Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 presents a compelling combination for Barony, a roguelike title that scales dramatically across resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, focusing on where the bottlenecks lie and which settings deliver the optimal experience. The data indicates a system capable of extreme frame rates, even at 4K, making it a strong candidate for high-refresh-rate displays.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is the defining characteristic of this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 469 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 296 FPS, a reduction of 173 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 155 FPS. This scaling pattern shows a clear shift in the limiting factor as resolution increases.

At 1080p, the CPU is the primary constraint. The frame rates are so high that the graphics card is waiting on the processor to feed it data. The 469 FPS result at 1080p Low is evidence of this, as it far exceeds what the GPU would typically be able to render if it were the bottleneck. The CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are ample, but the per-core performance at these extreme frame rates becomes the wall.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a more moderate drop, indicating a balance shift. At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant load, but the CPU is still contributing to the overall throughput. The gap between Low (296 FPS) and High (189 FPS) at 1440p is 107 FPS, which shows that the GPU is now more sensitive to settings changes.

By 4K, the GPU is the definitive limiting component. The frame rates are still high, but the scaling is more pronounced. The difference between 4K Low (155 FPS) and 4K High (99 FPS) is 56 FPS. This is a substantial gap that highlights the GPU's workload at this resolution. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 is powerful enough for 4K in this game, but it is working much harder than at lower resolutions. The 4K Ultra setting at 71 FPS shows the most significant drop, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution and settings level.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is built on the Arrow Lake architecture and features 20 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This processor has a large 30 MB shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming. The data shows that this CPU is not a limiting factor in Barony at 4K, but it is the main driver of the extremely high frame rates seen at 1080p.

Benchmark results show this CPU is a strong performer. It scores 42,216 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,960 points in single-core. These scores indicate a high level of both multi-threaded and single-threaded capability. The single-core performance is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game logic threads are not highly parallelized. In Barony, the data suggests that the CPU's single-core strength is what allows it to push past 400 FPS at 1080p.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 93, meaning it outperforms 93% of all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 64,640 places it in close competition with the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 64,823 (a 0.3% difference). It is also slightly faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 64,438 (a 0.3% difference). This indicates that the 265 is a top-tier consumer processor, and its performance in Barony is consistent with its synthetic benchmark results.

When the resolution is lowered, the CPU's role becomes more critical. The jump from 4K High (99 FPS) to 1440p High (189 FPS) and then to 1080p High (299 FPS) is primarily driven by the CPU's ability to handle more draw calls and game logic as the GPU's workload decreases. The CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K, but it is the reason why the system can achieve such high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2475 MHz. This GPU is designed for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and is capable of 4K gaming, as the data shows.

In Barony, the GPU's role becomes the primary factor at 4K. The difference between 4K Low (155 FPS) and 4K High (99 FPS) is 56 FPS, which is a significant performance hit. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed at this resolution. The 4K Ultra setting (71 FPS) further confirms this, showing a drop of 28 FPS from the High preset. The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, as no VRAM-related stuttering is indicated in the measured data.

The GPU's benchmark scores are also strong. It scores 26,927 in Passmark G3D, which places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37,648 is very close to the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37,628 (a 0.1% difference). This suggests that the RTX 4070's performance is well-understood and consistent. It is also slightly faster than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 37,507 (a 0.4% difference).

At 1440p, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU is still contributing. The 1440p High setting (189 FPS) shows a 91 FPS drop from 1080p High (299 FPS), which is a substantial decrease. This is a clear sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor. The 4K results show a similar pattern, with the GPU's workload increasing as the resolution scales.

The data shows that the RTX 4070 is a balanced card for this game. It is not so powerful that it is always GPU-bound at 1080p, but it is strong enough to deliver playable frame rates at 4K. The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is a key asset, as it prevents any memory-related issues at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across all tested resolutions and settings.

1920x1080: The highest performance is seen here. With Low settings, the average FPS is 469. Medium settings produce an average of 349 FPS, with a minimum of 296 and a maximum of 401. High settings yield an average of 299 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 215 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 254 FPS, which shows that settings have a massive impact at this resolution.

2560x1440: Performance remains very high. Low settings produce an average of 296 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 220 FPS, with a minimum of 187 and a maximum of 253. High settings average 189 FPS. Ultra settings average 135 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 161 FPS, which is still a significant gap but less than at 1080p.

3840x2160: This is where the GPU is tested. Low settings average 155 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 and a maximum of 132. High settings average 99 FPS. Ultra settings average 71 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 84 FPS. The 4K Medium result is notable, as the minimum of 98 FPS shows that the system can hold above 100 FPS for most of the time.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the impact of settings on FPS decreases. At 1080p, changing from Low to Ultra costs 254 FPS. At 4K, the same change costs 84 FPS. This is because the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, so reducing settings has a smaller relative impact on the overall frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 663rd out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 22.6% of all tested systems. This rank is a strong indicator of the system's overall capability in this specific game.

The rank reflects the high performance of both the CPU and GPU. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 81st percentile ranking combine to create a system that is well above average. The data shows that this combo is not the absolute fastest, but it is in the upper echelon of performance.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the game's low system requirements. Barony is a roguelike that is not graphically demanding, so even mid-range systems can achieve high frame rates. The fact that this combo ranks in the top 23% confirms its strength, but it also shows that there are many other systems that can run this game well. The high FPS numbers at 4K, which are above 60 FPS on Ultra, are a key factor in this ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1080p, the High preset at 299 FPS is the best choice for most users. It provides a significant visual improvement over Medium (349 FPS) while still delivering frame rates well above any display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 215 FPS is also viable, but the performance drop of 84 FPS from High may not be worth the visual upgrade. The Low preset at 469 FPS is only necessary for competitive play on a 360Hz or higher monitor, but the visual quality is severely compromised.

For 1440p, the High preset at 189 FPS is the recommended sweet spot. It offers a great balance of visual quality and performance, easily exceeding 144Hz refresh rates. The Medium preset at 220 FPS is a good option for those with a 240Hz monitor, as it provides a higher frame rate at a moderate visual cost. The Ultra preset at 135 FPS is still playable and will satisfy users with a 144Hz display, but the High preset is a more comfortable margin.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 115 FPS is the best choice for a high-refresh-rate experience. It delivers a smooth, playable frame rate that is still above 100 FPS. The High preset at 99 FPS is also excellent, and it is the recommended choice for users with a standard 60Hz display, as it provides the best visual quality without exceeding the display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is playable, but it may feel less smooth than the Medium or High presets. The Low preset at 155 FPS is not recommended, as the visual quality drop is too severe for the frame rate gains.

The data shows that the High preset is the most balanced option across all resolutions. It provides a consistent, high-quality experience that is not overly demanding on the GPU. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 1440p or 4K offers the best combination of speed and visuals.