Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a performance profile in Barony that is heavily dictated by resolution. The data shows a system capable of extremely high frame rates at 1080p, but one that begins to show its GPU limitations as pixel count increases. This combination ranks 2616th out of 3717 tested configurations in this title, placing it in the lower half of the database, yet the actual frame rates remain highly playable across most settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling curve as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 287 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 181 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields 95 FPS on Low, another 47.5% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the workload on the GPU's shading units and ROPs increases disproportionately.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the averages are 183 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between each step are 36.6% (1080p to 1440p) and 48.3% (1440p to 4K). This near-halving of performance at each resolution step is typical for a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 256-bit memory bus, as the fill-rate demand at 4K outpaces what the TU106 chip can deliver. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's headroom is sufficient to feed the GPU, but at 4K, the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth become the primary bottleneck.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (287 FPS) and Ultra (131 FPS) is 156 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison shows a difference of only 52 FPS (95 FPS Low vs. 43 FPS Ultra). This compression at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is saturated by the pixel workload before the additional shading complexity from Ultra settings can be fully expressed. In essence, the system's frame rate at 4K is constrained by pixel throughput, not by the settings-driven shader complexity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip on a 12 nm process. Its memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and the card has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The measured results show that this hardware is adequate for 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, particularly on Ultra settings where the average FPS drops to 43.

In Barony, a roguelike title, the GPU's role is less about complex geometry and more about consistent frame delivery. The passmark G3D score of 16462 puts this GPU in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-range performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 further quantifies its modern API capability. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 213 FPS average with a minimum of 181 FPS, showing that the GPU can maintain high refresh rates without dipping into stutter territory. However, at 4K Ultra, the 43 FPS average suggests that the 8 GB VRAM buffer and 448 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed to their limits, resulting in a sub-60 FPS experience that would be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay.

The memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) is standard for this generation, and the 256-bit bus width provides sufficient throughput for most 1080p and 1440p scenarios. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in frame rate variance across resolutions, as the CPU's performance metrics are far above what Barony requires. The FP32 throughput of 7.181 TFLOPS is respectable for a card of this era, but it is clearly outmatched by the demands of 4K rendering in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 116 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K High drops to exactly 60 FPS, leaving no headroom for demanding scenes.

*Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, but only on lower presets. At 4K Low, the average is 95 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS average, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159), 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189), and 1.5% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373). This indicates it sits just below several contemporaries in raw compute.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 287 FPS average, and at 1080p Ultra, it achieves 131 FPS. The Ryzen 5 9600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting to 5.40 GHz, provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates not being capped by CPU limits.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS drops from 181 on Low to 83 on Ultra, a reduction of 98 FPS or approximately 54%. This shows that the Ultra preset roughly halves performance at this resolution, making it a significant trade-off for visual fidelity.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in this game?

A: The data does not show explicit VRAM-related stutters, as the minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 114 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 60 FPS, suggesting that the 8 GB buffer is sufficient for this title's requirements.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved at the Medium preset. At 2560x1440 Medium, the combo produces an average of 135 FPS with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. This provides a substantial cushion above the 60 FPS baseline, ensuring smooth gameplay even during intense scenes with multiple enemies or effects. The minimum FPS recorded is particularly important for a roguelike, where sudden particle effects or large room reveals can cause frame drops.

For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1440p offers 181 FPS average, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the visual compromise may not be worth the 46 FPS gain over Medium. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 213 FPS average with a minimum of 181 FPS, which is excessive for most displays and suggests that users with 1080p panels can comfortably enable High settings (183 FPS average) without sacrificing responsiveness.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Medium preset yields a 70 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum, which is technically playable but leaves little headroom. The High preset at 4K produces exactly 60 FPS average, which may dip below the target in heavy scenes. For a consistent 4K experience, the Low preset at 95 FPS average is the safest choice, though it sacrifices the visual enhancements that the higher presets offer. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 43 FPS average falls below the playability threshold for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its peak performance. Low settings produce an average of 287 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. Medium settings reduce this to 213 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 181 FPS and maximum of 245 FPS. High settings yield 183 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 131 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 54.4% performance reduction, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 181 FPS, while Medium settings average 135 FPS with a minimum of 114 FPS and maximum of 155 FPS. High settings produce 116 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 83 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 98 FPS, showing that the GPU's compute resources are more strained as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings still manage a respectable 95 FPS average, but Medium settings fall to 70 FPS with a 60 FPS minimum and 81 FPS maximum. High settings exactly hit 60 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 43 FPS. The data shows a clear degradation curve where the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution with higher presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are notably strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17528.5 and a single-core score of 2183.5. This places the CPU in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29713.

In Barony, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU based on the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 287 FPS, which is a high enough value to suggest that the CPU is not limiting performance. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 30027 and single-thread score of 4570 indicate substantial headroom for the game's logic and AI calculations. The 3DMark scores, including 7590 for max threads and 1253 for single thread, further confirm that the processor can handle the game's demands without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's nearest rivals show it is tightly clustered with other mid-range processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE has an average score of 29656, which is 0.2% lower than the 9600X. Other rivals like the Ryzen 7 7840H (29868, -0.5%) and Ryzen 7 5800XT (29879, -0.6%) are all within 1% of the 9600X's performance. This suggests that the CPU is not a distinguishing factor in this combo's performance, as any of these processors would likely yield similar results in Barony given the same GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 2616th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 29.6th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range status rather than the CPU's strength, as the 9600X is a high-performing processor that would typically rank higher in CPU-bound scenarios. The ranking indicates that while the combo delivers playable frame rates at most settings, it is outperformed by a significant portion of the database, likely those with newer or higher-tier GPUs.

The GPU's percentile rank of 62nd among all GPUs, combined with the CPU's 81st percentile rank, suggests a mismatch in performance tiers. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, as evidenced by the frame rate drops at higher resolutions. The combo's rank of 2616 indicates that users seeking higher frame rates at 4K or with Ultra settings would need a more powerful GPU, while those satisfied with 1080p or 1440p Medium settings will find this configuration adequate. The measured FPS values confirm that the combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being possible only on lower presets.