Barony

# Barony with Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 73rd out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 2.5% of all configurations measured. The combo achieves this position through a blend of a 20-core CPU with a 5.30 GHz boost clock and a GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, producing frame rates that range from 102 FPS at 4K Ultra to 679 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable for this roguelike title, with performance headroom at every resolution and settings level tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 73 out of 2,935 tested configurations places this system in the 97.5th percentile of all measured pairings in Barony. This is a strong result that reflects both the CPU and GPU contributing meaningfully to the final frame rates. The ranking is not surprising given the hardware involved: the RTX 5090 sits at the top of the GeForce 50-series lineup, and the Core Ultra 7 265 is a recent Arrow Lake desktop processor.

To contextualize the CPU's contribution, the Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64,640, which places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD EPYC 4464P with an average score of 64,823 (a 0.3% advantage for the EPYC), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F at 64,438 (0.3% behind), and the AMD EPYC 7343 at 64,202 (0.7% behind). The Core Ultra 7 265 also edges out the AMD EPYC 9124 which scores 65,104, meaning the EPYC leads by 0.7%. These deltas are remarkably tight, all within 1% of each other, indicating that the CPU is competitive with a range of high-end server and desktop parts.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a score of 79,605 (0.3% behind), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79,396 (0.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78,940 (1.1% behind). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, which is 1.4% ahead of the RTX 5090. This clustering suggests that the RTX 5090's benchmark scores are in a similar band to these workstation and mobile parts, though the gaming-specific metrics in Barony tell a more nuanced story.

The combination's rank of 73 is notable because it outperforms many systems with similar component scores. This suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for Barony specifically, where the CPU's 20 cores and the GPU's high memory bandwidth work together effectively. The rank indicates that only 72 other combos out of 2,935 deliver higher frame rates in this game, which is an elite tier of performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 750 mm² and 92,200 million transistors. It features 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. The GPU has 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores, which are not heavily utilized in Barony given the game's roguelike genre, but they contribute to the overall compute capabilities.

The memory subsystem is a key differentiator for this GPU: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. In Barony, this bandwidth is more than sufficient for the game's data requirements, even at 4K resolution. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, and the base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These clocks are modest compared to some other high-end GPUs, but the sheer compute throughput compensates: the FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, and the texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

The GPU's benchmark results show strong compute performance: a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,370, a Vulkan score of 376,728, and a Passmark G3D score of 39,650. The Passmark GPU Compute score of 26,756 further indicates solid general-purpose compute. In Barony specifically, the GPU's role is to push high frame rates, and the measured data shows it does so effectively. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 102, which is likely limited by the game's rendering complexity at that settings level. At 1080p Low, the average FPS jumps to 679, indicating the GPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is far beyond what Barony requires, even at 4K with Ultra settings. This means there is no risk of memory capacity limiting performance, and the high bandwidth ensures texture streaming and draw calls are handled without stutter. The RTX 5090's 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs provide substantial pixel and texture throughput, which directly benefits the frame rates observed in the measured data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is an Arrow Lake-S desktop processor built on a 3 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm² and 17,800 million transistors. It has 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The lack of hyperthreading means 20 threads total, which is still ample for Barony's workload, as roguelike games typically use far fewer threads.

The cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This provides a total of 60 MB of L2 across all cores, which is substantial for a desktop processor. The memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The CPU uses the Intel Socket 1851 and has PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42,216 and single-core is 5,960. The Passmark multi-thread score is 49,682, and the single-thread score is 4,689. In Barony, the CPU's role is less critical than the GPU's, but it still matters, especially at higher frame rates where the CPU must feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates.

At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 679, which is a very high frame rate that requires the CPU to keep up with the GPU's output. The 5.30 GHz boost clock and 20 cores provide ample headroom for this task. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier part for gaming, and the data supports this with the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions.

The CPU's power envelope is 65 W TDP, which is modest for a 20-core part, suggesting efficient operation. The integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU) are not relevant for gaming with a discrete GPU but are available for basic display output. The CPU's release date of January 2025 and launch MSRP of $394 position it as a mainstream desktop offering, though pricing is not a focus of this analysis.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings levels (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 311 at Ultra to 679 at Low. The Medium setting produces 505 FPS on average with a minimum of 429 and maximum of 580. High settings yield 433 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained by GPU or CPU, with even the most demanding settings delivering well over 300 FPS.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a clear scaling pattern. Low settings produce 428 FPS average, Medium delivers 319 FPS (with a min of 271 and max of 366), High settings yield 273 FPS, and Ultra drops to 196 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1440p represents a 54% reduction in average FPS, which is expected as settings increase rendering complexity. The minimum FPS at Medium (271) is still well above the refresh rate of most monitors, indicating smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the performance is still strong but more demanding. Low settings produce 224 FPS average, Medium delivers 167 FPS (min 142, max 191), High settings yield 143 FPS, and Ultra drops to 102 FPS. The step from Medium to High at 4K is a 14% reduction, while High to Ultra is a 29% drop. The 4K Ultra result of 102 FPS is the only measured configuration below 120 FPS in the entire dataset, suggesting that this is the most demanding scenario for the system.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min and max FPS values recorded across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the min is 429 and max is 580; at 1440p Medium, min is 271 and max is 366; at 4K Medium, min is 142 and max is 191. This spread indicates that Medium settings produce the most variable frame rates, likely due to scene complexity fluctuations in Barony's procedurally generated environments.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, all three resolutions deliver playable frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 102, which is above 60 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 196 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 311 FPS. The choice depends on display capability and preference, but 4K Ultra is viable with an average of 102 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM affect Barony performance?

A: The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. In Barony, this ensures that memory capacity is never a limiting factor, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The high bandwidth also supports smooth texture streaming and draw call processing, contributing to the high frame rates observed.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 679, which is very high and likely CPU-bound. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 102 FPS, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 20 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock are sufficient for all tested configurations.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low settings produce an average of 224 FPS, while Ultra produces 102 FPS. This is a 122 FPS difference, representing a 54% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra. The Medium setting yields 167 FPS and High yields 143 FPS, showing a consistent scaling pattern.

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

A: The combination ranks 73rd out of 2,935 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.5% of all configurations. This rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions, with only 72 other combos performing better.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 429. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 271. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 142. These minimum values are the only ones recorded in the dataset and represent the lowest frame rates observed during testing, all of which remain above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 4K, the Ultra preset delivers 102 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay but may not satisfy gamers with high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 4K yields 143 FPS, which is a 40% improvement over Ultra while still maintaining high visual fidelity. For 4K users, High settings appear to be the optimal balance, as the jump from High to Ultra costs 41 FPS but likely provides diminishing visual returns in a roguelike game.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers 196 FPS average, which is sufficient for most high-refresh-rate monitors (up to 144 Hz or 165 Hz). The High preset at 273 FPS is well above any current display's refresh rate, so Ultra is recommended for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability. The Medium preset at 319 FPS provides a minimum of 271 FPS, ensuring no frame rate dips below the refresh rate of even 240 Hz displays.

At 1080p, all settings deliver well over 300 FPS, with Ultra at 311 FPS and Low at 679 FPS. Since the minimum FPS at Medium is 429, even the most demanding scenarios maintain extremely high frame rates. For 1080p users, Ultra settings are recommended because the system has ample headroom, and the visual improvements from Low to Ultra are substantial in terms of rendering quality.

Considering all resolutions, the High preset is the most consistent performer, with average FPS of 433 at 1080p, 273 at 1440p, and 143 at 4K. This preset delivers at least 143 FPS at every resolution, which is suitable for all but the most extreme refresh-rate displays. The data shows that High settings provide the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability across the entire resolution range.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how performance scales as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 679 at 1080p to 428 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 224 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming progressively more stressed as pixel count increases, with the total reduction from 1080p to 4K being 67%.

At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 505 at 1080p to 319 at 1440p (37% reduction) and then to 167 at 4K (48% reduction from 1440p). The High settings show a similar pattern: 433 at 1080p, 273 at 1440p (37% reduction), and 143 at 4K (48% reduction). Ultra settings follow the same trend: 311 at 1080p, 196 at 1440p (37% reduction), and 102 at 4K (48% reduction from 1440p).

This consistent scaling pattern across all settings levels is significant. The percentage reduction from 1080p to 1440p is always approximately 37%, and from 1440p to 4K it is always approximately 48%, regardless of the settings preset. This uniformity suggests that the limiting component's behavior does not change with settings; rather, the GPU's rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count.

The fact that the scaling is identical across all settings indicates that neither the CPU nor the GPU is disproportionately bottlenecked at any particular settings level. If the CPU were the limiting factor at 1080p, we would expect the frame rate to remain flat as resolution increases, but instead we see consistent drops. This points to the GPU being the primary limiter across all tested configurations, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at the highest frame rates.

The 4K to 1080p comparison shows a 67% reduction in frame rate at every settings level, which is a substantial drop but not unexpected given the 4.5x increase in pixel count. The system maintains an average of at least 102 FPS at 4K Ultra, which confirms the RTX 5090's rendering capabilities. The data indicates that this combo is GPU-bound in Barony, and the CPU's 20 cores with a 5.30 GHz boost clock are more than adequate for the game's logic and draw call processing at any resolution.