Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a formidable performance profile in Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. The measured data shows a system capable of extreme frame rates, even at 4K, with the primary performance characteristic being the scaling relationship between resolution, settings, and the resulting FPS. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to interpret what it means for the system's balance and capability within this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases, but with an unusual starting point of exceptionally high performance. At 1080p, the system produces staggering frame rates; with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 505, and even at High settings, it maintains an average of 323 FPS. Moving to 1440p, we see a proportional drop in performance that is consistent with an increase in pixel count. The Low preset at 1440p yields an average of 319 FPS, a 37% reduction from the 1080p Low figure, while the High preset produces 204 FPS, a 37% drop as well. This linear scaling strongly suggests that at these resolutions, the GPU is the primary limiting factor, with the CPU having ample headroom.

The transition to 4K (3840x2160) further confirms this GPU-bound scenario. At 4K High, the average FPS drops to 106, which is a 67% decrease from the 1080p High result. The 4K Low preset averages 167 FPS, a 67% drop from its 1080p counterpart. The consistency of this percentage drop across different settings presets is a strong indicator that the rendering load is scaling directly with pixel count, which is the definition of a GPU-limited workload. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU, and at these resolutions, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck.

The data for the Medium preset provides additional insight into the scaling behavior. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 376, with a minimum of 319 and a maximum of 432. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 237 FPS, with a minimum of 202 and a maximum of 273. At 4K Medium, the average is 124 FPS, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the gap between average and minimum FPS, appears to tighten as resolution increases, suggesting that the GPU's workload is more uniform at higher resolutions. The system is clearly capable of delivering a playable experience at 4K on High settings, but the data shows that the most significant performance headroom exists at 1080p and 1440p, where the frame rates are high enough to support very high refresh rate displays.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a desktop processor from the 5000 series, built on the Zen 3 architecture with the codename Vermeer. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its cache configuration includes a 32 MB shared L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. While the game is from 2015, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this configuration. The 3DMark single-thread benchmark score of 959 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3535 show strong single-core performance, which is often critical for game logic and frame pacing.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 7680. In the context of Barony, the high frame rates at 1080p, even on Low settings (505 FPS), suggest that the CPU can process the game's simulation and draw calls quickly enough to not bottleneck the GPU. The fact that the FPS drops are almost perfectly proportional to the resolution increase implies that the CPU is not the constraining component; if it were, we would see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions where the CPU's processing limit is reached. Since the FPS continues to scale up dramatically at 1080p, the data indicates the CPU has significant headroom.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 81 among all tested CPUs places it in the upper echelon of processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, with a deltaPct of 0.0 and 0.6, respectively. This indicates that the 5800XT's general processing power is competitive with these newer parts. For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike and likely not heavily threaded, the strong single-thread performance is likely the most relevant factor for ensuring consistent frame delivery. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of supporting the GPU's output, allowing the RX 7900 XT to operate at its full potential without being starved of data.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the clear driver of the frame rates observed in this test. Based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and the Navi 31 chip, it is a high-end graphics card with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz. The card's substantial memory pool and bandwidth are crucial for handling the texture and geometry data at high resolutions like 4K, where the demand for memory capacity and throughput increases significantly.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning. It achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 71068 and a Passmark G3D score of 29009. However, its percentile ranking among all GPUs is 55, and its average benchmark score is 13745. Interestingly, its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the AMD Radeon 660M and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile, which are notably less powerful parts. This is an anomaly in the data, suggesting that the average benchmark score may not fully represent the card's gaming performance in a title like Barony, which may not stress the GPU in the same way as more modern, graphically intensive games.

The data from the game itself tells a clearer story. At 4K Ultra, the card produces an average of 76 FPS, which is a demanding workload. However, at 4K High, the average jumps to 106 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 124 FPS. This scaling shows that the GPU has the raw power to handle 4K, but the Ultra preset, which likely includes more demanding effects, brings the card to a more moderate performance level. The transition from High to Ultra at 4K results in a 28% performance drop (from 106 to 76 FPS), which is a significant cost for the extra visual fidelity. This indicates that the GPU is the key component in determining the frame rate, and its performance is directly tied to the resolution and settings selected. The card's specifications, such as its 20 GB of VRAM, are more than sufficient for a game from 2015, and the data confirms that it is the performance ceiling for this combo.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination produces an average FPS of 204 at 2560x1440 with High settings.

Q: How does the performance at 1080p Low compare to 4K Low?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average FPS of 505. When the resolution is increased to 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS drops to 167, which is a 67% reduction.

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

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops are almost exactly proportional to the increase in pixel count from 1080p to 4K, which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU appears to have ample headroom, as it can support very high frame rates at lower resolutions.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 105, with an average of 124 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS.

Q: How many cores and threads does the CPU have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT in this configuration has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT has a memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s, which is supported by its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT in Barony.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 505. The Medium preset yields an average of 376 FPS, with a minimum of 319 and a maximum of 432. High settings bring the average down to 323 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still produces an average of 231 FPS, ensuring a very smooth experience on any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. Low settings produce an average of 319 FPS. The Medium preset averages 237 FPS, with a minimum of 202 and a maximum of 273. High settings achieve an average of 204 FPS. The Ultra preset, while more demanding, still averages a very playable 146 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system demonstrates its 4K capability. Low settings average 167 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 124 FPS, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143. High settings produce an average of 106 FPS, which is suitable for a high-refresh-rate 4K display. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, bringing the average down to 76 FPS, which is still a playable frame rate for most titles, though it shows the performance cost of the highest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p or 1440p display, the Ultra preset is a viable option, as it delivers average FPS of 231 and 146, respectively. These frame rates are high enough to fully utilize most high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that the Ultra preset offers a significant increase in visual quality with a performance cost that is still acceptable at these resolutions.

For 4K users, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot. At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers an average of 106 FPS, which is an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset, at 76 FPS, is also playable but represents a 28% performance drop from High for the added visual effects. The Medium preset at 4K provides a higher average FPS of 124 and a minimum of 105, which could be the safer choice for users who prioritize frame rate consistency and have a 120Hz or higher refresh rate 4K monitor.

Given that the game is a roguelike, where reaction time and consistent frame pacing can be important, the Medium preset at 4K offers a very strong guarantee of performance, with the minimum FPS of 105 ensuring no significant dips. The High preset is recommended for the best visual experience without sacrificing the high frame rate advantage. The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates at all resolutions, is not necessary given the hardware's capability, as the High and Medium presets already provide exceptional performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is ranked 742 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 20% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result given the specific nature of the game. The ranking indicates that this system is significantly better than the median configuration in the database for this title.

This high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. The system's ability to maintain an average of over 100 FPS at 4K High settings and over 300 FPS at 1080p High settings puts it well ahead of the average system. The CPU's strong performance, as indicated by its 81st percentile ranking, and the GPU's high-end specifications combine to create a configuration that excels in this game. While the GPU's average benchmark score percentile is lower, the game-specific data shows that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for Barony, likely because the game's engine and graphics load align well with the strengths of this particular CPU and GPU combination. The rank of 742 out of 3717 confirms that this is a top-tier configuration for this title, offering a level of performance that will be more than sufficient for any current display technology.