Barony

# Barony with AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D — Benchmark Analysis

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces frame rates in Barony that are among the highest recorded in the database, ranking 49th out of 2,935 tested combinations. This pairing of a mid-range 6-core Zen 3 processor with a flagship Blackwell GPU creates an interesting dynamic where the CPU becomes the primary constraint at lower resolutions, while the GPU's immense raw power remains largely underutilized even at 4K. The following analysis walks through how resolution scaling, CPU characteristics, GPU specifications, and settings presets interact to produce the measured results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, but with an unusual twist: even at 4K Ultra, this combination maintains triple-digit frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 570 FPS average, which drops to 457 FPS at 1440p Low (a 19.8% reduction) and further to 239 FPS at 4K Low (a 47.7% reduction from 1440p). These steep percentage drops between resolution steps indicate that the system is heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions — the GPU has so much headroom that it's waiting on the processor to feed it frames.

The scaling pattern across settings tells a similar story. At Medium settings, the system produces 512 FPS at 1080p, 340 FPS at 1440p, and 178 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 33.6% of performance, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 47.6%. For High settings, the numbers are 462 FPS, 292 FPS, and 152 FPS respectively. The 4K High result is notably lower than the 1440p High result by 47.9%, suggesting the GPU is finally starting to become a meaningful contributor to the performance equation at this resolution.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling: 331 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 109 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure represents only 32.9% of the 1080p Ultra performance. This scaling behavior indicates that while the RTX 5090 D is exceptionally powerful, Barony's rendering workload at 4K Ultra does eventually tax the GPU enough to bring frame rates down to merely "excellent" rather than "extreme." The 4K Low to 4K Ultra spread (239 FPS down to 109 FPS) shows a 54.4% performance cost for the highest preset quality.

The measured data suggests the limiting component shifts across the resolution spectrum. At 1080p and 1440p, the Ryzen 5 5500's 6 cores and 12 threads appear to be the bottleneck, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS differences between Low and Medium settings at these resolutions (570 vs 512 at 1080p; 457 vs 340 at 1440p). At 4K, the GPU begins to take over as the limiting factor, with wider gaps emerging between preset levels.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 brings 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This processor sits in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19,593. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (scoring 19,617, a 0.1% difference), the Intel Core i5-12500 (19,668, 0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10700F (19,499, 0.5% lower), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19,723, 0.7% higher). These tight margins place the 5500 squarely in a competitive mid-range bracket.

In Barony, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 570 FPS, while at 1080p Medium it delivers 512 FPS — only a 10.2% drop despite the increased graphical workload. This relatively small gap suggests the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU can easily handle the rendering demands of Low and Medium settings. The 1080p Ultra result of 331 FPS is 41.9% below the Low figure, indicating that the GPU starts to contribute more significantly at the highest preset.

The Cinebench R23 scores provide context for the CPU's gaming performance: 16,429 in multicore and 2,319 in single-core. The single-core result is particularly relevant for Barony, as many roguelike games rely heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and AI calculations. The 3DMark single-thread score of 836 and the PassMark single-thread score of 3,058 further characterize this processor's per-core capabilities.

The Ryzen 5 5500's 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are modest by modern standards, and the PCIe Gen 3 interface could theoretically limit GPU bandwidth in some scenarios. However, the measured frame rates — even at 4K Ultra with 109 FPS — suggest that Barony does not stress the memory subsystem enough for these factors to become significant constraints. The processor's 65W TDP indicates efficient operation, though this is not directly reflected in the gaming metrics.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a massive GPU by any measure, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. It features 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU boosts to 2,407 MHz and delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In the database, the RTX 5090 D ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rivals are somewhat unexpected: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, 1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, 1.6% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, 2.1% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, 2.4% higher). These comparisons reflect the average benchmark scores across multiple tests rather than gaming-specific performance.

In Barony, the GPU's enormous capabilities are only partially utilized. The 4K Ultra result of 109 FPS is the only measurement that approaches what might be considered a "normal" GPU-bound scenario for a flagship card. At 4K Low, the system produces 239 FPS, and at 1080p Low it hits 570 FPS — both figures suggest the GPU is nowhere near its limits. The 32 GB VRAM is far more than Barony requires, and even the 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth appears excessive for this game's needs.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and PassMark G3D score of 44,065 indicate strong synthetic performance, but the real-world Barony results show that the CPU becomes the bottleneck well before the GPU's capabilities are exhausted. The 4K scaling pattern — from 239 FPS at Low to 178 FPS at Medium to 152 FPS at High to 109 FPS at Ultra — demonstrates the GPU's response to increasing rendering loads, with each preset tier costing roughly 25-30% performance relative to the previous tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 49th out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony. This top 1.7% placement is remarkable given that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2022, not a flagship processor. The ranking suggests that Barony's performance characteristics favor GPU headroom, even though the CPU appears to be the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The ranking context becomes clearer when considering the CPU's position relative to its rivals. The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score of 19,593 places it just 0.1% below the Ryzen AI 5 430 and 0.7% below the Core i5-11600KF. In Barony, the 49th rank indicates that the GPU's massive capabilities compensate for the CPU's mid-range positioning, allowing this combo to outperform many systems with stronger processors but weaker graphics cards.

The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking (vs. the CPU's 73rd percentile) suggests that the graphics card is the dominant contributor to this combo's high placement. The 4K Ultra performance of 109 FPS, while not the highest in the database, represents a level of smoothness that many combinations cannot achieve at this resolution. The 1080p and 1440p results — all above 200 FPS even at Ultra settings — put this combo in elite territory for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 331 FPS average, which exceeds the refresh rate of virtually all monitors. The Low preset at 570 FPS provides marginal benefit for most users, though competitive players with 360Hz+ displays might prefer it. The Medium preset at 512 FPS and High at 462 FPS offer progressively better visual quality with still-extreme frame rates.

At 1440p, Ultra settings produce 209 FPS, which is sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays up to 240Hz. The High preset at 292 FPS provides additional headroom for 300Hz+ monitors, while Medium at 340 FPS and Low at 457 FPS offer diminishing returns for most users. The 1440p Ultra result of 209 FPS represents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for most high-end displays.

At 4K, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. Ultra settings deliver 109 FPS, which is smooth for most gaming scenarios but may not satisfy users with 144Hz+ 4K displays. High settings at 152 FPS provide a better match for 144Hz panels, while Medium at 178 FPS offers additional headroom. The Low preset at 239 FPS is likely unnecessary given the visual compromises required.

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p (292 FPS) or 4K (152 FPS) provides the strongest combination of visual quality and performance headroom. Users with 4K 144Hz displays should choose High settings, while those with 1080p or 1440p high-refresh monitors can comfortably run Ultra without sacrificing smoothness.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony?

A: The data shows 1440p High at 292 FPS as a strong balance, while 4K High at 152 FPS remains excellent. At 1080p, all presets exceed 330 FPS, making it suitable for extreme refresh rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 5500 scores 19,593 on average, sitting 0.1% below the Ryzen AI 5 430, 0.4% below the Core i5-12500, 0.5% above the Core i7-10700F, and 0.7% below the Core i5-11600KF.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D bottlenecked by the Ryzen 5 5500 in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate CPU limitation at 1080p and 1440p, where FPS remains high across presets. At 4K, GPU scaling becomes more apparent, suggesting the GPU takes over as the limiting factor.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: The measured data shows 239 FPS at 4K Low versus 109 FPS at 4K Ultra, representing a 54.4% performance reduction for the highest preset.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 49th out of 2,935 combos, placing it in the top 1.7% of all tested systems for Barony.

Q: Is 32 GB of VRAM necessary for Barony?

A: The data does not indicate VRAM as a limiting factor at any resolution or preset. The GPU's 32 GB capacity far exceeds what Barony appears to require based on the measured frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination in Barony is as follows:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 570 FPS average
• Medium: 512 FPS average (435 min, 588 max)
• High: 462 FPS average
• Ultra: 331 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 457 FPS average
• Medium: 340 FPS average (289 min, 391 max)
• High: 292 FPS average
• Ultra: 209 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 239 FPS average
• Medium: 178 FPS average (151 min, 204 max)
• High: 152 FPS average
• Ultra: 109 FPS average

The Medium preset measurements include minimum and maximum FPS data, showing consistency: at 1080p the range is 435-588 FPS, at 1440p it spans 289-391 FPS, and at 4K it covers 151-204 FPS. These ranges indicate stable frame pacing with no severe drops. The other presets lack min/max data, but the average figures alone demonstrate that this combination delivers exceptional performance across all tested configurations.

The progression from 1080p Ultra (331 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (209 FPS) to 4K Ultra (109 FPS) shows a consistent halving of performance at each resolution step. This pattern reinforces the interpretation that the CPU becomes an increasingly significant bottleneck as resolution decreases, while the GPU's role grows at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 109 FPS, while the lowest measurement in the dataset, still exceeds the standard 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin and remains playable on most displays.