Barony

# Barony with AMD Ryzen 5 8400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers consistently high frame rates across all tested configurations in Barony, a roguelike title that rewards fast, fluid gameplay. The measured data shows this combination handles the game with substantial headroom, even at 4K resolution, where the lowest average frame rate recorded remains comfortably above 60 FPS. This analysis walks through the measured performance data, examining how settings, resolution, and the individual components contribute to the overall experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates across all four settings presets at each resolution indicate that Barony is not particularly demanding on this hardware combination. At 1080p, the average frame rates range from 206 FPS at Ultra settings to 449 FPS at Low settings, meaning even the most demanding preset leaves enormous performance headroom. The data suggests that Ultra settings at 1080p, delivering 206 FPS average, provide the best experience for players with high-refresh-rate monitors, as the visual quality increase from lower presets comes at no practical cost to smoothness.

Moving to 1440p, the pattern remains similar but with slightly reduced headroom. Ultra settings produce 130 FPS average, while High settings reach 181 FPS. The jump from Medium to Ultra costs 81 FPS on average, but both configurations remain well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on most displays. For players prioritizing visual fidelity, Ultra at 1440p is entirely viable, as the 130 FPS average still exceeds the refresh rate of most mainstream monitors. Those with 144Hz displays might prefer High settings to maintain a more comfortable margin above the refresh ceiling.

At 4K, the trade-offs become more pronounced. Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for scene complexity spikes. High settings at 4K deliver 95 FPS average, providing a better balance between visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 4K reach 110 FPS average with a minimum of 94 FPS, which is the most consistent configuration for high-refresh 4K displays. Given that the minimum frame rate at Medium settings stays above 90 FPS, this preset offers the best experience per the measured rows for 4K users seeking both quality and stability.

For the overall best experience across all resolutions, High settings appear to be the sweet spot. At 1080p High delivers 287 FPS, at 1440p High delivers 181 FPS, and at 4K High delivers 95 FPS. This preset consistently provides a balance between visual enhancements and frame rate that suits a wide range of display capabilities, making it the recommended starting point for most users.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1440 MHz with a boost clock of 1710 MHz, and its memory runs at 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective throughput. These specifications position the RTX 3080 as a high-end graphics solution from the GeForce 30-series, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process.

In Barony, the GPU's role becomes increasingly significant as resolution scales upward. At 1080p, the frame rates exceed 400 FPS at Low settings, suggesting the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution. The measured data shows that at 1080p, even Ultra settings achieve 206 FPS average, indicating substantial GPU headroom. However, at 4K, the frame rates drop to 68 FPS at Ultra settings, revealing that the GPU's workload increases considerably with pixel count.

The memory configuration of the RTX 3080 appears sufficient for Barony, as no measurement indicates memory-related performance degradation. The 10 GB VRAM capacity, combined with the high memory bandwidth, supports the game's texture and asset requirements at all tested settings. The GPU's 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates, though the exact workload distribution between these units in Barony is not specified in the data.

The RTX 3080's benchmark scores show a Passmark G3D score of 25086 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407. These synthetic results, along with the measured in-game performance, indicate the GPU operates well above the median for all tested GPUs, with a percentile rank of 68. The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X, all scoring within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average benchmark score, though these comparisons do not reflect gaming performance specifically.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 287 FPS at 1080p to 181 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 106 FPS, and then to 95 FPS at 4K, a further reduction of 86 FPS. This represents a 67% decrease from 1080p to 4K at High settings, indicating that the GPU becomes progressively more loaded as pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more dramatic in absolute terms. The average frame rate falls from 449 FPS at 1080p to 284 FPS at 1440p, and then to 148 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 67%, similar to the High settings pattern. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling behavior is uniform regardless of the graphics preset, pointing to a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

Medium settings show a similar trend with averages of 334 FPS at 1080p, 211 FPS at 1440p, and 110 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates at Medium settings also scale downward, from 284 FPS at 1080p to 179 FPS at 1440p and 94 FPS at 4K. The maximum frame rates follow the same pattern: 384 FPS at 1080p, 242 FPS at 1440p, and 127 FPS at 4K.

Ultra settings exhibit the most pronounced resolution scaling, with averages of 206 FPS at 1080p, 130 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measurement in the entire data set, yet it remains above 60 FPS. The consistent proportional drops across all settings indicate that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU at higher resolutions, with 1440p serving as the transition point where both components contribute meaningfully to the frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates span from 206 FPS at Ultra settings to 449 FPS at Low settings. High settings produce 287 FPS average, while Medium settings achieve 334 FPS average with a minimum of 284 FPS and a maximum of 384 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 243 FPS, indicating that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution, though even the most demanding preset remains well above typical display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates range from 130 FPS at Ultra settings to 284 FPS at Low settings. High settings deliver 181 FPS average, and Medium settings reach 211 FPS average with a minimum of 179 FPS and a maximum of 242 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 154 FPS at this resolution, reflecting the increased GPU workload. The minimum frame rate at Medium settings, 179 FPS, is higher than the average frame rate at Ultra settings, 130 FPS, illustrating the performance cost of the highest preset.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates show the tightest grouping: 68 FPS at Ultra, 95 FPS at High, 110 FPS at Medium, and 148 FPS at Low. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 80 FPS, the smallest absolute spread across the three resolutions. Medium settings at 4K provide the best combination of average frame rate and stability, with a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS. This consistency suggests that Medium settings at 4K represent the most balanced configuration for demanding displays.

The data reveals that at every resolution, Low settings provide the highest average frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. This monotonic relationship between settings and performance holds across all resolutions, though the magnitude of the differences varies. The largest performance gap between adjacent settings occurs between Medium and High at 1080p, where the average drops from 334 FPS to 287 FPS, a 47 FPS difference. The smallest gap appears between High and Ultra at 4K, where the average drops from 95 FPS to 68 FPS, a 27 FPS difference.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate in the measured data is 449 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combination maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 287 FPS at 1080p to 95 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 192 FPS or approximately 67%.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most consistent performance at 4K?

A: Medium settings at 4K show the most consistency in the data, with a minimum frame rate of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS around an average of 110 FPS.

Q: What is the rank of this CPU-GPU combination among tested combos in Barony?

A: This combination ranks 1065 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 29% of all tested configurations.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows larger proportional frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions, while the CPU likely plays a larger role at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 400 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 8000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture with the Phoenix codename. It operates at a base clock of 4.20 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, and features a 65 W TDP. The processor includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In Barony, the CPU's performance is evident at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 400 FPS. At 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate of 449 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with sufficient draw calls and game logic updates to sustain very high frame rates. The processor's 12 threads allow for efficient multi-threaded processing, which is relevant for roguelike games that often simulate complex game states and procedural generation.

The Ryzen 5 8400F's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a Passmark multithread score of 24389. Single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 2943 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3685. These scores indicate the CPU handles both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads effectively, which benefits Barony's mixed workload of game logic, AI, and rendering tasks.

The CPU's percentile rank of 77 among all tested CPUs places it above the majority of processors, and its average benchmark score of 25005 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F scores 24964, just 0.2% lower, while the Intel Core i7-11850H scores 24935, 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core i7-13620H scores 24911, 0.4% lower. The AMD EPYC 9474F scores 25103, 0.4% higher. This tight clustering suggests the Ryzen 5 8400F delivers performance comparable to these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks, though gaming performance in Barony specifically is measured directly in the FPS data.

How This Combo Ranks

In Barony, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1065 out of 3717 tested combos. This places the configuration in the upper third of all tested combinations, indicating it outperforms a majority of the systems evaluated in this game. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of both components working together, and the measured frame rates support a strong overall position.

The rank of 1065 suggests that while this combo delivers excellent performance in absolute terms, there are 1064 tested combinations that achieve higher performance in Barony. These higher-ranked combos likely include more recent or more powerful components, though the specific configurations are not detailed in the data. The percentile position implied by this rank places the combo in the top 29% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a previous-generation high-end GPU.

The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings provide context for this rank. At 1080p, the combo achieves frame rates above 200 FPS even at Ultra settings, which is performance that would satisfy the vast majority of gaming displays. At 4K, the combo maintains playable frame rates across all settings, with the lowest average being 68 FPS at Ultra. This level of performance across the entire resolution spectrum explains why the combo ranks in the top third, as it delivers consistently high frame rates without any configuration falling below playable thresholds.

The combination of the Ryzen 5 8400F's strong multi-threaded performance and the RTX 3080's high-end graphics capabilities creates a balanced system that avoids significant bottlenecks in either direction. The CPU's ability to sustain frame rates above 400 FPS at 1080p Low settings indicates it does not constrain the GPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU's performance at 4K shows it can handle the increased pixel workload when the CPU's role diminishes. This balance contributes to the combo's rank of 1065, reflecting a well-matched pairing that performs admirably across a wide range of gaming scenarios.