Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces an exceptionally high-performance baseline in Barony, a roguelike title from 2015. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings are far beyond the requirements of typical display refresh rates, making this combination a definitive top-tier configuration. The data indicates that the primary challenge is not achieving playability but rather managing the surplus of performance to ensure consistency and visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

Given the sheer volume of frames produced, the optimal settings hinge on the user's display capabilities and preference for visual quality. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an astronomical 664.2 FPS average. This is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors, but it leaves substantial graphical fidelity on the table. The Medium preset still achieves a remarkably high 491.6 FPS, offering a better balance of visual effects and performance. However, the High preset, with an average of 421.3 FPS, is the superior choice for most users at this resolution; it provides a significantly improved visual experience while still maintaining frame rates that exceed the capabilities of even the fastest 360Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the performance profile remains exceptional. The High preset produces an average of 266.6 FPS, which is sufficient for the vast majority of high-refresh-rate gaming monitors. While the Medium preset reaches 313.3 FPS, the incremental gain in speed is less noticeable than the improvement in visual detail offered by the High settings. The Ultra preset, at 190.4 FPS, is also highly playable and represents the pinnacle of visual quality at this resolution, making it a viable option for users prioritizing image quality over maximum frame throughput.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Ultra preset, averaging 97.8 FPS, is the definitive recommendation. This is the only resolution and preset combination where the frame rate drops near the triple-digit threshold, but it still provides a smooth experience on 120Hz-class displays. Given the surplus of performance available, there is no reason to sacrifice the substantial visual enhancements of the Ultra preset for the 137.4 FPS of the High preset or the 165.7 FPS of the Medium preset, as the difference in smoothness will be marginal on most displays, while the visual impact will be significant. The Low preset at this resolution, at 217.8 FPS, is only sensible for users with 240Hz 4K panels, a rare display category.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Barony, this combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds the 50th rank out of 1702 tested combos. This places the configuration in the top 3% of all tested systems, confirming its status as a leading-edge performer. The data indicates that while it is not the absolute fastest combination ever recorded, it is within the top tier of performance, with only 49 other system configurations producing higher average frame rates.

The CPU's own benchmark percentile further contextualizes this ranking. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D sits in the 90th percentile against all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37780. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6353P, which is virtually identical in score at 37811 (a delta of -0.1%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at 37831 (also -0.1%). This indicates that in synthetic CPU tests, the 9800X3D is at parity with these processors, yet the in-game rank demonstrates that the combination's overall performance is a product of both the strong CPU and the GPU's capabilities.

Similarly, the RTX 4090's individual standing is robust, ranking in the 91st percentile against all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its nearest rivals are professional-grade cards like the NVIDIA Tesla T4, which scores 66733 (-0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 at 67097 (-0.9% delta). The combined strength of these two components, both ranking in the 90th+ percentile of their respective categories, explains the high overall combo rank, though it also shows that the specific game engine of Barony can be pushed even further by other, albeit rare, hardware pairings.

FAQ

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Barony?*

A: At lower resolutions like 1920x1080, the frame rates are so high (e.g., 664.2 FPS at Low) that the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of producing even more frames. At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly (e.g., 97.8 FPS at Ultra), which suggests the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck due to the increased rendering load.

Q: What is the CPU and GPU's standing compared to other hardware?

A: The CPU is in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 37780 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6353P, which has a score of 37811 and a delta of -0.1%. The GPU is in the 91st percentile against all GPUs, with an average score of 66473, placing it just 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Tesla T4.

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

A: The frame rate at 3840x2160 Ultra is 97.8 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 664.2 FPS at 1920x1080 Low. This represents a substantial performance cost for the increase in resolution and visual fidelity.

Q: Can this system maintain high refresh rates at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 2560x1440, even the Ultra preset averages 190.4 FPS. The High preset averages 266.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient to drive a 240Hz monitor.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a 4K 120Hz display?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160, with an average of 97.8 FPS, is the recommended choice. While it does not fully saturate a 120Hz display, it provides the best visual experience while maintaining a frame rate that is close to the display's refresh limit.

Q: Are these results from real-world testing?

A: Yes, the "dataIsMeasured" field is set to true, indicating that the FPS data points are derived from actual benchmark runs rather than estimates or projections.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance across all twelve configuration points reveals a consistent hierarchy. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 664.2 at Low settings to 302 at Ultra settings. The Medium preset yields 491.6 FPS, and the High preset produces 421.3 FPS. This shows a clear progression, with each step up in settings from Low to Ultra resulting in a noticeable decrease in frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 419.6 FPS, Medium averages 313.3 FPS, High averages 266.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 190.4 FPS. The relative performance deltas between settings are consistent with the 1080p results, indicating that the game's settings scale predictably in their performance impact.

At 3840x2160, the rendering load becomes more demanding. The Low preset still achieves a very high 217.8 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 165.7 FPS, and the High preset averages 137.4 FPS. The Ultra preset, which represents the maximum visual load, produces an average of 97.8 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below the 100 FPS mark, highlighting the significant computational cost of 4K resolution combined with maximum graphical settings.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and expected trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases. When comparing the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 421.3 FPS at 1920x1080 to 266.6 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 137.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a substantial performance scaling cost. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by approximately 37%, while the transition from 1440p to 4K reduces it by roughly 48%.

This scaling behavior offers insight into the system's bottleneck characteristics. The relatively large performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K, especially at the High settings, indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated. At 1080p, the extremely high frame rates (e.g., 421.3 FPS at High) suggest that the CPU is struggling to feed the GPU fast enough, even with a top-tier processor like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. As the resolution increases, the GPU's rendering time per frame grows, which allows the CPU to catch up and ultimately shifts the bottleneck to the GPU. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset still achieves 97.8 FPS demonstrates the immense power of the RTX 4090, but the scaling curve confirms that it is the limiting component at that resolution and settings level.