Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on paper, should not be demanding, but the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D tells a story of overwhelming headroom. The data shows this combination sits at the very top of the charts, ranked first out of 2,935 tested combos for this title. The frame rates achieved across all presets are exceptionally high, often exceeding the refresh rates of common high-end monitors, indicating that this system is far more capable than the game requires.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a distinct pattern in how Barony scales with resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 724 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 457 FPS, a significant reduction of about 37%. At 4K (3840x2160) with Low settings, the average falls further to 239 FPS. This demonstrates that even at the lowest settings, the rendering load increases substantially with pixel count, though the absolute numbers remain extraordinarily high.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is less severe than from 1080p to 1440p. At High settings, the system delivers 462 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 292 FPS at 1440p, and then to 152 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 37%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 48%. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the RTX 5090 D's immense bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory keep performance from collapsing.

At the Ultra preset, the scaling curve is steeper. The system averages 331 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 109 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents the lowest average frame rate in the entire measured set, yet it still clears the 100 FPS threshold. This indicates that while the GPU is clearly doing more work at 4K Ultra, the combination of the CPU's 24 cores and the GPU's 21,760 shading units ensures that Barony remains highly playable even under maximum load.

The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings at any given resolution is substantial. At 1080p, the gap is 393 FPS (724 vs 331), while at 4K, the gap narrows to 130 FPS (239 vs 109). This compression at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, whereas at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,439, is sufficient to feed the GPU at extremely high rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike with relatively simple geometry, the CPU's role is often more critical than the GPU at lower resolutions. The benchmark results suggest that this CPU has ample headroom, as the FPS at 1080p Low (724 FPS) is more than three times the 4K Ultra result (109 FPS).

The processor's single-thread performance is strong, with a PassMark single-thread score of 5,068. This helps explain why the system can push such high frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU must process game logic and draw calls rapidly. The multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44,253, but Barony likely does not leverage all 24 threads effectively. The data shows that the FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings is significant, suggesting that the GPU is beginning to take over as the limiting factor even at 1440p.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score of 93,785 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6520P, which scores 93,786, a delta of 0%. It trails the AMD EPYC 4564P by 1.5% and the AMD EPYC 9175F by 1.9%. These are server-class processors, indicating that the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sits in rarefied company for compute performance. However, for gaming, the 5.50 GHz boost clock and 36 MB of shared L3 cache are likely more relevant than raw multi-thread scores. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its top-tier status.

In Barony specifically, the CPU's high clock speed appears to be the key enabler for the 724 FPS result at 1080p Low. The data implies that at this resolution, the GPU is not the bottleneck; rather, the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and update game state determines the frame rate. The fact that the system still delivers 462 FPS at 1080p High shows that even with increased shading work, the CPU keeps pace. The drop to 331 FPS at 1080p Ultra suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more demanding, but the CPU is still not maxed out.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 724, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks first out of 2,935 tested combos for this game.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded, and at what settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 109, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 109, which is above 60 FPS. At 4K with Low settings, it jumps to 239 FPS.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the system averages 457 FPS on Low settings and 209 FPS on Ultra settings, a difference of 248 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 93,785 is statistically tied with the Intel Xeon 6520P, which scores 93,786, a delta of 0%.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific configuration at the pinnacle of performance for Barony. With a combo rank of 1 out of 2,935 tested combinations, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D are the definitive top-tier pairing for this title. This ranking is not a marginal victory; it signifies that this system outperforms every other tested CPU and GPU combination in the database for this game.

The GPU alone sits in the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower. The RTX 5090 D also beats the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.6% and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB by 2.1%. This suggests that while the GPU is not the absolute fastest in every synthetic test, its real-world gaming performance in Barony is unmatched.

The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and its near-tie with the Intel Xeon 6520P in average benchmark score further solidify the system's position. The combination of a top-1% CPU and a top-8% GPU yields a result that is greater than the sum of its parts. The measured FPS data shows that this system has no trouble maintaining triple-digit frame rates even at 4K Ultra, a feat that many other combos would struggle to achieve. The rank of 1 indicates that in Barony, there is no faster tested configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional results: Low settings average 724 FPS, Medium averages 538 FPS with a minimum of 458 and a maximum of 619, High averages 462 FPS, and Ultra averages 331 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 393 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily utilized as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the averages are still remarkably high. Low settings produce 457 FPS, Medium averages 340 FPS with a range of 289 to 391, High averages 292 FPS, and Ultra averages 209 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with approximately a 37% reduction in frame rate for each settings level. This indicates that the GPU is scaling predictably with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system remains well above playable thresholds. Low settings average 239 FPS, Medium averages 178 FPS with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204, High averages 152 FPS, and Ultra averages 109 FPS. The 4K results show that even at the highest resolution, the system never dips below 100 FPS on average. The Medium preset at 4K is the only setting where minimum FPS data is provided, showing a floor of 151 FPS, which is still very smooth.

The data reveals that the gap between Medium and High settings is relatively small compared to the gap between High and Ultra. At 1080p, the difference is 76 FPS (538 vs 462), while the difference between High and Ultra is 131 FPS (462 vs 331). This pattern holds at 1440p and 4K, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces a significant performance cost, likely due to more demanding visual effects or draw distances.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 462 FPS offers a superb balance, providing enough visual quality without sacrificing the extremely high frame rates that competitive players might desire. The Ultra preset at 331 FPS is also excellent, but the 131 FPS drop from High may not be justified by the visual improvements in a roguelike title.

At 1440p, the High preset at 292 FPS is the recommended choice for most users. It delivers well over 240 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 209 FPS is also viable, offering a smoother visual experience for those who prioritize image quality. However, the Medium preset at 340 FPS is a strong alternative for users who want maximum responsiveness, as it provides a 48 FPS boost over High.

For 4K resolution, the data suggests that the High preset at 152 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers a high level of visual detail while maintaining a frame rate that is more than sufficient for any display. The Ultra preset at 109 FPS is playable, but the 43 FPS drop from High might be noticeable on a 120Hz display. The Medium preset at 178 FPS is an excellent choice for 4K users who prefer higher refresh rates over maximum fidelity, as it provides a 26 FPS improvement over High.

The Low presets, while achieving frame rates as high as 724 FPS at 1080p, are not recommended for a system of this caliber, as the visual compromise is severe and the performance headroom is unnecessary. The Medium preset at 4K is a particularly compelling option, as it maintains a minimum FPS of 151, ensuring consistent smoothness. For the best overall experience, the High preset across all resolutions offers a strong combination of visual quality and performance, with the data showing it consistently delivers frame rates that are at least three times higher than the 60 FPS baseline.