Barony

Barony is a roguelike that scales surprisingly well with modern hardware, and this particular pairing of an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 produces a wide spread of framerates depending on how you push the resolution and quality settings. The data shows a system that is capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p but will require careful settings management to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and dramatic scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, this combo produces an average of 340 FPS, which is an exceptionally high ceiling that indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 215 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls further to 112 FPS. This progression shows that the RTX 4060 is capable of massive frame output when the graphical load is light, and the Ryzen 5 2600 keeps pace without bottlenecking the frame delivery.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction of roughly 37% in average FPS across most settings. For example, High settings produce 217 FPS at 1080p and 137 FPS at 1440p, while Ultra settings yield 156 FPS at 1080p and 98 FPS at 1440p. This is a typical resolution scaling pattern for a mid-range graphics card, where the pixel count increase from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels directly impacts the GPU's fill rate and shading workload.

The jump from 1440p to 4K is where the RTX 4060 starts to show its limits. High settings drop from 137 FPS at 1440p to 72 FPS at 4K, a 47% reduction. Medium settings follow a similar trend, falling from 160 FPS to 83 FPS. The most demanding scenario, Ultra at 4K, produces an average of only 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that most gamers consider the minimum for smooth play. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, and the 8 GB of VRAM combined with the 128-bit memory bus are constraining factors.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, even Ultra settings maintain a 156 FPS average, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors. At 1440p, the system can comfortably handle High settings at 137 FPS, and Medium settings push to 160 FPS. The 4K results are playable at Medium and Low settings, but the 51 FPS at Ultra makes that setting combination impractical for competitive or fast-paced gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 112, and at Medium settings it is 83 FPS. Even High settings at 4K produce 72 FPS. Only Ultra settings at 4K fall below 60 FPS, with an average of 51 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rate?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 340, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. For a more balanced experience, 1080p High settings produce 217 FPS, which is still well above any high refresh rate display requirement.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. The benchmark results indicate that at lower resolutions like 1080p, the system achieves very high frame rates (340 FPS on Low), which suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor. The GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 sufficient for Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Ultra settings yield 156 FPS, and at 1440p they yield 98 FPS, making Ultra viable for those resolutions. However, at 4K, Ultra settings drop to 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, so Ultra is not recommended at 4K.

Q: What frame rate can I expect with Medium settings?

A: The data shows Medium settings produce 253 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium settings ranges from 71 at 4K to 215 at 1080p, indicating consistent frame delivery.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is ranked 2000 out of 3717 tested combos for Barony, placing it in the upper-middle portion of all tested systems.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen architecture, specifically the Zen+ refinement (Pinnacle Ridge). It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. The processor's cache configuration includes 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 16 MB L3 cache. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 1248 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 157.3 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 5648 multi-core and 1154 single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 13160, with a single-thread score of 2239. The CPU's percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 75%, indicating it performs better than three-quarters of all processors in the database.

The role of the CPU in Barony's performance becomes evident when examining the scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, where the GPU has less work to do, the system achieves extremely high frame rates. The 340 FPS at Low settings and 217 FPS at High settings suggest that the Ryzen 5 2600's single-thread performance is adequate to feed the RTX 4060 with enough draw calls and game logic updates. The CPU's 12 threads also help maintain stability, as evidenced by the minimum FPS records for Medium settings: 215 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 71 at 4K.

The processor's performance relative to its nearest rivals provides context for its capabilities. The AMD EPYC 9454 has an average benchmark score that is 1.2% higher, while the Intel Core i9-11900H is 0.5% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V is 0.2% higher, and the Intel Xeon D-1746TER is 0.7% lower. These small deltas indicate that the Ryzen 5 2600 remains competitive with much newer and more expensive processors in raw compute tasks.

For Barony specifically, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck at any resolution tested. The frame rate drops from 340 FPS at 1080p Low to 112 FPS at 4K Low follow a pattern consistent with GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 3.90 GHz boost clock and 16 MB L3 cache are sufficient for this roguelike's procedural generation and game logic, allowing the RTX 4060 to operate at its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance. For players targeting 60 FPS as a minimum, all settings at 1080p are viable, with even Ultra settings maintaining a 156 FPS average. At 1440p, Ultra settings drop to 98 FPS, which is still smooth, but the 137 FPS at High settings provides more headroom for demanding scenes.

For 4K gaming, the choices are more constrained. High settings produce 72 FPS, which is playable but leaves little margin for frame drops. Medium settings at 4K yield 83 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, offering a better safety margin for maintaining smooth gameplay. Low settings at 4K produce 112 FPS, which is the best option for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

The data suggests that High settings at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo. This configuration achieves 137 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a comfortable buffer for the minimum FPS to stay above 60. The 4K Medium setting at 83 FPS is also a strong recommendation for players with 4K displays, as it balances visual quality with performance.

Ultra settings are not recommended at 4K due to the 51 FPS average, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p and 1440p, Ultra settings are viable, but the improvement over High settings may not justify the frame rate cost. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is 217 FPS versus 156 FPS, a 28% reduction for presumably marginal visual gains. At 1440p, the difference is 137 FPS versus 98 FPS, a 28% reduction as well.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is ranked 2000 out of 3717 tested combos for Barony. This places the system in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms just over half of the systems in the database. This ranking is notable given the age of the CPU, which was released in 2018, and the mid-range positioning of the GPU.

The ranking reflects the system's strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, where it achieves frame rates that many newer and more expensive systems would struggle to match. However, the 4K performance drags down the overall ranking, as the 51 FPS at Ultra settings is below what top-tier systems would achieve. The combination of a 6-core/12-thread CPU with a 15.11 TFLOPS GPU creates a balanced system that is more than capable for most gaming scenarios.

The CPU's individual benchmark scores contribute to this ranking. With a percentile ranking of 75% versus all CPUs, the Ryzen 5 2600 is a solid performer that does not hold back the RTX 4060. The GPU's percentile ranking of 61% versus all GPUs indicates that it is a mid-range part, but when paired with the capable CPU, the system achieves respectable overall performance in Barony.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a full picture of this combo's capabilities across all tested scenarios.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings: 340 FPS average
• Medium settings: 253 FPS average, 215 FPS minimum, 291 FPS maximum
• High settings: 217 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 156 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings: 215 FPS average
• Medium settings: 160 FPS average, 136 FPS minimum, 183 FPS maximum
• High settings: 137 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 98 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings: 112 FPS average
• Medium settings: 83 FPS average, 71 FPS minimum, 96 FPS maximum
• High settings: 72 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 51 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the most severe drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. The minimum FPS values, where recorded, indicate that the system maintains reasonably stable frame delivery, with the 4K Medium setting showing a 71 FPS minimum that is still above the 60 FPS threshold.

The RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the textures and effects at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra setting likely exceeds the memory capacity, contributing to the 51 FPS result. The GPU's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are typical for a mid-range card, and the 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for this roguelike's visual demands.

For the CPU, the Ryzen 5 2600's 16 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s provide adequate data throughput for the game's procedural generation and entity management. The processor's 6 cores and 12 threads handle the game's multithreaded tasks efficiently, as evidenced by the strong performance at 1080p where the CPU is more likely to be a factor.