Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 delivers a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Barony. The data reveals a combination where the modern 6-core processor is clearly held back by an aging graphics card, yet the results are surprisingly playable at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where the limits lie.

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

The performance curve across resolutions tells a classic story of GPU saturation. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 90.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 53.4 FPS, a reduction of 41.2%. At 3840x2160, the frame rate collapses further to 27.6 FPS, which is 69.6% lower than the 1080p result. This steep, non-linear decline is the signature of a system that is entirely graphics-bound at higher pixel counts.

The pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system hits 140.5 FPS. At 1440p Low, it manages 85.6 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 49.1 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K here is a 42.6% drop, which is proportionally similar to the High preset's decline. This consistency across presets indicates that the GPU's raw pixel-pushing capability, not the CPU or memory subsystem, is the primary constraint as resolution climbs.

Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K in percentage terms for the High preset. This suggests that the RX 570's 256-bit memory bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p but struggle to feed the increased data demands of 1440p. The 4K results, while low, are still functional for a roguelike title, but the data clearly indicates that this is a 1080p-centric configuration. The CPU's potential, evidenced by its 32 MB of L3 cache and 5.00 GHz boost clock, is never the limiting factor here; the GPU's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are the ceiling.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, running on the AM5 socket. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 22799 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3218 in single-core tests. These figures place it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24993. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11850H, scores 24974, a mere 0.1% difference, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is 0.3% behind.

In Barony, the CPU's role appears to be largely administrative. The game is a roguelike with procedural generation, which typically involves significant single-threaded logic for map generation and AI pathfinding. The 7500F's strong single-core performance, demonstrated by its 974 score in 3dmark_single_thread, ensures that these tasks are handled without bottlenecking the frame rate. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (140.5 FPS) suggests the CPU can feed frames well beyond the GPU's limits.

The 12 threads and 6 cores provide ample headroom for background tasks and the game's simulation. However, the data shows that even at 1080p, the frame rate is not CPU-bound. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions at the same settings. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases, confirming that the CPU is not the constraint. The 7500F's 65W TDP and DDR5 memory support (with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) ensure it is not starving the GPU of data, but the GPU simply cannot translate that data into higher frame rates at higher resolutions.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a 2017-era card based on the Polaris 20 chip and GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It features 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Its base clock is 1168 MHz with a boost of 1244 MHz, and it has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP32 performance is rated at 5.095 TFLOPS. The card sits in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30158, placing it remarkably close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (0.2% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0.2% ahead).

The GPU's limitations are starkly evident in the Barony data. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 23.6 FPS, which is likely below the threshold for comfortable play. The 4 GB VRAM is a critical constraint here. At 4K, texture data and framebuffer requirements can exceed 4 GB, forcing the card to use system memory over the PCIe bus, which causes stuttering and low average frame rates. The 49.1 FPS at 4K Low versus 27.6 FPS at 4K High demonstrates how the card's fill rate and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed by higher-quality textures and effects.

The RX 570's performance relative to its rivals is curious. The data shows it is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the RTX 5060 and RX 7700 XT, which are much newer cards. This indicates that the synthetic benchmarks used here may not fully capture the RX 570's age-related deficiencies in modern game workloads. In Barony, the card's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for 1080p, as evidenced by the 104.7 FPS at Medium settings, but the 39.81 GPixel/s pixel rate is clearly inadequate for 4K Ultra. The GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Barony at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 49.1 FPS. At Medium settings, it drops to 33.1 FPS, and at High settings, it falls to 27.6 FPS. The 4 GB VRAM and limited pixel rate make Ultra settings (23.6 FPS) largely unplayable.

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it produces 90.8 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a roguelike. At 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 53.4 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less fluid.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The evidence is that FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (from 90.8 FPS at 1080p High to 27.6 FPS at 4K High). If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain similar across resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic tests?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F has an average benchmark score of 24993. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H (24974) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (24897). It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X by 0.3% (25057).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic tests?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 30158. It is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (30109) and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097). It is also 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (29969).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 140.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 65.7 FPS. This is a difference of 74.8 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU that the card struggles to handle.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Barony, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1601 out of 1702 total combos. This places it in the bottom 6% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing. The rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's age and limited VRAM, as the CPU is a modern, capable part.

The low ranking is surprising given the CPU's strong synthetic performance. The 7500F sits in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-11850H and AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX. However, the GPU's 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs, despite its close synthetic scores to newer cards, does not translate to in-game performance for Barony. The data suggests that the game is heavily dependent on GPU memory bandwidth and rasterization throughput, areas where the RX 570's 2017 architecture is outclassed by more modern designs.

This combination is effectively a mismatch: a high-end 2023 processor paired with an entry-level 2017 graphics card. The CPU has headroom to spare, but the GPU cannot utilize it. For the purposes of this benchmark database, the combo rank reflects the practical, in-game result, which is a system that is only suitable for 1080p gaming in Barony.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Barony is at 1920x1080 with High settings, yielding 90.8 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive frame rate for a game that requires quick reactions to enemy attacks and trap activations. The High preset is preferable to Medium (104.7 FPS) because the visual fidelity improvement is substantial, and the frame rate is still well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (53.4 FPS) is borderline. It is playable but may feel slightly sluggish in fast-paced combat. The Medium preset (63.3 FPS) is a safer choice for 1440p, offering a better balance between visual quality and smoothness. For 4K, the Low preset (49.1 FPS) is the only viable option, but the visual downgrade is severe, and the frame rate is still not ideal. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it only achieves 65.7 FPS at 1080p, which is lower than the High preset's 1080p result, indicating diminishing returns.

The data suggests that players should prioritize resolution over settings. A 1080p High experience is superior to a 1440p Medium experience in terms of frame rate stability. The 4 GB VRAM is the deciding factor; at higher resolutions with High or Ultra settings, the card likely exceeds its memory capacity, causing performance to plummet.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average frame rates for this combination in Barony:

• 3840x2160 (4K): Low preset averages 49.1 FPS. Medium preset averages 33.1 FPS. High preset averages 27.6 FPS. Ultra preset averages 23.6 FPS.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): Low preset averages 85.6 FPS. Medium preset averages 63.3 FPS. High preset averages 53.4 FPS. Ultra preset averages 43.2 FPS.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): Low preset averages 140.5 FPS. Medium preset averages 104.7 FPS. High preset averages 90.8 FPS. Ultra preset averages 65.7 FPS.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: 1080p is always smooth, 1440p is playable on lower presets, and 4K is only usable on Low. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at High settings costs 37.4 FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K at High settings costs an additional 25.8 FPS. This shows that the RX 570's performance degrades more rapidly at the lower resolution jump, likely due to memory bandwidth saturation. The card's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates as the pixel count increases. The CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock does not compensate for this GPU limitation, confirming that the graphics card is the sole arbiter of performance in this setup.