Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, shows remarkable scalability on the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 platform. The measured frame rates indicate a configuration that is heavily balanced toward high refresh rates at standard resolutions, with a clear transition to GPU-bound performance as pixel count increases. The data shows a system capable of triple-digit frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K performance requires careful settings management to maintain smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions reveals a classic pattern of GPU limitation emerging at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 302 FPS average, which drops to 191 FPS at 1440p and further to 100 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36.8% performance reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 66.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become increasingly significant constraints as resolution increases.

The Medium settings preset shows a similar trend with slightly more moderate drops: 225 FPS at 1080p, 142 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 1440p here is 36.9%, nearly identical to the Low preset, while the 1080p to 4K drop is 67.1%. This consistency suggests that the limiting factor at higher resolutions is predominantly the GPU's raw pixel throughput rather than a sudden bottleneck in VRAM capacity or bandwidth.

High settings tell a different story. The 1080p result is 193 FPS, dropping to 122 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% reduction) and 64 FPS at 4K (a 66.8% reduction). The Ultra preset follows the steepest curve: 138 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured scenario below 60 FPS, suggesting that this combination of resolution and settings exceeds the RTX 5050's comfortable operating envelope.

The data indicates that the CPU, with its 20 cores and 20 threads at up to 5.30 GHz boost, is not the primary constraint in any measured scenario. The consistent percentage drops across presets point to the GPU as the scaling bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 302 FPS figure suggests headroom remains in the CPU, as even the most demanding preset at that resolution (Ultra at 138 FPS) does not approach the CPU's apparent ceiling. The roguelike genre's typically modest draw calls and physics load allow this 20-thread processor to maintain high frame delivery without becoming the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, demonstrates its capabilities through the measured results. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p gameplay but shows strain at 4K Ultra where average FPS falls to 46. The 2560 shading units and 80 TMUs deliver 205.8 GTexel/s texture rate, which appears sufficient for this title's visual demands.

Clock speeds of 2317 MHz base and 2572 MHz boost provide the computational foundation for these results. The 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is effectively utilized, as evidenced by the 193 FPS average at 1080p High. The GPU's 32 ROPs produce an 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate, which becomes a relevant factor at 4K where the 3840x2160 resolution requires filling over 8.3 million pixels per frame. The measured 64 FPS at 4K High suggests the pixel rate is adequate but not generous for this workload.

The RTX 5050's nearest rival comparison in synthetic benchmarks shows it performing within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, with an average benchmark score of 21035 versus the rival's 20713. This places the RTX 5050 in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 and Passmark G3D score of 17326 indicate solid DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with the measured results in Barony.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable consideration. At 4K Ultra, the combination of high-resolution textures and advanced effects likely approaches this limit, contributing to the 46 FPS average. The frame time variance at 4K Medium (63 FPS minimum, 85 FPS maximum) suggests some memory pressure, though the minimum remains playable. At 1080p and 1440p, the VRAM allocation appears comfortable, with the 1440p Medium result showing a 120 FPS minimum and 163 FPS maximum.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on target resolution and frame rate expectations. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 138 FPS average offers the highest visual fidelity while maintaining frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 193 FPS provides additional headroom for high refresh rate monitors, while Medium at 225 FPS and Low at 302 FPS cater to competitive play or 240 Hz displays.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 122 FPS average, which is excellent for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset at 87 FPS remains above 60 FPS and provides the best image quality, though users with 144 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors may prefer High for the 35 FPS improvement. Medium at 142 FPS offers the best balance for high refresh rate 1440p displays, while Low at 191 FPS maximizes frame delivery for esports-style play.

For 4K, the settings recommendations become more conservative. The High preset at 64 FPS average is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, though the Medium preset at 74 FPS actually provides a higher frame rate. The Low preset at 100 FPS is the best choice for 4K high refresh rate gaming, while the Ultra preset at 46 FPS should be avoided for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that 4K Ultra exceeds the RTX 5050's capabilities for this title, and users should select High or Medium for the optimal experience.

The Medium preset shows the most consistent frame delivery at 4K, with a 63 FPS minimum and 85 FPS maximum, indicating fewer frame time spikes than other presets. At 1440p, Medium also shows good consistency with a 120 FPS minimum and 163 FPS maximum. The High preset at 1080p, while not showing min/max values, achieves 193 FPS average, suggesting a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1775th out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 39.5th percentile of all configurations tested, indicating a mid-range position. The rank reflects the RTX 5050's 66th percentile GPU standing, tempered by the CPU's 93rd percentile performance, suggesting the GPU is the primary limiter in this pairing.

The CPU's benchmark performance shows it within 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and 0.7% of the AMD EPYC 7343, while being 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 4464P and 0.7% behind the AMD EPYC 9124. This places the Ultra 7 265 in a tight performance band among its rivals, with an average benchmark score of 64640. The CPU's 42216 Cinebench R23 multi-core score and 5960 single-core score indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark ranking shows it at 66th percentile, with an average score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, 0.6% ahead), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, 1.0% ahead), AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% behind), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, 1.6% ahead). These narrow margins indicate the RTX 5050 sits in a competitive performance tier.

The combo's rank of 1775 out of 2935 suggests that while the CPU is a high performer, the GPU's mid-range positioning prevents this combination from achieving top-tier results in Barony. The measured frame rates confirm this, with the system performing well at 1080p and 1440p but struggling to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, provides substantial processing power for Barony. The 2.40 GHz base clock and 5.30 GHz boost clock allow the processor to handle both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads effectively. The 30 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data storage for game assets and physics calculations.

The CPU's benchmark results indicate strong performance: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and single-core score of 5960. The Passmark multi-thread score of 49682 and single-thread score of 4689 further confirm its capabilities. The 522983 Passmark data compression score and 40456 data encryption score suggest the processor handles data-intensive tasks well, though these are not directly relevant to Barony's gameplay.

In the measured results, the CPU demonstrates it is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 302 FPS average indicates the processor can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. The scaling from 1080p to 4K follows GPU-bound patterns, with consistent percentage drops across presets. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F as its closest rival (0.3% difference), shows it is a high-performance part.

The processor's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1851 compatibility with Arrow Lake architecture suggest efficient operation. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient memory throughput for gaming workloads. The 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes offer high-bandwidth connectivity for the GPU, though the RTX 5050's PCIe 5.0 x8 interface does not fully utilize this capability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 4K provides 74 FPS average with a 63 FPS minimum, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset achieves 64 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system achieve 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 1440p delivers 142 FPS average, which is close to 144 FPS. The Low preset achieves 191 FPS, comfortably exceeding 144 FPS, while High reaches 122 FPS, falling short of the 144 FPS target.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153), 1.0% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237), 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713), and 1.6% behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The CPU, with a 93rd percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216, can deliver frames faster than the RTX 5050 can render them. The 302 FPS at Low settings and 138 FPS at Ultra settings demonstrate the GPU's constraint.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: The High preset at 1080p achieves 193 FPS average. This is suitable for high refresh rate monitors up to 190 Hz, providing smooth gameplay with good visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Barony?

A: This combo ranks 1775th out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the 39.5th percentile. The CPU's strong 93rd percentile performance is offset by the GPU's 66th percentile standing, resulting in a mid-range overall ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a wide range of performance across presets. The Low preset achieves 302 FPS average, the highest measured in this resolution. Medium delivers 225 FPS with a 191 FPS minimum and 258 FPS maximum, showing good frame consistency. High reaches 193 FPS average, while Ultra produces 138 FPS average. All 1080p presets exceed 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high refresh rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 191 FPS average, maintaining triple-digit performance. Medium achieves 142 FPS with a 120 FPS minimum and 163 FPS maximum, providing smooth gameplay on 144 Hz displays. High reaches 122 FPS average, while Ultra produces 87 FPS average. The 1440p results show a clear performance hierarchy, with each preset step costing approximately 20-50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 100 FPS average, making 4K gaming feasible at lower settings. Medium achieves 74 FPS with a 63 FPS minimum and 85 FPS maximum, providing playable performance. High reaches 64 FPS average, while Ultra produces 46 FPS average, which may result in noticeable stuttering. The 4K results demonstrate the RTX 5050's limitations at this resolution, with only Low and Medium presets maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently provides the most stable frame delivery, with min/max values recorded at all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 191 FPS minimum and 258 FPS maximum represent a 67 FPS spread, while at 1440p Medium, the 120 FPS minimum and 163 FPS maximum show a 43 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the 63 FPS minimum and 85 FPS maximum demonstrate a 22 FPS spread, indicating tighter frame pacing at higher resolutions where the GPU works closer to its limits.