Barony

Barony is a roguelike that leans on procedural generation and simulation logic, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B390 reveal a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component. The data shows a configuration that ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower percentile of performance. The combination of a top-tier 24-core processor with an integrated graphics solution creates a stark imbalance, where the CPU is effectively idle while the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 159 FPS, which drops to 100 FPS at 1440p and further down to 53 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and then a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear; the penalty for each additional pixel becomes more severe as the resolution climbs, indicating that the render output is overwhelming the integrated GPU's capabilities.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 102 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, a 37% decrease, and then to 34 FPS at 4K, another 47% decrease. The Ultra preset shows the same trend, with 73 FPS at 1080p dropping to 46 FPS at 1440p and finally to 24 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across different quality levels confirms that the resolution is the primary bottleneck, not the complexity of the scene or the number of objects rendered.

What this scaling tells us about the limiting component is unambiguous: the Intel Arc B390 is the performance ceiling. The CPU, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is not the factor causing these frame rate collapses. If the processor were the limitation, we would expect to see smaller differences between 1440p and 4K, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU work increases. Instead, the data shows that the GPU is saturated at 4K, producing results that hover near the edge of playability. The jump from 53 FPS at 4K Low to 34 FPS at 4K High also demonstrates that even modest increases in shader complexity have a disproportionate impact, further confirming the GPU's role as the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a formidable processor on paper, featuring 24 cores and 24 threads with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. It is built on a 3 nm process and belongs to the Arrow Lake Refresh family, with a 125 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates exceptional strength, scoring 51731 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84003 puts it slightly ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807, a delta of 0.2%, and comfortably ahead of the AMD EPYC 9135, which scores 82980, a delta of 1.2%.

However, in Barony, this CPU power is largely irrelevant. The game is a roguelike, a genre that typically does not demand high thread counts or extreme single-thread performance for the type of rendering workload being measured here. The measured frame rates are far below what this CPU is capable of feeding, even at 1080p Low where the system hits 159 FPS. At that resolution and setting, the CPU could likely push much higher frame rates if the GPU were not in the way. The data suggests that the processor is never the limiting factor in this configuration; even at 4K Ultra with an average of 24 FPS, the CPU is still waiting on the GPU to finish its work.

The core and thread configuration of the Ultra 9 290K Plus would be advantageous for CPU-intensive simulation games or heavy multitasking, but Barony's performance here is dictated by the graphics pipeline. The fact that the system only manages 159 FPS at 1080p Low, a frame rate that many mid-range discrete GPUs would exceed with this CPU, underscores the mismatch. The processor's capabilities are vast, but they are left untapped in this specific pairing, as evidenced by the benchmark scores that show it outperforming its nearest rivals, yet the in-game results place this combo in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, part of the Arc Graphics-M generation for Panther Lake. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, and it has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The memory configuration is system shared, meaning it uses the main system memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as system dependent. This is a critical detail, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and its performance is directly tied to the system's RAM speed and configuration.

In the sole 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B390 scores 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with 1460, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM with 1446. The Arc B390's score is only 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX, a GPU that is over a decade old and was considered entry-level at its time. This comparison highlights the Arc B390's position as a basic integrated solution, not a gaming part.

The GPU's capabilities directly explain the measured FPS in Barony. With a peak FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, the Arc B390 can handle 1080p gaming at moderate settings, but it struggles as the resolution and quality settings increase. The 4K Ultra result of 24 FPS is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited fillrate and shading power, as the 24 ROPs are insufficient to process the pixel workload at that resolution. The system shared memory also means that at 4K, the GPU is likely consuming a significant portion of the available memory bandwidth, further reducing performance. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in this system's performance, and its low percentile ranking is the primary reason for the combo's overall rank in Barony.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of how this system handles Barony across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of smooth performance. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 159 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced roguelike. Medium settings reduce this to 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS, indicating that the frame pacing is consistent. High settings deliver 102 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 73 FPS. At 1080p, even the most demanding preset remains playable, with all results above 70 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings yield 100 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, showing that there is some variance but the experience remains smooth. High settings drop to 64 FPS, which is borderline for a game that may require quick reactions. Ultra settings bring the average down to 46 FPS, which starts to feel less fluid, and there are no minimum or maximum figures recorded for this preset, suggesting potential instability or just a lack of data collection.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. Low settings produce an average of 53 FPS, which is barely acceptable. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS, indicating that the frame rate can dip into unplayable territory during intense moments. High settings drop to 34 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 24 FPS, which is a slideshow for any action-oriented game. The data shows a clear pattern: the Arc B390 is only capable of delivering a consistently smooth experience at 1080p, and even at 1440p, users must stick to Low or Medium settings to maintain frame rates above 70 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is this system capable of running Barony at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the system produces an average of 34 FPS on High settings and only 24 FPS on Ultra settings. These frame rates are below the threshold for a smooth experience, indicating that 4K is not a viable resolution for this game with this hardware, except possibly at Low settings where it reaches 53 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B390 scores 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX's score of 1463, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M's 1460, and 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM's 1446. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low overall performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for a consistent frame rate above 100 FPS?

A: The only resolution that consistently delivers over 100 FPS is 1920x1080. At this resolution, Low settings produce 159 FPS, Medium produces 118 FPS, and High produces 102 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings break the 100 FPS barrier with an average of 100 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this configuration?

A: No, the data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and outperforms its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, by 0.2%. The frame rates are consistently low at high resolutions, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 159 FPS on Low settings to 73 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 54% reduction in performance when moving to the highest quality preset, which is a significant cost for the visual improvements.

Q: Is the system memory type important for this GPU's performance?

A: Yes, the GPU uses system shared memory, and its bandwidth is listed as system dependent. This means the performance of the Arc B390 is directly tied to the speed and configuration of the system's main memory, which could impact the measured frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this system is found at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 73 FPS, which is smooth enough for most players. However, to maximize frame rate and ensure the most responsive gameplay, the High preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, delivering 102 FPS. This provides a significant buffer above the 60 FPS threshold while still maintaining a high level of visual fidelity. For players who prioritize maximum smoothness and have a high refresh rate monitor, the Low preset at 1080p offers 159 FPS, which is ideal for fast-paced reaction-based gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the recommendations change. The Low preset is the only one that maintains a high frame rate, averaging 100 FPS. The Medium preset, with an average of 75 FPS, is also playable, but the minimum of 64 FPS indicates that it may dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. The High preset at 64 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 46 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. Therefore, for 1440p, users should stick to Low or Medium settings, accepting a visual downgrade to maintain playability.

At 3840x2160, the system is not capable of delivering a consistently smooth experience on any preset. The highest average frame rate is 53 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, and High and Ultra drop to 34 FPS and 24 FPS, respectively. Given these figures, 4K gaming is not advisable with this hardware. Users who want to play Barony at 4K would need to significantly reduce the resolution or consider a different GPU. The data strongly suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p, where the system can comfortably handle all settings presets with playable frame rates.