Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a robust experience in Barony, a roguelike where frame rates are decisively high across most settings. The measured data reveals a combination that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of exceptional performance at 1080p, making it a versatile choice for players who prioritize smoothness in this procedurally generated dungeon crawler.

Resolution Scaling

The performance curve from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies within this pairing. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 289.8 FPS, indicating that the CPU is feeding the GPU more than enough data to saturate its output. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings drops the average to 182.2 FPS, a substantial reduction that still leaves significant headroom. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average falls to 94.2 FPS, showing that the GPU is now the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 181.8 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 113.3 FPS; and at 4K High, it further declines to 57.9 FPS. This represents a 68% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which strongly suggests the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of VRAM and its processing cores are struggling with the increased rendering load rather than any CPU limitation. The Ryzen 7 5800X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, clearly has ample headroom, as evidenced by the fact that even at 4K Low, the system pushes nearly 100 FPS.

The data indicates that resolution scaling is not linear; the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens significantly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (289.8 FPS) and Ultra (128.4 FPS) is 161.4 FPS, while at 4K, the same settings gap is only 53.2 FPS (94.2 vs 41.0). This compression at 4K is a classic sign of hitting a hard GPU ceiling, where the card cannot produce more frames regardless of graphical complexity reduction. For players targeting 4K, the system remains playable at Low, but the Ultra preset pushes it below the 60 FPS threshold, making High the realistic ceiling for a smooth experience at that resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it houses 2176 shading units alongside 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The GPU’s compute capability is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

In the context of Barony, the GPU’s role is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates at higher settings. The measured results show that the card’s VRAM capacity is sufficient for this title, as there are no signs of memory-related stuttering or crashing in the data. However, the 4K Ultra result of 41.0 FPS indicates that the card’s raw compute power is insufficient for the most demanding preset at that resolution. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is notable: it scores 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 in average benchmark scores, though this margin is minimal and within the noise of typical variance.

The GPU’s 175 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-hungry component, but the benchmark results show that it delivers consistent performance without thermal throttling affecting the output. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) contributes to the high bandwidth that helps maintain playable frame rates even at 1440p Ultra, where the average is 86.0 FPS. This suggests that for most gaming scenarios in Barony, the RTX 2060 SUPER provides a solid foundation, with the CPU rarely becoming the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1257 out of 1702 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the lower 26% of all configurations tested, which initially seems underwhelming given the high frame rates measured. However, this ranking is relative to all possible pairings, many of which include far more powerful GPUs like the RTX 30-series or newer architectures that dominate the top positions.

The CPU itself performs well in synthetic benchmarks, scoring an average of 27606, which puts it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (deltaPct of 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (deltaPct of -0.4%), and the Intel Core i7-13700H (deltaPct of -0.4%), indicating that the 5800X is competitive with these parts. The GPU, meanwhile, scores an average of 19774, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with its closest competitors being the GTX TITAN (0.3% higher) and the RTX 2070 (0.5% higher).

The combo rank suggests that while the individual components are mid-to-high tier, their pairing is not optimized for top-tier performance in this specific title. The low rank is likely due to the fact that Barony is not a graphically demanding game, meaning that many budget CPUs paired with high-end GPUs can achieve similar or better frame rates. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the weaker link in this pairing, as upgrading to a more powerful GPU would yield greater performance gains than upgrading the CPU, which already has ample headroom as indicated by the high FPS at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates exceptional performance across all presets. The Low preset averages 289.8 FPS, Medium averages 214.7 FPS, High averages 181.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 128.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combination is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors at any setting, with even Ultra maintaining well above the 120 FPS mark.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low averages 182.2 FPS, Medium averages 131.8 FPS, High averages 113.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 86.0 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can handle this resolution comfortably, with Ultra still exceeding 60 FPS and providing a smooth experience for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the RTX 2060 SUPER become apparent. Low averages 94.2 FPS, Medium averages 70.7 FPS, High averages 57.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.0 FPS. The 4K data reveals that the system is only fully playable at Low and Medium settings, with High just barely entering playable territory and Ultra falling below the acceptable threshold for most gamers. These figures highlight the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and compute capacity as the primary constraint at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 128.4 FPS offers the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, making it the recommended choice for most players. At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 86.0 FPS provides an excellent balance, though players with 144 Hz monitors may prefer High at 113.3 FPS to maintain higher refresh rates.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that High at 57.9 FPS is the maximum playable setting, though this may feel slightly less smooth for those accustomed to 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 70.7 FPS is a safer recommendation for 4K, offering a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while still providing improved visual quality over Low. The Low preset at 94.2 FPS is the best choice for competitive play where frame rate is paramount, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. Given that the Ultra preset at 4K falls to 41.0 FPS, it is not recommended for any scenario, as the performance hit outweighs the graphical benefits in a fast-paced roguelike.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average at 1920x1080 is 289.8 FPS with the Low preset.

Q: Is this combination capable of 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: No, the 4K Ultra preset averages 41.0 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X scores 0.3% higher in average benchmark scores than the Ryzen 7 5800.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p High settings?

A: The 2560x1440 High preset averages 113.3 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU outperform the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070?

A: Yes, the RTX 2060 SUPER has a 0.5% higher average benchmark score than the RTX 2070.

Q: What is the recommended preset for a smooth 4K experience?

A: The Medium preset at 70.7 FPS is recommended for 4K, as it stays above 60 FPS while providing better visuals than Low.