Barony

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT produces an unusual set of benchmark results in Barony. The data shows a configuration that is simultaneously capable of extreme frame rates and yet constrained by its CPU in ways that become more apparent as resolution drops. This analysis examines the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, interprets the ranking data, and explores the distinct roles of the processor and graphics card in shaping this game's performance profile.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic and telling scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 433 FPS, which is an extraordinary figure. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 274.8 FPS, a reduction of approximately 36.5%. The jump to 4K Low yields 144.7 FPS, which is another significant drop of about 47.3% from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the workload is shifting heavily onto the GPU as pixel count increases.

However, the most revealing data point comes from the High settings tier. At 1080p High, the average is 277.1 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 175.8 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 89.6 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 36.6%, which is similar to the Low settings scaling. But the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 49.0%, which is slightly steeper. This suggests that at lower resolutions, something other than the GPU is limiting performance, while at 4K, the RX 6800 XT becomes the primary bottleneck.

The Ultra settings tier tells a different story. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 199.1 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 126.2 FPS (a 36.6% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 63.6 FPS (a 49.6% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of the percentage drops across settings tiers is striking. This uniformity implies that the scaling factor is resolution-driven and not heavily influenced by the specific preset, which points toward a GPU-bound scenario at 4K but raises questions about what limits performance at 1080p where the frame rates are exceptionally high.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 620th out of 1702 tested combinations in Barony. This places it in the upper portion of the field, at roughly the 63.6th percentile of all combos tested. Given the extreme FPS numbers measured, this ranking might seem modest. The interpretation is that while this specific CPU-GPU pairing produces very high frame rates, there are many other combinations that achieve even higher results in this game.

The ranking position likely reflects the balance between the two components. The RX 6800 XT sits at the 87th percentile among all GPUs, which is a strong position. The i5-9400, however, sits at exactly the 50th percentile among all CPUs. This disparity in relative strength suggests that the combo's ranking is held back by the processor's more modest standing. The data indicates that the overall rank of 620 is a compromise between a high-tier GPU and a mid-tier CPU, and the benchmark results show that the CPU's influence becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a substantial piece of hardware. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2015 MHz. Its memory runs at 2000 MHz, which translates to 16 Gbps effective. These specifications are directly relevant to the game's performance at high resolutions.

In Barony, the GPU's role is clearly dominant at 4K resolution. With 16 GB of VRAM, memory capacity is unlikely to be a limiting factor even at Ultra settings. The 512.0 GB/s bandwidth provides ample throughput for texture streaming and geometry processing. The benchmark results support this view: at 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 63.6 FPS, which is a playable frame rate for a roguelike title. The GPU's 4608 shading units and 128 ROPs contribute to the high raw throughput needed to maintain these frame rates.

The fact that the GPU holds the 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces its strength. However, the data also shows that the GPU is not fully utilized at lower resolutions. The diminishing returns from 1080p to 1440p, and the relatively smaller absolute FPS gains at 4K, suggest that the GPU has headroom that the CPU cannot feed at lower pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a clear picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1080p, the results are exceptional: Low settings produce 433 FPS, Medium produces 323.2 FPS, High produces 277.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 199.1 FPS. These figures are all well above the refresh rates of most monitors, indicating that the combo is heavily CPU-limited at this resolution.

At 1440p, the results remain very strong. Low settings yield 274.8 FPS, Medium yields 203.9 FPS, High yields 175.8 FPS, and Ultra yields 126.2 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly consistent across all settings, with reductions between 35% and 37%. This consistency suggests that the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload, but the CPU is still contributing to the performance ceiling.

At 4K, the results show a clear GPU-bound scenario. Low settings produce 144.7 FPS, Medium produces 105.7 FPS, High produces 89.6 FPS, and Ultra produces 63.6 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper, ranging from 47% to 50%. This is the expected behavior when the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the pixel fill rate and shading requirements increase substantially with resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Barony?

A: The highest average FPS is 433, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 63.6, which is the lowest measured result for this configuration.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 620th out of 1702 tested combinations in Barony.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The RX 6800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is more than sufficient for Barony's requirements at any tested setting.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The 1080p Low result of 433 FPS is 369.4 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result of 63.6 FPS, representing a performance gap of approximately 5.8 times.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data strongly suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the FPS figures (277.1 to 433) are exceptionally high and likely exceed what the GPU would produce if it were the sole bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The CPU features 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its benchmark scores show a balanced profile: Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 7969, and single-core is 1125. The average benchmark score is 2305, which places it at the 50th percentile among all CPUs.

In Barony, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p resolution. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (433) and even at 1080p High (277.1) are so high that they likely exceed the GPU's capacity to render frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls and update game logic. The i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for this task, but the lack of hyper-threading may limit its ability to handle background tasks while maintaining peak frame rates.

The nearest rivals to the i5-9400 in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Core i3-10305 (with a delta of 0.2% higher) and the Intel Xeon E-2134 (0.4% higher). The data shows that the i5-9400 is closely matched with these alternatives, but its mid-tier positioning means it cannot fully unlock the RX 6800 XT's potential at lower resolutions. The CPU's 50th percentile ranking stands in contrast to the GPU's 87th percentile, highlighting the imbalance in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, even Ultra settings deliver 199.1 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. This makes Ultra the clear choice at 1080p, as there is no meaningful performance sacrifice for the highest visual quality.

At 1440p, Ultra settings produce 126.2 FPS, which is still excellent for a roguelike game. High settings at 1440p yield 175.8 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 144 Hz refresh rates. The data suggests that High or Ultra at 1440p offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with the choice depending on whether the user prioritizes frame rate headroom or maximum quality.

At 4K, the situation requires more careful consideration. Ultra settings drop to 63.6 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. High settings at 4K produce 89.6 FPS, which is a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium settings yield 105.7 FPS, providing even more headroom. For 4K users, High settings appear to be the sweet spot, offering a substantial improvement over Ultra in frame rate (89.6 vs 63.6) while maintaining high visual quality. Low settings at 4K (144.7 FPS) are an option for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual trade-off is likely too steep for most players. The data ultimately indicates that the combo is best utilized at 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates across all settings tiers without compromise.