Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly variable performance profile in Barony, a 2015 roguelike that proves surprisingly demanding at higher settings. Based on the measured FPS data, this combination delivers playable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings but struggles significantly at 4K, with the integrated-class GPU acting as the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 144 FPS on average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 91 FPS, a reduction of 53 frames. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields only 47 FPS, which is a 67% decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that pixel throughput is the limiting factor; the Arc B370’s 20 ROPs and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for 4K workloads.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 92 FPS, which falls to 58 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 30 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is nearly 50%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 37%. The increasing penalty at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is saturated well before the CPU becomes a factor.

Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 4K, with an average of 22 FPS. The progression from 66 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 1440p to 22 FPS at 4K shows a consistent halving at each resolution step. This linear degradation suggests that the Arc B370 has a fixed computational ceiling that cannot be overcome by CPU headroom, even though the Ryzen 7 3700X has 8 cores and 16 threads available for game logic.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 and a maximum of 123. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 78. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 41. The consistent 30 FPS floor at 4K Medium suggests the system is hitting a hard performance wall, likely due to memory bandwidth or shader throughput limitations rather than CPU constraints.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a 25 W integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with base and boost clocks of 300 MHz and 2400 MHz respectively. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the host system’s DDR4 memory, which the Ryzen 7 3700X supports in dual-channel mode at 51.2 GB/s.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score for this GPU is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, deltaPct -0.7). The AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, deltaPct 1.4) is slightly slower. These rivals are all older discrete or mobile parts, indicating that the Arc B370 performs at a level comparable to a decade-old midrange GPU.

This GPU performance tier explains the measured results in Barony. The 144 FPS at 1080p Low is achievable because the game’s low preset reduces pixel shading and texture work, allowing the 40 TMUs and 1280 shading units to keep up with the modest workload. However, the system-shared memory creates a bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the GPU competes with the CPU for the same memory bus. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is consistent with a GPU that has only 20 ROPs, which must process 3840x2160 pixels (8.3 million per frame) at a theoretical peak of 48.00 GPixel/s. In practice, real-world efficiency is far lower, resulting in the observed frame rates.

The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are the hard limits for this GPU. At 4K, each frame requires processing 8.3 million pixels. Even at the theoretical peak, that allows only 5.8 frames per second of pure pixel filling, though the actual 22-30 FPS results indicate that the game’s pixel workload is not the sole bottleneck. The shading throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 is the more likely constraint, as Barony’s lighting and particle effects at higher settings demand substantial shader work.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 3700X and Arc B370 ranks 2701 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This placement in the 8th percentile of all combinations is directly attributable to the GPU’s low performance ceiling. The CPU itself is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. This stark contrast between CPU and GPU percentile rankings (84th vs 5th) demonstrates that the graphics processor is the limiting component in nearly every scenario.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (avg score 34222, deltaPct 0.1), the AMD EPYC 4244P (avg score 34220, deltaPct 0.1), and the Intel Core i5-13450HX (avg score 34333, deltaPct -0.2). The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (avg score 34083, deltaPct 0.5) is also very close. These deltas of less than 1% indicate that the Ryzen 7 3700X’s processing power is effectively on par with these much newer chips. However, this computational equivalence does not translate to gaming performance when paired with a 5th-percentile GPU.

The combo rank of 2701 out of 2935 means that only 234 combinations perform worse. Given the GPU’s near-bottom percentile ranking, this result is expected. The data suggests that any CPU from the past five years would produce similar frame rates when paired with the Arc B370, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor well before the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are fully utilized.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in Barony?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 34260, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile with a score of 1184. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU hitting its limits, not the CPU.

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the most viable resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS is 144, and at High settings it is 92. At 1440p, the Low preset drops to 91 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 47 FPS, making higher resolutions increasingly less playable.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in Barony?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the measured average is 91 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 67 FPS, the High preset yields 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 42 FPS. For a stable 60 FPS, Low or Medium settings are required.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (deltaPct -0.2), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (deltaPct -0.5), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (deltaPct -0.7). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (deltaPct 1.4). All rivals are within 1.4% of the Arc B370’s performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium settings?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 30 FPS, with an average of 35 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS. This indicates the system is running at the edge of playability.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 3700X’s memory bandwidth affect the GPU’s performance?

A: The GPU uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This shared configuration likely contributes to the steep performance drops at 4K, as the GPU and CPU contend for the same memory bus.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset averages 144 FPS, the High preset averages 92 FPS, the Medium preset averages 107 FPS (min 91, max 123), and the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. The 144 FPS at Low indicates that the game is well within the GPU’s capabilities at this resolution when shader complexity is minimized. The jump from Low to Medium costs 37 FPS, while Medium to High costs another 15 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 26 FPS. The Ultra preset’s 66 FPS suggests that the additional effects at this level are particularly expensive for the 1280 shading units.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is a 37% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS (min 57, max 78), the High preset averages 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 42 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 24 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16 FPS. The minimum FPS of 57 at Medium settings is still above the 30 FPS floor seen at 4K, but the system is clearly working harder to fill the 3.7 million pixels of a 1440p display.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B370’s limitations become severe. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 40 FPS. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS (min 30, max 41), the High preset averages 30 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 22 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is only 12 FPS, and between Medium and High it is 5 FPS. This compression of frame rates at the low end indicates that the GPU is hitting a hard computational limit. The Ultra preset’s 22 FPS is essentially unplayable, and the High preset’s 30 FPS is borderline.

The Medium preset is the only setting with full min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 91 to 123 FPS (average 107). At 1440p, the range is 57 to 78 FPS (average 67). At 4K, the range is 30 to 41 FPS (average 35). The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming the sole determinant of performance, with less variance from scene complexity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 architecture processor on the TSMC 7 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 32 MB of L3 cache. This CPU was released in July 2019 with a launch MSRP of $329, and it remains in active production.

Synthetic benchmarks show the CPU’s strengths. In Cinebench R15, it scores 2092 in multi-core and 204 in single-core. Geekbench scores are 8899 multi-core and 1593 single-core. Passmark results include 22458 for multi-thread, 2656 for single-thread, 39005 for floating point math, and 66399 for integer math. The data compression score is 296379, and the encryption score is 18900. These results place the CPU in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is largely secondary due to the GPU bottleneck. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is more than sufficient for a roguelike’s game logic, which typically relies on single-threaded performance for entity updates and procedural generation. The single-core Geekbench score of 1593 and Passmark single-thread score of 2656 are adequate for this workload. The CPU’s 32 MB L3 cache helps with the game’s tile-based rendering and pathfinding, but these tasks do not scale with resolution.

The nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks are all within 0.5% of the Ryzen 7 3700X’s average score. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222, deltaPct 0.1), AMD EPYC 4244P (34220, deltaPct 0.1), and Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333, deltaPct -0.2) are all effectively tied. This suggests that the CPU’s gaming performance would be similar to these newer parts if paired with a faster GPU, but the Arc B370 does not allow the CPU to demonstrate any advantage.

The CPU’s TDP of 65 W and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s are the key specifications for this pairing. The memory bandwidth is shared with the GPU’s system-shared memory, which means the CPU’s memory controller must handle both game logic and graphics data. This can cause contention, especially at 4K where the GPU requires more memory bandwidth. The result is the steep FPS drops observed at higher resolutions, even when the CPU has cycles to spare.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset (92 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the Medium preset (107 FPS) provides only a 15 FPS improvement. The Ultra preset (66 FPS) is playable but may cause noticeable frame drops in busy scenes, given that the Medium preset’s minimum is 91 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (67 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. The High preset (58 FPS) is slightly below 60 FPS and may not provide a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset (91 FPS) is viable for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but the Medium preset offers significant visual improvements for only a 24 FPS cost.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset (47 FPS) is the only setting that approaches playability. The Medium preset (35 FPS) and High preset (30 FPS) are below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Ultra preset (22 FPS) is unplayable. For 4K, players should accept Low settings or reduce the resolution to 1440p, where Medium settings provide a much better experience.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 107 FPS; at 1440p, it delivers 67 FPS; and at 4K, it delivers 35 FPS. The minimum FPS values for Medium (91 at 1080p, 57 at 1440p, 30 at 4K) show that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate remains within a reasonable range. Players targeting 60 FPS should use Medium at 1440p or High at 1080p. Players targeting 30 FPS should use Medium at 4K, as it maintains a 30 FPS minimum. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution above 1080p, as it drops to 42 FPS at 1440p and 22 FPS at 4K.