Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a combination that sits near the bottom of the performance hierarchy for Barony. With a combo rank of 2601 out of 2935 tested configurations, this pairing places in the 12th percentile of all tested combos, indicating that it will struggle to deliver a fluid experience in most scenarios. The data suggests a significant bottleneck, primarily driven by the Intel Arc B390’s low standing among GPUs, which limits the overall capability of this system despite the CPU’s strong showing in synthetic benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2601 out of 2935 is a stark indicator of this system’s position. It places the Ryzen 7 9700X and Arc B390 combination in the bottom 11.4% of all tested pairings for Barony. This is a low rank that suggests the system will not be suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming or high-fidelity settings. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance ceiling, as the Arc B390’s benchmark scores are far below what would be needed to complement the CPU’s capabilities. The data shows that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU is not, and the combination’s overall rank reflects the weaker component. In practical terms, this rank means users should expect sub-60 FPS averages at 4K and only moderate success at lower resolutions. The combination is not competitive with the majority of systems in the database, and the measured FPS data confirms that this rank is earned through consistent performance limitations across all settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. Its benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals for this GPU are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with average scores of 1463, 1460, 1446, and 1443 respectively. The Arc B390 is only 1.3% ahead of the GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. This places the Arc B390 in a performance class with legacy entry-level GPUs, which is far below what is required for modern gaming. The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS. However, the memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This shared memory architecture is a significant drawback, as it lacks the dedicated high-speed VRAM found on discrete graphics cards, which is crucial for maintaining consistent frame rates in games like Barony. The GPU’s TDP is 80 W and it operates as an IGP, which explains its limited capacity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 159 FPS, which is a playable frame rate. However, moving to 1440p at Low settings drops the average to 100 FPS, a 37.1% reduction. At 4K with Low settings, the average falls to 53 FPS, which is a 47% drop from 1440p and a 66.7% drop from 1080p. This scaling behavior is typical of a system where the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU to its limits, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload becomes more demanding, and its performance ceiling is reached. The data for Medium settings shows a similar trend: 118 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p (a 36.4% drop), and 39 FPS at 4K (a 48% drop from 1440p). The High settings preset follows suit with 102 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p (a 37.3% drop), and 34 FPS at 4K (a 46.9% drop). The Ultra settings preset shows the steepest decline, with 73 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p (a 37% drop), and 24 FPS at 4K (a 47.8% drop). The consistent ~35-48% drop between resolutions indicates that the GPU is saturated at all settings, and the frame rate is almost entirely dependent on the GPU’s fill rate and shading power. The CPU’s strong performance is not enough to compensate for the GPU’s inability to handle the increased pixel count at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset offers a balanced experience with an average of 102 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 1080p provides 159 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth the extra frames for most users. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 118 FPS, which is a good middle ground. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant performance hit for the highest visual fidelity. For 1440p, the High preset is the best recommendation, with an average of 64 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target, but it provides a much better visual experience than the Low preset, which achieves 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p also offers a playable 75 FPS, but High provides a better balance of quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 46 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold and is not recommended. At 4K, the system struggles. The Low preset provides an average of 53 FPS, which is marginally playable but with significant visual compromises. The Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, and the High preset falls to 34 FPS, both of which are too low for a consistent experience. The Ultra preset at 4K is unplayable at 24 FPS. Therefore, for the best experience, users should stick to 1080p with High or Medium settings, or 1440p with High settings. The data indicates that the system is not well-suited for 4K gaming, regardless of the settings used.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system’s performance across resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160 (4K), the system achieves an average of 34 FPS on High settings, 53 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium, and 24 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 33 and a maximum of 45, indicating some frame pacing issues. At 2560x1440 (1440p), the averages are 64 FPS on High, 100 FPS on Low, 75 FPS on Medium, and 46 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the averages are 102 FPS on High, 159 FPS on Low, 118 FPS on Medium, and 73 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. The data shows that the system is most capable at 1080p, where it can handle even the Ultra preset with a respectable 73 FPS average. However, the performance drops off sharply at 1440p and even more so at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is significant: at 1080p, the gap is 86 FPS (159 vs 73); at 1440p, the gap is 54 FPS (100 vs 46); and at 4K, the gap is 29 FPS (53 vs 24). This indicates that the GPU’s performance is heavily affected by the rendering workload, and the system’s overall capability is constrained by the GPU’s limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p with High settings is 102 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 4K with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 24 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this combination?

A: The GPU is the main bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390 has a benchmark score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile, and its performance is far below that of the CPU.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for smooth gameplay?

A: The best experience is at 1080p with High settings, yielding an average of 102 FPS. The High preset at 1440p also works, with an average of 64 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 159 at 1080p to 53 at 4K, a 66.7% reduction, indicating the GPU is heavily strained at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end processor that is not the limiting factor in this system. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its TDP is 65 W, and it is built on the TSMC 4 nm process with the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211. It also scores 17906 in Geekbench multicore and 3023 in single-core. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 37943, which places it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14901E (0.1% ahead), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (0.1% ahead), Intel Core 5 211E (0.3% ahead), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (0.4% ahead). The CPU has 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and has a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The CPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks is more than sufficient for gaming, and it has a high single-thread score that is beneficial for games like Barony. However, the CPU’s capabilities are wasted in this configuration because the GPU cannot keep up. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU has the least amount of work to do, the system only achieves 159 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is still the bottleneck, as a more powerful GPU would likely push this number higher. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and it does so effectively, but the GPU’s low performance ceiling means the frame rates are capped at a low level. The CPU’s strong performance is evident in its benchmark scores, but it is not reflected in the gaming results due to the GPU’s limitations.