Barony

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title where frame rates are astronomically high across all settings. The data shows this combination ranks in the 82nd percentile of all tested combos, placing it firmly in the upper echelon of systems. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, resolution scaling, and how to leverage this hardware for the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is severely CPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the GPU only becoming the primary constraint at 4K Ultra. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 524.7 FPS, which drops by 37.5% to 327.8 FPS at 1440p, and then by another 47.8% to 171 FPS at 4K. This massive scaling factor indicates that at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 9600X's single-thread performance is the limiting factor, as the RTX 4070 SUPER has ample headroom to render frames far faster than the CPU can feed it.

The pattern shifts when examining the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 240.2 FPS, dropping to 150.7 FPS at 1440p (a 37.3% reduction), and then to 79.4 FPS at 4K (a 47.3% reduction from 1440p). The scaling between 1440p and 4K is nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling, suggesting that the GPU begins to take over as the bottleneck at 4K, particularly with the heavier Ultra settings. The 4K Ultra result of 79.4 FPS is the only measured point that falls below the 100 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU's raw throughput is the constraint here.

By contrast, the Medium preset shows a gentler scaling curve: 387.8 FPS at 1080p, 247.6 FPS at 1440p, and 129.1 FPS at 4K. This demonstrates that the system's balance shifts progressively toward GPU-bound operation as resolution increases, but even at 4K Medium, the performance remains far above playable. The data suggests that for maximum frame rates at 1080p, users are entirely CPU-bound, as the 524.7 FPS Low result is more than double the 4K Ultra result, highlighting how the Ryzen's 6 cores and 12 threads handle the game's logic efficiently.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 314th out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all systems. This is a strong showing, but it is not a top-tier result, reflecting the game's relatively low graphical demands and the CPU's importance in achieving high frame rates. The ranking suggests that many combos with more powerful GPUs or higher-core-count CPUs outperform this setup, but those systems likely cost significantly more.

The CPU's own benchmark scores contextualize this ranking. The Ryzen 5 9600X achieves an average benchmark score of 28246, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F (28173, 0.3% faster), the AMD Ryzen 5 230 (28164, 0.3% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (28369, 0.4% slower), and the Intel Core i5-14500T (28377, 0.5% slower). These margins are negligible, meaning the 9600X is effectively tied with those processors in general compute, but its strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1253) likely helps in Barony's game logic.

The GPU's ranking is similarly competitive. The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576 and sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653, 0.2% faster), AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723, 0.3% faster), AMD Radeon Pro 580X (41991, 1.4% slower), and NVIDIA Tesla M40 (41897, 1.6% slower). The close margins between these GPUs in synthetic benchmarks, combined with the massive FPS differences in Barony, reinforce that the game is not heavily GPU-dependent except at 4K Ultra.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Barony's textures and assets at any resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1980 MHz, derived from the AD104 chip built on TSMC's 5 nm process, deliver 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications are overkill for a roguelike, as evidenced by the 4K Low result of 171 FPS, which is still far above any display's refresh rate.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher settings. The transition from Low to Medium at 4K costs 41.9 FPS (171 to 129.1), and from Medium to High costs another 20.5 FPS (129.1 to 108.6). The jump from High to Ultra is the most demanding, costing 29.2 FPS (108.6 to 79.4). This pattern shows that the Ultra preset likely enables features that heavily tax the GPU's shading units and RT cores, even though Barony is not a graphically intensive title. The 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs handle the pixel and texture throughput efficiently, but the data indicates that the Ultra preset is the only configuration where the GPU's limits are genuinely tested.

The 16-pin power connector and 220 W TDP are modest for a card of this class, and the 550 W suggested PSU is reasonable. The GPU's 84th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, combined with its predecessor and successor status (GeForce 30 and GeForce 50, respectively), positions it as a mid-generation refresh that offers solid performance without the power draw of higher-tier cards.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data clearly indicates that the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for most users, particularly at 1440p and 4K. At 1440p High, the system delivers 212.2 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor, while 4K High still provides 108.6 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard. The High preset appears to be the sweet spot where the GPU's capabilities are well-utilized without the steep performance penalty of Ultra.

For competitive play or maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p yields 524.7 FPS, which is overkill for any display but demonstrates the system's headroom. However, the Medium preset at 1440p (247.6 FPS) offers a better middle ground for users who want higher visual quality without sacrificing the frame rate advantage. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p gaming, where 240.2 FPS is still excellent, or for 4K users who prioritize visuals over frame rate and can tolerate 79.4 FPS.

The data suggests avoiding Ultra at 1440p if you have a 240 Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, as the 150.7 FPS result leaves performance on the table. For 4K users, the choice between High (108.6 FPS) and Ultra (79.4 FPS) is a 27% performance difference, and the High preset is the pragmatic recommendation. The 1080p Medium result of 387.8 FPS is also noteworthy, as it provides nearly the same frame rate as High (331.1 FPS) at a lower visual cost, making it a viable option for users with 360 Hz monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers staggering performance across all settings. Low yields 524.7 FPS, Medium drops to 387.8 FPS, High produces 331.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 240.2 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 136.9 FPS reduction, while Medium to High costs 56.7 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 90.9 FPS. These figures show that the Ultra preset at 1080p is roughly 54% slower than Low, but even the slowest 1080p result is faster than the fastest 4K result.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. Low produces 327.8 FPS, Medium achieves 247.6 FPS, High delivers 212.2 FPS, and Ultra still manages 150.7 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with reductions ranging from 37% (Low) to 42% (Ultra). The 1440p Ultra result of 150.7 FPS is notable because it is still higher than the 4K High result of 108.6 FPS, indicating that resolution has a greater impact on performance than the settings preset.

At 3840x2160, the system finally shows signs of GPU limitation. Low yields 171 FPS, Medium produces 129.1 FPS, High delivers 108.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 79.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 91.6 FPS, which is a 54% reduction. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured data point below 100 FPS, and it is the only configuration where the system might struggle to maintain a high refresh rate on a 4K 120 Hz display. Overall, the data shows a system that excels at every resolution except the most demanding 4K Ultra configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: Both 1440p and 4K work well. At 1440p High, the system delivers 212.2 FPS, and at 4K High it produces 108.6 FPS. For a 144 Hz monitor, 1440p High is ideal, while 4K High will work if you cap the frame rate, as it exceeds 100 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as shown by the 524.7 FPS Low result versus the 171 FPS 4K Low result. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, with the 79.4 FPS result being the lowest measured. The system is balanced at 1440p Medium and High.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 28246, which is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13490F (28173) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 230 (28164). It is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (28369) and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i5-14500T (28377). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming comfortably?

A: Yes, except at Ultra settings. The 4K High preset produces 108.6 FPS, which is smooth, and 4K Medium reaches 129.1 FPS. Only 4K Ultra drops below 100 FPS at 79.4 FPS, which is still playable but may not suit high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Ultra is 90.9 FPS slower than High (240.2 vs 331.1). At 1440p, the difference is 61.5 FPS (150.7 vs 212.2). At 4K, the difference is 29.2 FPS (79.4 vs 108.6). The gap narrows as resolution increases, suggesting Ultra taxes the GPU more at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, completely. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is more than enough for Barony's requirements, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 4K. The GPU's memory capacity is not a limiting factor in any measured configuration.