Barony

Settings Recommendations

The measured dataset for Barony with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 spans four presets at three resolutions. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, in ascending order of visual load. Across every resolution, the Low preset produces the highest average frame rates, while Ultra produces the lowest. The spread between these extremes is substantial, indicating that Barony’s rendering load scales significantly with preset selection.

For 1080p users, the argument for higher presets is compelling. At 1920x1080, Low yields 600 FPS average, Medium drops to 446 FPS, High sits at 383 FPS, and Ultra still manages 274 FPS. All four presets clear the 240 FPS threshold that high-refresh monitors typically target, and even Ultra is far above the 144 FPS mark. Given that the minimum FPS is only recorded for Medium (379 FPS), the frame pacing at lower presets is not documented, but the averages suggest no preset at 1080p will strain this combo. The best experience at this resolution is arguably Ultra, since the performance headroom is enormous and the visual fidelity gain is the largest.

At 1440p, the picture changes slightly. Low hits 379 FPS, Medium 281 FPS, High 242 FPS, and Ultra 173 FPS. The High preset remains comfortably above 240 FPS, while Ultra still exceeds 144 FPS. For users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays, High is the optimal balance: it provides a 69% average FPS advantage over Ultra (242 vs 173) while staying well above refresh rate limits. Medium is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High costs only 39 FPS (from 281 to 242) in exchange for better visuals, making High the more sensible choice unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rate.

At 4K, the data reveals a more nuanced trade-off. Low averages 198 FPS, Medium 147 FPS, High 126 FPS, and Ultra 91 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values (125 and 169, respectively), which provides a window into frame pacing. The 22 FPS gap between the Medium average (147) and its minimum (125) suggests occasional dips, but the minimum remains above 120 FPS. High at 126 FPS average is close to that minimum, which means High will frequently hover near 120 FPS. Ultra at 91 FPS average falls below 100 FPS, which may be noticeable on displays with variable refresh rates but is still playable. For 4K, the data points to Medium as the best overall experience: it maintains an average above 144 FPS, has documented minimums above 120 FPS, and offers a significant improvement over Low in visual quality.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is the Medium preset. At 1080p and 1440p, Medium provides frame rates that are indistinguishable from Low in practical terms (446 vs 600 at 1080p, 281 vs 379 at 1440p) while delivering better visuals. At 4K, Medium is the only preset that combines an average above 144 FPS with documented minimums above 120 FPS. High is a strong alternative for 1080p and 1440p users with 144 Hz monitors, but Medium offers the most consistent experience across the board.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It carries 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, with a transistor density of 121.1 million per square millimeter. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its memory clock is listed as 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective speed. The base clock is 2205 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2505 MHz.

In Barony, the GPU’s role is evident from the FPS scaling across settings. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient for this roguelike, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 91, which is not indicative of memory pressure. The memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s supports high-resolution rendering without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 4K Low preset hitting 198 FPS. The shading units (9728), texture mapping units (304), and render output units (112) work together to deliver the measured frame rates. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that the game does not approach at the settings tested.

The RTX 4080’s percentile ranking against all GPUs is 86, and its average benchmark score is 54247. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 SUPER with a deltaPct of 0.1% (meaning the RTX 4080 is 0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at -1.1% (the RTX 4080 is 1.1% behind). The data shows that the RTX 4080 is well-matched to Barony’s demands, as even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate stays above 90 FPS. The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz likely contributes to the high 1080p scores, where the CPU can feed frames quickly enough to keep the GPU busy.

The measured FPS at 1080p Low (600 FPS) is a clear indicator that the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. This aligns with the GPU’s compute capabilities: the FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS is ample for a game like Barony, which is not known for heavy shader complexity. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes more relevant, but the 91 FPS average still demonstrates headroom. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is overprovisioned for Barony at 1080p and 1440p, but appropriately stressed at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 600, measured at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: At which resolution and preset does the combo first drop below 100 FPS average?

A: The only measurement below 100 FPS is at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which averages 91 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has a deltaPct of 0.1% relative to the RTX 4080 SUPER, meaning it is 0.1% faster in average benchmark score.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 244 out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.6% of all combos.

Q: Does the combo maintain above 144 FPS at 1440p on Ultra?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 173, which is above 144.

Q: Which preset at 4K has documented minimum and maximum FPS values?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 has a minimum of 125 FPS and a maximum of 169 FPS, with an average of 147 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides 12 distinct configurations, covering four presets at three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 600 FPS average, the highest figure in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at the same resolution averages 446 FPS, with a minimum of 379 and a maximum of 513. High drops to 383 FPS average, and Ultra settles at 274 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 54% reduction in average FPS (from 600 to 274), which is a substantial cost for higher visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 379 FPS, nearly matching the 1080p High preset’s 383 FPS. This indicates that resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset costs roughly the same as upgrading one preset tier at a fixed resolution. Medium at 1440p averages 281 FPS, with a minimum of 239 and a maximum of 324. High averages 242 FPS, and Ultra averages 173 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 206 FPS (from 379 to 173), a 54% reduction, mirroring the percentage drop seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 198 FPS. Medium averages 147 FPS, with a minimum of 125 and a maximum of 169. High averages 126 FPS, and Ultra averages 91 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 107 FPS (from 198 to 91), a 54% reduction as well. This consistent 54% reduction across all resolutions suggests that the preset scaling is uniform, and the GPU’s load scales predictably with settings.

The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution: 379 at 1080p, 239 at 1440p, and 125 at 4K. These minimums are 85% of the averages at 1080p (379/446), 85% at 1440p (239/281), and 85% at 4K (125/147). This consistency indicates that the Medium preset maintains similar frame pacing characteristics regardless of resolution, with a typical dip of 15% below the average. The maximum FPS values for Medium are 513 at 1080p, 324 at 1440p, and 169 at 4K, showing that the spike above average also scales proportionally.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a combo rank of 244 out of 3717 tested combinations in Barony. This places the combo in the top 6.6% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a game that is primarily CPU-bound at lower resolutions. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all measured configurations, weighting the 12 data points equally.

To contextualize this rank, consider the CPU’s percentile against all CPUs: the Core Ultra 7 265 sits at the 93rd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (deltaPct -0.3%, meaning the Ultra 7 is 0.3% faster), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (deltaPct 0.3%, meaning the Ultra 7 is 0.3% slower), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (deltaPct -0.7%, meaning the Ultra 7 is 0.7% faster). The GPU’s percentile against all GPUs is 86, with an average benchmark score of 54247. The RTX 4080’s nearest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER (deltaPct 0.1%), which is essentially a tie.

The combo rank of 244 out of 3717 suggests that while both components are individually strong, the combination is not at the very top of the leaderboard. This is expected for a roguelike that may not fully utilize the GPU’s capabilities at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low measurement of 600 FPS is capped by the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls, not the GPU’s rendering speed. The rank would likely be higher if the game scaled better with the GPU’s resources, but the data shows that the combo still outperforms the vast majority of tested systems.

The deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within ±0.7%, indicating that the Core Ultra 7 265 is in a tightly contested performance band. This means that the combo’s rank is not solely due to the CPU’s dominance; the GPU also plays a role. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is more stressed, the RTX 4080’s 91 FPS average is a strong result, and the combo’s rank reflects this balanced performance across resolutions.

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 at TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. It uses the Intel Socket 1851 and has a TDP of 65 W. The CPU’s integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 32 execution units, though Barony’s measurements use the discrete RTX 4080.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where the Low preset reaches 600 FPS. This high frame rate is likely limited by the CPU’s single-thread performance, as the game’s logic and draw call submission become the bottleneck. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 5960, and its PassMark single-thread score is 4689. These scores indicate strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a game that may not scale perfectly across all 20 cores. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is the key enabler for this single-thread performance, allowing the CPU to process game logic quickly.

The multi-core performance is also relevant, as Barony may use multiple threads for AI, physics, and world generation. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42216, and the PassMark multithread score is 49682. The CPU’s 20 cores and 20 threads (no hyperthreading) provide substantial parallel throughput, which helps maintain high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 326 FPS (from 600 to 274), which suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough even at Ultra, but the GPU’s workload increases, reducing overall FPS.

The CPU’s percentile against all CPUs is 93, placing it in the top 7% of processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, has a deltaPct of -0.3%, meaning the Ultra 7 is 0.3% faster in average benchmark score. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is 0.3% faster, and the AMD EPYC 9124 is 0.7% slower. These narrow margins indicate that the CPU is well-positioned but not dominant. In Barony, the CPU’s 20 cores likely provide headroom for background processes, but the game’s performance is more tied to the boost clock and single-core speed.

The memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is adequate for the game’s data needs, and the L3 cache of 30 MB helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is modest, suggesting that thermal throttling is unlikely to occur in typical desktop scenarios, which supports consistent performance across long gaming sessions. The data does not show any frame rate anomalies that would indicate CPU bottlenecks beyond the 1080p Low ceiling.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data allows for a detailed analysis of how performance scales from 1080p to 4K. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 600 at 1080p to 379 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 198 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is 67% (from 600 to 198). At the Medium preset, the averages are 446 at 1080p, 281 at 1440p, and 147 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%, matching the Low preset’s scaling pattern. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 67% as well.

The High preset shows similar scaling: 383 at 1080p, 242 at 1440p, and 126 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%, with a total drop of 67% from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra preset follows the same pattern: 274 at 1080p, 173 at 1440p, and 91 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37% (from 274 to 173), and from 1440p to 4K is 47% (from 173 to 91), with a total drop of 67% from 1080p to 4K.

This consistent 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and 48% drop from 1440p to 4K across all presets is a strong indicator of the limiting component. The pixel count increases by a factor of 1.78 from 1080p to 1440p (1920x1080 vs 2560x1440) and by a factor of 2.25 from 1440p to 4K (2560x1440 vs 3840x2160). If the GPU were purely fill-rate limited, the FPS would drop proportionally to the pixel count increase. The observed drops of 37% and 48% are less than the pixel count increases (44% and 56% if inversely proportional), which means the GPU has some headroom and is not fully saturated.

However, the fact that the scaling is consistent across all presets suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 600 FPS ceiling at Low. But as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the FPS drops accordingly. The 67% total drop from 1080p to 4K aligns with the GPU’s fill rate capabilities, indicating that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component at 4K, while the CPU limits at 1080p.

The data also shows that the Medium preset’s minimum FPS scales similarly: 379 at 1080p, 239 at 1440p, and 125 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%, exactly matching the average FPS scaling. This consistency extends to the maximum FPS values: 513 at 1080p, 324 at 1440p, and 169 at 4K, with the same 37% and 48% drops. This uniform scaling across averages, minimums, and maximums indicates that the combo’s performance is stable and predictable, with no unexpected bottlenecks at any resolution.