 FPS (minimum 98 FPS, maximum 132 FPS), "High" averages 99 FPS, and "Ultra" drops to an average of 71 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a further steep decline, with "High" falling by 90 FPS (from 189 to 99), a 48% reduction.

The pattern is consistent: the gap between "Low" and "Ultra" settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 254 FPS (469 vs 215), while at 4K, it is 84 FPS (155 vs 71). This indicates that at 1080p, the game is likely CPU-bound, and lowering settings doesn't fully unlock the GPU's potential. At 4K, the game is firmly GPU-bound, and the settings directly impact the GPU's workload, leading to a more linear scaling in performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is a powerful indicator of which component is the limiting factor in the system. At the "Low" preset, the average FPS falls from 469 at 1080p to 296 at 1440p, a 37% drop, and then to 155 at 4K, a further 48% drop from 1440p. This consistent and massive reduction in performance as pixel count increases is a textbook sign of a GPU-bound workload. The RTX 4070 is simply running out of pixel-pushing power.

The "High" preset shows a similar trend: 299 FPS at 1080p, 189 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 48%, respectively, mirroring the "Low" preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain more constant across resolutions, especially at lower settings. For instance, a CPU-bound game might see 400 FPS at both 1080p and 1440p. The data here shows that every step up in resolution costs a significant chunk of performance, which is the signature of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits.

The implication is that for this specific combo in Barony, the RTX 4070 is the component that dictates the maximum achievable frame rate at any given resolution. The Core Ultra 5 235 is more than capable of keeping up, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU's single-threaded performance is often the deciding factor. The data strongly suggests that to get the most out of this system, users should target 1440p or 4K, where the GPU's capabilities are fully utilized. At 1080p, the CPU is leaving performance on the table, and the GPU is not being fully exercised.

FAQ

Q: Is this system capable of running Barony at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 99 FPS at 3840x2160 with the "High" preset. This indicates a comfortable and smooth experience for 4K gaming.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combination can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average is 469 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the "Low" settings preset.

Q: Should I use the "Ultra" preset for the best experience?

A: The "Ultra" preset yields the lowest average frame rates at every resolution. For example, at 1440p, "Ultra" averages 135 FPS compared to "High" which averages 189 FPS. The visual difference is likely small, so "High" is often a better choice for higher frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the main bottleneck. The significant FPS drops when increasing resolution (e.g., "High" drops from 299 FPS at 1080p to 99 FPS at 4K) are a clear sign of a GPU-bound workload.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to other CPUs in this system?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 scores in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with a benchmark score of 46062. It is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which is only 0.1% faster.

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

A: The measured data shows an average of 220 FPS at 2560x1440 on "Medium" settings, with a minimum of 187 FPS and a maximum of 253 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a crucial, yet secondary, role in this game's performance. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it is a modern desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for game logic and draw calls. The CPU's benchmark results support this, showing a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a multi-core score of 14769. This high single-core performance is what allows the system to reach the extraordinary frame rates seen at 1080p.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that for Barony, the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU is clearly capable of feeding the GPU with enough data, as the frame rates are almost entirely dictated by the GPU's workload. The fact that the FPS drops so steeply from 1080p to 4K indicates that the CPU has headroom to spare. At 1080p on "Low," the system hits 469 FPS, which confirms the CPU's ability to process the game's logic at a very high rate. The 89th percentile benchmark ranking, being nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-13900HX, further underscores its capability. The CPU's L3 cache of 24 MB and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensure that data can be fed to the processor quickly, avoiding any potential stalling. In this configuration, the Core Ultra 5 235 is a high-performance engine that ensures the RTX 4070 is never left waiting for instructions, effectively making the GPU the sole arbiter of performance in Barony.