Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a compelling performance profile in Barony, a roguelike title released on 2015-06-22. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that scales predictably, with the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and the 9900X3D’s 12-core, 24-thread configuration both playing distinct roles. At 1080p, the combo frequently exceeds 300 FPS, while 4K Ultra still maintains a playable 68 FPS average. The data indicates this pairing ranks 806th out of 2935 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the upper quartile of all systems evaluated. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the GPU and CPU contributions, and how the combination compares to other tested hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 449, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo in any configuration tested. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the system has substantial headroom, likely limited by CPU performance or game engine logic rather than GPU throughput.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 rank among all GPUs in the benchmark database?

A: The RTX 3080 sits at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, has an average score of 23249, which is a -0.3% deltaPct, indicating the RTX 3080 is essentially tied with that card in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What is the comboRankInGame for this specific pairing?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 806th out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This puts it in the top 27.5% of all systems, showing that while not a top-tier leader, it is a strong performer for this game.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance matter for this game?

A: The 9900X3D achieves a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1269 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4646. Given that Barony is a roguelike with potentially complex simulation logic, single-thread performance can be critical, and these scores are high, suggesting strong per-core capability.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3080 and why does it matter?

A: The RTX 3080 has a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, provided by 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus. This high bandwidth is crucial for feeding the 8704 shading units at high resolutions, especially in scenes with heavy texture detail, which is reflected in the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 9900X3D’s avgBenchmarkScore is 54762, while its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, scores 55093, a deltaPct of -0.6%. This means the 9900X3D is essentially on par with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, trailing by less than one percent.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the primary driver of frame rates in Barony, and its specifications directly explain the measured FPS data. The GPU features a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz, built on the Ampere architecture using Samsung’s 8 nm process node. With 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, the RTX 3080 is a high-end card from the GeForce 30-series, and its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus delivers 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game’s demands, though the 10 GB capacity might become a limiting factor in extreme texture-loading scenarios, though no such bottleneck is apparent in the measured data.

The GPU’s performance is reflected in its benchmark scores: a passmark_g3d score of 25086 and a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 4407. These numbers place the RTX 3080 at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an avgBenchmarkScore of 23172. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 3080 is statistically identical to the NVIDIA P106-100 (avgScore 23249, deltaPct -0.3%) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (avgScore 23250, deltaPct -0.3%). This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3080 is not dramatically ahead of older or lower-tier cards, but in Barony specifically, the measured FPS tells a more nuanced story.

At 1080p Low settings, the RTX 3080 achieves an average of 449 FPS, which confirms its raw rasterization power. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s allow it to push frame rates far beyond display refresh rates at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the FPS drops accordingly. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 68, indicating that the RTX 3080 is still capable but approaching its limits with this game’s Ultra settings. The GPU’s 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present, though Barony may not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, given its 2015 release date, so these features likely have minimal impact on the measured results.

The RTX 3080’s power envelope is notable, with a TDP of 320 W and a suggested PSU of 700 W, but this is not a performance metric. The GPU’s production status is end-of-life, and its launch MSRP was 699 USD, but its performance in Barony remains strong. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the FPS scaling: from 1080p High (287 FPS) to 1440p High (181 FPS) to 4K High (95 FPS), the frame rate drops by roughly 37% and then 48% respectively. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the 10 GB memory buffer and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that highlights the RTX 3080’s role as the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 449 FPS, which drops to 284 FPS at 1440p Low (a 36.7% reduction) and then to 148 FPS at 4K Low (a 47.9% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K indicates that the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels, and the memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s becomes a critical factor. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM is not being exceeded, as the game’s requirements are modest, but the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 demands more from the GPU’s shading units and ROPs.

For Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 334 FPS at 1080p, 211 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% drop), and 110 FPS at 4K (a 47.9% drop). The consistency of these percentages across Low and Medium settings suggests that the performance scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven, meaning the GPU is the limiting component. At High settings, the drop from 1080p (287 FPS) to 1440p (181 FPS) is 36.9%, and from 1440p to 4K (95 FPS) is 47.5%. This pattern holds across all settings, reinforcing that the RTX 3080’s pixel throughput is the constraint.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling, with 206 FPS at 1080p, 130 FPS at 1440p (a 36.9% drop), and 68 FPS at 4K (a 47.7% drop). The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings indicates that the game’s settings do not disproportionately impact the GPU load; rather, the resolution is the dominant factor. This is typical for a game like Barony, which likely has simple geometry but may rely on post-processing effects that scale with resolution. The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU may have more influence, but at 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor.

The implication for users is clear: if aiming for 4K gameplay, the RTX 3080 can handle Barony at High settings with a 95 FPS average, but Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS, which is still playable. At 1080p, the system is overkill, with even Ultra settings exceeding 200 FPS. The scaling also shows that the 9900X3D’s powerful 12-core, 24-thread configuration is not holding back the GPU at any resolution, as the FPS drops are purely a function of GPU workload. This is a well-balanced pairing for this game, though the GPU becomes the bottleneck at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Detailed FPS measurements were taken at three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 449 at Low to 206 at Ultra. The Medium setting produces an average of 334 FPS with a minimum of 284 and a maximum of 384, while High yields 287 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained, and even the most demanding Ultra settings deliver frame rates well above 144 Hz, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 284 at Low, 211 at Medium (with min/max of 179/242), 181 at High, and 130 at Ultra. The 1440p results show that the RTX 3080 is still providing excellent performance, with even Ultra settings exceeding 120 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 154 FPS, which is a 54.2% reduction, indicating that settings have a significant impact at this resolution. For gamers with 1440p 144 Hz displays, this combo can comfortably handle High settings, and Ultra is still viable for those willing to accept slightly lower frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more modest: 148 FPS at Low, 110 FPS at Medium (with min/max of 94/127), 95 FPS at High, and 68 FPS at Ultra. The 4K results show a clear progression, with Ultra settings nearly halving the frame rate compared to Low. The minimum FPS of 94 at Medium suggests that there can be occasional dips, but the overall experience remains smooth. For 4K gaming, High settings are the sweet spot, providing 95 FPS average, while Ultra is still playable at 68 FPS, though it may not be ideal for fast-paced action.

The data also reveals that the gap between settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 243 FPS (449 vs 206), while at 4K, the difference is only 80 FPS (148 vs 68). This is because at higher resolutions, the GPU is already saturated, so reducing settings has less impact on performance. Conversely, at 1080p, the GPU has spare capacity, and lowering settings can yield massive FPS gains. This behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, and it confirms that the RTX 3080 is the primary determinant of frame rates across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 806th out of 2935 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the 72.5th percentile of all systems. This is a strong showing, though not exceptional, given that the RTX 3080 is a previous-generation GPU (released 2020-08-31) and the 9900X3D is a newer CPU (released 2025-01-05). The rank suggests that while this pairing is capable, there are many other combos that achieve higher frame rates in this game, likely with newer GPUs like the RTX 40-series or AMD equivalents.

In the context of the database, the 9900X3D’s CPU performance is a key contributor to the rank. The CPU has an avgBenchmarkScore of 54762 and ranks at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, which is excellent. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (avgScore 55093, deltaPct -0.6%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (avgScore 54053, deltaPct 1.3%), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (avgScore 53620, deltaPct 2.1%). These rivals are all close in performance, meaning the 9900X3D is not dramatically ahead of or behind comparable CPUs, but its 12 cores and 24 threads with a 128 MB L3 cache provide strong multi-threaded capabilities.

The GPU’s rank is lower, at the 68th percentile, which is expected for a card from the 30-series. The RTX 3080’s avgBenchmarkScore of 23172 places it near the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, both of which have avgScores around 23250 with deltaPct values of -0.3%. This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3080 is not vastly superior to those cards, but in Barony, the measured FPS indicates it performs well, likely due to the game’s optimization for NVIDIA hardware.

The combo rank of 806 out of 2935 means that 2129 other combos perform better in this game. However, given that the RTX 3080 is end-of-life and the CPU is high-end, this rank is a reflection of the GPU’s age rather than any deficiency in the pairing. The data shows that the system is well-balanced, with neither component being a clear bottleneck at most resolutions, and the rank is respectable for a GPU that is two generations old. For users with this hardware, Barony will run smoothly at high settings, and the combo’s rank confirms that it is a viable choice for this game.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D plays a supporting but crucial role in the Barony performance, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. The CPU features 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC’s 4 nm process. It has a 128 MB L3 cache, which is significant for gaming, and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The CPU’s TDP is 120 W, and it uses the AMD Socket AM5.

Benchmark data shows that the 9900X3D excels in both single-thread and multi-thread workloads. Its 3dmark_single_thread score is 1269, and its cinebench_r23_singlecore score is 6739, indicating strong per-core performance. The multi-threaded scores are even more impressive: cinebench_r23_multicore is 47737, passmark_multithread is 56154, and geekbench_multicore is 22884. These numbers place the CPU at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an avgBenchmarkScore of 54762. This high multi-threaded performance is unlikely to be fully utilized by Barony, which is a roguelike with simpler graphics but potentially complex game logic.

In the context of the game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game simulation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 449 FPS, which is near the limits of what even a powerful CPU can deliver, suggesting that the 9900X3D is not a bottleneck. The fact that FPS drops significantly when moving from 1080p to 1440p (e.g., 449 to 284 at Low) indicates that the GPU is taking over as the limiting factor, as the CPU’s workload does not scale with resolution. This is the expected behavior for a well-balanced system, and the 9900X3D’s high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that even single-threaded game logic is handled efficiently.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR5 and its 128 MB L3 cache are advantageous for gaming, as they reduce latency and improve data access. While Barony may not require the full 24 threads, the CPU’s headroom means that background tasks or complex game states will not cause frame drops. The 9900X3D’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (deltaPct -0.6%) and the Intel Core i7-14700F (deltaPct 2.1%), are close in performance, but the AMD CPU’s 3D V-Cache technology, implied by the X3D designation, is not explicitly detailed in the cache data (vCache3d is null), so its specific benefit cannot be quantified here. Regardless, the measured FPS in Barony shows that the CPU is more than capable of supporting the RTX 3080, and the combo’s strong rank of 806 out of 2935 reflects the balance between these two components.