Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, may not be the most graphically demanding title, but the benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination reveal a clear performance hierarchy that is heavily influenced by both resolution and settings. The data shows a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to show its limits at 4K, where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the board indicate that this pairing is best suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions, while 4K requires a more conservative approach to settings to maintain playable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of performance from 1080p to 4K is the most telling indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1080p with Low settings, the Arc B570 and Ryzen 7 9850X3D deliver an average of 245 FPS. This is an exceptionally high frame rate that suggests the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to feed the GPU. Moving up to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average FPS drops to 154, a significant 37% reduction. This is a classic sign that the GPU is beginning to take on more work, but the system remains well within high-refresh-rate territory. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 81, which is another 47% drop from 1440p. This steep decline is a strong indicator that the GPU is now the limiting factor, as the pixel count has quadrupled from 1080p, requiring far more fill rate and memory bandwidth from the Intel Arc B570.

This trend is consistent across all settings presets. Consider the High preset: the system achieves 156 FPS at 1080p, drops to 99 FPS at 1440p (a 36.5% reduction), and then falls to 52 FPS at 4K (a 47.5% reduction from 1440p). The pattern is remarkably similar, reinforcing the idea that the scaling penalty is largely resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. The data suggests that the CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, is more than capable of keeping up with the GPU at 1080p and 1440p. However, at 4K, the demands on the GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and its 380.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraint. The GPU's performance percentile of 65 places it in the mid-range, and the benchmark results confirm that 4K is a stretch goal, not a native playground for this combination.

The medium preset data provides the only min and max FPS figures in the entire pack, offering a glimpse into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the average is 182 FPS with a minimum of 155 and a maximum of 209, showing a very stable frame delivery with a variance of 54 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 115 FPS with a min of 98 and a max of 132, again showing a tight window. At 4K, the average is 60 FPS with a min of 51 and a max of 69. While the average is playable, the minimum of 51 FPS suggests that there can be moments of noticeable frame drops, which could be problematic in a fast-paced roguelike where split-second reactions are often required. The data indicates that the transition from 1440p to 4K is not just about average FPS; it is also about increased frame time variance, which can affect the perceived smoothness of the game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear matrix for recommending settings based on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 112 FPS. This is more than sufficient for a smooth experience on most displays and is the best choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing high frame rates. The High preset at 156 FPS is also an excellent choice for those with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, as it offers a significant FPS boost over Ultra while likely presenting only minor visual differences in a game like Barony. The Low preset at 245 FPS is only necessary for competitive play on 240Hz+ displays, as the visual compromise is substantial.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. With an average of 99 FPS, it provides a great balance between visual quality and performance, easily capable of driving a 100Hz or 144Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 115 FPS is also viable if a higher frame rate is preferred, but the drop from High to Medium might be noticeable in terms of shadow quality and texture filtering. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is playable but is not recommended for fast-paced action, as it may dip below the 60 FPS threshold during intense moments. The data suggests that 1440p Ultra is a bit too ambitious for this GPU to maintain a consistently smooth experience.

For 4K gaming, the options are more constrained. The Low preset yields an average of 81 FPS, which is surprisingly playable and would be the recommended choice for a competitive or high-refresh-rate 4K display. The Medium preset at 60 FPS is the absolute minimum for a "playable" experience, but as the min FPS data shows, it can dip to 51 FPS, which is not ideal. The High preset at 52 FPS is a marginal experience, and the Ultra preset at 37 FPS is not recommended for anything other than a screenshot. The clear recommendation for 4K is to use the Low or Medium preset, as the performance gains from the High and Ultra presets do not justify the significant FPS cost. The data shows that this system is a 1080p and 1440p champion, but a 4K contender only at lower settings.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p is the optimal resolution. The system achieves an average of 99 FPS on High settings and 154 FPS on Low settings, offering a great balance between visual fidelity and high frame rates. While 1080p delivers higher FPS, 1440p offers a significant visual upgrade that this hardware can comfortably handle.

Q: How does the Arc B570 perform at 4K in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The average FPS drops to 81 on Low settings, 60 on Medium, and 52 on High. While the Low preset is playable, the Medium preset, with a minimum FPS of 51, shows the system is on the edge of its capability. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS is not a playable experience.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D a bottleneck for the Arc B570 at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it is not. At 1080p, the system achieves extremely high frame rates, such as 245 FPS on Low and 156 FPS on High. This indicates the CPU is feeding the GPU sufficiently, and the performance is primarily limited by the GPU's capabilities. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4704 in Passmark supports its ability to handle game logic at high frame rates.

Q: What is the most balanced settings preset for this system at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the most balanced. The data shows an average of 99 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience. While the Medium preset is faster at 115 FPS, the High preset likely provides a noticeable improvement in visual quality that is worth the 16 FPS difference. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is too demanding for a consistent high-refresh-rate experience.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between the Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: The drop is substantial. The average FPS falls from 81 FPS on Low to 37 FPS on Ultra. This is a 54% reduction in performance. The data indicates that the Ultra preset nearly halves the frame rate compared to Low, making it a poor trade-off for the visual gains.

Q: Based on the data, what is the highest refresh rate this system can target at 1080p?

A: The system can target a 240Hz refresh rate. The average FPS on Low settings is 245, which is slightly above 240. However, to maintain a more consistent frame rate with better visuals, a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor paired with the High preset (156 FPS) or Ultra preset (112 FPS) would be a more reliable choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a thorough picture of the system's performance. At 1920x1080, the system scales from a high of 245 FPS on Low settings down to 112 FPS on Ultra. The High preset delivers 156 FPS, and the Medium preset delivers 182 FPS, with a minimum of 155 and a maximum of 209. This resolution is clearly where the system is most comfortable, with all presets achieving frame rates that are well above the 60 FPS standard.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset achieves 154 FPS, the High preset achieves 99 FPS, and the Ultra preset achieves 71 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with full min/max data, showing an average of 115 FPS with a range of 98 to 132. This resolution offers a great sweet spot, with High settings providing a near-100 FPS experience that is ideal for most gamers.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, achieving an average of 81 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69. The High preset drops to 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 37 FPS. The data clearly shows a steep cliff in performance at 4K, making it the least suitable resolution for this hardware configuration in Barony.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 plays a central role in the performance scaling observed in the benchmark data. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but they are strained at 4K. The 160-bit memory bus, while efficient, is not as wide as those found on higher-tier cards, which contributes to the significant performance drop at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth is crucial. The GPU's 18 ray tracing cores are present, but Barony is a 2015 roguelike and does not utilize ray tracing, so they are irrelevant to the measured results.

The GPU's boost clock of 2500 MHz is a constant figure, yet the performance varies wildly across resolutions, indicating that the clock speed is not the bottleneck. Instead, the rendering workload, which increases with resolution, is the key factor. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14195 and its 65th percentile ranking against all GPUs place it in the upper mid-range. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), which gives a precise context for its raw compute capabilities. However, the in-game data shows that for Barony, the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the FPS drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are high, but the fill rate demand at 4K simply overwhelms the memory subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D provides a robust foundation for the system, and the data indicates its role is to enable high frame rates at lower resolutions. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it is more than capable of handling the game logic and draw calls in a game like Barony. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and a base clock of 4.70 GHz ensure that single-threaded performance is excellent, which is often the most critical factor for game performance. This is reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2228 and Passmark single-thread score of 4704.

The CPU's performance is best contextualized by its 92nd percentile ranking against all CPUs and its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% faster than the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i9-14900, but 0.2% slower than the Intel Xeon w5-2545. This places it at the top tier of consumer processors. In terms of the game's results, the CPU's influence is most evident at 1080p, where the system achieves 245 FPS on Low settings. This high frame rate is only possible if the CPU can process the game's state and issue render commands quickly enough. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The data shows that while the CPU is a critical enabler for high-refresh-rate gaming, it is not the component that limits performance at higher resolutions in this specific combination. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache is also a significant asset, as it helps reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial for maintaining stable frame times in CPU-bound scenarios.