Barony

Barony is a roguelike title from 2015, and the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 880M integrated graphics provides a clear picture of what this mobile combo can deliver. The data shows a system that is entirely playable at mainstream resolutions, with the integrated GPU acting as the decisive factor in frame rate scaling as graphical load increases. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, settings recommendations, ranking context, resolution scaling behavior, and a detailed frame rate breakdown based strictly on the measured results.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, specifically the Dragon Range codename, built on a 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 64 MB of L3 cache. This is a high-end mobile processor, evidenced by its 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 76212.

In the context of Barony, a game that is not typically demanding on CPU resources due to its roguelike nature, the Ryzen 9 8945HX's raw compute power is far beyond what the game requires. The benchmark results for the CPU show its capability in synthetic tests, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. The PassMark multi-thread score of 51405 and single-thread score of 3907 further solidify its position as a top-tier mobile CPU.

However, the measured frame rates in Barony do not reflect a CPU bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 134 FPS, and at High settings, it drops to 85 FPS. This scaling pattern, where frame rates change significantly with graphics settings, indicates that the CPU is not the limiting component. The CPU's performance headroom is so vast that even at the lowest settings, the game's frame rate is capped by the GPU's ability to render frames, not by the processor's ability to calculate game logic. Compared to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which has a deltaPct of 0.1%, the Ryzen 9 8945HX is essentially tied in average benchmark score, showing that this level of CPU performance is competitive at the very top of the mobile market. The data suggests that for Barony, the Ryzen 9 8945HX is effectively a non-factor in performance, providing more than enough computational power to feed the integrated GPU.

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

The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, using the Strix Point chip, built on a 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. Crucially, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR5 RAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The GPU has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical peak performance is 4.454 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

This GPU is the primary determinant of performance in Barony. The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution and settings increase. At 1920x1080, the GPU handles the game well, ranging from an average of 134 FPS at Low to 61 FPS at Ultra. However, at 3840x2160, the frame rates fall to a range of 44 FPS at Low to 20 FPS at Ultra. This pattern is classic for an integrated GPU, where the fill rate and memory bandwidth become increasingly strained at higher resolutions.

The Radeon 880M's benchmark scores place it at the 43rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 8436. Its nearest rivals in the database are older discrete mobile GPUs, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX with a deltaPct of 0.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 with a deltaPct of -0.3%. This comparison highlights that the 880M performs at a level similar to a modest discrete GPU from a past generation. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 535 and PassMark G3D score of 7615 reflect its limited absolute performance. For Barony, the GPU is the bottleneck in nearly all scenarios, as evidenced by the fact that reducing settings from Ultra to Low at any given resolution yields a significant FPS increase, such as at 2560x1440 where it jumps from 39 to 85 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired smoothness. The data shows no single "best" preset universally, but rather a trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 85 FPS, which is a solid and smooth experience for a roguelike. The Medium preset yields 100 FPS average, with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115 FPS, indicating excellent consistency. The Low preset pushes the average to 134 FPS, which is beneficial for high-refresh-rate displays, but the visual compromise may not be necessary. The Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS, which is still playable but enters a range where frame pacing could become noticeable in fast-paced scenarios. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1080p, the data suggests High is the sweet spot, as it maintains a high average while offering improved visuals over Medium and Low.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 54 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for action-heavy moments. The Medium preset offers 63 FPS average, with a range of 53 to 72 FPS, making it the most balanced option at this resolution. The Low preset reaches 85 FPS, ensuring high fluidity, but the Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth play. Therefore, for 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the best compromise with a minimum FPS above 50.

At 3840x2160, all presets struggle. The Low preset averages 44 FPS, which is marginally playable, but the Medium preset drops to 33 FPS average, and High falls to 28 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 20 FPS average. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo in Barony, even on Low settings, as the frame rate is below the 60 FPS target and lacks the headroom for stable gameplay. The recommendation is to avoid 4K and stay within 1080p or 1440p for a playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and AMD Radeon 880M ranks 2867 out of 2935 tested combos in the database for Barony. This is a remarkably low ranking, placing it in the bottom 2.3% of all tested systems. This ranking is a direct consequence of the integrated GPU's modest performance ceiling, despite the CPU being in the top 5% of all processors.

The high CPU rank (95th percentile) contrasts sharply with the GPU's lower rank (43rd percentile), and the combined result in a GPU-bound game like Barony is a low overall standing. The combo's rank of 2867 out of 2935 indicates that the vast majority of tested systems, which likely include discrete graphics cards, outperform this setup. The data suggests that while the CPU is a flagship component, the GPU holds the entire system back in gaming workloads. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, which scores nearly identically in GPU benchmarks, would likely achieve a much better combo rank when paired with a weaker CPU than the 8945HX, because the GPU is the limiting factor. This ranking underscores that the Ryzen 9 8945HX's power is wasted on Barony, as the Radeon 880M cannot translate the CPU's capability into higher frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 134 at 1920x1080, to 85 at 2560x1440, and further to 44 at 3840x2160. This represents a decline of 36.6% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48.2% decline when moving from 1440p to 4K. Overall, from 1080p to 4K, the frame rate drops by 67.2%.

At High settings, the pattern is similar, with average FPS dropping from 85 at 1080p, to 54 at 1440p, and to 28 at 4K. This is a 36.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48.1% drop from 1440p to 4K, for a total decline of 67.1% from 1080p to 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload is largely independent of resolution. The fact that the frame rate halves with each step up in resolution shows that the Radeon 880M's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The GPU is working harder to render more pixels, and its performance degrades accordingly. The data points to a clear conclusion: the integrated GPU is the sole performance limiter, and the Ryzen 9 8945HX's immense processing power has no bearing on the frame rate in Barony.

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

The following table breaks down the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

• 1920x1080:
• Low: Average FPS of 134.
• Medium: Average FPS of 100, with a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 115.
• High: Average FPS of 85.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 61.

• 2560x1440:
• Low: Average FPS of 85.
• Medium: Average FPS of 63, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72.
• High: Average FPS of 54.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 39.

• 3840x2160:
• Low: Average FPS of 44.
• Medium: Average FPS of 33, with a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 38.
• High: Average FPS of 28.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 20.

These numbers provide a complete picture of the combo's performance. At 1080p, the system is capable of high frame rates, with even Ultra settings maintaining an average above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the performance is adequate for Medium and High settings, but Ultra falls below 40 FPS. At 4K, all settings are sub-optimal, with the best case being Low at 44 FPS. The data shows that the Radeon 880M can deliver a playable experience in Barony, but only at lower resolutions and settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, as even the High preset achieves an average of 85 FPS, while 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 result in significantly lower frame rates across all settings.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings in Barony?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings yield an average of 61 FPS, which is playable. However, at 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 20 FPS, making it not recommended for higher resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is virtually identical to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which has a deltaPct of 0.1%. It also performs similarly to the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which has a deltaPct of 0.6%.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates this. The frame rate drops by approximately 67% from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is resolution-independent.

Q: What is the performance level of the AMD Radeon 880M compared to other GPUs?

A: The Radeon 880M has an average benchmark score of 8436, placing it at the 43rd percentile. It performs similarly to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, which has a deltaPct of 0.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, which has a deltaPct of -0.3%.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems in Barony?

A: The combo ranks 2867 out of 2935 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 2.3% of all systems tested for this game. This low rank is due to the integrated GPU's limited performance, despite the powerful CPU.