Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. The measured data shows this combination is heavily overqualified for the game’s demands, producing frame rates that far exceed the refresh rates of most displays. This analysis examines the benchmark results to determine the optimal settings, contextualize the performance ranking, and explain the role each component plays in achieving these figures.

Settings Recommendations

For a game like Barony, where fast-paced decision-making and reaction time matter, the data suggests that the High preset is the optimal choice for most users. At 4K (3840x2160), the High preset averages 109 FPS, which is a superb result for a 60Hz or 120Hz display. Moving to the Ultra preset at the same resolution drops the average to 76.5 FPS, still playable but a significant 30% reduction from High. The visual fidelity gains from Ultra over High in a roguelike with this art style are unlikely to justify that performance cost.

The Medium preset at 4K offers 126.7 FPS, which is about 16% faster than High. However, given that High already clears the 100 FPS threshold, the extra performance from Medium is unnecessary for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K produces 167.6 FPS, but this is a drastic reduction in visual quality for a game that is already easy to run.

The recommendation becomes even clearer at 1440p and 1080p. At 1440p, the High preset averages 204.7 FPS, and at 1080p it reaches 322 FPS. These numbers are so high that the limiting factor becomes the display’s refresh rate, not the hardware. Therefore, the High preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. Ultra is only advisable for users with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize image quality over the already-excessive frame rates, but the data indicates High is the practical sweet spot.

How This Combo Ranks

According to the measured data, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 332nd out of 1702 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 20% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result. However, the ranking is relative; the sheer volume of combinations tested means that many other high-end setups will also be present. The percentile ranking of the individual components supports this position: the CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

The combo’s rank is likely influenced more by the CPU than the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (509.5 FPS on Low) that the CPU’s single-thread performance becomes a bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5700’s 3DMark single-thread score is 901, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2916, which are solid numbers but not top-tier. The near-rival data shows the CPU is just 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i9-9900K and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12700H in average benchmark scores. This indicates that while the CPU is capable, it is not the primary driver of the combo’s high rank; the RTX 5070’s immense rasterization power is what pushes this configuration into the top percentile.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and the data reflects its capabilities. The GPU’s boost clock is 2512 MHz, and it is built on a 5 nm process with 31,100 million transistors. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. For Barony, this memory configuration is more than sufficient; the game is a roguelike with relatively simple textures, so it is unlikely to stress the 12 GB VRAM capacity even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s raw compute power is substantial, with an FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s. These specifications translate directly into the high frame rates seen in the measured data. At 4K Ultra, the GPU still manages 76.5 FPS, which confirms its ability to handle the increased pixel count. The RTX 5070 also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, ensuring no bandwidth limitations with the CPU.

Interestingly, the GPU’s nearest rival in average benchmark scores is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which it leads by 0.6%. This is a significant achievement for a newer generation card, showing that the RTX 5070 offers performance comparable to the previous generation’s flagship. The GPU’s passmark G3D score of 29137 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 further confirm its high-end status.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are staggeringly high. The Low preset averages 509.5 FPS, Medium averages 378.1 FPS, High averages 322 FPS, and Ultra averages 232.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely the bottleneck; even the Ultra preset is more than enough for a 240Hz monitor.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent but shows a clear scaling factor. The Low preset drops to 323.1 FPS, which is a 36% decrease from 1080p Low. Medium averages 239.2 FPS, High averages 204.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 148.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 54%, showing that settings have a more pronounced impact at higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is finally challenged. The Low preset averages 167.6 FPS, Medium averages 126.7 FPS, High averages 109 FPS, and Ultra averages 76.5 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent drop of roughly 20 FPS per settings tier, until the jump from High to Ultra, which is a larger 32.5 FPS drop. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly heavy on the GPU. The 4K Ultra result of 76.5 FPS is still playable, but it is the only configuration in the data that dips below the 100 FPS mark.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is revealing about the system’s bottleneck. At 1080p High, the system produces 322 FPS. At 1440p High, this drops to 204.7 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K High, the average is 109 FPS, which is a 66% reduction from 1080p and a 47% reduction from 1440p.

This scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution. However, the steep drop in FPS as resolution increases indicates that the RTX 5070 is doing the heavy lifting. The GPU’s workload scales directly with the number of pixels, so going from 1080p (2.1 million pixels) to 4K (8.3 million pixels) quadruples the pixel count, which explains the significant FPS reduction.

The fact that the system can still maintain 109 FPS at 4K High demonstrates that the RTX 5070 is a powerful card. In contrast, the CPU’s role is more evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 509.5 FPS result is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame output, as the GPU has plenty of headroom. This is supported by the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking, which is good but not elite. For users with 4K displays, the GPU is the clear star; for those with 1080p monitors, the CPU will be the first component to reach its limit, though it does so at a frame rate that is beyond any current display’s refresh rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming in Barony?

A: The High preset is recommended for 4K. It averages 109 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset drops to 76.5 FPS, which is a significant 30% performance hit.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This specific configuration ranks 332nd out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 20% of all tested systems.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this setup?

A: At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K), the GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops with increased pixel counts. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but it still allows for frame rates above 500 FPS on Low settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5070 have and is it enough?

A: The RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory. For Barony, this is more than sufficient, as the game’s simple textures are unlikely to exceed this capacity even at 4K Ultra settings.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 322. At 4K High, the average FPS is 109. This represents a 66% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Can this system handle a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: Yes, at 1440p and below, the system can easily exceed 200 FPS on High settings. Even at 4K, the High preset averages 109 FPS, which is suitable for a 120Hz display. The Ultra preset at 4K, averaging 76.5 FPS, is better suited for a 60Hz monitor.