Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2701 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places the configuration near the bottom 8% of all tested systems, indicating that while the CPU is a high-end desktop part, the integrated graphics solution heavily constrains overall performance in this title. Benchmark data shows the combo is best suited for lower resolutions and lower settings, where frame rates remain playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2701 out of 2935 combos places this system firmly in the lower percentile of tested configurations. With only 234 combos ranking below it, the data indicates that this pairing is not competitive for high-end Barony performance. The rank reflects a system where the GPU component—an integrated Intel Arc B370—acts as the primary bottleneck, despite the CPU being a flagship-class processor.

In terms of percentile standing, the GPU itself sits at the 5th percentile when compared to all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, delta -0.7%). The data shows the Arc B370 performs within a narrow band of legacy discrete GPUs, trailing each of these by less than 1%. The only GPU it beats among its nearest rivals is the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, delta +1.4%).

The CPU, by contrast, ranks at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498. Its nearest rivals are AMD EPYC 9015 (score 57555, delta -0.1%), AMD EPYC 7313 (score 57399, delta +0.2%), Intel Core i9-14900 (score 58115, delta -1.1%), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (score 58323, delta -1.4%). This contrast between a top-tier CPU and a bottom-tier GPU explains the overall combo ranking, as Barony's frame rates are dictated almost entirely by the graphics subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X contributes 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This Zen 5 architecture processor, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, includes 64 MB of L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong single-thread performance with a 3dmark single-thread score of 1286 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2253, alongside a Geekbench single-core score of 3010.

For a roguelike like Barony, single-thread performance often matters more than raw core counts, as game logic and rendering commands typically rely on fewer threads. The data supports this: the 3dmark 2-thread score of 2519 is more than double the single-thread score, but subsequent scaling is less efficient—4 threads yield 4886, 8 threads yield 9114, and max threads yield 13929. The multithreaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multicore at 32172 and Passmark multithread at 54643, show the CPU's capability in heavily threaded workloads, but these are unlikely to be fully utilized by Barony's engine.

The CPU's Passmark physics score of 3381 and floating point math score of 120083 indicate solid computational throughput. However, in this combo, the CPU's role is to feed frames to the GPU as quickly as possible. At 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less stressed, the system achieves 144 FPS average, suggesting the CPU can handle Barony's logic at high rates. The data shows no min or max FPS values for most settings, but the Medium preset does include these figures, which will be examined in the FPS breakdown section.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12. Its closest competitor is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186, which is 0.2% faster. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% faster), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% slower). All differences are under 1.5%, indicating near-identical performance levels.

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 144 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings. The High preset yields 92 FPS average, Medium yields 107 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests the opposite. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 22, while at 1080p Ultra it is 66 FPS. This 44 FPS difference across a 4x pixel count increase indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU would not lose this much performance from resolution scaling alone.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS values recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded min and max values. At 1080p, the range is 91 to 123 FPS with an average of 107. At 1440p, the range is 57 to 78 FPS with an average of 67. At 4K, the range is 30 to 41 FPS with an average of 35.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: In 3dmark, the max threads score is 13929, which is 10.8 times the single-thread score of 1286. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score of 32172 is 14.3 times the single-core score of 2253. This scaling indicates the CPU has substantial headroom for parallel workloads, though Barony likely does not exploit this fully.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the CPU support, and how does this relate to the GPU?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Arc B370 uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent. This shared memory architecture is a key reason the GPU's performance is limited, as it competes with the CPU for the same memory bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 144 FPS, making this the only setting where the combo exceeds 120 FPS. Medium settings average 107 FPS, with a recorded range of 91 to 123 FPS. High settings average 92 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 66 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 54% reduction in average FPS, from 144 to 66.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance declines noticeably. Low settings average 91 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 67 FPS, with a range of 57 to 78 FPS. High settings average 58 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 42 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 49 FPS, similar in absolute terms to the 1080p gap but proportionally larger.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS with a range of 30 to 41 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages just 22 FPS. The 4K Low result is barely above the 1080p Ultra result of 66 FPS, highlighting the severe impact of resolution on this integrated GPU.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from min to max is 32 FPS; at 1440p, it narrows to 21 FPS; at 4K, it shrinks to 11 FPS. This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes fully saturated.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic across all settings. For Low settings, the average FPS falls from 144 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and 47 at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 67%.

For Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 107 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p and 35 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This mirrors the Low settings pattern closely, suggesting consistent scaling behavior.

High settings show a slightly different pattern. From 1080p (92 FPS) to 1440p (58 FPS), the drop is 37%. From 1440p to 4K (30 FPS), the drop is 48%. Ultra settings follow the same trend: 1080p at 66 FPS, 1440p at 42 FPS (36% drop), and 4K at 22 FPS (48% drop).

The consistent ~37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~48% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller FPS differences at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload would not scale with pixel count. The data instead shows near-linear scaling with pixel count: 1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 4 times the pixels of 1080p. The observed FPS reductions are consistent with a GPU that is bandwidth or fill-rate limited.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that Low settings at 1080p provides the best overall experience, with an average of 144 FPS. This is the only configuration that achieves a frame rate high enough for very smooth gameplay, and it does so without the need for any compromise in resolution. For users with 1080p displays, Low settings is the clear choice based on the numbers.

At 1440p, Low settings average 91 FPS, which is still playable but falls below the 100 FPS mark. Medium settings at 1440p average 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS that may cause occasional hitches. High settings at 1440p average 58 FPS, which is borderline for a fast-paced roguelike. Ultra settings at 1440p drop to 42 FPS, which is likely too low for comfortable play.

At 4K, no setting achieves 60 FPS. Low settings average 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. For 4K users, Low settings is the only viable option, and even then, the average FPS is below 50. The data indicates that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Barony if smooth performance is required.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data, with min and max FPS recorded at all three resolutions. This allows for more precise planning: at 1080p, the system never drops below 91 FPS and peaks at 123 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 57 to 78 FPS. At 4K, the range is 30 to 41 FPS. For users who prefer Medium settings, 1080p is the only resolution where the minimum FPS stays above 90.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2400 MHz. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS.

The GPU's memory is System Shared, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. Its memory bus width and bandwidth are also System Shared and System Dependent, respectively. This architecture relies on the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 memory, which has a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The lack of dedicated memory is a significant factor in the GPU's low benchmark scores, as it must contend with the CPU for memory access.

In 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, the Arc B370 scores 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older discrete GPUs from the early 2010s, with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 being the closest at 1186. The data shows the Arc B370 performs within 1.4% of all four nearest rivals, indicating that its performance class is comparable to legacy entry-level discrete graphics.

The GPU's thermal design power is 25 W, and it is classified as an IGP with no power connectors. Its slot width is listed as IGP, confirming it is integrated into the processor package. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which are modern API standards. However, the raw performance numbers suggest that these features cannot be fully utilized in Barony at higher settings.

The measured FPS data reinforces the GPU's role as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 144 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 47 FPS. This 97 FPS difference across a 4x pixel increase cannot be attributed to the CPU, which is more than capable of handling Barony's logic. The GPU's shared memory architecture and modest compute resources (6.144 TFLOPS FP32) are the primary constraints on frame rates.