Barony

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents an intriguing study in system bottlenecking within Barony. The data reveals a combination where a top-tier CPU is paired with an entry-level integrated GPU, resulting in a performance profile that is almost entirely dictated by the graphics solution. The benchmark results show a clear and consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings, pointing to a system where the GPU is the definitive limiting factor. This analysis explores the measured FPS data to understand how this specific pairing behaves in the roguelike title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a pronounced and predictable impact as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 92 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, a significant reduction of 34 FPS. This trend continues at 4K, where the average FPS falls to 30, representing a 62 FPS decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline strongly indicates that the rendering workload is scaling heavily with pixel count, a classic symptom of a GPU-bound scenario.

The pattern holds true across other settings as well. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 107 at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K. Even at Low settings, where the load is lightest, the frame rate drops from 144 FPS at 1080p to 91 at 1440p and further to 47 at 4K. The consistency of this drop-off, regardless of the quality preset, is a key finding. It suggests that the bottleneck is not related to specific graphical features but rather to the sheer number of pixels the Intel Arc B370 must process, a task made more difficult by its "System Shared" memory architecture.

The data implies that the 16-core, 32-thread AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is not the limiting component at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates at 1080p would be lower and the scaling to higher resolutions would be less drastic. Instead, the massive headroom provided by the CPU, evidenced by its high benchmark scores, is left largely unused as the GPU struggles to keep up with the increasing resolution demands. The performance ceiling here is clearly defined by the Intel Arc B370's rendering capabilities, not the processor's computational power.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the most balanced experience is found at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration yields an average FPS of 107, with a minimum of 91 FPS and a maximum of 123 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive frame rate that stays well above common display refresh rates. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p only costs 37 FPS (from 144 to 107), which is a worthwhile trade for the visual improvements that the Medium preset likely offers over Low.

At 2560x1440, the High preset appears to be the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 58 FPS, which is playable for a roguelike genre. While the Low preset offers a much higher 91 FPS, the visual fidelity drop may be too significant. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 67 FPS, which is a middle ground, but High's 58 FPS average is still within a reasonable range for the game's genre and likely provides a better visual experience.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience. At 47 FPS average, it is the only 4K setting that breaks the 30 FPS mark. The Medium and High presets at 4K, with averages of 35 FPS and 30 FPS respectively, are on the edge of playability and may experience noticeable stutters. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 22 FPS, should be avoided entirely. The data clearly indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Barony.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 144 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of smooth gameplay at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the only preset to achieve an average FPS above 30 is Low, which hits 47 FPS. The Medium and High presets average 35 FPS and 30 FPS, respectively, while Ultra averages just 22 FPS.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p compare to 1080p?

A: At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 92 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, a 34 FPS decrease. This indicates a significant performance cost when moving to the higher resolution.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck for this system in Barony?

A: The benchmark results indicate the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor. The FPS drops significantly with resolution, while the CPU, with its high benchmark scores, appears to have ample headroom.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset provides the best balance, with an average FPS of 107, a minimum of 91 FPS, and a maximum of 123 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 42 FPS, which is lower than the High preset's 58 FPS average and may not be a smooth experience for all users.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Barony, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B370 is ranked 3428 out of 3717 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, a low ranking that is consistent with the measured FPS data. The ranking reflects that the system's overall performance in this game is poor, primarily due to the GPU's limitations.

The CPU itself is a high performer, with an average benchmark score of 75779 and a percentile rank of 95 against all CPUs. It is a near-tie with its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (75488, 0.4% delta). However, the GPU is the opposite, with an average benchmark score of 1184 and a percentile rank of only 5 against all GPUs. It is closely matched with older parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta) and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7% delta). This wide discrepancy between the components' individual rankings directly explains the combo's poor overall rank in the game.

The combo's rank of 3428 suggests that most other tested systems, even those with significantly weaker CPUs, achieve better performance in Barony because they are paired with more capable graphics solutions. The data implies that the CPU's power is almost entirely negated by the GPU's low standing, making this a severely unbalanced pairing for this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 plays the defining role in this system's Barony performance. Its specifications are modest, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The architecture is Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, and it features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it does not have dedicated VRAM, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This shared memory configuration is a significant factor in its low performance.

The GPU's low performance is reflected in its benchmark scores. It has a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, lower-tier cards, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta). In Barony, this translates to the FPS numbers seen in the data. The GPU's inability to handle the increasing pixel counts at 1440p and 4K is the primary cause of the FPS drops, and its performance is the single most important factor in the system's low combo rank. The data clearly shows that this integrated graphics solution is not designed for high-resolution gaming, even in a less demanding title like Barony.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 144 at Low settings to 66 at Ultra. The High preset averages 92 FPS, while Medium averages 107 FPS, with a minimum of 91 and a maximum of 123 FPS. This shows that 1080p is the most viable resolution for this combo, with playable frame rates across all presets.

At 2560x1440, performance drops considerably. The Low preset is the only one to break the 90 FPS barrier, averaging 91 FPS. The High preset averages 58 FPS, and Medium averages 67 FPS (min 57, max 78). The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system struggles further. The Low preset averages 47 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS (min 30, max 41), High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages just 22 FPS. This breakdown shows a clear hierarchy, with 1080p being the only resolution where all presets are playable, and 4K only being playable at the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a flagship processor, and its specifications are in stark contrast to the GPU. It features 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. It has a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736. Its average benchmark score is 75779, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Barony, the CPU's role appears to be purely supportive, as it provides more than enough processing power to handle the game's logic. The measured FPS data shows that the system's performance is limited by the GPU at all times. For instance, at 1080p Low, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach 144 FPS, but the GPU cannot push further. The high single-thread and multi-thread performance of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D ensures that it is not a bottleneck, but this strength is largely irrelevant to the final FPS numbers. The data suggests that the CPU is never the limiting factor, as the GPU's rendering ceiling is hit first at every resolution and settings combination.