Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and AMD Radeon RX 580 pairing in Barony presents a classic study in how a modern six-core processor interacts with an older, but still capable, graphics card. The data shows a configuration that can deliver high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but its performance characteristics shift dramatically depending on the workload and settings. This analysis examines the measured results to understand where the true bottleneck lies and what the numbers mean for the game's experience.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, boosting up to 4.40 GHz, and it draws 65 W. This processor is built on a 7 nm process by TSMC, featuring 32 MB of shared L3 cache. For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike, the CPU's single-thread performance is often a critical factor for game logic and simulation, while the 12 threads handle background tasks and any multi-threaded engine features.

The benchmark data for the CPU indicates strong multi-threaded capability. In Cinebench R23, the 5600 scores 18309 points in multi-core and 2584 in single-core. In the Passmark suite, it achieves 21541 in multi-thread and 3256 in single-thread. These scores place the processor in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms a significant majority of its peers. Compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is nearly identical in average score to the Intel Xeon D-1746TER, with a delta of just 0.6%, and it trails the Intel Core i7-11700F by 0.9%. The 5600 essentially matches the AMD EPYC 9554P and 9534, both with a delta of -0.6%.

In the context of Barony’s measured FPS, the CPU’s role appears to be a stable foundation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 154.5 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to prevent a major stall. However, the game is a roguelike, and the data does not show a scenario where the CPU is clearly the primary limiter, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes. The CPU’s high thread count and boost clock are likely sufficient to keep up with the RX 580's output at all tested settings, making the GPU the more dynamic component in this pairing.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 154.5 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the peak performance of the pairing, highlighting the CPU's ability to drive the GPU to its limits at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K compared to 1080p?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 22.7, which is a substantial reduction from the 68.4 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This indicates that the GPU becomes heavily stressed at 4K, making the game less fluid at the highest visual quality.

Q: Which settings preset shows the largest performance jump?

A: Across all resolutions, the move from Ultra to High provides a significant boost. At 2560x1440, the average FPS goes from 41.6 on Ultra to 63.6 on High, an increase of 22.0 FPS. The jump from High to Medium is smaller, and the largest single-step increase occurs from Medium to Low.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p. The average FPS scales consistently with settings changes, from 68.4 at Ultra to 154.5 at Low. If the CPU were the primary constraint, we would expect a smaller difference between settings at the same resolution, as the CPU load would remain similar.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 1595 out of 1702 tested combinations in the game. This places it in the lower 6.3% of all tested systems, indicating that while it can play the game, most other tested combos yield higher frame rates.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Medium settings?

A: The difference is consistent but not massive. At 1920x1080, High averages 95.4 FPS while Medium averages 115.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, the split is 63.6 FPS vs 72.8 FPS. This suggests that Medium settings offer a tangible performance gain over High.

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

The measured FPS reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops by approximately 33% across all settings. For example, on High settings, the FPS falls from 95.4 to 63.6, and on Ultra, it falls from 68.4 to 41.6. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, as the increased pixel count directly increases the workload on the graphics card.

The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 is even more severe, reinforcing this conclusion. At 4K, the frame rates nearly halve again. On High settings, the FPS drops from 63.6 to 32.7, and on Medium, it goes from 72.8 to 37.2. The RX 580, with its 256-bit memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, simply runs out of processing power to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data shows the CPU is not the bottleneck because the FPS scales so directly with resolution, a hallmark of GPU limitation. The Ryzen 5 5600's performance remains constant, but the GPU's rendering throughput decreases as the resolution increases, making the GPU the dominant factor in this game's performance at higher resolutions.

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

1920x1080: The pairing delivers its best results here. At Low settings, the average FPS is 154.5, making the game exceptionally smooth. Medium settings yield 115.8 FPS, still an excellent experience. High settings produce 95.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. Ultra settings drop the average to 68.4 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality.

2560x1440: At this resolution, the performance is still strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. Low settings average 95.1 FPS, which is very good. Medium settings average 72.8 FPS, providing a smooth experience. High settings drop to 63.6 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the edge. Ultra settings average 41.6 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target and indicates that the highest settings are too demanding for this resolution.

3840x2160: The 4K results show a clear struggle. Low settings average 50.7 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings average 37.2 FPS, and High settings average 32.7 FPS, both of which will feel choppy. Ultra settings average 22.7 FPS, which is not a viable experience for a game requiring fast reactions. The data shows that 4K is only feasible at the lowest settings if a user accepts a significant drop in visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 + AMD Radeon RX 580 combination ranks 1595 out of 1702 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the bottom portion of the database, specifically in the 6th percentile of all tested systems. This is a low ranking, indicating that the majority of other tested hardware combinations produce higher average frame rates in this game.

This ranking is a reflection of the GPU's age and performance class. The RX 580, while a capable card for its time, is outpaced by more modern GPUs that are tested in the database. The CPU, in contrast, is a strong performer with a 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The combo's low rank is therefore almost entirely attributable to the GPU's limitations, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that the CPU is doing its part, but the GPU is holding the system back from achieving a higher rank in this specific game's benchmark results.

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 resolution and the user's preference for smoothness versus visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the High settings preset offers the best balance, providing an average of 95.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while still delivering a high level of visual detail. The Ultra preset, at 68.4 FPS, is also playable, but the drop from High is substantial, and the visual difference may not justify the 27.0 FPS penalty.

At 2560x1440, the Medium settings preset is the recommended choice. It averages 72.8 FPS, which is a good experience, and it is a significant improvement over High, which averages 63.6 FPS. The High preset is also playable, but Medium offers more headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset, at 41.6 FPS, should be avoided for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the Low settings preset is the only viable option for a playable frame rate, averaging 50.7 FPS. Even this is below the 60 FPS target, but it is the only setting that provides a somewhat smooth experience. The Medium and High presets, at 37.2 and 32.7 FPS respectively, are too choppy for comfortable play. In summary, the data suggests using High at 1080p, Medium at 1440p, and Low at 4K for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a GCN 4.0 architecture GPU, built on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1257 MHz, with a boost clock of 1340 MHz. The GPU has 2304 shading units and 32 ROPs, delivering a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. This hardware is designed to handle 1080p and 1440p gaming with ease.

In Barony, the GPU's role is clearly the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K, but the raw processing power is not. The drop from 63.6 FPS at 1440p High to 32.7 FPS at 4K High shows how the GPU's compute units are overwhelmed by the increased pixel workload. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range status; it ranks in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 13559 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, with a delta of 0%. This indicates that the RX 580 is a solid performer for its class, but it is not a high-end card.

The data shows that the GPU's clock speeds and memory bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but they are insufficient for a smooth 4K experience. The card's architecture, while old, still provides a consistent performance level, as evidenced by the predictable FPS scaling with settings. The RX 580, in this combo, is the component that determines the ceiling of performance, and the measured results show that ceiling is around 154.5 FPS at 1080p Low and drops to 22.7 FPS at 4K Ultra.