Barony

# Barony with Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

Barony, a roguelike released in 2015, presents an unusual benchmarking scenario where a modern high-end desktop combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all settings. The pairing of Intel's Core Ultra 5 235 with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER produces results that span from 79 FPS at 4K Ultra to 522 FPS at 1080p Low, revealing a system that is largely GPU-bound at higher resolutions but increasingly CPU-bound as resolution drops. The data suggests this combination is dramatically overqualified for the game's demands, yet the scaling patterns offer valuable insights into how each component contributes to the final experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This processor sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 46062.

In Barony, the CPU's influence becomes apparent primarily at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed what the GPU can sustain. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 522 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 239 FPS — a difference of 283 FPS that cannot be attributed solely to GPU workload. The 14-core configuration with 14 threads (no hyperthreading) means each core handles a single thread, which is typically sufficient for a roguelike's gameplay logic but may create bottlenecks in certain procedural generation scenarios. The 5.00 GHz boost clock provides strong single-thread performance, reflected in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, which helps maintain high minimum frame rates in CPU-bound sections.

The processor's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core i9-13900HX at -0.1%, and two AMD EPYC server processors (4364P and 7303) both at 0.2% delta. The Core Ultra 5 235 sits remarkably close to these competitors, with performance differences of less than one percent in aggregate benchmarks. This suggests that for Barony, the specific CPU choice among these rivals would have minimal impact on frame rates, as the game is not particularly demanding on multi-core processing.

The PassMark multithread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 indicate balanced performance, but Barony's engine appears to favor the higher boost clock for single-threaded tasks like pathfinding and entity updates. The data compression score of 390711 and floating-point math score of 117951 suggest strong computational throughput, though these are unlikely to be heavily utilized during typical roguelike gameplay.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 522 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed by 388 FPS at 1080p Medium and 333 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030), 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098), and 0.2% higher than both the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, scores 43262, representing a -0.1% delta.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 479th out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the top 16.3% of all tested systems for this game.

Q: What is the only resolution/settings combination with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values?

A: Medium settings at all three resolutions have complete min/max data: at 1080p (330-446 FPS), 1440p (208-282 FPS), and 4K (109-147 FPS).

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

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings produce 172 FPS while Ultra produces 79 FPS, a difference of 93 FPS. Medium sits at 128 FPS and High at 110 FPS.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation at higher resolutions and CPU limitation at lower ones. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 522 FPS at 1080p to 329 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 172 FPS at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). This dramatic scaling with resolution strongly indicates GPU-bound performance, as the CPU could maintain much higher frame rates if the GPU were not the constraint.

At Ultra settings, the pattern is similar but compressed: 239 FPS at 1080p, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36.8% from 1080p to 1440p and 67% from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the Low setting scaling. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor across all settings at every resolution, with the CPU providing ample headroom even at 1080p Ultra where 239 FPS is achieved.

The Medium settings data provides the only complete min/max measurements, showing that at 1080p the system ranges from 330 to 446 FPS, at 1440p from 208 to 282 FPS, and at 4K from 109 to 147 FPS. The minimum-to-maximum spread narrows from 116 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p to 38 FPS at 4K, suggesting that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases — likely because GPU workload becomes more uniform and CPU-related frame spikes are less impactful.

The fact that 1080p Low achieves 522 FPS while 4K Ultra achieves only 79 FPS — a 6.6x difference — underscores that this combination's performance in Barony is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's rendering throughput. The CPU's 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for the game's demands, even at extreme frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 479th out of 2935 tested combinations in Barony. This position places it in the 83.7th percentile, meaning it outperforms approximately 83.7% of all tested systems while being surpassed by the top 16.3%.

Given that the RTX 4070 SUPER is an end-of-life product released in January 2024 with a successor in the GeForce 50 series, and the Core Ultra 5 235 is a current-generation processor released in January 2025, this mid-pack ranking reflects the fact that many higher-end combinations exist in the database. However, the ranking must be interpreted in the context of Barony's modest graphical requirements — the actual frame rates achieved are extremely high across all settings, and the rank likely reflects the presence of more powerful GPUs (such as those in the 80th+ percentile) rather than any deficiency in this combo.

The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest that individual components are well above average, yet the combination rank of 479/2935 indicates that the pairing is not at the extreme top end. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (-0.1% delta), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (-0.1% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (-1% delta), showing that the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance is closely matched by several other cards.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS data across all settings and resolutions, the Medium preset consistently offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 388 FPS average with a minimum of 330 FPS and maximum of 446 FPS. This provides a 330 FPS floor that exceeds the refresh rate of virtually all consumer monitors, ensuring no frame drops below display capabilities.

At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 245 FPS with minimum 208 FPS and maximum 282 FPS — still far above typical 144Hz or 165Hz displays. The 208 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes maintain high refresh rates. At 4K Medium, the average is 128 FPS with minimum 109 FPS and maximum 147 FPS, which is suitable for 120Hz displays but would benefit from the 110 FPS average at High settings if visual fidelity is prioritized over the extra 18 FPS.

High settings at 4K yield 110 FPS average, making it a viable alternative to Medium for 4K gaming on 100Hz+ displays. Ultra settings at 4K drop to 79 FPS average, which falls below ideal refresh rates for most high-end monitors. At 1080p and 1440p, Ultra settings still produce 239 FPS and 151 FPS respectively, so there is no practical need to reduce settings below Ultra at these resolutions for most users.

The most compelling recommendation is 1440p Medium or High: 1440p High achieves 210 FPS average while Medium achieves 245 FPS, both providing substantial headroom. For users with 4K displays, Medium at 128 FPS offers the best combination of smoothness and visual quality, while those prioritizing maximum fidelity can use High at 110 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080:

• Low: 522 FPS average
• Medium: 388 FPS average (min 330, max 446)
• High: 333 FPS average
• Ultra: 239 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 329 FPS average
• Medium: 245 FPS average (min 208, max 282)
• High: 210 FPS average
• Ultra: 151 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 172 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average (min 109, max 147)
• High: 110 FPS average
• Ultra: 79 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: moving from Low to Medium costs approximately 25% of frame rate, from Medium to High costs approximately 15%, and from High to Ultra costs approximately 28%. At 1080p, the progression is 522 → 388 → 333 → 239 FPS. At 1440p, it's 329 → 245 → 210 → 151 FPS. At 4K, it's 172 → 128 → 110 → 79 FPS.

The only settings with min/max data are Medium across all resolutions. The 1080p Medium spread of 330-446 FPS (116 FPS range) narrows to 208-282 FPS (74 FPS range) at 1440p and 109-147 FPS (38 FPS range) at 4K. This tightening suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent as GPU load increases, with fewer CPU-induced spikes at higher resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and boost clock of 2475 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The card contains 7168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, along with 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores.

The GPU's passmark G3D score of 29995 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 place it at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (-0.1% delta) and RTX 5050 Mobile (-0.1% delta), while slightly behind the RTX 4090 Mobile (-1% delta). The 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Barony, which is a 2015 roguelike with modest texture requirements — the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is likewise far beyond what this game demands.

The GPU's 220 W TDP with a suggested 550 W PSU indicates a mid-range power envelope, though this is irrelevant to the game's performance characteristics. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for the game's data transfer needs. The card's production status is end-of-life, having been succeeded by the GeForce 50 series, but its performance in Barony remains exceptional.

The GPU's role is clearly dominant in determining frame rates across all settings and resolutions. The scaling from 522 FPS at 1080p Low to 79 FPS at 4K Ultra (6.6x reduction) aligns with the GPU being the primary bottleneck. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key metrics driving this game's rendering, though Barony's simple geometry and effects likely stress the pixel throughput more than the compute capabilities.