Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile delivers a benchmark profile in Barony that is defined by extreme CPU headroom and a GPU that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. Measured data shows this combination ranks 2048th out of 3717 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads, running at a 2.50 GHz base clock and boosting to 5.40 GHz, provide substantial compute resources, while the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth handle the game’s rendering demands. The following analysis breaks down how each component contributes to the observed frame rates, how resolution scaling reveals the bottleneck, and what settings deliver the best experience.

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 built on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range, and fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz can reach a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is critical for single-threaded performance in roguelike titles like Barony, where game logic, pathfinding, and procedural generation often run on fewer threads. The CPU’s L3 cache totals 64 MB, with 1 MB of L2 per core and 64 KB of L1 per core, providing low-latency access to frequently used data. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, yielding a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, which is sufficient to feed both the CPU and GPU in this scenario.

Benchmark scores for the CPU place it in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 76212. In Cinebench R23, it scores 42713 multi-core and 6030 single-core, while Cinebench R20 shows 17939 multi-core and 2532 single-core. These numbers indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor in Barony, as even the most demanding single-thread tasks are handled with a 607 score in Cinebench R15 single-core. The nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P with a delta of -0.4%, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX with a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with a delta of 0.6%. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the 8945HX sits in a performance cluster where no single CPU dominates.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is to maintain consistent frame pacing, especially in scenes with many enemies or complex dungeon generation. The 16 cores and 32 threads ensure that background tasks, such as audio processing and physics calculations, do not interfere with the main game loop. The 5.40 GHz boost clock provides the single-thread speed necessary for the game’s primary simulation thread. PassMark results reinforce this: a single-thread score of 3907 and a multithread score of 51405 indicate that both single- and multi-threaded workloads are handled with ample headroom. The data shows that at no tested resolution or setting does the CPU bottleneck the GPU, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load rather than stalling due to CPU limits. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 335 FPS, which is well beyond what most displays can show, and even at 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average is constrained by the GPU, not the processor. The CPU’s 55 W TDP is a mobile-focused design, but its performance in Barony is effectively unlimited for this game’s requirements.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU, built on TSMC’s 5 nm process with a chip designated GB206. It has 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, with 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores. The GPU’s base clock is 907 MHz, boosting to 1425 MHz, while the memory runs at 1500 MHz with 24 Gbps effective speed. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is paired with a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is adequate for Barony’s textures, which are not excessively large given the game’s 2015 release date, but the 8 GB capacity could become a consideration at higher resolutions if texture quality demands exceed it, though the measured data does not indicate any such spillover.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 75th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29928. In PassMark G3D, it scores 20355, while Geekbench OpenCL returns 122238 and Vulkan 116960. Nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti with a delta of -0.1%, the RTX 2080 Ti with a delta of 0.5%, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 with a delta of -0.6%, and the Radeon RX 6700 with a delta of -1.7%. These deltas suggest that the RTX 5070 Mobile performs within a few percent of these desktop-class GPUs from previous generations, which is notable for a mobile part with a 50 W TDP. The GPU’s pixel rate is 68.40 GPixel/s and texture rate is 205.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 13.13 TFLOPS.

In Barony, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s voxel-based environments, which involve many small cubes and dynamic lighting effects. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s asset sizes, and the 384.0 GB/s bandwidth prevents memory stalls even at 4K resolution. The boost clock of 1425 MHz is modest compared to desktop equivalents, but the Blackwell architecture’s efficiency compensates, as seen in the measured FPS. At 1080p High, the GPU produces 214 FPS, which shows that it is capable of far exceeding the game’s requirements. The GPU’s 75th percentile ranking indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is above average, and in a game like Barony that is not graphically intensive by modern standards, it provides smooth gameplay across all tested configurations. The data shows that the GPU is the primary scaling factor when moving from Low to Ultra settings, with FPS dropping from 335 to 153 at 1080p, which aligns with a GPU-bound workload.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance, with the CPU providing consistent overhead. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 335 FPS, which drops to 211 FPS at 1440p Low and 110 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate and bandwidth are the limiting factors, as the CPU can easily sustain high frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 249, dropping to 157 at 1440p Medium and 82 at 4K Medium. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 67%, identical to Low settings, which suggests that the scaling penalty is consistent regardless of the load level.

At High settings, the trend continues: 214 FPS at 1080p, 135 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings show the most significant absolute drop, with 153 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction as well. The consistency of the 67% drop across all settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU would show a different scaling pattern if it were limiting. The fact that the FPS halves when resolution doubles (from 1080p to 4K, which quadruples pixel count) is expected for a GPU-bound scenario, as the rendering workload scales with pixel count.

The data also shows that the min FPS values, where available, follow the same pattern. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 70, while at 1440p Medium it is 133, and at 1080p Medium it is 211. These minimums are close to the averages, suggesting that frame pacing is stable and that neither component causes stutters. The max FPS values, such as 94 at 4K Medium, 181 at 1440p Medium, and 286 at 1080p Medium, indicate that there is headroom for occasional spikes, but they do not change the overall narrative of GPU limitation. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see the FPS plateau at some point as resolution decreases, but the data shows no such plateau—FPS continues to rise from 4K to 1440p to 1080p, confirming that the CPU is not a constraint. This is consistent with the CPU’s 95th percentile ranking and its high single-thread scores, which far exceed what Barony requires.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile ranks 2048th out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning that roughly 55% of combos deliver lower performance, while 45% deliver higher performance. This ranking is modest given the individual components’ percentiles—the CPU is in the 95th percentile and the GPU is in the 75th percentile—but it reflects the fact that Barony is not a demanding game, so high-end components do not translate to proportionally high frame rates relative to other games. The ranking is based on a composite of measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and it suggests that many combos with lower-tier CPUs but similar or better GPUs can achieve comparable or better results in this specific title.

The combo’s rank is influenced by the fact that the RTX 5070 Mobile, while strong, is not a top-tier GPU. Its nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 2080 Ti, are desktop parts from earlier generations, and they may be paired with CPUs that have different strengths. In Barony, where the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, the GPU’s raw rasterization power is what drives the ranking, and the RTX 5070 Mobile’s 13.13 TFLOPS FP32 performance is adequate but not exceptional. The combo’s position also reflects the dataIsMeasured flag, which confirms that these are actual test results, not estimates. Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in the middle because Barony’s performance ceiling is relatively low—even the best GPUs cannot push FPS beyond a certain point due to the game’s engine limits. The ranking of 2048 out of 3717 is not a negative reflection on the hardware; rather, it indicates that for a game like Barony, the 8945HX and RTX 5070 Mobile provide a balanced but not outstanding experience, with the GPU determining the upper bounds of performance.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the system achieves 335 FPS at Low settings, 249 FPS at Medium, 214 FPS at High, and 153 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting includes a min FPS of 211 and a max FPS of 286, while the other settings have no min or max recorded. This shows that at 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver over 150 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The gap between Low and Ultra is 182 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s load has a significant impact on frame rates, but all values are playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops to 211 at Low, 157 at Medium, 135 at High, and 97 at Ultra. The Medium setting records a min of 133 and a max of 181. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 37% at each setting level, which is less than the resolution’s pixel increase (78% more pixels), suggesting that the GPU is still managing efficiently. At 1440p Ultra, the 97 FPS average remains fluid for most gameplay, and the 135 FPS at High is excellent for a 1440p display.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution, the FPS averages are 110 at Low, 82 at Medium, 70 at High, and 51 at Ultra. The Medium setting has a min of 70 and a max of 94. At 4K, the system crosses below 60 FPS only at Ultra settings, where the 51 FPS average may result in less smooth motion, though it remains playable. The drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent at approximately 67% across all settings, as noted earlier. The data shows that for a game like Barony, 4K High at 70 FPS is a sweet spot, while 4K Ultra sacrifices too much performance for marginal visual gains. The min FPS values, where present, are always above 70 at any resolution, indicating that there are no severe frame drops, and the max FPS values show that the hardware can occasionally burst higher when scenes are less complex. This FPS breakdown confirms that the combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K at medium to high settings without dropping below 70 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS is 335, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 51, which falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its rivals?

A: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 6030, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has an average benchmark score delta of 0.1%, indicating virtually identical performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s, which allows it to sustain 70 FPS at 4K High settings, but at 4K Ultra, the bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, reducing FPS to 51.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU’s high single-thread score of 3907 in PassMark ensures it can handle the game’s logic, while the GPU produces 335 FPS at 1080p Low, which is limited by its rendering capability.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Barony?

A: It ranks 2048th out of 3717 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of performance for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 displays, Ultra settings at 153 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still delivering well above 144 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. If a 144 Hz display is the target, Medium settings at 249 FPS offer a comfortable margin, but Ultra at 153 FPS is already sufficient. For 2560x1440, High settings at 135 FPS provides an excellent balance, as Ultra at 97 FPS is also playable, but High offers a 39% performance increase with minimal visual difference in a roguelike game. For 3840x2160, High settings at 70 FPS is the optimal choice, as it stays above 60 FPS and delivers smooth gameplay, whereas Medium at 82 FPS is also viable but with reduced visual fidelity. Ultra at 4K, with an average of 51 FPS, should be avoided unless the user prioritizes graphics over frame rate, as the drop below 60 FPS may be noticeable. Low settings are not recommended at any resolution, as they provide no meaningful benefit given that even Ultra at 1080p exceeds 150 FPS, and the visual downgrade is significant. The data shows that High settings across all resolutions offer the best compromise between performance and image quality, with the only exception being 1080p where Ultra is still fast enough to be the clear pick. For users with variable refresh rate displays, Medium settings at 1440p (157 FPS) or 4K (82 FPS) provide high frame rates that minimize input latency, but High settings are the default recommendation for a balanced experience.