Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title that proves to be surprisingly demanding at high frame rates. The measured data across three resolutions and four settings presets shows a combination that is capable of extreme frame rates, often exceeding the refresh rates of typical high-end monitors. The following analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and component roles based strictly on the benchmark data provided.

FAQ

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

A: The combo ranks 316th out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.5% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 5950X compare to its closest rivals in general CPU benchmarks?

A: Its average benchmark score of 51947 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is 0.2% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, 0.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 8124P, 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i9-13900F, and 0.7% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700.

Q: What is the performance gap between the RTX 4080 SUPER and the standard RTX 4080?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is only 0.1% lower than the standard RTX 4080's score of 54247. This indicates near-identical general compute performance between the two cards.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 597, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is Barony more demanding on the CPU or the GPU at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The frame rate drops significantly from 197 FPS at Low settings to 90 FPS at Ultra settings, showing a strong dependence on GPU workload.

Q: Does the game scale well with the CPU's multi-threading capabilities?

A: Yes, the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017 and a Passmark multithread score of 45424, likely helps maintain the very high frame rates seen at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is more prevalent.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This high core count and thread count provide substantial multi-threaded processing power, which is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017. For a game like Barony, this CPU capability is crucial for handling game logic, AI, and physics calculations, especially when the GPU is not the primary bottleneck.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are extremely high across all settings (ranging from 273 FPS at Ultra to 597 FPS at Low). These high numbers indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach these levels. The Ryzen 9 5950X's single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1614, is also robust, which is often more critical for game logic that cannot be fully parallelized.

The CPU's performance relative to others is very competitive. Its average benchmark score of 51947 places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-13900F (avgScore 51730) and Intel Core i7-14700 (avgScore 52301), are all within a 0.7% performance delta. This suggests that the 5950X is not a bottleneck in this system, as its general processing power is on par with other top-tier desktop processors. However, the data shows that even with this powerful CPU, frame rates at higher resolutions and settings are dictated by the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rate in Barony, as is typical for graphically intensive scenes. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz. Its performance in the data is the main variable changing with resolution and settings.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. At 3840x2160, the average FPS varies dramatically between settings, from 197 FPS at Low to just 90 FPS at Ultra. This 107 FPS swing is a direct result of the GPU's workload increasing with more complex shading, lighting, and texture effects. The RTX 4080 SUPER's general compute performance, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 219065, demonstrates its ability to handle heavy graphical tasks.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER performs almost identically to the standard RTX 4080, with a deltaPct of -0.1%. It is slightly slower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and AMD Radeon 8060S, with deltas of -1.1%, -2.7%, and -2.8% respectively. Despite this, the GPU's high frame rates in the measured data confirm it is a very powerful card, and the 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game at all tested settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across different configurations.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 597 FPS.
• Increasing to Medium settings, the average FPS is 444, with a minimum of 377 and a maximum of 510.
• At High settings, the average FPS drops to 381.
• At Ultra settings, the average is 273 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• At Low settings, the average FPS is 377.
• At Medium settings, the average FPS is 280, with a minimum of 238 and a maximum of 322.
• The average at High settings is 240 FPS.
• At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 172.

3840x2160 (4K):

• At Low settings, the average FPS is 197.
• At Medium settings, the average FPS is 146, with a minimum of 124 and a maximum of 168.
• The average at High settings is 126 FPS.
• At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 90.

The data shows a clear pattern: FPS decreases as resolution and settings increase. The delta between Low and Ultra is consistent, representing a significant performance cost for maximum visual fidelity. Notably, even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 90 FPS, which is playable on high-refresh-rate displays, though not at the extreme rates seen at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals key insights into the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 597 at 1920x1080, to 377 at 2560x1440, and finally to 197 at 3840x2160. This is a 67% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the frame rate goes from 273 at 1080p, to 172 at 1440p, and 90 at 4K, a 67% reduction as well. The scaling remains consistent regardless of settings, which is a typical sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

The fact that the frame rate drops by a similar proportion across all settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at these resolutions. The CPU's performance, while powerful, is not the primary constraint when the resolution increases. The rendering workload on the GPU scales with the number of pixels, and the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance scales accordingly. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the jump to 4K is even more demanding.

This scaling behavior suggests that for players seeking the absolute highest frame rates (e.g., 500+ FPS), 1080p with Low settings is the only way to achieve them. However, the system is capable of delivering excellent performance at more balanced settings. The smooth scaling curve also indicates that the system is well-balanced; neither the CPU nor the GPU is causing a sudden bottleneck, allowing for predictable performance drops as visual demands increase.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target frame rate and resolution.

For 1080p and 1440p high-refresh-rate displays (240Hz+):

• At 1920x1080, High settings provide an average of 381 FPS, which exceeds even the most demanding 360Hz monitors. Medium settings at 444 FPS offer a slight improvement but the visual difference may be negligible for some.
• At 2560x1440, High settings provide an average of 240 FPS, which perfectly matches a 240Hz monitor. This is a highly recommended sweet spot, offering a balance of visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 280 FPS would also work well and provide more headroom.

For 4K displays (60Hz to 144Hz):

• At 3840x2160, High settings deliver an average of 126 FPS, which is excellent for a 120Hz or 144Hz 4K monitor. This is the recommended preset for 4K, as it provides a high frame rate without the steep performance cost of Ultra.
• Ultra settings at 4K yield an average of 90 FPS, which is still very smooth and ideal for a 90Hz or 100Hz display, but the 28% performance drop from High may not justify the visual improvements for all users.

Overall, the High settings preset appears to offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. It consistently delivers frame rates that are either at or above the refresh rates of most high-end monitors. Medium settings are a viable alternative for those who prioritize maximum frame rates, while Ultra is best reserved for users who value maximum visual quality and have monitors with lower refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 316th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the top 8.5% of all systems, indicating outstanding performance. This ranking is a holistic measure that considers the entire system's capability to run the game well.

This high ranking reflects the strength of both components. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs contribute to a synergistic pairing. The data shows that the system is not held back by either component, as it can achieve extremely high frame rates even at 1080p, which is often where CPU limitations can appear.

The rank confirms that this combination is a top-tier choice for Barony. While it may not be the absolute fastest system ever tested, as evidenced by its 316th position, it is well within the upper echelon of performance. For a roguelike game, which can feature complex procedural generation and numerous entities on screen, having this level of headroom ensures a consistently smooth experience. The measured FPS data supports this ranking, showing that the combo can handle the game at high settings and high resolutions with ease.