Barony

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a remarkably consistent performance profile in Barony, with the data showing the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck only at the highest resolutions. The benchmark results indicate a system that is overwhelmingly capable of pushing high frame rates, though the scaling pattern reveals a CPU that keeps pace admirably until the pixel count demands overwhelm the graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a predictable yet steep decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline tells a clear story about system balance. At 1080p, the combo posts an average of 300.8 FPS on High settings, which drops to 186.4 FPS at 1440p and further to 99.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 66.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K on High settings, indicating that the graphics card is absorbing the bulk of the increased workload.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 452.6 FPS, but this falls to 296.5 FPS at 1440p and 156.5 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K on Low is 65.4%, which is nearly identical to the High preset's decline. This consistency suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component across all settings, as the CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads at base clock speeds up to 4.10 GHz are sufficient to feed the GPU even at extreme frame rates.

However, the Ultra preset reveals a slightly different story. The transition from 1080p Ultra at 216.7 FPS to 1440p Ultra at 135.2 FPS shows a 37.6% drop, while the 1440p to 4K transition only loses 46.5% of performance, landing at 72.4 FPS. This non-linear scaling at Ultra settings hints that the game's most demanding visual features create a more complex workload distribution, though the GPU still remains the dominant constraint.

GPU Role

The RTX 3080 Ti's specifications directly explain its performance headroom in Barony. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for a roguelike title that does not demand massive texture pools. The GPU's 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide substantial raw compute power, reflected in its 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 rating and 532.8 GTexel/s texture rate.

The clock behavior shows a base frequency of 1365 MHz boosting to 1665 MHz, which allows the card to maintain high utilization even when the CPU is pushing frames beyond 300 FPS at 1080p. The benchmark results place this GPU at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41224. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, scores 41441, representing a -0.5% deltaPct, meaning the 3080 Ti is effectively on par with the 3090 in synthetic workloads.

In Barony specifically, the GPU's role becomes evident when comparing the 4K Ultra result of 72.4 FPS to the 4K High result of 99.9 FPS. The 27.5 FPS gap between these settings demonstrates that the graphics card has sufficient headroom to handle increased visual fidelity, but the Ultra preset's additional effects create a significant performance cost. The 12 GB memory capacity is never challenged by this title, as even the most demanding settings fail to show any signs of memory-related stuttering or frame drops.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on display resolution and refresh rate targets. For 4K displays, the High preset at 99.9 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, staying comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold while avoiding the 27.5% performance penalty of Ultra. The Medium preset at 112.3 FPS provides additional headroom for those with high-refresh 4K panels, but the visual difference between Medium and High is typically more noticeable than the 12.4 FPS average gain.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset becomes viable at 135.2 FPS, which should satisfy most high-refresh gamers. The data shows that 1440p High at 186.4 FPS leaves significant performance on the table, making Ultra the recommended choice for users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. For those with 240Hz displays, the Medium preset at 218.3 FPS offers a better match, though the jump from High to Medium represents a 32.1 FPS increase.

For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 216.7 FPS is the clear recommendation for 144Hz and 165Hz displays, as it delivers the best visual experience while maintaining frame rates well above typical refresh rates. The High preset at 300.8 FPS becomes relevant only for 360Hz monitors, where the additional 84.1 FPS justifies the visual compromise. The Low preset at 452.6 FPS offers no practical benefit for any consumer display, as it exceeds even the most extreme refresh rates available.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 505th out of 1702 tested combos in Barony, placing it in the top 29.7% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across all resolutions, though the CPU's modest specifications prevent it from achieving a higher position.

The CPU's benchmark data provides context for this ranking. The i5-9400 scores 803 in Cinebench R15 multicore and 113 in single-core, with more modern workloads showing 3346 in R20 multicore and 7969 in R23 multicore. The processor's 50th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it in the middle of the pack, but its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2300 avgScore and the Intel Xeon E-2134 at 2295 — demonstrate that this chip remains competitive for gaming workloads.

The GPU's superior performance, ranking at the 83rd percentile, compensates for the CPU's mid-range positioning. The RTX 3080 Ti's nearest rivals include the RTX 3090 at -0.5% deltaPct and the RTX 5070 at -1.1%, showing that this card sits at the top tier of graphics hardware. The combination of a top-tier GPU with a mid-range CPU creates a system that performs exceptionally well in GPU-bound scenarios but leaves performance on the table in CPU-limited situations, particularly at 1080p where the frame rates approach 300 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti in Barony?

A: The data does not indicate a significant CPU bottleneck. The processor's 6 cores and 6 threads with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz are sufficient to maintain frame rates above 300 FPS at 1080p on High settings, suggesting the GPU remains the limiting factor across all tested configurations.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Barony?

A: The 1440p resolution offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the Ultra preset achieving 135.2 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on high-refresh displays while maintaining the visual fidelity that the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of delivering.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti scores 41224 in average benchmark scores, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 41441, representing a -0.5% deltaPct difference. This places the two cards within statistical parity, with the 3080 Ti trailing by less than 1%.

Q: Does Barony utilize the full 12 GB of VRAM available on this GPU?

A: The measured frame rates show no signs of memory constraints, as even the 4K Ultra preset maintains 72.4 FPS without indication of texture thrashing or loading stutters. The game's roguelike nature likely does not require large texture datasets.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows 112.3 FPS at 4K Medium, which is 12.4 FPS higher than High settings. This represents a 12.4% performance improvement over High while sacrificing some visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations in Barony?

A: This combination ranks 505th out of 1702 tested combos, placing it in the top 29.7% of all systems tested. This ranking reflects strong overall performance despite the CPU's mid-range positioning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves 452.6 FPS, Medium reaches 345.4 FPS, High hits 300.8 FPS, and Ultra maintains 216.7 FPS. These figures demonstrate that the RTX 3080 Ti is never challenged at this resolution, with even the most demanding settings staying well above 200 FPS.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable performance tiering. Low settings produce 296.5 FPS, Medium delivers 218.3 FPS, High achieves 186.4 FPS, and Ultra maintains 135.2 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 54.4% performance reduction, reflecting the increasing GPU workload as visual quality improves.

At 3840x2160, the system remains highly playable but shows more pronounced differences between settings. Low settings reach 156.5 FPS, Medium achieves 112.3 FPS, High delivers 99.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 72.4 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at this resolution is 27.5 FPS, making the High preset the most sensible choice for 4K gaming without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 plays a supporting role in this configuration, providing sufficient processing power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti in most scenarios. The processor's 6 cores and 6 threads operate at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost to 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications place the CPU at the 50th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 2305.

The CPU's benchmark results show a balanced profile between single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 scores of 7969 multicore and 1125 single-core indicate that the processor handles modern workloads adequately, though its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2300 avgScore and the Intel Core i3-1125G4 at 2299 — demonstrate that the i5-9400 is not a class leader.

In Barony specifically, the CPU's role becomes apparent at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS. The processor's ability to maintain these frame rates without causing GPU utilization drops suggests that the game's CPU workload is well within the i5-9400's capabilities. The 65W TDP and 14 nm process node indicate an efficient design that does not generate excessive heat, allowing sustained performance during extended gaming sessions. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s via dual-channel DDR4 support is adequate for this title, as the game's data requirements are modest compared to AAA open-world titles.