Barony

Barony is a roguelike that leans on CPU logic for its simulation, but the measured results show that the integrated GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread mobile processor based on Zen 4 (Dragon Range), with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It has 64 MB of L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. This CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 76,212. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (avg score 76,155, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (avg score 75,779, delta 0.6%), meaning the 8945HX is essentially tied with the top desktop-class parts in raw CPU throughput. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42,713 in multi-core and 6,030 in single-core, which places it far above what a game like Barony needs for its turn-based logic. The pairing, however, uses the AMD Radeon 760M integrated graphics, a 4 nm RDNA 3.0 part with 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, boosting up to 2599 MHz. The GPU has a TDP of 15 W and falls in the 35th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6,019. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (avg 6,001, delta 0.3%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (avg 6,000, delta 0.3%), which gives a clear picture: this iGPU performs like a low-end discrete GPU from several generations ago. The measured FPS in Barony confirms that the CPU is never the limiting factor—the Radeon 760M is what holds the combo back, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 9 8945HX is overkill for Barony in every measurable way. With 16 cores and 32 threads, the processor can handle massive parallel workloads, as shown by its Passmark multithread score of 51,405 and its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 17,939. Even its single-thread performance is strong: a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2,532 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3,907. Barony is a roguelike with turn-based mechanics and procedural dungeon generation, so it does not demand high sustained core counts or extreme clock speeds. The CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that any single-threaded game logic, such as pathfinding or AI decisions, is handled with headroom to spare. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 98 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. That number is still far below what the CPU alone could drive—the processor’s Passmark physics score of 2,168 and integer math score of 195,180 indicate that it can process game state changes far faster than the GPU can render frames.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy also plays a role in maintaining consistent frame pacing. With 64 MB of L3 cache, the processor can store large chunks of game data, reducing memory latency. The dual-channel DDR5 memory bus, with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth, provides sufficient data throughput for the integrated GPU, but it is system-shared, meaning the Radeon 760M must compete with the CPU for the same memory resources. This shared memory architecture is a known limitation for iGPUs, and it explains why the FPS numbers drop so sharply when resolution or settings increase. The CPU’s 13,140 million transistors on a 5 nm TSMC process give it enormous compute headroom, but that headroom is unused in this game. Benchmark results indicate that the 8945HX is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with a rating that is 0.1% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% above the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Those are desktop-class comparisons, and the 8945HX matches them in synthetic tests. In Barony, the CPU is effectively idle relative to its capacity, so the frame rate is dictated entirely by the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 9 8945HX and Radeon 760M ranks 2,926 out of 2,935 tested combos in Barony. That places it in the bottom 0.3% of all systems measured for this game, which is a stark contrast to the CPU’s own high percentile. The combo rank reflects the weakest link in the chain, and here the Radeon 760M is that link. With an average GPU benchmark score of 6,019, the 760M is just 0.3% faster than the Radeon RX 6400 and 0.3% faster than the GTX 770M, but it is 0.5% slower than the Quadro P2000. These are all low-end parts, and the ranking confirms that this iGPU cannot deliver playable frame rates in Barony at higher settings. The combo rank of 2,926 out of 2,935 means that nearly every other tested combination—including those with older discrete GPUs—outperforms this one in this specific game. The CPU’s 95th percentile standing does nothing to lift the combo rank, because the game’s rendering demands are entirely on the GPU.

The data shows that the combo is not just slow; it is consistently slow across all settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 98, which is the only result above 60 FPS in the entire dataset. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 73 FPS, and at 1080p High, it falls to 62 FPS. Those numbers are playable but not smooth for a game that can have sudden enemy spawns or particle effects. The combo rank reflects this: only 9 other tested combos are slower, meaning this system is at the very bottom of the barrel for Barony. The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—the Core Ultra 9 285HX and Ryzen 9 9950X3D—would likely pair with far more capable GPUs in real systems, which is why those combos rank much higher. The 8945HX is a mobile processor, so it is often found in laptops with discrete graphics, but this particular pairing uses only the iGPU. That decision is what drives the combo rank down to near-last place.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a textbook example of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 98 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 62 FPS—a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 32 FPS, which is a 67% reduction from 1080p Low. These drops are far steeper than what a CPU-bound system would show, because the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution. The Ryzen 9 8945HX has the same compute power whether the game renders at 1080p or 4K, but the Radeon 760M’s fill rate and shader throughput are overwhelmed as pixel count increases. The GPU has a pixel rate of 41.58 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 83.17 GTexel/s, and those are fixed hardware limits. At 4K, the GPU must process 8.3 million pixels per frame, and with only 16 ROPs, the pixel throughput becomes the bottleneck.

The settings scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 98 to 45—a 54% drop. At 1440p, Low to Ultra goes from 62 to 28 FPS—a 55% drop. At 4K, Low to Ultra goes from 32 to 15 FPS—a 53% drop. The consistency of that percentage drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU is equally stressed by both resolution and settings, and that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate. The measured data shows that the 760M’s FP32 performance of 5.323 TFLOPS is simply too low for demanding rendering loads. In Barony, which has procedurally generated levels with many objects and lighting effects, the GPU must draw every frame from scratch. The CPU could pre-compute game state, but the GPU still has to rasterize and shade. The result is that the combo is playable only at 1080p Low, where it hits 98 FPS, and becomes marginal at 1080p Medium (73 FPS) and 1080p High (62 FPS). At 1440p, it is only playable at Low (62 FPS), and at 4K, every setting yields average FPS below 32, which is not smooth for a roguelike where quick reactions matter.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 98 FPS, which is the only triple-digit average in the dataset. Medium settings average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS, showing that frame pacing is relatively stable. High settings average 62 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold of 60 FPS, but with no min/max data, it is unclear if there are dips below that. Ultra settings average 45 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less smooth. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 53 FPS, which is a 54% reduction.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 62 FPS, which matches 1080p High—so the cost of going from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is the same as going from 1080p Low to 1080p High. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. Those minimums indicate that the GPU can stutter during intense scenes. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 28 FPS. None of these results are ideal for a real-time roguelike, as the game’s pace can require quick input responses.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely unusable. Low settings average 32 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and even below the 30 FPS minimum for some players. Medium settings average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS—those numbers are choppy. High settings average 21 FPS, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The 4K results show that the Radeon 760M is not capable of driving this resolution in Barony, regardless of settings. The measured data includes min/max only for Medium settings at each resolution: 1080p Medium (62-84), 1440p Medium (39-53), and 4K Medium (20-28). Those ranges show that the GPU’s frame time variance increases with resolution, which is consistent with a memory bandwidth bottleneck. Since the GPU uses system-shared memory, the bandwidth is system-dependent, and at 4K the memory traffic for textures and frame buffers exceeds what the dual-channel DDR5 can provide efficiently.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated GPU with no dedicated VRAM—its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared." This means it relies on the same DDR5 memory as the CPU, and the bandwidth is system-dependent. The GPU’s base clock is 800 MHz, and it boosts to 2599 MHz, which is a high boost for an iGPU, but the raw compute resources are limited. With 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, the 760M has a fill rate of 41.58 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 83.17 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 5.323 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU’s Passmark G3D score is 5,310, and its DirectX 12 score is just 25, which is very low. The Geekbench Vulkan score is 30,336, but that does not translate to real-world gaming performance.

The GPU’s 35th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it below most discrete graphics cards from the past decade. Its nearest rivals—the RX 6400, GTX 770M, and Quadro P2000—are all low-end parts, and the 760M is within 0.5% of each of them in average score. That means the 760M is not a capable gaming GPU by modern standards. In Barony, the GPU’s limitations are exposed at every resolution above 1080p Low. The game’s roguelike nature means that levels are filled with many objects, enemies, and environmental effects, which require the GPU to issue many draw calls. The 760M’s 512 shaders are too few to handle those efficiently at high resolutions. The GPU’s RDNA 3.0 architecture is modern, but the small die size (178 mm²) and low TDP (15 W) cap its performance. The integrated nature of the GPU also means that it shares power and thermal budget with the CPU, though the CPU’s TDP is 55 W, so the system can prioritize the GPU when needed.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in all but the lowest settings. At 1080p Low, the 98 FPS average suggests that the GPU can keep up with the CPU’s game logic, but even then, the CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 73 FPS, which is still playable but shows the GPU struggling. At 1080p Ultra, the average of 45 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and at 1440p and 4K, the results are unplayable. The GPU’s 8 RT cores are not utilized in Barony, as the game does not use ray tracing, so those are wasted resources. The 760M’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate is irrelevant here, as Barony likely uses an older API. In summary, the GPU’s performance is the sole reason for the combo’s poor ranking, and no CPU upgrade or overclock would change that.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX powerful enough for Barony?

A: Yes, the CPU is far more powerful than needed. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and a Passmark multithread score of 51,405. In Barony, the CPU is never the bottleneck, as shown by the fact that FPS drops are entirely tied to resolution and settings changes, not CPU workload.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low (2,926 out of 2,935) if the CPU is so strong?

A: The combo rank reflects the performance of the entire system, and the AMD Radeon 760M integrated GPU is the weak link. The GPU has an average benchmark score of 6,019, placing it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. In Barony, the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands, dragging the combo rank to near-last place.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings to play Barony with this combo?

A: The only setting that delivers a high frame rate is 1080p Low, which averages 98 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 73 FPS, and at 1080p High, it is 62 FPS. For a smooth experience, 1080p Low is recommended, as 1440p and 4K results are all below 62 FPS average.

Q: How does the Radeon 760M compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Radeon 760M has an average score of 6,019, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6,001) and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (6,000). It is 0.5% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (6,049). These are all low-end GPUs, confirming the 760M’s limited gaming capability.

Q: Does increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K affect the CPU or GPU more?

A: The GPU is affected much more. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 98 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 62 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 32 FPS. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so the FPS drops are entirely due to the Radeon 760M’s limited pixel throughput and memory bandwidth.

Q: Can this combo handle Barony at 4K with any settings?

A: No. At 4K, the highest average FPS is 32 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 24 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. These results are not playable for a roguelike that requires responsive input.