Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly lopsided combination for Barony. The processor is a high-end desktop part from 2020, while the graphics solution is an integrated-class chip from 2026, and the benchmark data confirms that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. This analysis focuses strictly on the measured performance of this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings drops the average frame rate from 92 FPS to 30 FPS. That is a 67% reduction in performance when quadrupling the pixel count, which is a steep curve that clearly demonstrates the graphics processor is being overwhelmed by the render load.

At 2560x1440 High, the average is 58 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the 1080p result. The scaling is not linear, but the trend is consistent: every increase in resolution takes a heavy toll. The data suggests that the Arc B370's compute and memory resources are saturated well before the CPU can become a limiting factor.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only produce 47 FPS, while High drops to 30 FPS and Ultra falls to 22 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is running out of headroom at this resolution, and the settings have a significant impact on the already-low frame rate. The 1080p Low measurement of 144 FPS is the only data point that approaches a high-refresh experience, showing that the combo's ceiling is reached at the lowest resolution and settings.

The pattern across all resolutions—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—shows a consistent spread. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low (144 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is a 54% reduction. At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 54% drop from 91 FPS to 42 FPS. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at every setting, with the CPU's capability remaining largely untapped.

The measured minimum FPS data points (only available for Medium settings) reinforce this. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 91 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it is 57 FPS, and at 4K Medium it drops to 30 FPS. These minimums scale linearly with the averages, indicating no sudden CPU-related stutters or frame hitches, but rather a steady, GPU-limited throughput.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank is poor. Among 2935 tested combinations for Barony, this pairing ranks at 2701, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested. This is an exceptionally low position, driven almost entirely by the graphics component.

The GPU's own benchmark scores explain this. The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which puts it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5%). This places the Arc B370 in performance territory occupied by GPUs from over a decade ago, which is a clear indicator of its limited graphical compute power.

In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is a high performer in its own right. Its average benchmark score is 29123, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. It essentially ties with the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (score 29093, deltaPct 0.1%) and beats the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (score 28940, deltaPct 0.6%). This is a top-tier processor for gaming, but its potential is completely wasted in this pairing.

The combination of a high-ranking CPU and a bottom-tier GPU results in a system that is severely imbalanced. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is. The rank of 2701 out of 2935 reflects the performance of the weakest link, which is the integrated graphics solution. No amount of CPU headroom can compensate for a GPU that performs at this level.

Settings Recommendations

Given the GPU bottleneck, the settings you choose will dictate whether the game is playable. The measured data provides a clear hierarchy. For a smooth experience, Low settings are the only viable option at higher resolutions.

At 1920x1080, Low settings yield an average of 144 FPS, which is excellent. Medium settings drop to 107 FPS, which is still very good. High settings produce 92 FPS, and Ultra falls to 66 FPS. For competitive or fast-paced play, Low or Medium at 1080p is the best choice. The jump from Low to Medium costs 37 FPS, but the visual improvement may be worth it for some.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings average 91 FPS, which is playable. Medium averages 67 FPS, and High drops to 58 FPS. Ultra is not recommended, as it averages only 42 FPS. The sweet spot for 1440p is Low or Medium, depending on your tolerance for frame rate dips.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings provide a great experience. Low settings average 47 FPS, which is borderline. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. For 4K, Low is the only setting that approaches playability, and even then, it is not ideal for a smooth experience.

The data indicates that the best overall experience is at 1080p with Medium settings. This provides a 107 FPS average with a minimum of 91 FPS, ensuring a stable frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold. If you prefer maximum visual fidelity, 1080p Ultra at 66 FPS is acceptable, but you will sacrifice the smoothness of the lower settings. Barony is a roguelike, where a stable frame rate is often more important than high detail, so prioritizing Low or Medium is advised.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Barony at 4K smoothly?

A: The data shows it cannot. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 47 on Low settings, dropping to 30 FPS on High and 22 FPS on Ultra. None of these provide a consistently smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the frame rates are consistently high. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra average above 90 FPS, with Low reaching 144 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800X the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores are in the 81st percentile, with an average score of 29123. The GPU's average score is 1184, which is in the 5th percentile, indicating the graphics processor is the limiting component.

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

A: Its average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), with deltas of -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. It performs at a similar level to these older cards.

Q: What settings should I use for the best frame rate?

A: For the highest frame rate, use Low settings at 1920x1080, which yields 144 FPS. For a balance, Medium at 1080p offers 107 FPS with a minimum of 91 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank among other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2701 out of 2935 combos tested in Barony. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems, confirming its performance is below average for this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the dominant factor in this system's performance. As an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, it is designed for efficiency, not high-end gaming. Its base clock is 300 MHz, which can boost to 2400 MHz, but its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's RAM.

The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 render output units (ROPs). Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. These specifications are modest for modern gaming, and the benchmark results confirm this.

Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the data are all legacy parts from ATI/AMD, such as the Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190. This indicates that the Arc B370's raw rendering power is comparable to graphics cards from 2009, which explains why it struggles with Barony at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU's VRAM is also a constraint, being "System Shared" and "System Dependent." This means the bandwidth is shared with the CPU, which can cause performance drops when the memory bandwidth is taxed. In Barony, a roguelike with procedurally generated levels, the constant loading of new textures and geometry likely contributes to the frame rate collapse at 4K. The data shows that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and its performance dictates the overall experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is a powerful processor that is underutilized in this configuration. It is a desktop part with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU has 32 MB of L3 cache and its memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel capability.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15476 in multicore and 1574.5 in singlecore. Its Geekbench scores are 11036 for multicore and 2032 for singlecore. In PassMark, it scores 27732 for multithread and 3445 for single thread. These results place it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29123.

Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (deltaPct 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (deltaPct 0.6%), showing that it is competitive with modern mid-range to high-end mobile and desktop processors. The CPU's performance is not the issue; it has ample headroom to handle the game's logic, AI, and physics.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to manage the game's simulation, including the procedural generation of levels and the behavior of enemies. With 16 threads and a high boost clock, the 5800X is more than capable of handling these tasks. However, the measured FPS data shows that the bottleneck is the GPU. The fact that the frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution and settings, rather than remaining constant, proves that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The 5800X is waiting for the GPU to catch up, and it never does.