Barony

Barony, a roguelike released in 2015, presents a unique challenge for modern hardware because its performance profile is not typically bound by the same bottlenecks as modern 3D shooters. The data for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination shows extreme frame rates across all tested configurations, indicating a system that is significantly overqualified for the game's rendering demands. The benchmark results reveal that the primary differentiator in performance is not the GPU's raw power but the CPU's ability to feed it, leading to a scenario where even the most demanding settings produce playable results.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 3000 series, based on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse) and built on a 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045 and a single-core score of 2124. Its average benchmark score is 18129, placing it in the 76th percentile of all CPUs. This places it in a tight competitive cluster, as the nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-11400, scores 18150, a delta of -0.1%, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS is a mere 0.2% behind with a score of 18101.

For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike rather than a fast-paced competitive shooter, the CPU's role is often more about maintaining a stable frame time than pushing extreme frame counts. However, the data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 479.6 FPS. This high number is likely limited by the game engine's frame generation logic or the CPU's single-thread performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 696 and the Passmark single-thread score of 2562 indicate a competent, though not top-tier, single-core performer. The fact that the frame rate scales down from 479.6 FPS at Low to 232.2 FPS at Ultra at 1080p suggests that while the CPU can handle the game logic, it is not the sole bottleneck; the GPU is still doing more work at higher settings. The 12 threads allow for smooth multitasking, but the data implies that Barony's core simulation is not heavily threaded, as the performance delta between the 2-thread (1361) and 8-thread (3844) 3DMark scores is significant. This combination suggests the Ryzen 5 3600's high boost clock is more critical than its core count for this title, as the game struggles to exceed the 480 FPS mark, which is a typical engine ceiling for older titles.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a high-end graphics card from the GeForce 50-series, using the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and a GB205 chip. It has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. Its memory clocks run at 1750 MHz, with an effective speed of 28 Gbps. The core operates at a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz. In synthetic tests, it scores 29137 in Passmark G3D and 5077 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its average benchmark score is 41687, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 41610, a delta of 0.2%, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is 0.6% ahead with a score of 41441.

In Barony, the GPU's role is primarily to handle the game's visual effects and any procedural textures. With 12 GB of VRAM, the RTX 5070 is not going to be constrained by memory capacity, even at 4K Ultra settings. The benchmark results confirm this; at 3840x2160 Ultra, the system still achieves 78.1 FPS. The pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s are more than sufficient for a roguelike's typical 2D sprites or simple 3D models. The performance drop from High (108.5 FPS) to Ultra (78.1 FPS) at 4K is a substantial 28% decrease, indicating that the Ultra preset introduces heavy post-processing or shadow effects that tax the GPU's compute units. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 is severely underutilized in this title at 1080p, where its frame rates exceed 230 FPS, but it becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where its raw rendering power is the deciding factor between playable and high refresh rates.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling of average FPS across resolutions reveals a clear shift in bottleneck. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the system achieves 232.2 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Ultra, the frame rate drops to 143.4 FPS, a decrease of 38.2%. Finally, at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 78.1 FPS, another 45.5% drop from the 1440p result. This pattern is classic GPU-bound scaling; the frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels rendered. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is 66.4%, which is close to the theoretical pixel count increase of 400% (from 2.07 million to 8.29 million pixels), but not exact, suggesting the GPU is not the only factor.

At Low settings, the scaling is different. The system produces 479.6 FPS at 1080p, 320 FPS at 1440p, and 165.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33.3%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48.2%. This steeper relative drop at lower settings indicates that the CPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at 1080p Low, but as resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes more significant. The fact that 4K Low (165.8 FPS) is still faster than 1080p Ultra (232.2 FPS) highlights the massive impact of the graphics preset. The data implies that for this combination, the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, preventing the frame rate from exceeding the 480 FPS threshold, while the GPU takes over as the limiter at 4K, especially with higher quality settings. This is a classic sign of a system where the GPU is far more powerful than the CPU for this specific game's engine.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target refresh rate and resolution. For a standard 60 Hz display, even the most demanding configuration is overkill. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the system still delivers 78.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. However, for high refresh rate monitors (144 Hz or 240 Hz), the choices are more nuanced. At 2560x1440, the High preset yields 206.2 FPS, while Ultra drops to 143.4 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra costs 30.5% performance, but the visual difference in a roguelike might be minimal. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the sweet spot for a high-refresh experience, as it comfortably exceeds 200 FPS while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium (239.1 FPS) or Low (320 FPS).

At 1080p, the situation is different. The Ultra preset still produces 232.2 FPS, which is over 200 FPS and suitable for most high refresh monitors. The High preset at 323.9 FPS is also excellent. Given that the game is a roguelike, where reaction time is less critical than in a competitive shooter, there is little reason to choose Low or Medium settings. The data shows that the Ultra preset at 1080p provides a very high frame rate without any benefit from lowering settings, as the GPU is not the bottleneck. For 4K, the Medium preset at 125.7 FPS is a reasonable middle ground, but High at 108.5 FPS is also perfectly playable. The recommendation from the data is that users should prioritize the High preset for a balance of visual quality and performance, as it offers the best performance per visual fidelity across all resolutions, with Ultra being reserved for those who want maximum quality at 4K and have a display that supports it.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 399th out of 1702 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 23.4% of all systems tested. This is a surprisingly low ranking for such a powerful GPU, indicating that the CPU is holding back the overall performance in this specific game. The rank is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combos feature newer, faster CPUs that can push the frame rate higher at 1080p, where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The data shows that the GPU's average benchmark score of 41687 is in the 83rd percentile, while the CPU's average score of 18129 is in the 76th percentile. This discrepancy suggests that the CPU is the weaker link in this pairing. The combo rank of 399 out of 1702 means that 1303 other combinations performed better in Barony, likely due to having CPUs with higher single-thread performance. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 696 is modest, and this likely caps the maximum frame rate in the game's low-resolution scenarios. The combo's performance is still excellent in absolute terms, as evidenced by the high frame rates, but its relative rank shows that it is not the optimal pairing for this title. The high ranking of the GPU in the global percentile does not translate to a top-tier ranking in Barony, because the game's engine is more sensitive to CPU speed.

FAQ

Q: Is this system overkill for Barony?

A: Yes, the data indicates extreme overkill. At 1080p Low, the system hits 479.6 FPS, and even at 4K Ultra it maintains 78.1 FPS. The RTX 5070 is a high-end GPU that is far more powerful than what a roguelike typically requires.

Q: Why is the frame rate so high at 1080p?

A: The high frame rates at 1080p, such as 479.6 FPS on Low and 323.9 FPS on High, are likely due to the CPU's ability to process the game logic quickly. The GPU is not heavily taxed at this resolution, so the CPU's single-thread performance, with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: For a high refresh rate experience, 2560x1440 with the High preset is the best option, as it achieves 206.2 FPS. For maximum visual quality, 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is still playable at 78.1 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to others?

A: It ranks 399th out of 1702 tested combinations. This means it performs better than roughly three-quarters of the other tested systems, but it is not in the top tier due to the CPU's relative weakness.

Q: Is the 12 GB of VRAM in the GPU sufficient for Barony?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory is more than sufficient. The game does not show any signs of VRAM limitations, as the frame rate scales consistently with resolution and settings, indicating that memory capacity is not a bottleneck.

Q: What is the main bottleneck for this system in Barony?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the main bottleneck at lower resolutions. The frame rate at 1080p is capped at around 480 FPS, while the GPU is clearly capable of much more. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the performance drop is significant.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination across all tested settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|:--------- |:------- | ------: |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 479.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 377.7 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 323.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 232.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 320.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 239.1 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 206.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 143.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 165.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 125.7 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 108.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 78.1 |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: a performance drop of approximately 30-40% when moving from one resolution tier to the next at the same settings. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate goes from 323.9 FPS at 1080p to 206.2 FPS at 1440p, a 36.3% decrease. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 47.4%, showing an accelerating decline at higher pixel counts. The lowest measured performance is 78.1 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still comfortably above the standard 60 FPS playability threshold. The highest measured performance is 479.6 FPS at 1080p Low, which reflects the CPU's ability to handle the game's logic at high speeds. All measurements confirm that this combination provides an exceptionally smooth experience in Barony, regardless of the chosen configuration.