Barony

Barony is a roguelike that launched in 2015, and the benchmark data for this configuration—the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090—shows a system capable of delivering extremely high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. The data set includes measured FPS at three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and four quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The results are characterized by a massive performance ceiling, with even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K producing triple-digit frame rates. This analysis will break down how each component contributes to these results, how the combination ranks among other tested configurations, and which settings provide the optimal experience based strictly on the provided measurements.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It operates with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, and it features a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache. The processor is manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 2x 70.6 mm² and a transistor count of 16,630 million. Its memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it supports PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU.

In the context of Barony, a game that is primarily single-threaded in its core logic but can benefit from additional cores for background simulation and physics, the 9950X3D's specifications are highly relevant. The benchmark scores show exceptional single-thread performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 1292 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4737. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259 further emphasizes its strength in lightly-threaded workloads, which is critical for maintaining high and consistent frame rates in a game where the main thread often governs the frame pacing. The processor's high boost clock of 5.70 GHz ensures that the game's primary logic thread has access to peak frequency when needed.

Multi-threaded performance is equally formidable, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736. The 3dmark max-threads score of 17184 and the PassMark multithread score of 70255 suggest that even if Barony scales to multiple cores, the CPU has ample headroom. In this specific game, the data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested setting; the frame rate scales primarily with GPU load rather than processor limitations. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 679, which is an enormous output that would likely be limited by the game engine's draw call submission rate or other software constraints rather than the CPU's raw compute capability. The CPU's percentile ranking of 95 (vs all CPUs) and an average benchmark score of 75779 place it at the top tier of available processors.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database, the 9950X3D leads the pack but by a narrow margin. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (avg score 75738) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (avg score 75716). It also leads the AMD EPYC 8224P by 0.3% (avg score 75582) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 by 0.4% (avg score 75488). While these deltaPct values are minuscule, they confirm that the 9950X3D is currently the top-scoring consumer processor in this benchmark suite, which aligns with its role as a flagship product. For Barony, this means the CPU's contribution is to ensure that the game's logic and AI systems run without introducing frame time spikes, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the flagship GPU of the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 750 mm² and a staggering 92,200 million transistors. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and the memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores.

For Barony, the GPU's role is paramount, as the game's rendering engine appears to scale directly with GPU capability. The data shows a clear progression: as resolution increases and settings are raised, the average FPS drops, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no memory capacity limitation, allowing the game to stream textures and geometry without stutter. The 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth is also a key asset, as roguelike games often feature procedurally generated environments that require rapid asset loading.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its dominance. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 334370 indicate exceptional raw compute performance. The PassMark G3D score of 39650 places it well above the vast majority of GPUs, and its percentile ranking of 92 (vs all GPUs) confirms its elite status. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are theoretical maxima that the game can leverage for high-resolution rendering.

In terms of rival comparisons from the GPU benchmark database, the RTX 5090's average score of 79842 is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (avg score 79605) and 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (avg score 79396). It also leads the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.1% (avg score 78940). However, it trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by -1.4% (avg score 80959). These rival scores are from a different benchmark suite and do not directly translate to game performance, but they provide context for the GPU's relative standing in compute workloads. For Barony specifically, the measured FPS data indicates that the RTX 5090 is more than sufficient to push the game to its limits, with the primary constraint being the game's own engine optimization.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this CPU/GPU combo in Barony?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 679 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K at the Ultra preset?

A: At the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops from 311 at 1920x1080 to 196 at 2560x1440, and further to 102 at 3840x2160. This represents a 67.2% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between the Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 319 FPS, while the High preset yields 273 FPS. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum FPS of 271 and a maximum of 366.

Q: Does the 32 GB VRAM of the RTX 5090 provide any advantage in Barony?

A: The 32 GB VRAM ensures that there are no memory-related bottlenecks at any resolution or setting, as the game's texture and geometry data can be fully cached. This is reflected in the consistent frame rates, even at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the rank of this specific combo among all tested configurations for Barony?

A: This combo (AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090) ranks 77th out of 3717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 2.1% of all configurations.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the highest minimum FPS recorded?

A: The highest minimum FPS recorded is 429 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Medium settings preset. The maximum FPS at this setting is 580.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 holds a rank of 77 out of 3717 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the 98th percentile of all configurations tested, meaning it outperforms 98% of the other CPU/GPU pairings in this database. Despite this high rank, it is not the absolute top configuration, which suggests that there are 76 other combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game. This is notable because both the CPU and GPU are flagship components individually, yet the data indicates that other combos—likely with different CPU pairings or perhaps even more specialized configurations—can yield better results in Barony.

The rank of 77 is a strong indicator of the system's overall capability, but it also highlights that the game's performance is not solely dependent on raw CPU and GPU power. Since the CPU percentile is 95 and the GPU percentile is 92, one might expect a higher rank, but the combination rank of 77 (out of 3717) suggests that other factors, such as memory configurations or specific driver optimizations, could play a role. The data shows that this combo is very fast, but it is not the definitive best for Barony, as 76 other combos exceed its performance. For a game like Barony, which is a roguelike with potentially variable scene complexity, this rank indicates that the system is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience, but it is not at the extreme bleeding edge of what is possible in this title.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are all under 0.5%, meaning the CPU's performance is virtually tied with the next-best processors. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals show deltas of under 1.5%. This suggests that the combo's rank is likely determined by the specific pairing and how the game's engine utilizes both components together, rather than any single component being a weak link. In practical terms, a rank of 77 out of 3717 is an excellent result, ensuring that this system will handle Barony with ease at all tested settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the system performs across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 679 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire data set. The Medium preset averages 505 FPS, with a minimum of 429 and a maximum of 580. The High preset averages 433 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 311 FPS. This shows that even at the most demanding 1080p settings, the system is producing over 300 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of virtually all monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptional. The Low preset averages 428 FPS, the Medium preset averages 319 FPS (with a minimum of 271 and a maximum of 366), the High preset averages 273 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 196 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear, with an average reduction of about 36% across all settings. This is expected, as the number of pixels increases by approximately 1.78 times, placing a higher load on the GPU.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system still delivers high frame rates, but the impact of the increased resolution is more pronounced. The Low preset averages 224 FPS, the Medium preset averages 167 FPS (with a minimum of 142 and a maximum of 191), the High preset averages 143 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 102 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in an average frame rate reduction of about 47%, which is consistent with the pixel count nearly doubling. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 102 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and suitable for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

The data shows a clear pattern: the system is never CPU-limited in this game, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with GPU workload. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings at each resolution, but they are close to the averages, indicating consistent frame pacing. For instance, at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 429 (85% of the average), and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 142 (85% of the average). This consistency suggests that the game does not suffer from severe stutters or frame time spikes, which is crucial for a roguelike where reaction time matters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user's display refresh rate and resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 311 FPS. This is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and the visual quality improvement over the High preset (433 FPS) is substantial, with only a 28% performance cost. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a 505 FPS average, but the difference between Medium and Ultra is significant in terms of visual fidelity, and the Ultra preset remains well above playable thresholds.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 196 FPS, which is suitable for monitors with refresh rates up to 165 Hz or even 240 Hz, depending on the user's tolerance for occasional dips below the average. The High preset at 273 FPS is also an excellent option for those with 240 Hz monitors, providing a higher frame rate buffer. Given that the minimum FPS is not recorded for these presets, the Medium preset's minimum of 271 FPS (at 1440p) suggests that the system is stable, and the High preset should maintain similarly high minimums. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Ultra preset at 1440p is recommended, as it provides a high-quality image with frame rates that exceed 144 Hz.

For 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 102 FPS, which is ideal for 4K displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The High preset at 143 FPS is a better option for 144 Hz 4K monitors, offering a 40% performance increase over Ultra with a moderate reduction in visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 167 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize frame rate over graphical detail. Considering that the data shows the system is capable of maintaining an average above 100 FPS even at 4K Ultra, this is the recommended preset for users with 4K displays that support VRR (variable refresh rate), as it ensures a smooth experience without compromising on visual quality.

In summary, for most users with 1080p or 1440p displays, the Ultra preset is recommended to take full advantage of the system's capabilities. For 4K displays, the High preset offers the best balance, delivering an average of 143 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset is a fallback for those who want even higher frame rates, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it given the system's raw power. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but is not recommended, as the visual downgrade is significant, and the system easily handles the higher presets.