Barony

Opening Paragraph

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. Measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets show a system that scales predictably, with the data indicating a strong balance between the 8-core Zen 5 processor and the Blackwell 2.0-based GPU. While the combo ranks in the 79th percentile of all tested configurations, the raw performance numbers reveal a setup capable of high refresh rate play even at 4K with medium settings, and triple-digit frame rates at 1080p under ultra presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination in Barony reveals a clear and expected scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 320 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that average to 202 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. Pushing further to 4K High yields 105 FPS, which is a 67% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep drop-off indicates that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count, a typical characteristic for a game of this era.

The scaling behavior under Low settings is even more pronounced. The combo achieves 501 FPS at 1080p Low, which falls to 316 FPS at 1440p Low, and then to 165 FPS at 4K Low. The 4K Low result is less than a third of the 1080p Low score, suggesting that even at minimal graphical complexity, the resolution demands dominate the performance curve. This pattern points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, since the CPU headroom is likely substantial given the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

When examining Medium settings, the data shows a similar trajectory: 372 FPS at 1080p, 235 FPS at 1440p, and 123 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum FPS of 104 and a maximum of 141, indicating some variance but still maintaining a playable experience. Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, produce 229 FPS at 1080p, 145 FPS at 1440p, and only 76 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure represents the only sub-100 FPS average in the entire dataset, highlighting that this resolution and preset combination pushes the hardware to its limits.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings suggests that Barony is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops are not linear with pixel count (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p), which implies that other factors such as memory bandwidth and fill rate play a role. The RTX 5070's 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are likely contributors to the observed performance, but the data clearly shows that 4K Ultra is the only scenario where the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X provides the computational foundation for this combo, and its specifications help explain the performance observed in Barony. The processor features 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. With a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, the CPU offers substantial single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and Geekbench single-core score of 3023.

For a roguelike game like Barony, which typically relies on game logic, procedural generation, and AI pathfinding, CPU performance is critical. The 9700X's multi-threaded capabilities are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 17906. The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core likely help with the rapid data access patterns common in procedurally generated environments. The DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provides ample data throughput for the CPU to feed the GPU.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 86 versus all processors places it in the upper tier of available CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37943 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14901E, which scores 37911 (a 0.1% delta). This indicates that the 9700X is competitive with Intel's offerings in general compute tasks, though the game-specific results depend on how well Barony utilizes the available cores and threads.

Given that the FPS drops are so pronounced at higher resolutions, the CPU appears to be less of a bottleneck than the GPU in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the 501 FPS average suggests the CPU can push frames far beyond what most displays can show, meaning the processor's role is to maintain high minimum frame rates and avoid stutters. The measured data shows no min FPS values for Low and High settings, but the Medium preset at 1080p shows a min of 317 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth. This suggests the CPU handles the game's logical demands without becoming a limiting factor until GPU load increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 782nd out of 3717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 79th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the overall performance capability of the pairing, but the measured FPS data provides more context than the raw rank alone. The combo's position in the upper quintile suggests it outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, though it is not at the very top tier.

The GPU's individual benchmark performance shows a percentile of 82 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which scores 40318 (a 0.1% delta), indicating the RTX 5070 sits in a tightly contested performance band. The CPU's percentile of 86 versus all CPUs is slightly higher, suggesting the processor is relatively stronger than the GPU in this pairing. This imbalance might explain why the combo rank (79th percentile) is slightly lower than either component's individual percentile.

The rank of 782 out of 3717 means that roughly 2935 other combos perform worse in this game. This places the system well above the median, but the presence of faster configurations indicates that Barony can be pushed even harder with more powerful hardware. The data suggests that the RTX 5070, while strong, is the component that limits the combo from climbing higher in the rankings, particularly at 4K Ultra where the 76 FPS average is the weakest result in the dataset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1080p, the system delivers 501 FPS on Low, 372 FPS on Medium (with a min of 317 and max of 428), 320 FPS on High, and 229 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is capable of driving high refresh rate monitors even at maximum quality settings, with the Ultra preset still maintaining an average above 200 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain impressive: 316 FPS on Low, 235 FPS on Medium (min 200, max 270), 202 FPS on High, and 145 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Medium result shows a tighter min-max range compared to 1080p, suggesting more consistent frame pacing at this resolution. The 145 FPS on Ultra at 1440p is particularly noteworthy, as it demonstrates that the combo can handle high-quality 1440p gaming without compromise.

At 4K, the performance drops significantly but remains playable: 165 FPS on Low, 123 FPS on Medium (min 104, max 141), 105 FPS on High, and 76 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium setting offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average above 120 FPS and a minimum above 100 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration that falls below 100 FPS, with a 76 FPS average that may cause issues for gamers seeking the highest refresh rates. Overall, the data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at high settings, with 4K viable for those willing to adjust quality presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary driver of graphics performance in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured FPS in Barony. The GPU is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB205 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling high-resolution textures and effects.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 2325 MHz and a boost of 2512 MHz, with memory operating at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). These clocks contribute to a FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS, a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. For a game like Barony, which may not utilize ray tracing or DLSS features, the raw rasterization performance is what matters most, and the data indicates the RTX 5070 excels in this regard.

The GPU's benchmark results show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 172660, and a Vulkan score of 178923. Its PassMark G3D score of 29137 and GPU compute score of 15787 further illustrate its compute capabilities. The GPU's percentile of 82 versus all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, though its average benchmark score of 40377 is only 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318), indicating a close performance race with that rival.

Given the FPS scaling observed, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the 76 FPS average suggests the GPU is fully utilized, while at 1080p Low, the 501 FPS average indicates the GPU has ample headroom. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Barony's requirements, as the game's 2015 release date means it does not demand the large memory pools seen in modern AAA titles. The RTX 5070's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its performance class, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth bottlenecks.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pairing in Barony?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p Ultra provides an average of 145 FPS, which is both visually demanding and smooth. For 4K play, Medium settings at 123 FPS (min 104, max 141) offer the best performance-to-visual tradeoff, as 4K Ultra drops to 76 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in raw benchmark terms?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580's 40318 score. This places the two GPUs in a near-tie, with the RTX 5070 having a slight edge.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at 1080p, where 501 FPS on Low settings indicates high headroom. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the CPU's single-thread score of 1280 (3DMark) and multi-thread score of 20485 (Cinebench R23) are strong for this workload.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 317. At 1440p Medium, it is 200. At 4K Medium, it is 104. These values show consistent frame pacing with no major drops, even at higher resolutions.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Barony?*

A: The combo ranks 782nd out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the 79th percentile. This means it outperforms roughly 79% of all tested setups in this game.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded performance relative to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-14901E's 37911 score. This indicates a near-identical level of general compute performance between the two processors.