Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title that proves highly responsive to both high core counts and substantial graphics memory bandwidth. The measured data shows this pairing achieving triple-digit frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, with performance scaling that clearly favors high-refresh-rate displays at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, ranking position, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided benchmark metrics.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Barony?*

A: The combination ranks 244th out of 3717 tested combos in the game, placing it in the top ~6.5% of all configurations tested.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X scores an average benchmark of 37,943, which is effectively tied with the Intel Core i9-14901E (37,911, +0.1%), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37,904, +0.1%), and the Intel Core 5 211E (37,829, +0.3%). It is 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247.

Q: What are the maximum and minimum average frame rates recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 600 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 91 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its direct successor or predecessor in benchmarks?

A: The data shows the RTX 4080 scores 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209 vs 54,247). It also scores higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded headroom, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,485 and Geekbench multicore score of 17,906.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to maintain frame pacing and avoid bottlenecking the GPU, especially at lower resolutions where the graphics card can produce extremely high frame rates. The data indicates that the 9700X is more than capable in this regard. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 600 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the CPU can feed the GPU at maximum throughput in this roguelike. The single-thread performance is also robust, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,280 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3,023, which is critical for game logic and physics in a genre that relies on precise, deterministic simulation.

The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 8,315 million transistors on a 4nm TSMC process node contribute to its low latency and high responsiveness. The PassMark integer math score of 120,142 and floating-point math score of 78,999 further suggest that complex game calculations are handled with ease. The CPU's 86th percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces that it is a top-tier part for gaming workloads. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, is only 0.1% behind in average score, indicating that the 9700X is at the very peak of consumer desktop performance for this type of task.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture (AD103 chip) and features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU's memory clock is 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective), with a base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz. This high bandwidth and large frame buffer are essential for handling the detailed textures and particle effects often found in roguelike environments.

The GPU's role in Barony is to render the game's visual elements, and the data shows it performs exceptionally well across all resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 91 FPS, which is impressive for a demanding setting. The RTX 4080's 9,728 shading units and 304 texture mapping units (TMUs) are likely the primary drivers of this high pixel throughput, alongside its pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s.

The 86th percentile ranking for the GPU, combined with its average benchmark score of 54,247, places it just behind the RTX 4080 SUPER (which scores 0.1% lower in this dataset, indicating a statistical tie). The GPU's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS provides substantial compute power for shader-intensive effects. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, there is no risk of memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in, allowing the card to maintain consistent frame delivery.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 244 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places the pairing in the top 6.5% of all configurations, a strong result that reflects the balance between the high-end CPU and GPU. The ranking is particularly notable because Barony, being a roguelike, may not be as demanding as modern AAA titles, but the data shows that this combo still pushes the engine to its limits.

The rank of 244 suggests that there are 243 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generation cards. However, within its own class, this combo is exceptional. The CPU's 86th percentile and GPU's 86th percentile are both high, and their pairing results in a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and smooth 4K experiences. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals are all under 0.5%, indicating that the 9700X is not a limiting factor in the overall ranking. The GPU's rivals, while slightly ahead in aggregate score (e.g., AMD Radeon 8060S at +2.7%), do not significantly alter the combo's standing in this specific game.

This ranking implies that for users seeking a top-tier experience in Barony, this pairing offers near-flagship performance. The data suggests that the bottleneck in this system is more likely the game's engine or the monitor's refresh rate rather than the hardware itself, given the extremely high FPS numbers recorded at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate.

• For 4K (3840x2160) displays: The High preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 126 FPS. This is significantly smoother than the Ultra preset, which drops to 91 FPS. While Medium (147 FPS) and Low (198 FPS) offer higher frame rates, the visual fidelity loss may not be worth it on a 4K panel. High provides a good balance of quality and performance.

• For 1440p (2560x1440) displays: The Ultra preset is highly recommended, as it still achieves an average of 173 FPS. This is well above the 144Hz threshold for most gaming monitors. If you have a 240Hz display, the High preset at 242 FPS is the better choice, offering a near-perfect experience. Low (379 FPS) and Medium (281 FPS) are overkill for most users but available for competitive play.

• For 1080p (1920x1080) displays: The Ultra preset at 274 FPS is the best option for high-refresh-rate panels (240Hz+). For 144Hz monitors, even the Medium preset at 446 FPS is excessive, but Ultra ensures maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Low preset at 600 FPS is only useful for benchmark chasing, as the difference between 274 and 600 FPS is imperceptible on most standard displays.

In summary, the data indicates that users should prioritize the High preset at 4K and the Ultra preset at 1440p and 1080p to get the best experience. The Medium presets provide a significant FPS boost (e.g., 147 FPS at 4K) with min FPS of 125, which could be used if a higher refresh rate is desired over visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average of 198 FPS. This is the highest 4K result, indicating that the GPU is not a bottleneck at lower settings.
• Medium: Average of 147 FPS, with a minimum of 125 FPS and maximum of 169 FPS. This shows consistent frame delivery with some variance.
• High: Average of 126 FPS. A solid choice for 4K gaming, offering a 15.7% drop from Medium but with likely better image quality.
• Ultra: Average of 91 FPS. The most demanding setting, still playable but with a 27.8% reduction from High.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average of 379 FPS. This is nearly 2x the 4K Low result, demonstrating the resolution scaling.
• Medium: Average of 281 FPS, with a minimum of 239 FPS and maximum of 324 FPS. The min FPS is still well above 144Hz.
• High: Average of 242 FPS. This is a 14.4% drop from Medium but remains exceptionally smooth.
• Ultra: Average of 173 FPS. This is the lowest 1440p result but still exceeds 165Hz refresh rate monitors.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average of 600 FPS. This is the absolute maximum in the dataset, likely hitting the game's engine or benchmark tool's frame rate cap.
• Medium: Average of 446 FPS, with a minimum of 379 FPS and maximum of 513 FPS. The min FPS is higher than the 4K Ultra average.
• High: Average of 383 FPS. A 14.1% reduction from Medium, but still overkill for any current display.
• Ultra: Average of 274 FPS. This is the most balanced 1080p setting, providing maximum visual fidelity without any perceptible smoothness issues.

The data reveals a clear trend: the combo scales nearly linearly with resolution, with 1080p results being roughly 3x the 4K results at the same settings (e.g., Low: 600 vs 198 FPS). The Medium preset consistently shows the most stable frame times, with the only recorded min/max values in the dataset, suggesting it is the most optimized setting for consistent performance. The Ultra preset, while playable at all resolutions, incurs a significant performance penalty, particularly at 4K where it drops below the 100 FPS threshold.