Barony

Barony is a roguelike that, on this hardware pairing, scales expectedly with resolution, but the measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings while remaining exceptionally fast at lower presets. The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers playable—and often far beyond playable—performance across all tested configurations, with the most significant performance headroom found at 1080p and 1440p.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and follows a classic GPU-bound pattern. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 145 at 1920x1080 to 91 at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then further down to 48 at 3840x2160, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s rendering throughput, particularly its 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, becomes the primary constraint as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the average FPS drops from 316 at 1080p to 199 at 1440p and then to 104 at 4K. The percentage losses are similar in magnitude to those seen at Ultra, confirming that resolution scaling is the dominant factor regardless of the visual preset. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is roughly 37-40% across settings, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is approximately 47-48%, showing that the transition to 4K is the most demanding step.

Interestingly, the Medium preset shows the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values in the data. At 4K Medium, the frame rate ranges from 66 to 89, with an average of 78. This narrow band suggests that the game’s frame pacing is relatively stable at this setting, and the 23 FPS spread between minimum and maximum is modest. At 1440p Medium, the range is 126 to 171, a 45 FPS spread, which is wider but still indicates consistent performance. At 1080p Medium, the range is 200 to 270, showing that the system has plenty of headroom at lower resolutions.

The data suggests that the i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is not the limiting factor at any tested resolution. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the average FPS of 316 is exceptionally high, and there is no indication of a CPU bottleneck capping performance below what the GPU can deliver. The limiting component shifts decisively toward the GPU as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior for this class of hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2153 out of 3717 tested combos for Barony. This places the pairing in the 58th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a majority of configurations but is not near the top of the leaderboard. The rank reflects the game’s modest hardware demands; Barony is a roguelike that does not heavily stress modern components, so even mid-range systems can achieve high frame rates.

The CPU’s overall benchmark percentile is 47, based on an average benchmark score of 2254 across various tests. This places the i5-9400 slightly below the median of all CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in aggregate CPU performance are extremely close: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, also 0.3% lower. These deltas are negligible in real-world terms, indicating that the i5-9400’s processing power is squarely in the mainstream tier.

The GPU, meanwhile, ranks at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 1.2% higher), the Intel Arc B570 (20556, 1.3% higher), and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, 1.5% higher). These are all within a 1.5% margin, showing that the RTX 2070 SUPER is competitive with a range of newer and mobile parts, though it trails them slightly in aggregate synthetic benchmarks.

The combination’s mid-pack rank of 2153 out of 3717 suggests that while the individual components are solidly mid-range, the pairing is neither overkill nor underpowered for Barony. The game’s low system requirements mean that many weaker GPUs and CPUs can also achieve high frame rates, which compresses the performance field and pushes this combo into the middle of the distribution.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 316, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the i5-9400 bottleneck the RTX 2070 SUPER at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 316, which is far above typical display refresh rates and indicates no CPU bottleneck in this game.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1440p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average FPS is 91. At 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 48, a 47% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Which setting preset provides the most stable frame times at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 shows a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS, with an average of 78. This 23 FPS range is the narrowest spread recorded at 4K.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rival in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 scores 2254 in average benchmarks. The Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% higher at 2264, and the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 is 0.2% higher at 2259. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% lower at 2246.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER significantly faster than the Intel Arc A750 in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, which is 1.5% higher, indicating the Arc A750 is slightly faster in aggregate synthetic benchmarks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Barony are comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across the board. Low settings yield an average of 316 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce an average of 235 FPS, with a minimum of 200 and a maximum of 270. High settings average 202 FPS, and Ultra settings average 145 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors even at the most demanding preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very strong. Low settings average 199 FPS, which is still well above the 144 Hz threshold. Medium settings average 148 FPS, with a minimum of 126 and a maximum of 171. High settings average 127 FPS, and Ultra settings average 91 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first configuration to dip below 100 FPS average, but it remains perfectly playable on a standard 60 Hz display and is still smooth on most high-refresh monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly but remains playable at most settings. Low settings average 104 FPS, which is comfortable for 60 Hz displays. Medium settings average 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 89. High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra settings average 48 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so by a noticeable margin. The Medium preset at 4K appears to be the sweet spot for maintaining a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step down in resolution provides a roughly 40-50% increase in frame rate, while each step down in settings provides a smaller but still significant boost. The Medium preset consistently offers the best balance, as it is the only settings level with measured minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating that the game’s frame pacing is stable at this level across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, which places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. These scores indicate that the i5-9400 is a capable mainstream processor, but not a high-end one.

In Barony, the CPU’s role is minimal due to the game’s roguelike nature, which does not typically require extensive multi-threaded processing. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 316 FPS average, which is far beyond what most displays can show. Even if the CPU were to bottleneck, it would not be evident at these frame rates. The lack of recorded minimum or maximum FPS values at Low, High, and Ultra settings suggests that the frame rate is consistently high and stable, with no sudden drops that would indicate CPU stalls.

The i5-9400’s memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are sufficient for feeding the RTX 2070 SUPER. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is the more critical factor at higher resolutions, where texture data and frame buffers grow. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are more than adequate for Barony’s game logic, AI, and physics, which are unlikely to stress even a 4-core processor.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 is effectively tied in aggregate performance. The 0.4% delta with the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 and the 0.3% delta with the Intel Core i7-10710U are within measurement noise. This means that swapping the i5-9400 for any of these CPUs would have no discernible impact on Barony’s frame rates, as the game is not CPU-bound at any tested setting.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and display refresh rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 145 FPS. This is high enough to take full advantage of 144 Hz monitors while providing the best visual quality. Even the most demanding preset leaves plenty of headroom, so there is no reason to compromise on visuals at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset averages 91 FPS, which is smooth on 60 Hz displays but may not satisfy users with 144 Hz monitors. The High preset averages 127 FPS, which is a significant improvement and remains above the 120 FPS threshold. For those prioritizing visual fidelity, Ultra is viable, but High provides a better balance of performance and quality for most users. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 148 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh gaming, but the visual downgrade from High is noticeable.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It averages 78 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, and it has the most stable frame times of any 4K setting, with a minimum of 66 FPS. The High preset averages 67 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K averages 104 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is severe, making Medium the best compromise.

For users with 60 Hz displays at any resolution, the High preset is generally the best choice, as it delivers 67 FPS at 4K, 127 FPS at 1440p, and 202 FPS at 1080p. For users with high-refresh displays, the Medium preset provides the best balance of stability and speed, with minimum FPS values of 200 at 1080p, 126 at 1440p, and 66 at 4K. The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1080p, where the 145 FPS average still provides a high-refresh experience.