Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Barony, a game where the CPU’s substantial cache and the GPU’s balanced throughput align to produce high frame rates across all tested configurations. With a combo rank of 1230 out of 2935 tested pairings, this system sits comfortably in the upper half of the database, demonstrating that neither component is a severe bottleneck for this roguelike title. The measured results show a clear hierarchy where lower settings unlock very high refresh rates, while Ultra presets remain fully playable, making this a versatile combination for both competitive and visually demanding play.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and manufactured on a 4 nm process. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz boosts up to 5.50 GHz, and it carries 128 MB of L3 cache, a configuration that is particularly effective in titles like Barony where procedural generation and simulation logic can benefit from rapid data access. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strength: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739 indicate ample headroom for game logic threads, while the 3DMark 16-thread score of 12490 shows strong scaling across its 24 threads.

In the context of Barony, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the graphics card is less taxed. At 1080p Low, the combination achieves 385 FPS, a figure that is unlikely to be limited by the CPU’s single-thread performance, given its PassMark single-thread score of 4646 and Geekbench single-core score of 3041. The processor’s 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs further indicates that it is a high-tier part capable of feeding even the fastest GPUs in less demanding scenes. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2512 and 4-thread score of 4885 suggest that Barony’s primary threads, which may not scale beyond a few cores, are well-served by the 9900X3D’s high clock speeds.

The data shows that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this pairing. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the average FPS drops to 58, while at 1080p Low it rises to 385, a span that is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. The CPU’s 12 cores and 24 threads provide substantial headroom for background tasks and future game updates, but for Barony specifically, the single-core and lightly threaded performance is what drives the high frame rates seen at lower presets. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, paired with DDR5 support, ensures that data flows efficiently to the cores, avoiding stalls that could impact frame pacing in a game that tracks numerous entity states.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip and an 8 nm process, brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock of 1500 MHz boosts to 1725 MHz, and it features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 place it as a solid mid-range to upper-mid-range performer, with a 61st percentile ranking against all GPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scores 17083 on average, a delta of 0.7%, indicating that the RTX 3070 is effectively on par with that card in synthetic benchmarks.

In Barony, the GPU’s role becomes dominant as resolution and settings increase. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this roguelike, which does not appear to push memory usage to the limits, even at 4K Ultra where the average FPS is 58. The GPU’s texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are more than adequate for the game’s visual style, which likely relies on simple geometry and moderate texture detail. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS of 111 shows that the GPU can handle higher resolutions with ease, while at 1080p Medium, the average of 287 FPS indicates that the RTX 3070 is not a bottleneck until the CPU’s limits are approached.

The data reveals a clear scaling pattern: moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at the same settings produces predictable FPS drops, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 246 at 1080p to 155 at 1440p and then to 81 at 4K. This suggests that the RTX 3070’s raw compute power, rated at 20.31 TFLOPS FP32, is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s role diminishes. The GPU’s 184 tensor cores and 46 RT cores are not directly relevant to Barony’s performance, as the game likely does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, but they do not hinder performance either.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF’s 55093, 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K’s 54053, 2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6505P’s 53701, and 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F’s 53620. This places it in a tight competitive band with these CPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 3070 and its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, while the RX 7600 XT scores 17083, a delta of 0.7% in favor of the RTX 3070. The other nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, 1% slower) and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019, 1.1% slower), while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo achieve the highest average FPS?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 385, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed by 287 FPS at 1080p Medium and 246 FPS at 1080p High, showing that the combination is highly capable at the lowest resolution.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 58, which is above the typical 30 FPS threshold for playability, though it is the lowest measured result. For smoother performance, the Medium preset at 4K yields an average of 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS.

*Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations in Barony?*

A: The combo ranks 1230 out of 2935 tested combinations, placing it in the 58th percentile of all pairings. This indicates that it performs better than most combos in this game, though there is room for improvement with higher-tier components.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance influence the game’s FPS at low settings?

A: The CPU’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3041 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269, is strong enough to support very high frame rates at low settings. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 385 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1230 out of 2935 tested combinations places this pairing in the upper half of the database, specifically in the 58th percentile. This is a strong showing for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU, indicating that the RTX 3070 is not severely limiting the 9900X3D in Barony. The ranking suggests that while there are faster combinations, this pairing delivers performance that is well above the median, with the CPU’s high percentile ranking (91st) compensating for the GPU’s more modest position (61st).

The data indicates that the GPU is the more likely bottleneck at higher settings, as the CPU’s headroom is substantial. For instance, the CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 56154 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 are far above what Barony is likely to utilize, while the GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 is more moderate. This imbalance means that upgrading the GPU would yield larger FPS gains at 4K Ultra, while the CPU would remain underutilized. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the CPU’s performance is more relevant, and the combo’s 385 FPS result demonstrates that it can handle even the most demanding frame rate targets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra). At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 385 at Low to 176 at Ultra, with Medium at 287 (minimum 244, maximum 330) and High at 246. This resolution shows the greatest spread, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 243 at Low to 111 at Ultra, with Medium at 181 (minimum 154, maximum 208) and High at 155. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant but not drastic, with the Low preset losing 142 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 65 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 127 at Low to 58 at Ultra, with Medium at 95 (minimum 80, maximum 109) and High at 81. The 4K results show that the GPU is heavily taxed, with the Ultra preset falling below 60 FPS and the Low preset still exceeding 120 FPS.

The minimum FPS data, available for Medium settings at all resolutions, shows that the combo maintains consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 244 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 154 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 80 FPS. These minimums are close to the averages, indicating stable frame pacing without severe drops, which is important for a roguelike where sudden spikes in on-screen action can occur.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the user’s display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 246 FPS offers an excellent balance, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low (385 FPS) while still delivering frame rates well above 144 Hz. The Ultra preset at 176 FPS is also viable for those with high refresh rate monitors, but the marginal visual gain over High is likely not worth the 70 FPS drop.

At 1440p, the High preset at 155 FPS is the recommended choice, as it achieves the 144 Hz threshold while maintaining good visual quality. The Medium preset at 181 FPS is a viable alternative for those prioritizing higher frame rates, but the Ultra preset at 111 FPS is still smooth and offers the best image quality. For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 95 FPS is the optimal balance, providing a smooth experience with a minimum of 80 FPS, while the High preset at 81 FPS and Ultra preset at 58 FPS are playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

The data suggests that the Low preset is rarely necessary, as even at 4K it yields 127 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most users. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still offers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, making it a viable option for those who prioritize visual quality over raw performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component at each resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 385 at 1080p to 243 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 127 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as resolution increases, but the CPU’s strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high even at 4K.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 176 at 1080p to 111 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 58 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s influence is minimal. The fact that the FPS at 1080p Ultra (176) is lower than at 1080p Low (385) confirms that the GPU’s workload increases with settings, but the CPU is not holding it back.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings shows a drop from 287 FPS to 95 FPS, a 67% reduction, which is larger than the reduction at Low settings. This indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and compute resources are increasingly taxed as resolution and settings rise, making the RTX 3070 the clear limiting component at 4K. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the CPU’s performance is the more significant factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. Overall, the data shows that this combo is CPU-bound at low resolutions and GPU-bound at high resolutions, with the transition occurring around 1440p.