Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers playable performance in Barony at 1080p, but the combination struggles significantly at higher resolutions, revealing a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution. Data from the measured FPS table indicates that this combo ranks in the bottom 12% of tested configurations, placing it at rank 2601 out of 2935 combos. While the 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 9600X provides a strong foundation with its Zen 5 architecture, the iGPU-based Arc B390, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, becomes the definitive bottleneck as resolution scales.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K in Barony is stark, clearly identifying the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 159 FPS, but this falls to 100 FPS at 1440p and further to 53 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Such a dramatic scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load overwhelms the graphics processor.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 5 9600X, with its boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, demonstrates strong single-thread performance in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 2183.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core. However, the Arc B390’s modest specifications—1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs—limit its ability to process the increased pixel counts at 1440p and 4K. The GPU’s pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for high-resolution rendering in a roguelike environment with dense procedural geometry.

Comparing Ultra settings across resolutions reveals the severity of the scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 73 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, this drops to 46 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 24 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution, from a 86 FPS difference at 1080p to a 29 FPS difference at 4K, indicating that the GPU is spending proportionally more time on pixel shading and fill-rate operations at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate that for 4K gaming, this combo is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the 53 FPS average is barely acceptable.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience on this hardware, the data strongly favors Medium settings at 1080p, as this preset provides the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. This frame rate is sufficient for a roguelike title, where responsiveness is critical, and the minimum FPS ensures that frame drops do not disrupt gameplay. High settings at 1080p offer 102 FPS, which is also smooth, but the Medium preset provides a higher minimum frame rate, suggesting more consistent performance.

At 1440p, the Low preset becomes the recommended choice, yielding 100 FPS on average. While Medium at 1440p produces 75 FPS, the jump to Low ensures a more substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold, which is preferable for maintaining fluidity. High settings at 1440p drop to 64 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 1440p, with an average of 46 FPS, are not recommended for consistent gameplay.

For 4K, the data indicates that only Low settings are viable, with a 53 FPS average. Medium at 4K falls to 39 FPS, and High drops to 34 FPS, both of which are below the ideal playable range. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 24 FPS. Given the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking and its performance relative to rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which it leads by 2.7%, the Arc B390 is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming. The measured rows suggest that users should prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, sticking to Low or Medium presets depending on resolution.

FAQ

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

A: No. The data shows that at 4K, the highest average FPS achieved is 53 on Low settings. Medium and High settings drop to 39 and 34 FPS respectively, while Ultra produces only 24 FPS. None of these configurations provide a consistently smooth experience at 4K.

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, even Ultra settings achieve 73 FPS, and Medium settings provide a high average of 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS, offering the best combination of visual quality and performance.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, and 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM. It leads the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 by 2.7%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data reveals that the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. While the Ryzen 5 9600X has strong benchmark scores, such as 17528.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore, the Arc B390’s performance percentile of 9% and its low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s cause significant FPS drops from 1080p to 4K.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 159 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 73 FPS. This represents a 54% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher graphical fidelity.

Q: Does the combo rank well among all tested configurations?

A: No, the combo ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the bottom 11.4% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily due to the Intel Arc B390’s weak performance, which is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2601 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, placing it firmly in the lower quartile of performance. This ranking reflects the significant imbalance between the CPU and GPU in this pairing. The Ryzen 5 9600X is a capable processor, sitting in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29713. It performs closely to rivals such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, which is only 0.2% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, which is 0.5% slower. This suggests the CPU is more than adequate for gaming workloads.

However, the Intel Arc B390 drags the overall combo ranking down. The GPU has an average benchmark score of just 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, have similar scores, but these are entry-level parts from years ago. The disparity between the CPU’s 81st percentile and the GPU’s 9th percentile creates a bottleneck where the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU’s processing capability, particularly at resolutions above 1080p.

In the context of Barony, this ranking means that most other tested combos will deliver higher frame rates, especially at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that the combo’s performance at 1080p is respectable, with 118 FPS on Medium settings, but this does not compensate for the poor high-resolution performance. Users looking to play Barony at higher resolutions or with maximum settings would need a more powerful discrete GPU to achieve a better ranking.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 plays a decisive role in this combo’s performance, and its specifications directly explain the measured results in Barony. This GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is manufactured on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, which allows it to reach a peak FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. However, the GPU’s memory configuration is a critical weakness: it uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system-dependent and not dedicated. This shared memory arrangement limits the GPU’s ability to handle large textures and high-resolution framebuffers, contributing to the significant FPS drops at 4K.

The GPU’s rendering capabilities are further constrained by its 24 ROPs, which are responsible for pixel output. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s is low for modern standards, and this becomes evident when comparing the FPS at different resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can output 159 FPS on Low settings, but at 4K, this falls to 53 FPS, a drop that aligns with the increased pixel count. The 48 TMUs, with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, also limit the GPU’s ability to apply detailed textures without performance loss.

In terms of benchmark performance, the Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is only 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. This places the GPU in the 9th percentile, indicating that it is among the weakest GPUs in the database. The GPU’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 ensures compatibility with Barony, but its raw performance is insufficient for demanding settings. The data indicates that the GPU’s role is primarily to enable low-to-medium settings at 1080p, with any attempt to scale up resolution or settings resulting in a disproportionate performance penalty.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Barony with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Arc B390 provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results. The Low preset delivers an average of 159 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this configuration. Medium settings produce an average of 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS, offering the most stable experience with good visual quality. High settings yield 102 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 73 FPS. All 1080p configurations maintain playable frame rates, with even the most demanding Ultra preset staying above 70 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance decreases notably. The Low preset remains the strongest option, with an average of 100 FPS. Medium settings follow at 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, which is still playable but less consistent. High settings produce 64 FPS, while Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The data shows that at 1440p, the Ultra preset is the first to fall below the commonly accepted 60 FPS threshold, making it less desirable for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 53 FPS, which is the only configuration at this resolution that comes close to a smooth experience. Medium settings fall to 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS, indicating significant frame drops. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 24 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only feasible on Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is marginal.

Overall, the FPS breakdown underscores the GPU’s limitations. The transition from 1080p to 4K at any given settings preset results in a substantial performance loss, with the Low preset dropping from 159 FPS to 53 FPS, a 67% reduction. This consistent pattern across all settings confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck, and the Ryzen 5 9600X’s processing power is left largely untapped at higher resolutions.