Barony

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Barony, a roguelike title where the data shows performance scaling that reveals a system with substantial headroom across all tested resolutions. The measured results indicate that this pairing is capable of pushing well beyond standard refresh rate targets, even at the demanding 4K resolution, making the bottleneck analysis particularly revealing for users seeking maximum visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a classic pattern where the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as pixel count rises. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves a staggering 501 FPS average, which drops to 316 FPS at 1440p and further to 165 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at extraordinary rates when pixel workload is minimal.

The scaling behavior shifts noticeably when examining Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 229 FPS, which falls to 145 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease) and then to 76 FPS at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1440p). The more moderate percentage drops at higher settings suggest that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor earlier in the resolution chain when shader complexity increases, whereas at Low settings the CPU's 8-core, 16-thread configuration with a 5.20 GHz boost clock maintains exceptionally high throughput.

The data reveals that the most significant single jump in performance cost occurs between 1440p and 4K at Low settings, where the frame rate plummets from 316 FPS to 165 FPS — a 48% reduction. This steep drop indicates that at 4K, even with minimal graphical features enabled, the RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 192-bit bus are being pushed toward their limits, though the absolute numbers remain exceptionally playable.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 272 FPS (501 vs 229), while at 4K this gap shrinks to 89 FPS (165 vs 76). This compression of performance spread at higher resolutions further confirms that pixel throughput becomes the primary constraint, with the CPU's substantial single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 1212) becoming less relevant as resolution scales.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's specifications directly correlate with the measured performance patterns. The GPU's 2325 MHz base clock and 2512 MHz boost clock provide the computational foundation for the high frame rates observed, while the 12 GB GDDR7 memory capacity proves sufficient across all tested configurations without apparent capacity-related stuttering in the recorded averages.

The memory subsystem, featuring a 192-bit bus width and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears well-matched to this roguelike's demands. The 4K Medium preset, which shows a minimum FPS of 104 and maximum of 141, demonstrates that the memory bandwidth supports consistent frame delivery even when texture and geometry complexity increases. The GPU's 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs handle the pixel and texture processing efficiently, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gap between Medium and High settings at each resolution.

The RTX 5070's architecture, built on the Blackwell 2.0 design with 6144 shading units, delivers compute throughput that translates directly into the measured results. The FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS provides ample raw processing power for this title, which is not particularly demanding compared to modern AAA releases. The GPU's percentile ranking of 82 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377, places it in a strong position, though its nearest rivals — such as the AMD Radeon Pro 580 with a deltaPct of 0.1 — show that the performance envelope is competitive rather than dominant.

The 250 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest the card operates within a reasonable thermal envelope, allowing sustained boost clocks during extended gaming sessions. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth limitations from the system bus, which is particularly relevant given the CPU's support for Gen 5, 24 Lanes. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking, while respectable, indicates that there are faster options available, but the measured FPS data shows this card is more than adequate for Barony at any settings combination.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 4K Medium, the system delivers 123 FPS average with a minimum of 104 FPS and maximum of 141 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without the performance sacrifice of Ultra settings. The minimum FPS figure is particularly important for a roguelike where consistent frame delivery affects gameplay responsiveness.

For users with high-refresh-rate 1440p displays, the High preset at 202 FPS average provides an excellent balance, allowing the RTX 5070 to demonstrate its capabilities without pushing into the diminishing returns of Ultra settings. The 1440p Medium configuration, with a 235 FPS average and minimum of 200 FPS, offers even greater headroom for competitive play or streaming workloads where consistent frame times are critical.

At 1080p, the High preset's 320 FPS average is more than sufficient for any current display technology, and the data suggests that even Ultra settings at 229 FPS remain viable for the most demanding users. The Low preset, while achieving extraordinary frame rates of 501 FPS at 1080p, sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily given the system's capability to run higher settings comfortably.

The Ultra preset, while delivering playable frame rates at all resolutions (76 FPS at 4K, 145 FPS at 1440p, 229 FPS at 1080p), represents the most demanding configuration and yields diminishing returns relative to High settings. The data indicates that High settings provide approximately 38% more performance than Ultra at 4K (105 vs 76 FPS) with likely minimal visual difference in this roguelike's art style. For most users, Medium or High settings will provide the optimal experience, with Ultra reserved for those prioritizing maximum visual fidelity over frame rate headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system demonstrates extraordinary performance across all settings presets. The Low preset achieves a 501 FPS average, representing the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 372 FPS average with a minimum of 317 FPS and maximum of 428 FPS, while High settings produce 320 FPS average. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still maintains a strong 229 FPS average, indicating that this resolution poses minimal challenge to the combination.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains exceptionally high but shows the expected reduction from pixel count increases. Low settings produce 316 FPS average, Medium delivers 235 FPS with a minimum of 200 FPS and maximum of 270 FPS, and High settings achieve 202 FPS. The Ultra preset at 145 FPS average demonstrates that even the most demanding configuration at this resolution maintains frame rates well above standard 144Hz display refresh rates.

At 4K resolution, the system continues to deliver playable performance across all presets. The Low settings configuration achieves 165 FPS average, Medium produces 123 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS and maximum of 141 FPS, and High settings deliver 105 FPS average. The Ultra preset, at 76 FPS average, represents the only configuration that approaches the threshold where frame rate might become a concern for users with high-refresh-rate displays, though it remains perfectly playable on standard 60Hz monitors.

The Medium preset stands out as the only configuration with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range spans from 317 to 428 FPS, at 1440p from 200 to 270 FPS, and at 4K from 104 to 141 FPS. This data provides insight into frame time consistency, with the 4K Medium configuration showing a 37 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating reasonable stability for a demanding resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this hardware combination?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 501, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination in Barony.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system delivers a 76 FPS average. While this is the lowest measured configuration, it remains playable, though users with high-refresh-rate 4K displays may prefer Medium settings for the 123 FPS average.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 a bottleneck at 1080p resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a more significant role at 1080p, given the 501 FPS Low setting result. The GPU's performance becomes more of a limiting factor at 4K, where the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows to 89 FPS.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame delivery?

A: The Medium preset is the only configuration with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 4K, it shows a minimum of 104 FPS and maximum of 141 FPS, indicating a 37 FPS variance, which is reasonable for this resolution.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768, placing it 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450, while being 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 7700.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest competitors in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 40377 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, but it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2%.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D's 8-core, 16-thread configuration with a 4.70 GHz base clock and 5.20 GHz boost clock provides the computational horsepower necessary to sustain the exceptionally high frame rates observed at 1080p. The CPU's 96 MB of shared L3 cache, a hallmark of the 3D V-Cache design, likely contributes to the system's ability to maintain 501 FPS at Low settings, where draw call processing and game logic become the primary bottlenecks.

The processor's Zen 5 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process with 8,315 million transistors, delivers strong single-thread performance as evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 1212 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2080. These results are critical for Barony, a roguelike where the game simulation and AI calculations often rely on single-threaded performance. The multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and Geekbench multicore score of 18696, ensure that background processes and additional game systems do not interfere with frame delivery.

The CPU's 87th percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 39768, places it near its nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (0.4% higher), AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.7% lower), AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (0.7% higher), and AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (0.8% lower). This tight clustering indicates that despite the 3D V-Cache advantage, the synthetic benchmark scores do not dramatically differentiate the 9800X3D from its competition, though the real-world gaming performance in Barony shows the benefit of the cache architecture.

The CPU's DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor in this gaming scenario. The 120 W TDP and AMD Socket AM5 compatibility make this a mainstream desktop processor, and its Active production status indicates ongoing availability. The multiplier-unlocked design allows for overclocking potential, though the measured results already demonstrate performance that exceeds the requirements of Barony at all tested settings and resolutions.

In the context of this game's results, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low settings, where the 501 FPS average suggests that the processor is capable of feeding the GPU at rates far exceeding typical display refresh rates. As resolution increases and GPU workload grows, the CPU's influence diminishes, with the 4K Ultra result of 76 FPS reflecting a more balanced distribution of workload between the two components. The data indicates that this CPU-GPU pairing is well-matched for Barony, with neither component consistently bottlenecking the other across the tested configurations.