Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a peculiar combination for Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. The benchmark data shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics component, with the CPU demonstrating significant headroom that the GPU cannot utilize. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data to explain how the system behaves across resolutions and settings, what the user can expect, and where the bottleneck truly lies.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a clear GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 159 FPS at 1920x1080 to 100 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 53 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 47% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 is struggling to maintain pixel throughput as resolution increases.

The Medium settings row shows similar behavior with a min FPS recorded at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the average is 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS. Dropping to 2560x1440, the average falls to 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS — a 36% decline in average. At 3840x2160, the average is 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, another 48% drop. The frame time consistency also degrades; the gap between min and max FPS widens from 35 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 1440p, but the relative variance grows as the average drops.

High settings follow the same pattern: 102 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 73 FPS at 1080p falling to 46 FPS at 1440p and just 24 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving or near-halving of performance at each resolution step strongly suggests that the GPU's shading units, 1536 in total, and its 24 ROPs are the limiting factor. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s is simply insufficient for 4K workloads, regardless of the game's age.

The data indicates that this combo is playable at 1080p and 1440p for most settings, but 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then only at 53 FPS. The 4K Ultra experience, at 24 FPS average, falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced roguelike. The resolution scaling analysis points squarely at the GPU as the primary constraint, with the CPU showing no signs of bottlenecking at any tested resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, Low settings yield 159 FPS average, which is exceptionally high but comes at the cost of visual fidelity. Medium settings deliver 118 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS, ensuring that even the worst-case frame rate stays above the 100 FPS mark. This makes Medium the sweet spot for 1080p: it provides a 16% drop in performance compared to Low, but the visual improvement in a roguelike with dense environmental details is substantial. High settings at 1080p drop to 102 FPS average, which is still smooth but begins to approach the 60 FPS threshold if there are any unrecorded dips. Ultra at 73 FPS average is playable but sacrifices the headroom that a roguelike benefits from during chaotic on-screen effects.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. Low settings deliver 100 FPS average, which is excellent. Medium drops to 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, meaning the user will rarely see frame rates below 60 FPS. High settings at 64 FPS average are borderline — the average is above 60, but there is no min FPS recorded to confirm stability. Ultra at 46 FPS average is not recommended for a game where split-second reactions matter. For 1440p, Medium is the best balance: it keeps the average above 75 FPS while providing better visuals than Low. Users with a 60 Hz display could opt for High, but the lack of a min FPS data point makes that a riskier choice.

At 3840x2160, the options are severely limited. Low settings produce 53 FPS average, which is the only preset that approaches playability. Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, which will feel stuttery. High and Ultra at 34 FPS and 24 FPS respectively are not viable for active gameplay. For 4K, Low is the only recommendation, and even then, users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS. The data suggests that this combo is best used at 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, where the balance between visual quality and frame rate is optimal.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck in this system. Its benchmark profile is meager: a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts — the GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% slower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% slower). This positioning makes it clear that the B390 is not a gaming-centric part; it is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in this case pairs with the Ryzen 5 8400F's dual-channel memory bus and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. This shared memory arrangement further limits performance, as the GPU competes with the CPU for memory access.

In Barony, the impact of these specifications is directly visible in the FPS data. The 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while not trivial, is constrained by the 24 ROPs and the 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate. The game's roguelike nature means it likely has many small sprites and particle effects, but the GPU still cannot push 4K Ultra beyond 24 FPS. The 12 ray tracing cores are irrelevant here, as Barony is a 2015 title that predates any RT implementation. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 are forward-looking, but they do not help with this older game engine. The data shows that the GPU's 9th percentile ranking is earned; it is the limiting component in every single measured row.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, which aligns with the GPU's low percentile ranking. The rank reflects the overall experience across all resolutions and settings, and the data supports this placement — while the CPU is capable, the GPU drags the combo down.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 77th among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with an average score of 24964 (0.2% slower), the Intel Core i7-11850H at 24935 (0.3% slower), the Intel Core i7-13620H at 24911 (0.4% slower), and the AMD EPYC 9474F at 25103 (0.4% faster). This shows that the 8400F is a solid mid-range performer, but it is effectively wasted in this pairing. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 77th percentile creates a massive imbalance.

In practical terms, this combo rank means that users are getting a fraction of the performance the CPU could deliver. If the same CPU were paired with a GPU in the 50th percentile or higher, the combo rank would improve substantially. The 2601st position out of 2935 combos is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, and the benchmark results confirm that no resolution or setting allows the CPU to stretch its legs. The combo is effectively GPU-bound at all times, making the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads a secondary consideration.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a Zen 4 part on the Phoenix architecture, built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The 65 W TDP and 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die indicate a power-efficient design. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a modern CPU with a 77th percentile ranking, and its benchmark scores reflect that.

In Barony, the CPU's role is minimal because the game is not thread-hungry. The 3DMark scores show strong multi-threading: 6091 in the 16-thread test and 6165 in the max-thread test. The Cinebench R23 scores are 20851 multi-core and 2943 single-core, which are respectable numbers. The PassMark multi-thread score of 24389 and single-thread score of 3685 further confirm that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The game, being a 2015 roguelike, likely uses only a few threads, so the 8400F's 12 threads are more than sufficient.

The memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, paired with dual-channel DDR5 support, is adequate for the game's needs. The CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz ensures that any single-threaded game logic runs at high speed. The data shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck — even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is pushed to 159 FPS, the CPU keeps up without issue. The CPU's 4 nm process and Zen 4 architecture provide more than enough headroom for this title. The only scenario where the CPU might matter is if the GPU were upgraded, but in this configuration, the CPU sits idle relative to its potential.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo playable at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 53. Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS, while High and Ultra average 34 FPS and 24 FPS respectively. None of these exceed the 60 FPS threshold, so 4K is marginal at best.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p?

A: Medium settings provide 118 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS, which keeps the frame rate above 100 FPS at all times. Low settings reach 159 FPS but sacrifice visual quality, while High drops to 102 FPS and Ultra to 73 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX's 1463, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M's 1460, 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM's 1446, and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710's 1443.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark standing?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F ranks in the 77th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 25005. It is 0.2% faster than the Ryzen 5 7500F, 0.3% faster than the Core i7-11850H, and 0.4% faster than the Core i7-13620H, but 0.4% slower than the EPYC 9474F.

Q: Why is the combo rank so low?

A: The combo ranks 2601 out of 2935 in Barony, placing it in the bottom 11%. This is due to the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, which severely limits the CPU's 77th percentile capability. The GPU is the bottleneck in every measured scenario.

Q: Does the CPU's core count affect performance?

A: The 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for Barony. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and single-core score of 2943 show no signs of bottlenecking, as the game's older engine does not scale with high thread counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable. Low settings deliver 159 FPS average, the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. High settings average 102 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 73 FPS. All 1080p presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making this the most comfortable resolution for the combo.

At 2560x1440, performance declines noticeably. Low settings still achieve 100 FPS average, which is smooth. Medium settings average 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, keeping the frame rate above 60 FPS. High settings average 64 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra settings fall to 46 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target. The 1440p Medium preset is the best option for users who want both quality and smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations are fully exposed. Low settings average 53 FPS, which is the only preset that comes close to playable. Medium settings average 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 24 FPS. None of the 4K presets maintain a consistent 60 FPS, and only Low settings approach the 60 FPS mark. The data confirms that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Barony, regardless of the game's age or graphical complexity.