Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, presents an interesting benchmark case for modern hardware. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination reveals performance characteristics that are heavily influenced by the game's engine and the sheer power of the GPU. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examining the roles of both the processor and graphics card in shaping the final experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Barony?

A: The combo is ranked 764th out of 2935 tested combinations in the database for this game, placing it in the top 26% of all tested systems.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H?

A: The Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is only 0.3% higher than the Core Ultra 5 338H's score of 33989. This indicates a nearly identical level of processing performance between the two.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average frame rate is 462 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This suggests the game can run at exceptionally high speeds when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded, and under what conditions?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 70 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings. This is the most demanding configuration tested.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5080 have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the RTX 5080?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with a base clock of 2295 MHz.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 764 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places the system in the 74th percentile of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a mobile processor paired with a desktop-class GPU. The ranking suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier part, the overall system performance is not at the absolute top of the charts, likely due to the processor's mobile-oriented design.

The CPU's own benchmark percentile is 84, indicating it outperforms 84% of all tested CPUs. The GPU's percentile is 87. The fact that the combo's rank in-game (74th percentile) is lower than both individual component percentiles suggests that the game's performance is not solely dependent on these parts, or that there is some bottleneck occurring that prevents the system from reaching the top tier. However, the data shows this is still a very capable combination for this game.

Compared to its nearest CPU rivals, the Core Ultra 7 165H's average score of 34083 is virtually identical to the AMD EPYC 4244P (34220) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222), with delta percentages of -0.4% for both. This indicates that, from a pure processing power standpoint, these very different chips perform at the same level. The game's performance, therefore, is unlikely to be differentiated by the CPU in this comparison. The ranking data suggests the system is well within the top quartile of performance for Barony.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its specifications are substantial: it has 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines. The GPU is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The card's memory subsystem is a key feature, with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This high bandwidth is crucial for high-resolution textures and can be a factor in maintaining frame rates.

In Barony, the GPU's role is evident in how frame rates scale with settings. At 4K resolution, the average FPS drops from 152 on Low settings to 70 on Ultra settings. This is a significant 54% reduction in performance, clearly showing the increased load on the GPU as more graphical effects are enabled. The GPU's raw compute power, measured at 56.28 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is what allows the game to hit frame rates above 400 at 1080p, but even this power is taxed at 4K with Ultra settings.

The RTX 5080's performance relative to its closest rivals is also notable. Its average benchmark score of 56083 is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. However, it is 2.2% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE. This suggests that while the RTX 5080 is a top-tier card, it is not the absolute fastest in every scenario, and its performance in Barony reflects a balance of its architectural strengths and the game's specific demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, the average FPS is 462. Moving to Medium settings reduces the average to 343 FPS, with a minimum of 292 FPS and a maximum of 395 FPS. High settings yield an average of 295 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage a very high average of 211 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained by the GPU, and the frame rates are more than sufficient for any display.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. Low settings produce an average of 291 FPS, and Medium settings average 217 FPS, with a min-max range of 184 to 249 FPS. High settings drop the average to 186 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 133 FPS. This resolution presents a more balanced load, where the GPU is working harder, but the system still delivers high refresh rate gaming on High settings.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU become substantial. The average FPS on Low settings is 152. On Medium settings, the average is 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. High settings average 97 FPS, which is still a playable frame rate. The most demanding configuration, Ultra settings, yields an average of 70 FPS. This shows that while the RTX 5080 is powerful, 4K Ultra is a challenge for it in this title, and users may need to adjust settings to maintain higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable trend in FPS as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 462 at 1080p to 291 at 1440p, a 37% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops from 291 to 152, a 48% decrease. This pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, as the number of pixels to render grows significantly.

For Ultra settings, the scaling is similar but the percentages differ. The average FPS drops from 211 at 1080p to 133 at 1440p, a 37% decrease. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 133 to 70, a 47% decrease. The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the game's rendering load scales linearly with resolution, and the performance is uniformly bound by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth appears to be a critical asset here, allowing the card to maintain reasonable performance even at the high pixel counts of 4K.

This scaling behavior also reveals the CPU's role. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 462 FPS, which is an enormous frame rate. This is a point where a less powerful CPU might struggle to feed the GPU with enough draw calls to maintain such high FPS. The fact that the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, is able to sustain this level suggests it is not a bottleneck at these lower resolutions. The data implies that as resolution increases, the bottleneck shifts more and more toward the GPU, while at lower resolutions and settings, the system is balanced enough to avoid a CPU limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor from the Meteor Lake architecture, featuring 16 cores and 22 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz and it can boost up to 5.00 GHz. While it is a powerful mobile chip, its role in this game's performance is secondary to the GPU. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the system can achieve over 460 FPS, which confirms the CPU's ability to handle the game's logic and draw calls at high speed.

The CPU's benchmark scores, such as 14551 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1759 in single-core, indicate a high level of processing capability. Its Passmark single-thread score of 3509 is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on single-thread performance. The data suggests that this CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 5080 in Barony, as the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU-bound trend.

However, the CPU's influence becomes more apparent when comparing it to its rivals. The Core Ultra 7 165H's average score of 34083 is only 0.3% higher than the Core Ultra 5 338H, and it is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. This means that in a CPU-bound scenario, these processors would perform almost identically. The data from Barony, where frame rates are extremely high, suggests that the game is not heavily CPU-bound in most tested configurations, allowing the GPU to be the primary driver of performance. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the system is so powerful that even Ultra settings, with an average of 211 FPS, provide an exceptional experience. For users with a 240Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, dropping to High settings at 295 FPS or Medium at 343 FPS would be the best way to take advantage of the display's capabilities. Low settings at 462 FPS are unnecessary for most, as the visual quality trade-off is not worth the extra frames beyond a certain point.

At 1440p, the recommendation is to use High settings for the best balance of visuals and performance, with an average of 186 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience on high refresh rate monitors. Ultra settings at 133 FPS are also viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rates. Medium settings at 217 FPS are a good middle ground for users with 200Hz+ displays who want to stay on the higher end of the refresh rate curve.

At 4K, the choices become more critical. For users with a 144Hz 4K display, High settings at 97 FPS are likely the best option, as it is the highest settings preset that remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and is close to the 100 FPS mark. Medium settings at 113 FPS would be a better choice for those who want a bit more headroom above the refresh rate. Ultra settings at 70 FPS are playable but will not be as smooth, and the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 28% performance drop. Low settings at 152 FPS are an option for competitive play at 4K, but the visual compromise is significant. The data suggests that High or Medium settings at 4K provide the best overall experience for this game with this hardware.