Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a playable experience in Barony, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured frame rates, the roles of each component, and how this combination stacks up against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern: performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, a classic indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces an average of 167 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 105 FPS, a reduction of 62 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 yields just 55 FPS on High settings. This scaling is not linear; the gap between 1080p and 1440p (62 FPS) is nearly identical to the gap between 1440p and 4K (50 FPS), suggesting the GPU's rendering throughput is being taxed progressively as pixel count increases.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story, though with higher absolute numbers. At 1920x1080 Low, the system hits 261 FPS average. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 165 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 86 FPS. The relative drops are stark: from 1080p to 1440p is a 36% reduction, and from 1440p to 4K is a 48% reduction. These percentages show that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is struggling to keep up with the pixel throughput demands of higher resolutions.

The Medium preset offers the only rows with min/max FPS data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 and a maximum of 224. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 141. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74. The spread between min and max FPS is roughly 30% of the average in each case, indicating that frame pacing remains relatively stable even as the GPU load increases.

What this scaling reveals about the bottleneck is unambiguous. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any resolution in a roguelike title like Barony, which is not known for heavy multi-threaded CPU demands. Instead, the data shows that the RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are the primary constraints. The 4K Ultra preset, which averages only 39 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU is saturated at the highest pixel counts and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process. Its specifications include a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs. The memory subsystem consists of 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specs place the GPU in the 58th percentile of all GPUs according to average benchmark scores, making it a mid-range part that is showing its age in demanding scenarios.

In Barony, the GPU's role is central, as evidenced by the resolution scaling discussed above. The 4K Ultra preset, which averages 39 FPS, is the clearest sign that the card's compute and memory resources are overwhelmed. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is also a concern at higher settings and resolutions, as texture data and frame buffers can easily exceed this amount, though the measured data does not include specific VRAM usage figures.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its performance. Its Passmark G3D score is 14111, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1242. These results place it in a narrow competitive band, as shown by its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 (0.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171 (0.8% higher). The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290, which is nearly identical to the GTX 580 at 15283 (0% delta). This cluster of scores indicates that the RTX 2060 performs at a level consistent with these other mid-range options, meaning its Barony results are representative of its class.

The GPU's clock behavior, with a boost of 1680 MHz, is modest by modern standards. Combined with the 160 W TDP, the card is not a high-power performer, and this is reflected in the measured FPS at 4K. The 4K High preset at 55 FPS is borderline playable, but the 4K Ultra at 39 FPS is not ideal for a smooth experience. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and 30 RT cores indicate it has modern API capabilities, but these do not translate into high raw rasterization performance in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with averages ranging from 120 FPS on Ultra to 261 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, the average drops to a range of 76 FPS on Ultra to 165 FPS on Low. At 3840x2160, the averages fall to 39 FPS on Ultra and 86 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset perform?

A: The 3840x2160 Ultra preset yields an average of 39 FPS, which is the lowest measured score in the dataset. This suggests the GPU is severely constrained at this resolution and settings combination.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the min and max FPS values are recorded. At 1080p, the range is 165 to 224 FPS with an average of 194. At 1440p, the range is 104 to 141 FPS with an average of 123. At 4K, the range is 55 to 74 FPS with an average of 64.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290. Its closest rivals are the GTX 580 (15283, 0% delta), the Radeon 680M (15270, 0.1% delta), the RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.6% delta), and the RX 7600 (15171, 0.8% delta). These scores are all within 1% of each other.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has 20 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Given that Barony is a roguelike title, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor. The resolution scaling data points to the GPU as the primary constraint.

Q: What are the highest and lowest average FPS recorded?

A: The highest average FPS is 261 at 1920x1080 Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 39 at 3840x2160 Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2308 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 21st percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly 79% of combinations deliver higher frame rates in this game. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end part (93rd percentile of all CPUs) while the GPU is mid-range (58th percentile of all GPUs).

The low combo rank is not surprising given the disparity in component class. The Core Ultra 7 265 is a recent desktop processor with an average benchmark score of 64640, placing it in the 93rd percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823, -0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438, 0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202, 0.7% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104, -0.7% delta). These scores show the CPU is performing as expected for its class.

The GPU, conversely, is an end-of-life product from 2019 with an average benchmark score of 15290. Its nearest rivals, as noted, are all within 1% of its score. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU creates a system where the GPU is the clear performance limiter, dragging the overall combo rank down. The 4K results, where the average FPS drops below 60 on High and Medium settings, underscore this imbalance. For users prioritizing high frame rates at 1080p, the combo is adequate, but for higher resolutions, the GPU prevents the CPU's potential from being realized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is taken directly from the measured FPS rows, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 261 FPS average
• Medium: 194 FPS average, 165 min, 224 max
• High: 167 FPS average
• Ultra: 120 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 165 FPS average
• Medium: 123 FPS average, 104 min, 141 max
• High: 105 FPS average
• Ultra: 76 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 86 FPS average
• Medium: 64 FPS average, 55 min, 74 max
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 39 FPS average

The data shows a consistent hierarchy across resolutions: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and Ultra is always the slowest. The gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the gap is 141 FPS (261 vs 120). At 1440p, the gap is 89 FPS (165 vs 76). At 4K, the gap is 47 FPS (86 vs 39). This narrowing gap suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so constrained that even lowering settings has diminishing returns.

The Medium preset rows are the only ones with min/max values, which are useful for assessing frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the min of 55 FPS is only 9 FPS below the average, indicating a relatively tight distribution. At 1080p Medium, the min of 165 FPS is 29 FPS below the average, but the max of 224 FPS is 30 FPS above it, showing more variance at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For high refresh rate displays at 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 120 FPS average is the best choice, as it delivers a smooth experience while retaining visual quality. If a higher frame rate is preferred, the High preset at 167 FPS average offers a 47 FPS improvement over Ultra with presumably some visual sacrifice. The Medium preset at 194 FPS and Low at 261 FPS are options for competitive play or very high refresh rate monitors, but they are likely unnecessary for a roguelike title.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 105 FPS average is playable and likely offers a good balance of visuals and performance. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold, making it viable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate. The Medium preset at 123 FPS provides headroom for those who want smoother motion, while Low at 165 FPS is excessive for most displays.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset at 86 FPS average is the most playable option, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is borderline acceptable, with a min of 55 FPS indicating occasional dips below 60. The High preset at 55 FPS and Ultra at 39 FPS are not recommended for a consistently smooth experience. For 4K users, the data suggests that Medium settings are the practical ceiling for this GPU, and Low settings offer the most comfortable frame rate.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, delivering 120 FPS average. For users on 1440p displays, High settings at 105 FPS provide a good balance. For 4K, Low settings at 86 FPS are the safest choice to avoid frame rate drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a peak bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Its launch MSRP is $394, and it is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

In Barony, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 261 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU could theoretically become a factor, but the game's roguelike genre typically does not require intensive multi-threaded computations. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42216, and its single-core score is 5960, showing robust performance in both metrics. Its Passmark multi-thread score is 49682, and its single-thread score is 4689.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all server-class or similar desktop parts: the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823, -0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438, 0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202, 0.7% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104, -0.7% delta). These scores are all within 1% of the Core Ultra 7 265's average of 64640, indicating that the CPU is performing at its expected level.

Given that the measured FPS scales down consistently as resolution increases, the data strongly suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, particularly at lower settings where GPU load is reduced. Instead, the frame rates drop by roughly 40-50% with each resolution step, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high core count and boost clock provide ample headroom for this game's logic, AI, and procedural generation, but they cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher pixel counts.