Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, despite its CPU-heavy simulation roots, shows a surprisingly GPU-bound profile in this test configuration. The pairing of an Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers playable to excellent frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom so that the GPU becomes the definitive performance limiter. The data indicates this combo ranks in the 57th percentile of all tested combinations, which is a strong result given the age of the GPU component. The core finding is that this system is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, while 4K Ultra remains the only setting that pushes it below the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Barony?

A: This combination ranks 1678 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Can this system handle Barony at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 67 FPS on High settings, 78 FPS on Medium, and 104 FPS on Low. However, it drops to 48 FPS on Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in general GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score is 20282, which places it roughly 1% to 1.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc B570, and Intel Arc A750. It is also about 1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing the refresh rate on a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 199 FPS, while High settings yield 127 FPS. For 1080p, High settings deliver 202 FPS, making both resolutions excellent choices for high-refresh-rate displays.

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

A: The data suggests no. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a multi-core score of 51731 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 7303, which is far above what a game like Barony requires. The measured FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM of the RTX 2070 SUPER a limiting factor in Barony?

A: The measured frame rates do not indicate a VRAM capacity problem. The performance drop from High to Ultra at 4K is significant (from 67 FPS to 48 FPS), but this is consistent with the increased computational load of Ultra settings rather than a memory capacity overflow.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rate in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the texture and geometry loads at the tested settings. The GPU's clock speeds are a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, and these figures directly correlate with the performance scaling observed across different graphical presets.

The benchmark results demonstrate a clear pattern of GPU-bound behavior. When moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop by roughly 67% to 70% across the High, Medium, and Ultra settings. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 202 at 1080p to 127 at 1440p and finally to 67 at 4K. This near-linear scaling with pixel count is the signature of a system where the GPU's fill rate and shading power are the limiting factors. The RTX 2070 SUPER's Turing architecture, with 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, provides a peak pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s, which is the hardware resource being taxed at higher resolutions.

The GPU's performance percentile of 65 places it in the upper two-thirds of all graphics cards, and its average benchmark score of 20282 is competitive with its immediate successors and rivals. In the context of Barony, the RTX 2070 SUPER proves to be a capable performer. It is not the fastest card, but its combination of compute throughput (9.062 TFLOPS FP32) and memory bandwidth allows it to deliver smooth frame rates at 1440p High and even 4K Medium. The transition from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling: the average FPS drops from 78 to 48, a 38% performance hit that shows Ultra settings are disproportionately demanding on the GPU's resources.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined system of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the RTX 2070 SUPER holds a rank of 1678 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 57th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the tested systems while being surpassed by the top 43%. This is a respectable standing, especially considering the GPU is an end-of-life product from 2019.

The ranking indicates that while this combo is not at the bleeding edge of performance, it is far from a low-end setup. The CPU's contribution to this rank is significant. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a top-tier processor, with a 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% faster), the AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% slower), and the AMD EPYC 9135 (1.2% slower). This CPU ensures that the system's overall ranking is not dragged down by processor bottlenecks.

The fact that this combo sits above the median in Barony confirms the GPU's efficiency in this specific title. Many combos with newer, more powerful GPUs would rank higher, but the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance is sufficient to push this pairing into the upper half. The data suggests that for a 1080p and 1440p gaming setup, this combination punches above its weight, delivering high frame rates that rival more modern mid-range configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. On Low settings, it averages 316 FPS, which is an extraordinarily high frame rate that would satisfy even the most demanding competitive players. High settings reduce this to 202 FPS, still far above the threshold for a 144Hz monitor. Medium settings yield 235 FPS, with a minimum of 200 FPS and a maximum of 270 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 145 FPS, which is still fluid and playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but starts to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings produce an average of 199 FPS, which is excellent. High settings average 127 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS standard. Medium settings average 148 FPS, with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS. Ultra settings average 91 FPS, which is a solid result for 1440p gaming at maximum quality.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to struggle with the highest preset. Low settings still manage a playable 104 FPS. High settings average 67 FPS, which is acceptable for a cinematic experience. Medium settings average 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay and would be noticeable to most users. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for this combo, while 4K requires lowering the quality preset to maintain a stable frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an extremely powerful processor that provides a massive amount of headroom for this GPU pairing. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, running at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming performance, as it ensures that the single-threaded performance is exceptional. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 and multi-core score of 51731 demonstrate its capability to handle both light and heavy workloads.

In Barony, a game that involves procedural generation and complex game state simulation, the CPU's processing power is not a bottleneck. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (316 FPS) are so high that they approach the limits of what the GPU can render. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates at lower resolutions, where the GPU has less work to do. Instead, the FPS continues to scale with resolution, confirming that the CPU is delivering frames to the GPU faster than it can process them.

The CPU's large 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core also contribute to its gaming prowess, minimizing memory latency for frequently accessed data. Its memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s on a dual-channel DDR5 interface is more than adequate for this workload. The Ultra 9 290K Plus sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 84003 is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, its closest rival. This processor is a future-proof component that will not need upgrading for years to come, even as more demanding games are released.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For users with a 1920x1080 monitor, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, delivering an average of 145 FPS. This provides a high-quality visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. For those with a 144Hz monitor, even High settings at 202 FPS offer a massive advantage in responsiveness, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in a roguelike is often minimal.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 127 FPS. This is ideal for a 120Hz or 144Hz display. The Ultra preset, at 91 FPS, is also viable if the user prefers maximum graphical quality over a higher refresh rate. The Medium preset at 148 FPS is a good fallback for those who want to guarantee a frame rate above 144 FPS, but the visual downgrade from High is usually not worth the extra 21 FPS.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with an average of 78 FPS. This provides a smooth experience that is above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 67 FPS are also playable, but the Medium preset offers a better safety margin for more demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS should be avoided, as it falls below the playable threshold and would result in noticeable stuttering. Users with a 4K display should prioritize the Medium preset to enjoy a stable and responsive experience, as the leap to High only yields a 14% frame rate increase for a significant visual upgrade.