Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Barony, a roguelike title that is far more demanding than its genre peers. Measured frame rates at 4K Ultra reach 102 FPS, while 1080p Low hits 679 FPS, positioning this pairing as an extreme overkill solution for nearly any display configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 102 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is the lowest result across all tested settings and resolutions in the dataset. This still provides a smooth experience for a roguelike, though it falls well short of the 143 FPS High preset achieves at the same resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM influence Barony's performance?

A: The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. Given that even the lowest tested average FPS is 102 at 4K Ultra, the memory capacity is far beyond what Barony requires, meaning VRAM is not a limiting factor in any measured scenario.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 1440p, Low produces 428 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 196 FPS. The gap of 232 FPS represents a 118% increase in performance when dropping from Ultra to Low, showing that settings have a dramatic impact on this title.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9900X bottleneck the RTX 5090 in Barony?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score is 32,172, with a single-core score of 2,253. Given the high frame rates measured (679 FPS at 1080p Low), the CPU demonstrates sufficient headroom to feed the GPU, though the data does not isolate individual component limitations.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 77th out of 3,717 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 2.1% of all configurations. The percentile for the CPU is 92 out of 100, and the GPU also holds a 92nd percentile rank among all GPUs.

Q: Are there any settings where minimum FPS is recorded?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at every resolution includes min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 429 FPS with a maximum of 580 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 271 FPS with a maximum of 366 FPS; at 4K Medium, the minimum is 142 FPS with a maximum of 191 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC's 5 nm process, containing 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The card operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). These clocks, combined with 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

The memory subsystem is a key feature: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. For Barony, a roguelike with procedurally generated dungeons, the GPU's raw compute capabilities matter more than memory capacity. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS and FP16 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1) indicate massive parallel processing power that translates directly to high frame rates in this title.

Benchmark results show the GPU scoring 18,355 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 334,370 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 376,728 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and GPU compute score of 26,756 further quantify its capabilities. With a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, the RTX 5090 sits near the top of the performance hierarchy. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher), Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% higher), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% lower), though these comparisons reflect synthetic workloads rather than Barony specifically.

The GPU's 575 W TDP and suggested 950 W PSU requirement indicate significant power draw, but the measured FPS data shows the card translates that power into exceptional frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the 102 FPS average represents a playable experience, while dropping to High at the same resolution yields 143 FPS. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 4K shows a 122 FPS improvement (from 102 to 224), demonstrating that the GPU responds well to reduced graphical loads.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 77th out of 3,717 tested combos in Barony, which places it in the top 2.1% of all configurations tested. This rank is notable given that the CPU holds a 92nd percentile among all CPUs and the GPU also holds a 92nd percentile among all GPUs. The consistency between component percentiles and the overall combo rank suggests balanced performance without a severe bottleneck from either side.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 57,498 places it near several rivals: the AMD EPYC 9015 scores 57,555 (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57,399 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58,115 (1.1% lower), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58,323 (1.4% lower). These delta percentages are minimal, indicating that the Ryzen 9 9900X performs within a tight band of comparable server and desktop processors in synthetic tests. However, Barony may favor the higher single-thread performance of the 9900X, given its 3DMark single-thread score of 1,286 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,253.

For the GPU, the average benchmark score of 79,842 positions it against professional and workstation cards. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, 0.3% lower), Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, 0.6% lower), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, 1.1% lower), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959, 1.4% higher). The RTX 5090's gaming-oriented architecture appears well-suited to Barony, as the measured FPS data shows it achieving over 100 FPS at 4K Ultra, a result that many of these rivals likely cannot match in real-world gaming scenarios.

The rank of 77 out of 3,717 means 3,640 tested combos perform worse in Barony, while 76 perform better. Given the game's release date of 2015-06-22, its engine may not fully utilize the latest hardware features, yet the measured data shows this combo still excels. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked configurations likely stems from other CPUs or GPUs with higher benchmark scores, though the specific components in those superior combos are not listed in the dataset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5090 and Ryzen 9 9900X deliver extraordinary frame rates across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 679 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium yields 505 FPS average with a minimum of 429 FPS and maximum of 580 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 433 FPS, while Ultra drops to 311 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 368 FPS reduction (54% decrease), indicating that Ultra settings impose a substantial load even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. Low settings achieve 428 FPS average, Medium delivers 319 FPS with a minimum of 271 FPS and maximum of 366 FPS, High produces 273 FPS, and Ultra drops to 196 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows predictable scaling: Low decreases by 251 FPS (from 679 to 428), Medium by 186 FPS (from 505 to 319), High by 160 FPS (from 433 to 273), and Ultra by 115 FPS (from 311 to 196). These reductions represent roughly 37-42% performance losses, consistent with the increased pixel count of 1440p versus 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains playable but shows more significant scaling. Low settings produce 224 FPS average, which is still far above typical display refresh rates. Medium delivers 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 FPS and maximum of 191 FPS. High settings achieve 143 FPS, and Ultra drops to 102 FPS. Compared to 1440p, the 4K results show further reductions: Low decreases by 204 FPS (from 428 to 224), Medium by 152 FPS (from 319 to 167), High by 130 FPS (from 273 to 143), and Ultra by 94 FPS (from 196 to 102). These losses range from 48% to 55%, reflecting the doubling of pixel count from 1440p to 4K.

The Medium preset is the only setting with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum of 429 FPS and maximum of 580 FPS show a 151 FPS range, indicating some frame-time variance. At 1440p, the range is 95 FPS (271 to 366), and at 4K, the range is 49 FPS (142 to 191). This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing frame-time spikes that occur at lower resolutions where CPU overhead may introduce variability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Barony experience with this hardware. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers 102 FPS average, which is sufficient for a roguelike where twitch reflexes are less critical than strategic decision-making. However, the High preset at 143 FPS offers a 40% improvement over Ultra while still maintaining high visual fidelity. For 4K displays with 120 Hz or 144 Hz refresh rates, High is the recommended choice, as it stays above 120 FPS while providing better visuals than Medium's 167 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 196 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors (typically 144 Hz to 165 Hz). This makes Ultra the optimal choice for 1440p users who want maximum quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 273 FPS provides headroom for future content or more demanding scenes, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 77 FPS loss for users with standard 144 Hz displays. Medium at 319 FPS is unnecessary unless aiming for extreme refresh rates above 240 Hz.

At 1920x1080, all settings produce frame rates above 300 FPS, making any preset viable. The Ultra preset at 311 FPS is still far above the 240 Hz refresh rate of the fastest common 1080p gaming monitors. For users with 360 Hz or 500 Hz esports displays, the Low preset at 679 FPS provides an advantage, though Barony's roguelike nature does not demand such extreme frame rates. The Medium preset at 505 FPS with a minimum of 429 FPS is a balanced choice for high-refresh 1080p gaming, offering better visuals than Low while maintaining frame rates above 400 FPS.

Considering all resolutions, the High preset emerges as the most balanced option. At 4K, it delivers 143 FPS; at 1440p, 273 FPS; and at 1080p, 433 FPS. The High preset consistently provides a significant improvement over Ultra while remaining far above playability thresholds. For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, Ultra is viable at all resolutions, with the lowest result being 102 FPS at 4K. The data shows no scenario where this combo falls below 100 FPS, making even the most demanding settings a safe choice for standard displays.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. The chip contains 16,630 million transistors across a dual-chiplet design with a die size of 2x 70.6 mm². It operates with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, supporting DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The 64 MB L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core provide substantial data storage for game assets.

Benchmark results illustrate the CPU's capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,172 and single-core score of 2,253 demonstrate strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. Geekbench scores of 22,174 (multicore) and 3,010 (single-core) corroborate these results. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 1,286 (single-thread) to 13,929 (max threads), with 16-thread performance at 12,552. Passmark results include a multithread score of 54,643 and single-thread score of 4,672, with specialized tests showing 683,579 in data compression and 33,421 in data encryption.

The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs places it above the majority of processors. Its average benchmark score of 57,498 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 9015 (57,555, 0.1% lower) and AMD EPYC 7313 (57,399, 0.2% higher), while slightly below the Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115, 1.1% lower) and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58,323, 1.4% lower). These rivals represent both server and desktop segments, and the close scores suggest the 9900X competes well with enterprise-class silicon.

In Barony, the CPU's role is to feed the RTX 5090 with sufficient draw calls and game logic updates. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 679 FPS, which is likely near the engine's upper limit. At 4K Ultra, the 102 FPS result suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample parallel processing capacity. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance for the game's primary simulation thread, while the 24 threads handle background tasks and procedural generation.

The CPU's release date of 2024-08-14 and the game's release date of 2015-06-22 mean the processor is significantly newer than the title. However, Barony's roguelike nature, with procedurally generated levels and turn-based or real-time combat, likely benefits from the high single-thread performance. The 64 MB L3 cache helps with the game's tile-based rendering and entity management, reducing memory latency during large dungeon generation. The DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures the GPU receives data quickly, though Barony's modest texture requirements mean memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor. Overall, the CPU provides sufficient performance to keep the RTX 5090 fully utilized at all tested settings, as evidenced by the high frame rates and the combo's 77th rank out of 3,717 configurations.