Barony

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Barony, a roguelike that clearly favors high refresh rates. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet still manages to push frame rates that will satisfy even the most demanding displays. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, explores the division of labor between the CPU and GPU, and contextualizes the combo's standing among the thousands of tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K illustrates a classic scaling pattern, though the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 315 FPS at 1920x1080 to 199 FPS at 2560x1440, a 36.8% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K at 3840x2160, the average further drops to 104 FPS, representing a 47.7% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep decline suggests that the rendering load is scaling aggressively with pixel count, pointing squarely at the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The Low preset shows an even more dramatic scaling curve. The average FPS at 1080p is 493, which drops to 311 at 1440p (a 36.9% decrease) and then to 163 at 4K (a 47.6% decrease from 1440p). This pattern indicates that even when the graphical workload is minimized, the sheer number of pixels at 4K still overwhelms the rendering pipeline. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical between High and Low presets across resolution steps suggests that the game's rendering cost is primarily tied to resolution rather than the complexity of the preset itself.

When examining the Medium preset, which is the only setting with reported minimum and maximum FPS values, a clearer picture of frame time consistency emerges. At 1080p, the average is 366 FPS with a minimum of 312 and a maximum of 421, showing a relatively tight spread. At 1440p, the average drops to 231 FPS with a range of 197 to 266, maintaining a similar proportional spread. At 4K, the average falls to 121 FPS with a minimum of 103 and a maximum of 139. The consistency of the minimum-to-average ratio across resolutions (roughly 85% of the average) indicates that the frame pacing remains stable even as the GPU load increases.

The Ultra preset represents the heaviest workload, and the scaling here is the most punishing. The average FPS at 1080p is 226, which drops to 142 at 1440p (a 37.2% decrease) and then to 74 at 4K (a 47.9% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 74 FPS is the only measured average below the 100 FPS mark, indicating that this configuration is the first to truly stress the hardware. The consistent ~37% and ~48% reduction steps across all presets strongly imply that the RTX 5090's pixel throughput is the dominant bottleneck, with the CPU providing ample headroom to feed the GPU at every resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target display refresh rate. For users with 4K displays at standard 60-120Hz refresh rates, the High preset at 3840x2160 offers an excellent balance, delivering an average of 104 FPS. This comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and approaches the 120Hz threshold, making it the recommended choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing fluidity. Pushing to Ultra at 4K drops the average to 74 FPS, which is still playable but introduces a noticeable reduction in smoothness compared to the High preset.

For 1440p displays, the data suggests that the Ultra preset is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors. The average of 142 FPS at 2560x1440 Ultra is more than sufficient for 120Hz displays and even approaches 144Hz territory. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 199 FPS, is the better choice for 165Hz or 240Hz panels, providing a significant boost in frame rate while presumably only slightly reducing visual quality. The Medium preset at 231 FPS could be considered for competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount, though the visual trade-off may not be worth it given the High preset's already high performance.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 226 FPS is the clear recommendation for almost any scenario. This frame rate exceeds the refresh rate of all but the most extreme esports displays (360Hz+), and the visual fidelity of Ultra is preferable to the lower presets. The High preset at 315 FPS and Medium at 366 FPS are only relevant for users with exceptionally high refresh rate monitors who prioritize maximum smoothness over visual quality. The Low preset at 1080p, with an average of 493 FPS, appears to be a specialized option for competitive play where every millisecond counts, but the visual degradation is likely too severe for most users.

Considering the entire dataset, the High preset at 1440p provides the most balanced experience, offering 199 FPS which is high enough for any current display technology while maintaining a level of visual detail that should be acceptable for most players. The 4K High preset is the best option for those prioritizing resolution over raw frame rate, while 1080p Ultra is the no-compromise choice for users with standard high-refresh monitors.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 plays a supporting role in this configuration, but its specifications suggest it is more than capable of handling the demands of Barony. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU provides substantial parallel processing power. The base clock of 3.00 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz indicate strong single-threaded performance when needed, which is often critical for game logic and physics calculations. The 64 MB of shared L3 cache is a generous allocation that should help keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The benchmark data for the CPU supports its high-end positioning. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,314 and single-core score of 2,044 demonstrate strong performance across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The Geekbench scores of 20,992 (multi-core) and 2,464 (single-core) corroborate this assessment. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs places it firmly in the top tier, indicating that it is unlikely to be the bottleneck in this gaming scenario.

The relationship between the CPU's capabilities and the game's results is most evident when examining the frame rates at lower resolutions. As resolution decreases, the GPU's workload diminishes, and the CPU's ability to feed frames becomes more important. The fact that the system achieves 493 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is capable of sustaining extremely high frame rates, as the GPU is not being fully utilized at this setting. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates regardless of resolution changes, but the data shows continuous scaling with resolution.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database provide additional context. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P are both rated at 1.6% higher average scores, while the Intel Core i9-14900K is rated 1.7% lower and the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is 2% higher. These small deltas indicate that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is performance-competitive with some of the most powerful desktop and workstation processors, despite being a mobile part with a 55W TDP. This efficiency is noteworthy, as it suggests the CPU can deliver high performance without requiring excessive power.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 596th out of 2,935 tested combos for Barony. This places the configuration in the top 20.3% of all tested systems, which is a strong result but not the absolute top tier. The rank suggests that while this combo is powerful, there are many other configurations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game.

The ranking position is somewhat surprising given the individual components' strengths. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. However, the game's performance is likely influenced by factors beyond raw hardware power, such as memory bandwidth, driver optimization, and the specific interaction between the two components. The 596th rank out of 2,935 indicates that there are 595 combos that outperform this setup in Barony, which could include systems with different CPU-GPU pairings that are more optimized for this particular game engine.

The GPU's nearest rivals offer an interesting comparison. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 12 GB versions are rated 0.3% and 0.6% higher in average benchmark score, respectively, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% higher and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% lower. These are all relatively close in score, suggesting that the RTX 5090's performance is broadly similar to these other high-end GPUs in general benchmarks. However, the specific performance in Barony may differ due to the game's particular rendering requirements.

The gap between the combo's rank and what might be expected from the individual component percentiles highlights the importance of holistic system testing. A CPU that ranks in the 95th percentile and a GPU that ranks in the 92nd percentile do not necessarily combine to produce a system that ranks in the top 10% of gaming performance. The data suggests that Barony may be more sensitive to certain aspects of the hardware configuration, and the 596th rank reflects the reality of the measured performance rather than theoretical expectations.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 493, achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset compare to 4K High in terms of average FPS?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, while the 4K High preset averages 104 FPS, meaning Ultra is approximately 28.8% slower.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 197 and the maximum FPS is 266, with an average of 231 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as frame rates drop significantly from 1440p to 4K across all presets, while the CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread scores suggest it has ample headroom.

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

A: The combo ranks 596th out of 2,935 tested combos, placing it in the top 20.3% of all systems.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K High settings, and is it suitable for a 120Hz display?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 High settings is 104 FPS, which is suitable for a 120Hz display as it approaches but does not quite reach the 120 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 493 FPS, representing the absolute peak performance. The Medium preset averages 366 FPS, with a minimum of 312 and a maximum of 421 FPS. The High preset averages 315 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 226 FPS. This shows a clear progression: each step up in settings reduces the average FPS, with the largest relative drop occurring between Medium and High (a 13.9% decrease) and between High and Ultra (a 28.3% decrease).

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected reduction. The Low preset averages 311 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth. The Medium preset averages 231 FPS with a range of 197 to 266 FPS. The High preset averages 199 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 142 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average reduction of approximately 37% across all presets, indicating a consistent increase in rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits, though performance remains respectable. The Low preset averages 163 FPS, which is still above the 144Hz threshold for many displays. The Medium preset averages 121 FPS with a minimum of 103 and a maximum of 139 FPS. The High preset averages 104 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 74 FPS. This is the only resolution where any preset falls below 100 FPS, and it occurs only at the highest visual quality setting.

The data across all resolutions and settings reveals a total of 12 measured data points. The Medium preset is the only one with complete minimum and maximum FPS data at all three resolutions, providing the most comprehensive view of frame time consistency. The Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates at every resolution, while the Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest. The High preset sits in between, offering a balanced trade-off between visual quality and performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed across most settings. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the GPU has a massive memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz provide substantial compute throughput, while the 21,760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units handle the bulk of the rendering work.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,728 indicate strong performance in modern graphics APIs. The Passmark G3D score of 39,650 places the GPU in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, confirming that it is among the fastest available. The 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores also provide specialized processing capabilities that, while not directly measured in this game's FPS data, contribute to the overall feature set.

The GPU's role in Barony is most clearly demonstrated by the resolution scaling analysis. The consistent ~37% and ~48% frame rate drops from 1080p to 1440p and from 1440p to 4K, respectively, across all presets, suggest that the GPU's pixel fill rate is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The fact that the frame rates scale so predictably with pixel count indicates that the GPU is being fully utilized, and the CPU is not creating a bottleneck.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database show that it is closely matched with several other high-end cards. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 12 GB versions are rated 0.3% and 0.6% higher in average benchmark score, respectively, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% higher and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% lower. These small deltas suggest that the RTX 5090's raw compute performance is competitive with these other GPUs, though its specific architecture and features may give it advantages in certain workloads.

The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is particularly noteworthy for a game like Barony, which may not require such a large memory pool at the tested settings. However, the ample memory capacity ensures that texture loading and memory swapping are unlikely to cause frame rate hitches, even at 4K Ultra settings. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth further ensures that the GPU can quickly access the data it needs to sustain high frame rates, even when rendering complex scenes with high-resolution textures.