Barony

# Barony with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + AMD Radeon 890M

The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD's Radeon 890M integrated graphics produces a playable but constrained experience in Barony, a roguelike that launched in 2015. The measured frame rates across four resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher settings, yet surprisingly capable at lower resolutions and quality levels. The data shows a performance curve that drops sharply as resolution increases, with the integrated GPU becoming the clear bottleneck beyond 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate degradation from 1080p to 4K follows a steep and consistent pattern across all quality settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 141 at 1920x1080 to 89 at 2560x1440 — a 37% drop — and then to 47 at 3840x2160, representing a 67% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling behavior indicates that the Radeon 890M's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset tells a similar story: 105 FPS at 1080p drops to 66 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decline) and then to 35 FPS at 4K (a 67% decline from 1080p). The High preset shows 90 FPS at 1080p, falling to 57 FPS at 1440p (37% lower) and 30 FPS at 4K (67% lower). Ultra settings follow the same proportional pattern, with 65 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four quality presets is revealing. Whether the game is running at Low or Ultra, the resolution scaling penalty is nearly identical, which strongly suggests that the Radeon 890M's fill rate and memory bandwidth — both system-dependent for this IGP — govern the performance ceiling. The 4K results at High and Ultra (30 FPS and 21 FPS respectively) are below the 30 FPS threshold many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium result of 35 FPS is technically playable but with notable dips to 29 FPS in the measured minimum.

What the data implies is that Barony at 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then the 47 FPS average leaves little margin for demanding scenes. The 1440p results are more encouraging: Low settings deliver 89 FPS, Medium 66 FPS, and High 57 FPS, all comfortably above playable thresholds. At 1080p, even Ultra settings achieve 65 FPS, demonstrating that this integrated solution is well-suited to the game's native resolution sweet spot.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific CPU-GPU combination at rank 2759 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, putting it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems. This low ranking is somewhat surprising given the playable frame rates at 1080p, but it reflects the fact that Barony's measured performance pool includes many discrete GPU configurations that far exceed what an integrated solution can deliver.

The Radeon 890M itself sits at the 45th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 9210. Its nearest rivals in aggregate GPU benchmarks are the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (scoring 9221, a 0.1% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273, 0.7% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294, 0.9% higher). This clustering around the 9200-9300 score range indicates that the 890M is competitive with older discrete graphics cards, which explains why it can handle Barony at moderate resolutions despite being an integrated part.

The CPU side presents a different picture. The Core Ultra 7 155H ranks at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32697. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T (32707, statistically tied at 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32662, 0.1% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F (32750, 0.2% lower). This near-exact clustering around 32,700 points suggests that the 155H's processing power is fully competitive with mid-range desktop and mobile alternatives.

The contrast between the CPU's 83rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 45th percentile, combined with the bottom-6% combo ranking in Barony, clearly identifies the graphics subsystem as the performance constraint. The data indicates that pairing this strong CPU with a more capable discrete GPU would dramatically improve the combo's standing, while the current configuration leaves substantial CPU headroom unused in this game.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 890M capable of running Barony at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows 90 FPS average at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is well above smooth gameplay thresholds. Even Ultra settings at 1080p maintain a 65 FPS average.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960?

A: In aggregate GPU benchmarks, the 890M scores 9210 while the GTX 960 scores 9273, making the GTX 960 approximately 0.7% faster. This places the integrated 890M essentially on par with that older discrete GPU.

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

A: The data suggests 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, even Ultra settings achieve 65 FPS, while Low settings reach 141 FPS. The 1440p results are also playable at Low (89 FPS) and Medium (66 FPS) settings.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 7 155H bottleneck the Radeon 890M in this game?

A: No. The CPU ranks at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 45th percentile. The resolution scaling patterns show consistent GPU-limited behavior, indicating the CPU has ample headroom.

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 47 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K produce 35 FPS with dips to 29 FPS, while High (30 FPS) and Ultra (21 FPS) fall below comfortable playability.

Q: How does the 890M's passmark G3D score of 8076 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 890M's aggregate average score of 9210 places it within 1% of the Radeon Vega 8, GTX 960, GTX 465, and GTX 850M, all of which score between 9221 and 9302.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable. Low settings produce the highest average of 141 FPS, followed by Medium at 105 FPS (with a minimum of 89 and maximum of 121), High at 90 FPS, and Ultra at 65 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 76 FPS, representing a 54% reduction in performance when maxing out quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably but remains respectable. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 66 FPS (minimum 56, maximum 76), High averages 57 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 48 FPS, a 54% reduction — identical proportionally to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the integrated GPU begins to struggle. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS (minimum 29, maximum 40), High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap here is 26 FPS, again representing a 55% reduction, confirming that the proportional cost of Ultra settings remains constant regardless of resolution.

The Medium preset's minimum FPS figures provide additional insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the minimum of 89 FPS against a 105 average shows a 16 FPS fluctuation range. At 1440p, the minimum of 56 FPS against a 66 average represents a 10 FPS range. At 4K, the minimum of 29 FPS against a 35 average shows a 6 FPS range. The data indicates that frame pacing becomes more consistent as resolution increases, likely because the GPU is more uniformly saturated at higher pixel counts.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. The chip contains 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die, with a transistor density of 145.9 million per mm². It features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units, alongside 16 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 400 MHz with a boost clock of 2900 MHz, producing a pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 5.939 TFLOPS, with FP16 performance identical at 5.939 TFLOPS due to a 1:1 ratio.

Memory configuration is entirely system-dependent, with the GPU using shared system memory of unspecified size and type, a shared bus width, and bandwidth described as system dependent. This shared memory arrangement is typical for integrated graphics and explains why the 890M's performance in Barony scales so directly with resolution — the pixel fill rate and memory throughput are the limiting factors.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 590, Geekbench OpenCL 37254, Geekbench Vulkan 40808, and Passmark G3D 8076. The Passmark scores reveal interesting characteristics: DirectX 11 performance (73) is roughly double that of DirectX 10 (33) and DirectX 12 (37), while DirectX 9 scores highest at 97. The G2D score of 979 and GPU compute score of 4157 round out the profile. These results, combined with the 45th percentile ranking, suggest the 890M is positioned at the lower-middle tier of GPUs — sufficient for older or less demanding games like Barony, but not designed for high-end gaming workloads.

The GPU's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it fully supports modern graphics APIs even if its raw performance is limited. In Barony, a roguelike from 2015, this modern API support ensures compatibility, but the game's modest visual demands mean the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of the measured frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 1, based on the Meteor Lake architecture built on Intel's 7 nm process. It contains 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The TDP is rated at 28 W, making it an efficient mobile part. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5, with bandwidth rated at 89.6 GB/s, and the CPU connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 8 lanes.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate strong multi-threaded capability. Cinebench R15 multicore scores 2450 with a single-core score of 255. Cinebench R20 shows 8754 multicore and 1235 single-core. Cinebench R23 achieves 15028 multicore and 1743 single-core. Passmark results include multithread at 24873, single-thread at 3468, physics at 1727, integer math at 86870, floating-point math at 63703, data compression at 277353, data encryption at 16358, extended instructions at 16456, prime numbers at 113, and random string sorting at 31990.

In the context of Barony, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The measured frame rates show no evidence of CPU bottlenecking — the consistent resolution scaling patterns and the fact that even at 1080p Low (141 FPS) the system doesn't hit a CPU-imposed ceiling suggest the processor has ample headroom. The 155H's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average score of 32697, places it alongside the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 in aggregate performance.

The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG 128EU, is separate from the AMD Radeon 890M used in these measurements, indicating that this system pairs Intel's processor with AMD's graphics solution. The 155H's launch MSRP is $503, and it was released on 2023-12-13. Its production status is active, and it uses the Intel BGA 2049 socket with a Meteor Lake architecture codename.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on optimal settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates, but the choice depends on the priority between visual quality and performance headroom. Ultra settings at 65 FPS offer the full visual experience while remaining above the 60 FPS threshold commonly cited for smooth gameplay. High settings at 90 FPS provide a substantial performance buffer with presumably minor visual differences from Ultra. Medium at 105 FPS and Low at 141 FPS are options for players seeking higher refresh rates or future-proofing against demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation narrows to Low through High settings. High averages 57 FPS, which is playable but close to the 60 FPS target. Medium at 66 FPS offers a better balance, while Low at 89 FPS provides the smoothest experience without dropping below playable thresholds. Ultra at 41 FPS is below the ideal range and should be avoided at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings (47 FPS) deliver a consistently playable experience. Medium at 35 FPS is marginal, with minimums dipping to 29 FPS. High at 30 FPS and Ultra at 21 FPS are not recommended for regular gameplay. The data suggests that players prioritizing 4K should accept Low settings or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p for better quality at higher settings.

For the best overall experience, the data points to 1920x1080 with High settings as the sweet spot — 90 FPS average provides smooth gameplay with minimal risk of drops below playable thresholds, while maintaining most of the visual fidelity that Ultra offers. Players with high-refresh-rate displays may prefer 1080p Low at 141 FPS, but the 90 FPS High configuration represents the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom across all measured configurations.