Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, is not a graphically demanding title by modern standards, yet the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the Intel Arc B390 reveals a system that is profoundly constrained by its graphics component. The data shows a combination that ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested configurations for this game, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested hardware pairings. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile of all tested graphics cards, while the CPU performs in the 93rd percentile of all processors. The result is a system where the processor's substantial compute power is largely left on the table, as the integrated graphics solution becomes the definitive bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz, which explains its strong single-threaded performance in synthetic benchmarks like a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960. For a roguelike such as Barony, which typically relies on a single primary game thread for simulation and game logic, this high boost clock is theoretically beneficial for maintaining a stable frame rate. The processor's substantial L3 cache of 30 MB (shared) also helps in reducing latency for frequently accessed game data.

However, the benchmark results indicate that this CPU's potential is not being utilized effectively in this specific configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 159 FPS, but this is where the CPU's influence is most visible. As the resolution increases, the frame rate drops dramatically, a classic sign that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's multi-threaded prowess, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a Passmark multithread score of 49682, is irrelevant for a game that likely doesn't scale across 20 cores. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, have average scores within 0.7% of this chip, indicating that this processor is a strong performer in general, but its power is simply not harnessed here. The data suggests that in Barony, the CPU is waiting on the GPU to render each frame, meaning the 20 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock provide a capable foundation that is never pushed to its limit.

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

Given the severe GPU bottleneck, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and achieving a playable frame rate. The data provides clear guidance on this front. At 1080p, the system can handle High settings with an average of 102 FPS, which is a solid experience for a roguelike where reaction time matters. Dropping to Medium yields 118 FPS, and Low pushes it to 159 FPS. For a game of this genre, the jump from High to Medium provides a 16 FPS improvement, which is noticeable, but the jump from Medium to Low provides another 41 FPS, suggesting a significant reduction in rendering load. The Ultra preset, however, is the worst choice, as it drops the frame rate to 73 FPS at 1080p, a 29 FPS penalty over High settings for what is likely a marginal visual gain in a pixel-art or low-fidelity style game.

For a smoother experience, the data indicates that Low settings at 1440p (100 FPS) are comparable to High settings at 1080p (102 FPS). This suggests that users with a 1440p monitor could prioritize resolution over graphical detail to maintain a high frame rate. The most balanced experience appears to be Medium settings, which offers 118 FPS at 1080p and maintains a respectable 75 FPS at 1440p. Pushing to 4K with any preset is generally not recommended, as even Low settings only yield 53 FPS, which may feel inconsistent for a game requiring precision. The verdict is clear: for the best experience, users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings, avoiding Ultra entirely due to its disproportionate performance cost.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions paints a definitive picture of a system limited by its graphics processor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 102 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, a 37% reduction, and then to 34 FPS at 4K, a further 47% drop. This linear degradation with pixel count is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, simply does not have the raw pixel throughput to handle the increased workload at higher resolutions.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 159 FPS at 1080p to 100 FPS at 1440p (a 37% drop) and then to 53 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop). The relative consistency of these percentage drops—roughly a 37% penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% for moving to 4K—confirms that the rendering resolution is the dominant factor in performance, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU work per frame would stay the same. Instead, the data shows a consistent decline, indicating that the Arc B390's fill rate and memory bandwidth (which is system-dependent and shared) are the limiting resources. The CPU, which is overkill for this task, is effectively idle, waiting for the GPU to finish each frame.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at a high refresh rate (144Hz)?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 159, which is above 144. However, at Medium settings it drops to 118 FPS, and at High settings it falls to 102 FPS. So, achieving 144 FPS requires the lowest settings at 1080p.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 or the Intel Arc B390 the main factor for performance in Barony?

A: The data indicates the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., from 102 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 4K on High settings), which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU bottleneck.

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

A: Based on the measured rows, 1080p offers the most playable frame rates, with 1440p on Low or Medium settings also being viable. 4K is not recommended, as even Low settings only achieve an average of 53 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in terms of raw GPU score?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, putting the Arc B390 1.3% ahead. It is also 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M and 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM.

Q: Is the Ultra settings preset worth using for this game?

A: No. The data shows a significant performance penalty for Ultra settings. At 1080p, Ultra yields 73 FPS, which is 29 FPS lower than High settings. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 46 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 24 FPS, making it the least desirable preset.

Q: Does the CPU's 20 cores provide any advantage in this game?

A: The benchmark data suggests no. The performance scales poorly with resolution, indicating a GPU limit. While the CPU has a high boost clock of 5.30 GHz, its multi-core capabilities are not utilized in Barony, as the frame rate is dictated by the graphics processor's rendering speed.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, featuring 1536 shading units and 12 ray tracing cores. Its performance is fundamentally limited by its design, as it shares system memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. The memory type and bus width are listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth being "System Dependent." This means the GPU is reliant on the same DDR5 memory as the CPU, which introduces latency and bandwidth constraints that are detrimental to gaming performance, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock is a low 300 MHz, but it can boost to 2500 MHz, allowing for bursts of activity when needed.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its entry-level status. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts, with the Arc B390 being only 1.3% faster than the GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710. This context is crucial for interpreting the Barony results. The measured FPS shows that the GPU is struggling to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p, with Ultra settings only reaching 73 FPS. The combination of a low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, while sufficient for simple scenes, becomes a bottleneck when rendering at 4K, where the frame rate drops to 24 FPS on Ultra. The GPU's 80 W TDP and lack of dedicated power connectors confirm that this is a low-power solution, not designed for high-end gaming, and the benchmark data in Barony reflects this limitation precisely.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance in Barony, and it is consistently GPU-limited across all configurations.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its best performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 159 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Moving up the settings ladder, Medium yields an average of 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 136 FPS. High settings produce an average of 102 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, dropping the average to 73 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra is 86 FPS, showing a massive cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's limitations become more apparent. The Low preset still delivers a playable average of 100 FPS, which is a 37% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 75 FPS (with a range of 64 to 86 FPS), and High settings average 64 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 46 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced roguelike. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 54 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system is clearly overburdened. The Low preset manages a 53 FPS average, which is barely acceptable. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS (with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45 FPS), High settings fall to 34 FPS, and Ultra settings produce a nearly unplayable 24 FPS average. The data shows a stark decline in performance as resolution scales, with a 106 FPS difference between 1080p Low (159 FPS) and 4K Low (53 FPS). This substantial drop, even at the lowest graphical settings, confirms that the Intel Arc B390's rendering capabilities are the definitive limiting factor, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the lack of GPU fill rate and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions.