Should You Enable AMD Resizable BAR? A Complete Performance Guide

If you own a supported AMD desktop gaming PC, then the answer is a definitive yes – you should enable Resizable BAR for moderate performance gains in most games. While the boost varies across systems and titles, Resizable BAR provides a nice free upgrade that takes just minutes to enable in the BIOS. However, make sure to temper expectations – for most users, gains will be in the 5-10% range at 1080p or 1440p resolution. Those gaming at 4K will see even less improvement in most cases.

What is Resizable BAR and How Does This Technology Work?

Resizable Base Address Register, or Resizable BAR, is an exciting new performance-enhancing feature for AMD Ryzen desktop processors and Radeon graphics cards. But what exactly does it do?

At its core, Resizable BAR allows the CPU to access the entire frame buffer memory on a compatible GPU rather than small 256MB portions. This greatly reduces latency bottlenecks and bandwidth limitations, enabling more efficient transfer of assets like textures and geometry data.

Traditionally, games have to “request” graphics memory assets piece by piece from the GPU buffer. But with Resizable BAR, the CPU and GPU can work concurrently using the same pool of memory. Applications can tap into the full frame buffer whenever needed.

To enable Resizable BAR, your system requires:

• AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop CPU (ideally Ryzen 9 5900X or 5950X)
• AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPU (6800, 6800 XT, 6900 XT)
• Resizable BAR supported motherboard with PCIe 4.0
• UEFI motherboard BIOS updated to the latest AGESA version
• Windows 10 version 2004 or higher

You’ll also need to head into your motherboard’s BIOS settings to enable Resizable BAR support once the compatible hardware is installed. Most manufacturers have guides on how to do this – check your manual for details.

Comprehensive Benchmarks Reveal The Performance Gains

Independent testing shows Resizable BAR provides measurable boosts to average framerates (FPS) across a wide range of games. However, the exact gains vary based on your specific hardware and graphics settings.

Here are aggregated benchmark results at 1080p resolution from 10 major review outlets:

table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}

td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}

tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}

As you can see, Resizable BAR provides measurable gains across a variety of top titles – generally in the 5-10% range at 1080p. This uplift is plenty worthwhile for competitive gamers looking to max out performance. However, the difference in actual gameplay smoothness is less noticeable compared to pure benchmark numbers.

Gains were found to be lower at higher 4K resolution – in the 3-5% range for most games tested. So if you game at 4K, Resizable BAR offers less benefit. Older titles built before the tech also see negligible improvement.

Overall, Resizable BAR does work as advertised to increase FPS. But manage expectations – for most users, this free upgrade will provide mid single-digit percentage gains at 1440p or below. Let‘s examine if enabling it is worthwhile.

Weighing Up Whether Resizable BAR is Worth Enabling

Given the hardware requirements, Resizable BAR is positioned as a bonus feature for those with new AMD Ryzen 5000 desktop processors and Radeon RX 6000 GPUs. If you‘ve recently upgraded to this platform, Resizable BAR is effectively ‘free’ extra performance.

The one-time setup process is relatively quick and painless. Simply flashing your motherboard BIOS, installing the latest AMD chipset drivers, enabling Resizable BAR in the BIOS, and a reboot is all it takes. This makes it an easy win for a moderate speed boost.

However, early adopters should note that game compatibility and stability is still maturing. Titles known to suffer crashes or issues include Horizon Zero Dawn, Dirt 5 and Gears 5. AMD is actively improving compatibility with ongoing driver updates. Patience may be required while kinks are ironed out.

For many gamers, a hassle-free 5-10% performance uplift is welcome. Competitive esports players in particular will appreciate every last FPS. However, your mileage may vary depending on the types of games you play and if encountering any stability gremlins.

Here are my general recommendations on whether Resizable BAR is worthwhile:

• Enabling is recommended if chasing maximum frames in multiplayer titles, and you don‘t mind troubleshooting
• Benefits outweigh hassle if you game at 1440p resolution or lower
• Less useful for 4K gaming where gains are minor
• May be worth holding off if playing single player titles with known issues
• Overclocking your GPU can provide similar FPS gains
• Keep expectations realistic – focus is on smooth gameplay not benchmark numbers

As with overclocking, you can choose to leave Resizable BAR enabled full-time or toggle it on for competitive sessions. Monitor game stability and disable if facing crashes. Also close unneeded background apps when enabling for best results.

How Does This Compare to AMD Smart Access Memory?

Alongside Resizable BAR, AMD also has its own vendor-specific technology called Smart Access Memory (SAM). So how does SAM compare?

SAM is essentially AMD‘s branded implementation of the Resizable BAR standard. The technologies are very similar, but SAM works exclusively with Ryzen 5000 CPUs paired with Radeon RX 6000 GPUs.

Meanwhile, Resizable BAR is an open standard that works across AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. However, AMD hardware currently sees bigger performance gains compared to Nvidia‘s implementation.

For AMD owners, both features can be enabled together for added performance. Just make sure your motherboard BIOS, chipset drivers and GPU drivers are all up to date for maximum compatibility.

Conclusion – Resizable BAR is a Worthwhile Upgrade for Most

To summarize, Resizable BAR is a new performance-enhancing feature that provides measurable framerate gains in compatible games – generally in the 5-10% range when using supported AMD hardware.

The one-time setup process is quick and easy for those with Ryzen 5000 and Radeon 6000 desktop components. Despite minor launch growing pains, Resizable BAR is a worthwhile upgrade that costs nothing except a brief BIOS tweak.

Competitive esports gamers who demand every last frame will appreciate the improvement during fast-paced matches. However, gains are less pronounced at higher 4K resolution. Manage expectations around the technology, as real-world benefits depend on your system setup and gaming workload.

For most AMD desktop PC owners, keeping Resizable BAR enabled delivers welcome "free performance" in new titles optimized for the feature. While the FPS boost won‘t dramatically change the gaming experience, there‘s no reason to leave this extra power untapped!