Barony

# Barony with AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

Barony, a roguelike that dates back to 2015, presents an interesting benchmark case with this combination of AMD's Zen 4 desktop CPU and NVIDIA's Turing-generation GPU. The measured data reveals a system that is far more capable than the game's age might suggest, with the combo ranking in the 1227th position out of 1702 tested combinations in this title. The Ryzen 5 7600 sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER holds the 63rd percentile among GPUs, suggesting a pairing where the processor has more headroom than the graphics card. This imbalance becomes particularly evident when examining how frame rates scale across resolutions and settings, with the data showing a system that can handle 1080p gaming with remarkable ease but begins to show strain at 4K Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about which component limits performance in Barony. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 182.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 116.7 FPS at 2560x1440, then further down to 60.3 FPS at 3840x2160 — a total reduction of roughly two-thirds from the 1080p baseline. This dramatic scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, since the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K while the CPU workload remains relatively constant. The Low settings row confirms this interpretation: 288.6 FPS at 1080p drops to 181.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 93.7 FPS at 4K, showing that even with minimal graphical load, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that Barony's rendering demands scale almost linearly with resolution, typical of a game that is not heavily CPU-bound in most scenarios.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest decline, with 130.7 FPS at 1080p falling to 81.7 FPS at 1440p and finally to 45.9 FPS at 4K. This 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered necessary for smooth gameplay, while the 4K High setting barely reaches 60.3 FPS. The scaling pattern across all four presets indicates that 1440p represents the practical ceiling for this combo if targeting high refresh rates, while 4K is only viable at Low or Medium settings. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p performance (roughly 35-40% reduction) is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K (roughly 45-50% reduction), which aligns with the GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s becoming more stressed at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 brings six cores and twelve threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its Zen 4 architecture, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with a 32 MB shared L3 cache, delivers strong single-threaded performance that shows in the benchmark data: a 3DMark single-thread score of 999 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3246. These numbers matter for Barony because roguelike games often have gameplay logic that runs on fewer threads, and the 7600's strong single-core performance helps maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck.

At 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 288.6 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates. The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22992 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 27058, placing it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs. However, the data shows that even this capable CPU cannot overcome the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The fact that frame rates drop so significantly from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that Barony's CPU demands are well within the 7600's capabilities, and the system is not CPU-limited in any of the measured configurations. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 65 W TDP suggests efficient operation, and the DDR5 memory support with dual-channel bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s provides ample data throughput for this game's requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1227 out of 1702 tested combinations places it in roughly the 28th percentile among all CPU-GPU pairings tested in Barony. This ranking might seem low given the strong individual component benchmarks, but it reflects the fact that Barony is an older title where many high-end modern systems can achieve very high frame rates. The Ryzen 5 7600's nearest CPU rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D with an average benchmark score of 26574 (just 0.2% lower), the Intel Core i9-12900HK at 26672 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i9-11900K at 26546 (0.3% lower). These margins are extremely tight, indicating that the 7600's processing power is competitive with previous-generation flagship CPUs.

For the GPU side, the RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (0.3% higher average score), the RTX 2070 (0.5% higher), and the Quadro K5200 (0.8% higher). The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 places it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, which is respectable for a card from the 20-series generation. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU from a previous generation explains why the combo ranks in the lower half of tested configurations — the GPU holds back the system's overall performance in Barony, particularly at higher resolutions. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield significantly better results in this game, as the CPU clearly has headroom to support higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 288.6 FPS average, Medium reaches 210.8 FPS, High achieves 182.6 FPS, and Ultra still manages 130.7 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming at any preset is smooth, with even the most demanding Ultra settings providing frame rates well above 120 FPS. This level of performance suggests the RTX 2060 SUPER is sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution, and the CPU is not creating any noticeable bottleneck.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's limitations beginning to emerge. Low settings average 181.5 FPS, Medium drops to 134.6 FPS, High reaches 116.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 81.7 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result, while still playable, shows a significant drop from the 1080p Ultra figure. At 3840x2160, the picture changes more dramatically: Low settings yield 93.7 FPS, Medium produces 70.4 FPS, High barely reaches 60.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45.9 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that dips below 60 FPS, making it potentially unsuitable for smooth gameplay depending on the player's tolerance for frame rate drops.

The pattern across all resolutions shows diminishing returns from lower settings at 4K — even dropping from Ultra to Low only recovers about half the frame rate lost from the 1080p baseline. This suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and its 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM become significant constraints at 4K resolution, regardless of graphical preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, built on the TU106 chip with Turing architecture, provides 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its boost clock of 1650 MHz and base clock of 1470 MHz, combined with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, deliver a measured FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS. The GPU's benchmark scores show a PassMark G3D score of 16462 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2011, placing it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs. These specifications explain why the card performs admirably at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K Ultra — the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for lower resolutions but become limiting factors when pixel counts increase dramatically.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest GPU rivals in the database — the GTX TITAN (0.3% higher), RTX 2070 (0.5% higher), and Quadro K5200 (0.8% higher) — all show very similar average benchmark scores, confirming that this card sits at a performance tier where small architectural differences matter more than raw specifications. The card's 175 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-efficient option for its performance class. In Barony specifically, the GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure it can handle the game's rendering requirements, but the measured data shows clear GPU limitations at 4K resolution. The fact that frame rates scale so predictably with resolution while staying consistently high at 1080p indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER, not the CPU, is the component determining overall system performance in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Barony with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p High settings, the system achieves 116.7 FPS average, while 4K High drops to 60.3 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 45.9 FPS. Players with 1080p monitors can max out settings at 130.7 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low settings, the combo averages 93.7 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 70.4 FPS. However, 4K High produces 60.3 FPS and 4K Ultra drops to 45.9 FPS, which may not be smooth enough for all players. The data indicates that 4K gaming is viable only at Low or Medium presets.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600's average benchmark score of 26617 is nearly identical to its nearest competitors: the Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 26574 (0.2% lower), the Core i9-12900HK scores 26672 (0.2% higher), and the Core i9-11900K scores 26546 (0.3% lower). These differences are within statistical noise, indicating comparable CPU performance.

Q: How much performance does Ultra settings cost compared to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, switching from Low to Ultra reduces the average frame rate from 288.6 FPS to 130.7 FPS, a drop of 157.9 FPS. This represents a significant reduction, but the resulting 130.7 FPS remains high enough for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER the bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component. Frame rates drop dramatically as resolution increases (from 182.6 FPS at 1080p High to 60.3 FPS at 4K High), while the CPU's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 999) indicates it has ample headroom. The GPU's 63rd percentile ranking versus the CPU's 83rd percentile confirms this imbalance.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Barony?

A: This CPU-GPU combination ranks 1227th out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the lower third of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range status rather than any CPU deficiency, as the processor's benchmark scores are competitive with much newer and more expensive options.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 130.7 FPS is the clear choice — the frame rate remains high enough for smooth gameplay while providing the best visual quality. Even if a player prefers maximum performance, the Low preset at 288.6 FPS offers diminishing returns compared to the visual improvements from Ultra settings. At 1440p, High settings at 116.7 FPS provides an excellent balance, though Ultra at 81.7 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rate. The 1440p Medium setting at 134.6 FPS offers a middle ground for those who want higher refresh rates.

For 4K gaming, the data recommends Medium settings at 70.4 FPS as the best compromise between visual fidelity and playability. The High preset at 60.3 FPS is borderline — it technically meets the 60 FPS threshold but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. Low settings at 93.7 FPS offers the smoothest 4K experience but sacrifices significant visual quality. Ultra at 4K should be avoided, as 45.9 FPS average will likely result in noticeable stuttering and an inconsistent experience. Players with variable refresh rate monitors may find the 4K High setting acceptable, but for most users, 4K Medium represents the optimal choice for this combination of hardware.