Barony

# FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers an average of 112 FPS at 1920x1080 on Ultra settings, making it a solid choice for high-refresh-rate play in Barony.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 37 FPS on Ultra to 81 FPS on Low settings, with Medium hitting 60 FPS and High reaching 52 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 sits in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,995. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, scores 49,196, a margin of only -0.4%.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest competitors?

A: The Intel Arc B570 holds the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20,556. It trades blows with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20,534 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Arc A750 at 20,582 (a -0.1% difference).

Q: What is the best settings preset for smooth gameplay at 1440p?

A: Based on measured data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, making it the most balanced option for consistent frame pacing at this resolution.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2,344 out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database for this specific title.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture using a 3 nm process from TSMC. Its base clock runs at 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, allowing it to handle both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads effectively. 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, which supports the game's procedural generation and entity management systems in Barony.

Benchmark results show the CPU achieving a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924 and a single-core score of 4,648. In Passmark tests, it scores 38,706 in multithread, 4,394 in single-thread, and 120,548 in floating-point math. These figures suggest strong computational headroom for a roguelike title like Barony, which relies more on game logic, pathfinding, and world generation than on heavy physics simulation. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all processors underscores its capability to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios.

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G with an average benchmark score of 49,196 (a -0.4% difference), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at 49,228 (-0.5%), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48,698 (0.6%), and the Intel Core i5-14600K at 48,618 (0.8%). These narrow margins indicate that the CPU sits in a competitive performance band, with none of its closest competitors holding a decisive advantage. For Barony, this means the processor delivers consistent frame delivery without sudden hitches, as its multi-core throughput supports the game's synchronous simulation loops.

The CPU's memory support includes dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which helps feed the GPU and the game's data streaming needs. ECC memory support is also present, a feature that adds stability for long sessions. The processor uses an Intel Socket 1851 and supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes, ensuring high-bandwidth connectivity to the Arc B570. Its 65 W TDP keeps power demands modest, and the integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64EU provides a fallback display output, though the discrete GPU handles all rendering in this benchmark set.

In Barony specifically, the CPU's single-thread performance is likely the more critical factor, as roguelike games often serialize game state updates. The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 468 and R20 single-core score of 1,952 indicate strong per-thread capability, which translates to responsive input handling and smooth turn-based logic transitions. Data compression and encryption scores of 400,942 and 30,236, respectively, further confirm the CPU's ability to handle procedural content generation without introducing stutter.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with a chip designation of BMG-G21. It features 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, along with 18 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) across a 160-bit bus. The 10 GB GDDR6 memory pool delivers a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for the texture and asset streaming demands of Barony at high resolutions.

The GPU's compute capabilities include an FP32 throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS and FP16 of 23.04 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), with pixel and texture rates of 200.0 GPixel/s and 360.0 GTexel/s, respectively. These specifications place the Arc B570 in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, a 0.1% difference), Intel Arc A750 (20,582, -0.1%), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480, 0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20,662, -0.5%). The performance parity with these cards indicates that the Arc B570 delivers mainstream-class rendering power, well-matched to a roguelike title that does not demand extreme graphical fidelity.

In DirectX benchmarks, the GPU scores 65 in DirectX 10, 118 in DirectX 11, and 72 in DirectX 12, with a DirectX 9 score of 164. Passmark G3D and G2D scores are 14,195 and 661, respectively, while GPU compute reaches 7,281. The API support extends to DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern rendering paths. The GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, which provides adequate bandwidth for this game's data transfer needs, and its 150 W TDP with a suggested 450 W power supply keeps system integration straightforward.

For Barony, the GPU's role is to maintain high frame rates across the game's tile-based but visually detailed environments. The measured FPS data shows that the Arc B570 scales predictably with settings and resolution, with the largest performance gap occurring between Low and Ultra presets. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 245 FPS on Low, 182 FPS on Medium, 156 FPS on High, and 112 FPS on Ultra, demonstrating that even at maximum settings, the card never dips below the 100 FPS mark. At 1440p, the GPU maintains 154 FPS on Low, 115 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 98 FPS), 99 FPS on High, and 71 FPS on Ultra, showing a smooth degradation curve. At 4K, the GPU reaches 81 FPS on Low, 60 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 51 FPS), 52 FPS on High, and 37 FPS on Ultra, where only the Low and Medium presets sustain playable frame rates.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and Intel Arc B570 combination in Barony spans three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 245 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations. The Medium preset delivers 182 FPS average, with a minimum of 155 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing with a tight range. High settings produce 156 FPS average, while Ultra settings still maintain a robust 112 FPS average. All 1080p presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but with expected reductions. Low settings yield 154 FPS average, Medium settings deliver 115 FPS average with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS, High settings produce 99 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 71 FPS average. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a particularly stable frame delivery, with the minimum frame rate staying above 60 FPS, which is crucial for avoiding perceptible stutter during fast-paced gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the combo faces its most demanding scenarios. Low settings achieve 81 FPS average, Medium settings hit 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, High settings fall to 52 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS average. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable on Low or Medium presets, with Medium providing a borderline playable experience at exactly 60 FPS average, though the 51 FPS minimum suggests occasional dips below the target. High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the average frame rates fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Comparing across resolutions, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p results in roughly a 37% performance drop on Ultra settings (from 112 to 71 FPS), while the drop from 1440p to 4K on Ultra is more severe, at about 48% (from 71 to 37 FPS). The Low preset shows the least degradation, moving from 245 FPS at 1080p to 154 FPS at 1440p and 81 FPS at 4K. This pattern indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading throughput become increasingly limiting at higher resolutions, particularly when texture quality and effects are maxed out.

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 combined with the Intel Arc B570 holds a rank of 2,344 out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects the game's relatively modest hardware requirements, where even mid-range components can achieve high frame rates, but the specific combination of this CPU and GPU does not boost it to the upper echelons of the rankings.

The CPU's 90th percentile standing among all processors suggests that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing. Its average benchmark score of 48,995 places it within 0.5% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and AMD Ryzen 9 7900, indicating that the CPU delivers competitive performance for this game's logic-heavy workload. The GPU, however, sits at the 65th percentile, which is more modest and likely contributes to the combo's lower overall rank. The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20,556 puts it in close competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and Intel Arc A750, but this level of GPU performance is not exceptional enough to push the combo into the top tier.

In the context of Barony's roguelike genre, the combo's rank of 2,344 out of 2,935 suggests that while the system can run the game smoothly at most settings, there are many other configurations that achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 4K resolution. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that the combo only delivers 60 FPS or higher on Low and Medium presets at 4K, which is a limiting factor for players with high-resolution displays. At 1080p and 1440p, however, the combo performs admirably, with all presets exceeding 70 FPS average, which may be sufficient for the majority of players.

The rank also reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. With the CPU performing in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 65th, there is a noticeable imbalance that prevents the combo from reaching higher ranks. In a game like Barony, where CPU performance is critical for turn-based logic and world generation, the strong CPU helps maintain consistent frame delivery, but the GPU's moderate performance caps the maximum achievable frame rates at high settings and resolutions. This is evident in the 4K Ultra preset, which only manages 37 FPS average, a figure that places the combo well below the top performers in the database.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo depends on the target resolution and the player's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, delivering an average of 112 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 156 FPS and Medium at 182 FPS are also viable options for players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, but the Ultra preset offers the best balance of performance and graphical detail for most users.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, with an average of 115 FPS and a minimum of 98 FPS. This configuration ensures that frame rates never drop below 60 FPS, providing a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 99 FPS average is also acceptable, though it comes closer to the 60 FPS minimum threshold. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS average is playable but may exhibit occasional frame dips on more complex scenes, so it is only recommended for players who prioritize visual quality over absolute smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only recommendation for a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 81 FPS. The Medium preset at 60 FPS average is borderline, with a minimum of 51 FPS that could result in noticeable stutter during intense gameplay. High and Ultra presets at 4K, with averages of 52 FPS and 37 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a game that requires quick reactions, as the frame rates fall below the playable threshold.

For players with mixed usage, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience, combining high frame rates with moderate visual fidelity. This configuration delivers a minimum of 98 FPS, ensuring no drops below 60 FPS, and provides headroom for other applications running in the background. If visual quality is paramount and the player has a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is the definitive choice, as it maintains an average of 112 FPS while showcasing the full graphical capabilities of the Arc B570. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable option for competitive play, while the Medium preset can be considered for less demanding scenarios.