Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a robust performance profile in Barony, a roguelike title that is surprisingly demanding at higher settings. The data places this pairing directly in the middle of the pack, with a combo rank of 1555 out of 2935 tested configurations. This positioning indicates that while the hardware is capable, it is not at the top tier for this specific title, and the measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphical preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1555 out of 2935 places it in the 47th percentile of all tested combinations. This is a mid-field result, suggesting that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in Barony. The ranking is a composite measure, and the data indicates that the system's performance is not bottlenecked by a single component but rather represents a balanced, mid-range outcome. The system does not break into the top half of all combos, which is a significant observation for a game that can be less demanding than modern triple-A titles. The overall average benchmark score for the CPU is 64640, which places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, yet the GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 only reaches the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

This discrepancy in component-level percentiles is telling. The CPU is a high-performing part relative to the entire CPU market, while the GPU is merely a solid mid-range performer. In Barony, the final ranking of 1555 suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint on achieving higher frame rates at more demanding settings, preventing the combo from climbing into the upper echelons of the performance charts. The CPU’s strength is somewhat neutralized in this context, as the game’s frame rate ceiling is more often dictated by the graphics card. When compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in a region where users can expect high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p but will need to make compromises at higher resolutions to maintain smooth performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the decisive component in this pairing for Barony. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor, especially at 4K resolution where the frame rate drops significantly. The GPU's base clock is 1830 MHz, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 3072 shading units, allow the card to produce a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s. The card is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC.

The GPU's role in Barony is clearly demonstrated by the frame rate scaling with settings. At 1080p, the card is powerful enough to push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the game is less bound by the GPU's raw compute at this resolution. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a massive performance drop, and the 8 GB VRAM capacity may become a limiting factor at 4K with Ultra settings, where the average frame rate falls to 51 FPS. The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is very tight, with its average benchmark score of 17639 being nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666, a delta of -0.2%. Similarly, the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, a delta of 0.3%. This indicates that the RTX 4060 is at the very center of its performance class.

FAQ

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

A: The combination ranks 1555 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the performance spectrum for this game.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640, which is -0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823) and -0.7% lower than the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104). It is also 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438) and 0.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202).

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, reaching 340 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4060 offer a significant advantage over its nearest competitor in the database?

A: No. The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is within 0.7% of all its listed rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro 460, which shows a delta of 0.7%. This indicates performance is effectively tied with the closest alternatives.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 51 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The significant frame rate drop at 4K Ultra settings, down to 51 FPS, suggests that this memory capacity or the associated bandwidth is a limiting factor at that extreme configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields an average of 340 FPS. This is a massive performance headroom that would be well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset drops the average to 253 FPS with a minimum of 215 FPS and a maximum of 291 FPS. The High preset further reduces performance to 217 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 156 FPS. Even at the highest settings, the system maintains an average frame rate well above the 144 Hz threshold, indicating that the CPU and GPU combination is highly capable at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. The Low preset still delivers a very high average of 215 FPS. The Medium preset averages 160 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 136 and 183 FPS, respectively. The High preset produces an average of 137 FPS. The Ultra preset is where the system begins to feel the pressure, with the average dropping to 98 FPS. This is still a playable frame rate, but it no longer takes full advantage of the highest refresh rate displays. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent drop across all settings, with the Ultra preset seeing a reduction of 58 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K become evident. The Low preset is the only configuration that remains comfortably above 100 FPS, averaging 112 FPS. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 72 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with the average falling to 51 FPS. This is the first configuration where the system is unable to maintain a solid 60 FPS average, indicating that the RTX 4060 is being pushed to its limits at 4K with maximum quality settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K reveal the nature of the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 340 at 1080p to 112 at 4K, a reduction of 67%. At High settings, the drop is from 217 FPS to 72 FPS, a reduction of 67%. This consistent percentage drop across different quality settings is a strong indicator that the system is primarily limited by the GPU's pixel processing capabilities. The CPU is not the limiting factor here, as the performance degradation is directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

The data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern. The RTX 4060's raw compute power and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain the same frame rates when the resolution quadruples. The GPU's pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are simply overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels in a 4K display. This is further evidenced by the fact that the CPU, with its high percentile ranking and strong multi-threaded performance, is not able to compensate for the GPU's limitations. The system is purely GPU-bound at 4K. The scaling is linear, with the 1440p results falling almost exactly where expected between the 1080p and 4K results, confirming that the limiting component is the graphics card and its ability to fill pixels.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a supporting role in Barony's performance. This processor is a 20-core, 20-thread part based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is beneficial for the game's single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960. The CPU also has a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache and a 192 KB L1 cache per core, which helps reduce memory latency. Its performance in the Passmark suite includes a multithread score of 49682 and a single-thread score of 4689.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. The benchmark results show that even at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 340 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. This indicates that the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls at this resolution. The CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a roguelike title, which may not be heavily optimized for multi-threading. The CPU's high performance in synthetic benchmarks, particularly its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42216, suggests it has no trouble keeping up with the GPU. The fact that frame rates drop consistently with resolution, rather than with scene complexity, reinforces the conclusion that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The processor is a high-end component that provides a stable platform, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The system maintains an average of 156 FPS at this setting, which is a superb experience for fast-paced gameplay. This provides a high degree of visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 1080p offers an even higher average of 217 FPS, which would be ideal for competitive play on a 240 Hz monitor, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is often worth the performance cost for a roguelike where immersion is key.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is the recommended sweet spot. It delivers an average of 137 FPS, which is excellent for most high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 98 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for users who demand the highest frame rates. The Medium preset, at 160 FPS, is a viable alternative for those who prioritize performance over visual details. At 4K, the Low preset is the only setting that ensures a high frame rate, averaging 112 FPS. The Medium preset, with an average of 83 FPS, is a good compromise for a cinematic experience, but users with 60 Hz displays might prefer the High preset at 72 FPS for better visuals. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 51 FPS, is best avoided as it falls below the standard 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that the system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where it can provide an excellent balance of visual quality and performance.