Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is a mainstream combination that produces high frame rates in Barony, but its performance ceiling is defined by the graphics card. In the database of tested combos for this game, this pairing ranks 1258th out of 2935 entries, placing it in the upper-middle tier of systems. This rank reflects a setup that can handle the game’s most demanding settings at high resolutions, though it does not reach the top echelon of performance. The data indicates a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being playable but requiring some compromises in visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1258 out of 2935 tested systems places it in the 57th percentile of all configurations tested for Barony. This is a solid position, suggesting that while many systems outperform it, a significant majority of tested hardware combinations deliver lower frame rates. The ranking is driven primarily by the GPU’s performance in this specific title, as the CPU’s general compute capabilities are strong but not the limiting factor here.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 shows a balanced profile in synthetic benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals in CPU performance are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which score 49196 and 49228 respectively, placing the Ultra 5 245 within 0.4-0.5% of those parts. Conversely, it sits 0.6% above the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% above the Intel Core i5-14600K. This indicates the processor is competitive with a wide range of mid-to-high-end chips, providing ample single-thread and multi-thread horsepower for a roguelike title that is not heavily threaded.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5060’s average benchmark score is 26331, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550, with deltas of -0.3% for both. It is also close to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (-0.8%) and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (+1.2%). This suggests the RTX 5060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but its memory configuration and bandwidth will limit its 4K performance in more demanding scenarios. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU means that the system’s overall rank is largely constrained by the graphics card’s ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the decisive component in this pairing’s gaming performance. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This is a sufficient amount of memory for Barony at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra settings, the game may approach the memory capacity limits. The GPU’s base clock is 2280 MHz with a boost clock of 2497 MHz, and it has 3840 shading units. These specifications translate into a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s.

The GPU’s FP32 performance is 19.18 TFLOPS, which is the same as its FP16 performance, indicating a 1:1 ratio. This is typical for gaming workloads, where the GPU is primarily doing single-precision math. The card has 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores, though Barony is not a title that heavily utilizes ray tracing or DLSS, so these features have minimal impact on the measured results. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern APIs, but the game’s performance is more dependent on raw rasterization throughput.

In Barony, the RTX 5060’s performance is strong enough to deliver 60+ FPS at 4K on High settings, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is significant. The data shows that at 4K, the average FPS drops from 120 on Low to 55 on Ultra, which is a 54% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed the graphics card in this roguelike. The GPU’s 8 GB memory size is adequate for the game’s textures, but users should be mindful of settings that increase memory usage beyond what the card can efficiently handle.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this combo?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 on High settings, the system achieves 146 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1920x1080 on High, it reaches 231 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p High is the optimal choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates that are more than sufficient for a roguelike.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160 on High settings, the average FPS is 76, which is playable. On Medium settings, it drops to 89 FPS, and on Low it reaches 120 FPS. However, on Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 55, which may be below the preference of some players. The 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth of the RTX 5060 are sufficient for 4K in this title, but Ultra settings will push the card to its limit.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 by 0.5%. It outperforms the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. This shows that the Ultra 5 245 is statistically on par with these processors, making it a strong choice for gaming.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 5060 and its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5060’s average score is 26331. It is 0.3% slower than both the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550. It is 0.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary and 1.2% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 5060 performs within a tight window of these competing cards.

Q: Is there a significant frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average FPS goes from 363 on Low to 166 on Ultra, a 54% decrease. At 2560x1440, it drops from 229 FPS on Low to 105 FPS on Ultra, a 54% decrease. At 4K, the drop is from 120 FPS on Low to 55 FPS on Ultra, a 54% decrease. This consistent pattern indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the GPU.

Q: Does this system have a bottleneck in Barony?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system hits 363 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 55 FPS, showing that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel count and visual effects. The CPU has sufficient headroom, as evidenced by its strong synthetic scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. On Low settings, the average FPS is 363, which is extremely high. Medium settings yield 270 FPS, with a minimum of 229 and a maximum of 310. High settings produce 231 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 166 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is not a challenge for this hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very playable. Low settings average 229 FPS, Medium settings average 170 FPS with a minimum of 145 and a maximum of 196, High settings average 146 FPS, and Ultra settings average 105 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is about 54%, which is consistent with the pattern seen at 1080p. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, with all settings comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 120 FPS, Medium settings average 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 102, High settings average 76 FPS, and Ultra settings average 55 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 76, which is still smooth, but at Ultra, the average of 55 FPS may cause noticeable stutters in a fast-paced roguelike. The data shows that 4K is viable, but players will need to choose between High and Ultra settings depending on their preference for frame rate versus visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 231 at 1080p to 146 at 1440p, a 37% decrease, and then to 76 at 4K, a 48% decrease from 1440p. This pattern shows that the GPU is under increasing load as resolution rises, which is expected. However, the scaling is not perfectly linear, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are becoming limiting factors at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The average FPS drops from 363 at 1080p to 229 at 1440p, a 37% decrease, and then to 120 at 4K, a 48% decrease from 1440p. This suggests that even at low visual complexity, the GPU is still the primary constraint. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance, is not holding the system back at any resolution. The data indicates that the RTX 5060’s 128-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the main factors that prevent higher frame rates at 4K.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent 37% drop in FPS across settings, while the transition from 1440p to 4K shows a 48% drop. This larger drop at 4K is due to the exponential increase in pixel count, which requires more memory bandwidth and fill rate. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is also a consideration, as larger textures at 4K could potentially exceed this capacity, though the measured data does not show a catastrophic failure, only a significant FPS reduction. For players seeking the highest frame rates, 1080p is the clear choice, while 1440p offers a good compromise.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset is the recommended setting for most players using this combo. It provides a substantial visual improvement over Medium and Low settings, while still delivering frame rates that are well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, High averages 231 FPS, at 1440p it averages 146 FPS, and at 4K it averages 76 FPS. This makes High the most versatile choice, as it is playable at all three resolutions without any major compromises.

For players with high refresh rate monitors at 1080p, the Medium preset is a strong alternative, offering 270 FPS, which is enough to take advantage of 240Hz displays. The Low preset at 1080p, with 363 FPS, is overkill for most monitors but useful for competitive play where maximum frame rate is prioritized. At 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers 105 FPS, which is still smooth, but the jump from High to Ultra only yields a marginal visual improvement in a roguelike, so High is the better value. At 4K, the Ultra preset should be avoided, as the 55 FPS average is below the ideal range for a game that requires quick reactions. Instead, High at 4K, with 76 FPS, provides a better experience.

The data shows that the Ultra preset is the most demanding, with a 54% performance drop from Low across all resolutions. This is a significant cost for visual fidelity that many players may not notice in a game with Barony’s art style. Therefore, the recommendation is to use High settings as the default, and only consider Ultra if the player has a monitor with a lower refresh rate or prioritizes graphics over frame rate. The Medium preset is a good fallback if the system needs to maintain higher frame rates in intense moments, as it provides a smoother experience with a minimal visual penalty.