Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a fascinating performance curve in Barony, one that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics preset. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly capable at 1080p, but begins to show its limitations as pixel count climbs, with the GPU increasingly becoming the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves a staggering 264 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that figure to 162.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls further to 85.4 FPS. This scaling pattern is typical, but the magnitude of the drop—roughly 68% from 1080p to 4K at Low settings—points to a system where the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, but the GPU begins to struggle heavily as the render load increases.

The gap between resolutions is most pronounced at the High preset. At 1080p High, the combo hits 165.8 FPS, which is already well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p High, that number drops to 107.3 FPS, and at 4K High, it plummets to 52.9 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K represents a 50% performance hit at High settings, suggesting that the RTX 2060’s memory bandwidth and shading capabilities are being saturated.

Interestingly, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is relatively mild across all presets, with an average drop of about 35%. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is far more severe, with an average reduction of over 50%. This non-linear scaling is a classic sign of the GPU running out of fill rate and memory bandwidth, rather than a CPU limitation. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is clearly capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but the RTX 2060’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus become the constraining factor at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance ceilings observed. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs. These figures, combined with a 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are sufficient for 1080p gaming but are tested heavily at 4K.

The VRAM capacity of 6 GB is a critical detail. In Barony, a roguelike, the texture and geometry demands are not as high as modern AAA titles, but the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 39.5 FPS, a 54% drop from 4K High. This suggests that the Ultra preset is pushing the GPU’s memory and compute resources to their absolute limit. The RTX 2060’s 6 GB frame buffer is likely being exhausted, leading to severe performance degradation.

Benchmark results for the GPU support this analysis. The RTX 2060 scores 14111 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which scores 15996 (a 0.5% difference), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which scores 16351 (a -1.7% difference). These scores indicate that the RTX 2060 is a mid-range performer, and the measured FPS in Barony aligns with that positioning—capable at 1080p, but not a 4K powerhouse.

The CPU’s role here is secondary but not irrelevant. The Ryzen 7 9700X has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz and scores 4459 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is exceptional. This single-thread performance ensures that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at 1080p, where the FPS numbers are extremely high. However, as resolution increases and the GPU becomes the bottleneck, the CPU’s influence wanes, and the FPS curves flatten out, driven entirely by the RTX 2060’s capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Barony, this pairing of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 2060 ranks 1409 out of 1702 combos. This places it in the lower-mid tier of all possible configurations, which is a surprising result given the high FPS numbers measured at 1080p. The rank suggests that while this combo can achieve high frame rates, it does so with a relatively low ceiling compared to top-tier systems.

The combo’s rank is likely dragged down by its performance at 4K, where it struggles to maintain even 60 FPS at High settings. The CPU’s percentile ranking is strong—it sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs—but the GPU’s 58th percentile ranking holds the combo back. The data indicates that this is a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not optimized for 4K, which is where the ranking suffers.

When compared to other combos, the CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which has an average score of 35940 (a 0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, with a score of 35802 (a 0.6% delta). These CPUs are closely matched, but the GPU’s nearest rivals—the RX 7600S and Radeon Pro 5700—are also within a 2% margin. This suggests that the combo’s ranking is not due to a single weak component, but rather the combination of a strong CPU with a mid-range GPU that limits overall performance in a game like Barony.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset achieves 122.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This makes 1080p Ultra the best choice for players who want the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs about 26% of performance (from 165.8 FPS to 122.1 FPS), but the visual gains in a roguelike are often worth it for detail clarity.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 74.2 FPS, which is still playable but approaches the edge of what is comfortable for fast-paced action. For a more stable experience, the High preset at 1440p, which delivers 107.3 FPS, is the recommended sweet spot. This provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a high frame rate buffer.

At 3840x2160, the data strongly advises against the Ultra preset, which only achieves 39.5 FPS. Even the High preset at 52.9 FPS is borderline. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset, at 64.3 FPS, is the only viable option that stays above 60 FPS. However, given the severe performance drops, this combo is not ideal for 4K, and players should consider dropping to 1440p for the best balance of visuals and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full FPS breakdown for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Barony is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 264 FPS
• Medium: 193.1 FPS
• High: 165.8 FPS
• Ultra: 122.1 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 162.7 FPS
• Medium: 121.6 FPS
• High: 107.3 FPS
• Ultra: 74.2 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 85.4 FPS
• Medium: 64.3 FPS
• High: 52.9 FPS
• Ultra: 39.5 FPS

At 1080p, the combo is clearly CPU-bound, with the Ryzen 7 9700X’s strong single-core performance allowing the GPU to run at its maximum potential. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 141.9 FPS, a massive gap that highlights the GPU’s headroom. At 1440p, the scaling tightens, with a 88.5 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 4K, the gap narrows to 45.9 FPS, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor.

The data shows that this combo is a superb choice for 1080p gaming, where it can max out nearly any title with ease. For 1440p, it remains strong with High settings. For 4K, it is only suitable for less demanding games or with reduced settings. The RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are the key constraints, and any player considering this combo for 4K should temper expectations accordingly.