Barony

# Barony with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + Intel Arc B390

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, presents an unusual pairing: a six-core Zen-based desktop CPU from 2018 alongside an integrated Intel Arc graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings tell a story of a system where the GPU is decisively the limiting factor, yet the CPU's older architecture still shapes the overall experience in subtle ways. With the combo ranking 3300 out of 3717 tested combinations in this game, the data reveals a system that can deliver playable roguelike action at 1080p but struggles to maintain smoothness as resolution climbs. The Intel Arc B390, despite being an integrated part of a mobile platform, shows surprising scaling behavior that merits close examination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings, which strongly indicates the Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 159 FPS at 1920x1080 to 100 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 53 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is not linear; the steep decline at 4K suggests the GPU's pixel throughput capabilities are being overwhelmed. The Arc B390's pixel rate is rated at 60.00 GPixel/s, which translates to significant work per frame at 3840x2160's 8.3 million pixels.

At High settings, the scaling is even more punishing. The 102 FPS average at 1080p falls to 64 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction), and then plummets to 34 FPS at 4K — a 47% drop from 1440p. This near-identical percentage drop across Low and High presets is telling: the GPU is hitting a hard architectural limit rather than a memory bandwidth or texture fill bottleneck. The Arc B390's texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS are simply not sufficient for 4K rendering in this game, regardless of how much the CPU can feed it.

The Medium preset shows the same trend with a 118 FPS average at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, meanwhile, drop to 73 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K — the latter being borderline unplayable for a roguelike where reaction time matters. What is particularly interesting is that the ratio between 1080p and 1440p performance remains roughly 1.5x across all settings, while the 1440p-to-4K ratio is consistently around 2x. This doubling suggests the GPU's memory system, which is "System Shared" and thus dependent on the CPU's DDR4 bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, becomes the critical constraint at higher resolutions.

The data implies that 4K is not a viable target for this combo in Barony. Even at Low settings, the 53 FPS average at 4K would feel inconsistent in a game that demands quick reflexes. The 1080p to 1440p transition, however, is more forgiving — a 100 FPS average at 1440p Low is perfectly serviceable, and even High at 64 FPS is acceptable for turn-based roguelike mechanics. The scaling curve suggests that if the user drops to 1080p, they gain nearly 2x performance over 4K, making it the logical choice for competitive or fast-paced play.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show a clear hierarchy: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, with each step costing approximately 15-20% performance at a given resolution. At 1080p, Low delivers 159 FPS, Medium 118 FPS, High 102 FPS, and Ultra 73 FPS. The jump from Medium to High is relatively small (16 FPS), while the jump from High to Ultra is much larger (29 FPS). This suggests the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately tax the Arc B390's limited shading units and ROPs — it has only 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs, which are modest figures for modern rendering workloads.

For the best experience at 1080p, Medium at 118 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a 16% performance buffer over High while likely retaining most visual quality. The measured min FPS of 101 at Medium (versus no min data for High) indicates the frame pacing is more stable, which matters in a roguelike where sudden enemy spawns can cause hitches. At 1440p, Medium at 75 FPS is the recommended preset — it offers a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while staying well ahead of High's 64 FPS average. The min FPS of 64 at Medium ensures that even the busiest scenes stay fluid.

At 4K, no preset is truly ideal. Low at 53 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but even that will dip in intense moments. Medium at 39 FPS and High at 34 FPS are too inconsistent for a game where a single misstep can cost a run. Ultra at 24 FPS is effectively a slideshow. Users targeting 4K should either accept Low settings or consider the resolution simply out of reach for this hardware combo. For 1080p users, the data supports skipping Ultra entirely — the 31 FPS cost over High is not justified by visual gains in a roguelike where readability of the dungeon map is paramount.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 brings 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost up to 3.90 GHz. Its architecture is Zen (specifically Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge), built on a 12 nm process. In Barony, a roguelike that is not known for heavy multi-threading, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain consistent frame pacing rather than push raw FPS. The measured results show that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the system reaches 159 FPS — but this is likely below the CPU's theoretical ceiling for this game. The Ryzen 5 2600's PassMark single-thread score of 2239 and multi-thread score of 13160 indicate it can handle most game logic, but its older architecture may limit maximum frame rates in scenarios with many entities.

The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards, and its 46.9 GB/s memory bandwidth is shared with the GPU's System Shared memory. This creates a potential contention point: when the Arc B390 needs to access frame buffers or textures in system memory, it competes with the CPU for the same DDR4 bandwidth. The data supports this interpretation — at 4K, where memory pressure is highest, the performance drops more steeply than pure pixel-count scaling would predict. The CPU's 65W TDP and dual-channel memory bus are adequate, but the architecture's age means it lacks the memory latency optimizations of newer processors.

Benchmark results place the Ryzen 5 2600 in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21484. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% ahead) and Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% ahead), while the AMD EPYC 9454 trails by 1.2%. This suggests the CPU is not a weak link in this combo; rather, it provides a stable foundation that the GPU cannot fully utilize at higher resolutions. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1248 and single-core score of 157.3 further indicate balanced performance that should not bottleneck a 60 FPS target in roguelike gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1080p in Barony?

A: Yes, comfortably. Measured averages show 102 FPS at High, 118 FPS at Medium, and 159 FPS at Low settings at 1920x1080. Even Ultra reaches 73 FPS, so 60 FPS is achievable at any preset at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system if I want smooth gameplay?

A: 1920x1080 is the clear choice. At Medium settings, the average is 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS, ensuring no drops below 60. At 2560x1440, Medium drops to 75 FPS average with 64 FPS minimum, which is still playable but closer to the edge.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 53 FPS. Medium falls to 39 FPS, High to 34 FPS, and Ultra to 24 FPS. For a roguelike, 53 FPS at Low is borderline acceptable, but consistency may suffer in busy scenes.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, and 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM. It ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating entry-level performance.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 holding back the GPU?

A: The data suggests not. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 21484 place it well above the GPU's 9th percentile. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU provides ample headroom, and the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: What is the role of system memory in this combo's performance?

A: The Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent" on the CPU's DDR4 support. The Ryzen 5 2600's dual-channel memory bus provides 46.9 GB/s, which is shared between CPU and GPU workloads. This shared bandwidth likely contributes to the steep performance drop at 4K.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with boost clock up to 2500 MHz. Its FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that place it firmly in entry-level territory, as confirmed by its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the only benchmark data available, and it shows the GPU performing within 1.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX — a much older discrete part.

In Barony, the GPU's role is dominant. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a halving of performance at each major resolution step, which is characteristic of a GPU that is pixel-bound. The 24 ROPs are particularly limiting at 4K, where the pixel fill rate of 60.00 GPixel/s translates to roughly 7 milliseconds per frame just for rasterization — before any shading or texture work. The System Shared memory further compounds this, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for bandwidth, and the "System Dependent" bandwidth means performance varies with the CPU's memory controller.

The GPU's 12 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 suggest it is architecturally modern, but Barony's 2015 release date means it likely does not leverage these features. The measured FPS at High settings (102 FPS at 1080p) versus Low (159 FPS) shows a 36% performance cost for higher quality settings, which is a significant penalty for a GPU with only 7.680 TFLOPS. This indicates the game's High preset introduces shader complexity that the Arc B390's shading units struggle to process, despite the relatively low resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings ladder is playable. Low averages 159 FPS, Medium 118 FPS (min 101, max 136), High 102 FPS, and Ultra 73 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is just 16 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 29 FPS — a disproportionate jump that suggests Ultra enables expensive post-processing or shadow effects. For competitive play, Low at 159 FPS provides the smoothest experience, but Medium's minimum of 101 FPS ensures no stutter in hectic encounters.

At 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but tightens. Low averages 100 FPS, Medium 75 FPS (min 64, max 86), High 64 FPS, and Ultra 46 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 64 FPS is dangerously close to the 60 FPS threshold, meaning any additional overhead could cause visible drops. High at 64 FPS average is theoretically playable, but the lack of min FPS data means frame pacing is unverified. Ultra at 46 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy roguelike play.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations are stark. Low averages 53 FPS, Medium 39 FPS (min 33, max 45), High 34 FPS, and Ultra 24 FPS. The Medium min FPS of 33 is less than half of the 60 FPS target, indicating severe frame time spikes during complex scenes. Low at 53 FPS is the only viable option, and even that will feel inconsistent. The data shows a clear pattern: each settings tier at 4K costs roughly 20% of the previous tier's performance, with Ultra delivering less than a quarter of the 1080p Low result.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 3300 out of 3717 tested combinations in Barony, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B390's entry-level performance — the GPU's 9th percentile standing drags the combo down despite the CPU's respectable 75th percentile. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% faster) and Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% faster), would likely perform similarly in this game when paired with the same GPU, as the bottleneck is clearly graphical.

The ranking of 3300 out of 3717 means that 417 other combos perform worse in Barony, but the overwhelming majority of systems tested deliver better results. This is unsurprising given the Arc B390's integrated nature and the game's 2015 release date, which predates many modern rendering techniques that the GPU's architecture might otherwise handle well. The combo's position suggests it is suitable for low-resolution or low-settings play, but it cannot compete with even modest discrete GPUs from the same era.

The data implies that users with this combo should treat 1080p as their primary target, with Medium settings offering the best balance of visual quality and performance. Pushing to 1440p is possible at Low or Medium, but the margins are thin, and 4K is effectively out of reach. For a roguelike like Barony, where gameplay clarity and responsiveness are paramount, the combo's 1080p Medium performance of 118 FPS is more than adequate, but the low overall ranking reflects its inability to handle higher resolutions with any visual fidelity.