Barony

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a compelling performance profile in Barony, a roguelike title that proves far more demanding on the GPU than its genre might suggest. The measured data reveals a system capable of extremely high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, with the RTX 5080 acting as the primary scaling factor from 1080p through 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all resolution and settings combinations, interprets the scaling behavior, and contextualizes the CPU and GPU roles based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic and consistent drop in average frame rates across all settings presets, clearly identifying the GPU as the performance limiter. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 295 at 1080p to 186 at 1440p, a reduction of 109 FPS, and then further to 97 at 4K, which is a 67% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings, where the average FPS starts at an exceptionally high 462 at 1080p. Dropping to 2560x1440 yields 291 FPS, and at 4K the average settles at 152 FPS. The 4K result represents a 67% reduction from the 1080p baseline, mirroring the High preset's percentage drop. This consistency across presets suggests that the RTX 5080's raw shading and rasterization capabilities are being taxed uniformly, regardless of the visual complexity.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 343 FPS at 1080p, 217 FPS at 1440p, and 113 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, being the most demanding, produces the lowest absolute numbers but follows the same downward slope: 211 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measurement below the 100 FPS mark in the entire dataset, indicating that this combination pushes the RTX 5080 to its limits only at the highest resolution and quality setting.

The data indicates that between 1080p and 1440p, the FPS drop is roughly 37% across all presets, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 48%. This non-linear scaling reflects the pixel count increase: 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p, and the measured performance degradation aligns closely with that theoretical load increase. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, does not appear to bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS deltas are purely a function of resolution changes rather than stalling or inconsistent frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, delivering an average of 217 FPS with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS. This configuration provides a comfortable margin above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern displays, ensuring smooth gameplay even during intense roguelike encounters. The minimum FPS of 184 suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip below the threshold for high-refresh displays.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, achieving an average of 462 FPS. This is more than sufficient for competitive play or for users with very high refresh rate monitors, though the visual compromise may be significant given the game's roguelike nature where readability of items and enemies is crucial. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 295 FPS, offers a more sensible middle ground, providing better visuals while still maintaining frame rates well above 240 FPS.

At 4K resolution, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, yielding an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. The minimum of 96 FPS is notable as it stays above the 90 FPS threshold, making this a viable option for 4K gaming on high-refresh displays. The High preset at 4K, at 97 FPS average, is marginally slower but could be preferred for better visual quality if the user accepts average frame rates just below 100 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 70 FPS average, is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS minimum for fluid gameplay, making it the least recommended for action-heavy sessions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this pairing, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient to handle the texture and asset loads of Barony at all tested resolutions without memory-related stuttering. The GPU's 10752 shading units and 112 ROPs are directly responsible for the high pixel throughput observed, and the boost clock of 2617 MHz sustains the performance needed to maintain the measured frame rates.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant at 4K Ultra, where the 70 FPS average suggests the renderer is heavily taxing both the compute units and the memory subsystem. The 16 GB capacity is ample for this game, as the data shows no indication of texture streaming issues or frame drops that would accompany VRAM exhaustion. The measured FPS at 4K Medium, with a minimum of 96 FPS, indicates that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates even under sustained load.

The RTX 5080's percentile ranking of 87 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56083, positions it well above the median. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S, which scores 0.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which trails by 2.2%. In Barony, the RTX 5080's performance is consistent with its overall benchmark standing, delivering frame rates that scale predictably with resolution and settings. The GPU's 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores are not specifically exercised by this roguelike, but the raw FP32 throughput of 56.28 TFLOPS is what drives the high fill rates observed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5080 produces exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 462 FPS, which is the highest measurement in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 343 FPS with a minimum of 292 FPS and a maximum of 395 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. High settings drop to 295 FPS average, while the Ultra preset still manages 211 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the GPU is rarely the bottleneck, and the CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock is sufficient to feed the graphics pipeline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases by approximately 37% across all presets. The Low preset measures 291 FPS, which remains exceptionally high for 1440p. Medium settings produce 217 FPS with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS, making this the most balanced configuration. High settings average 186 FPS, and Ultra drops to 133 FPS. The 1440p results show that the RTX 5080 is still delivering well above the 144 FPS threshold for most presets, with only Ultra falling below that mark.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset averages 152 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium settings measure 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, representing a solid 4K experience. High settings average 97 FPS, just under the 100 FPS mark. The Ultra preset drops to 70 FPS, which is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below the 90 FPS threshold for high-refresh 4K gaming. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution, with 292 FPS at 1080p, 184 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K, all of which indicate stable performance without severe frame drops.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Barony?*

A: The highest average FPS is 462, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only measurement above 400 FPS in the dataset.

Q: Can this system maintain 4K gaming at high refresh rates?

A: At 4K, the Medium preset delivers an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz displays. The High preset averages 97 FPS, which is borderline for 100 Hz displays, while Ultra drops to 70 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 56083 on average benchmarks, placing it 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon 8060S, 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and 2.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE by 2.2%.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 96, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. The minimum FPS for other settings is not provided in the measured data.

Q: Which settings preset and resolution combination offers the best frame rate stability?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows the most consistent frame pacing, with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS. This represents a narrow spread of 65 FPS compared to the 1080p Medium spread of 103 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: Based on the FPS scaling data, the CPU is not a bottleneck. The frame rates decrease consistently with resolution increases, indicating the GPU is the limiting component at all settings and resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, with 16 cores and 22 threads, provides ample processing power for Barony. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensure that single-threaded game logic, which is common in roguelikes, runs efficiently. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and single-core score of 1810.5 demonstrate strong performance that prevents CPU-side bottlenecks, as evidenced by the FPS scaling being purely resolution-dependent.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 cache per core provide low-latency access to frequently used game data. The PassMark single-thread score of 3697 and multithread score of 29376 indicate that the CPU can handle both the game's main thread and background tasks without interference. The Geekbench multi-core score of 11657 and single-core score of 1794 further confirm its capability.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 85 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35670, places it in the upper echelon of processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, which scores 0.1% lower, and the Intel Core 7 250H, which scores 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, a desktop part, scores 0.7% higher. In Barony, the CPU's 45 W TDP and 7 nm process node contribute to sustained performance without thermal throttling, as the FPS data shows no degradation at higher resolutions that would indicate CPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

In Barony, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 764 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the top 26% of all configurations. This ranking is influenced by the GPU's strong absolute performance and the CPU's ability to keep up with the graphics card at all resolutions. The rank of 764 suggests that while this is a high-performing combo, there are 763 other combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game, likely featuring more powerful desktop GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance.

The combo's rank is consistent with the individual component percentiles: the CPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 87th percentile among all GPUs. The combination of two above-average components results in a system that is well-suited for Barony at all tested settings and resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the combo delivers over 200 FPS at Ultra settings, which is a strong result. At 4K, the combo maintains playable frame rates at Medium and High settings, with Ultra being the only preset that dips below 75 FPS.

Given that this is a mobile CPU paired with a desktop GPU, the ranking reflects the GPU's dominance in determining overall game performance. The 764th rank out of 2935 indicates that there are faster combos, but the RTX 5080's performance in Barony is sufficient for high-refresh gaming at 1440p and 4K, making this a capable configuration for the game's roguelike demands.