Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 pairing delivers a remarkably smooth experience in Hard West, with the data showing that the GPU is the dominant force at every resolution tested. The combination proves that a mid-range Zen 2 processor can fully feed a high-end Ada Lovelace card in this turn-based tactics title, achieving playable even at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, running on the AM4 socket. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz can boost up to 4.20 GHz, and it shares an 8 MB L3 cache across all cores. In Hard West, this CPU configuration is more than sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by the high frame rates observed across all settings. The processor's 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17489, places it in the upper tier of desktop processors, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12450H and Intel Core i3-13100F, with performance deltas of just 0.1% and -1% respectively.

Benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 5 4600G's single-threaded performance is adequate for the game's logic and AI calculations. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1919 and Geekbench single-core score of 1575 are solid figures that translate into responsive turn-based gameplay. The multi-threaded capabilities, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13593 and a 3DMark max threads score of 4889, ensure that any background processes or game engine threads are handled without bottlenecking the GPU. The 65 TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a stable platform for the RTX 4070.

The data strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 189.8 FPS, which is a frame rate that would typically expose CPU limitations in many games. The fact that the system scales so well from Low to High settings at each resolution indicates that the Ryzen 5 4600G has ample headroom to keep up with the RTX 4070's output. The processor's 12 threads are more than enough for the turn-based mechanics of Hard West, which does not appear to leverage high core counts heavily.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, it features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU boosts up to 2475 MHz from a 1920 MHz base clock, and its 5888 shading units process graphics data at a rate of 29.15 TFLOPS FP32. This hardware is ranked in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37283.

In Hard West, the RTX 4070's performance is substantial at lower resolutions but shows its limits as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU delivers between 119.9 FPS on Ultra and 189.8 FPS on Low, indicating that the game is not heavily demanding on the graphics card at this resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 69.9 FPS, which shows a significant scaling range. The 12 GB VRAM is ample for the game's textures and effects, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates even at 4K, where the lowest average is 43.1 FPS on Ultra.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, with performance deltas of -0.6% and -2.2% respectively. This positioning highlights that the RTX 4070 is a high-performance desktop card that significantly outperforms older generation hardware. The 200 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU are reasonable for the performance level, and the PCIe 4.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth limitations are present.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. At 4K resolution, the High preset delivers 51.7 FPS, which is playable, while the Medium preset yields 68.3 FPS, offering a smoother experience. The Ultra preset drops to 43.1 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal, making it less recommended for 4K play. The Low preset at 4K achieves 86.5 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 104.5 FPS is the sweet spot, providing excellent visual fidelity with a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 132.4 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize smoothness over visual details. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is still playable and offers the best image quality, but the 27.5 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual improvements in this turn-based game. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with even the Ultra preset delivering 119.9 FPS.

The data indicates that the High preset is the best overall choice for this combo. It provides a balanced experience across all resolutions, with the 4K High setting at 51.7 FPS being the only sub-60 FPS result. For players with 1080p or 1440p monitors, the High preset offers frame rates of 157.7 FPS and 104.5 FPS respectively, which are excellent for a turn-based tactics game. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for 4K users who want to ensure a stable 60 FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 586th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 34.5th percentile of all configurations, which is a strong result given the CPU's mid-range positioning. The ranking indicates that many higher-end CPU and GPU combinations exist, but this pairing outperforms a significant portion of the database.

The combo's rank is heavily influenced by the CPU's position relative to the GPU. While the RTX 4070 is a top-tier graphics card in the 81st percentile, the Ryzen 5 4600G sits in the 75th percentile among CPUs. The 586th rank out of 1699 combos suggests that the CPU is holding back the GPU somewhat, as higher-ranked combos likely pair the RTX 4070 with faster processors. However, the actual measured FPS data shows that this pairing still delivers excellent performance in Hard West, with no settings combination falling below 43.1 FPS.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 4600G is a capable partner for the RTX 4070 in this game, but not an ideal one. The 586th rank indicates that there are 585 other combos that achieve higher frame rates, likely due to more powerful CPUs. For players considering this pairing for Hard West, the performance is more than adequate, but those seeking the absolute highest frame rates may want to consider a newer CPU platform.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G sufficient for the RTX 4070 in Hard West?

A: Yes, the data shows that the Ryzen 5 4600G does not bottleneck the RTX 4070 in this game. The system achieves 189.8 FPS at 1080p Low and 119.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra, indicating that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo?

A: The 1440p High preset offers the best balance, delivering 104.5 FPS. This provides excellent visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. For 4K, the Medium preset at 68.3 FPS is the recommended choice.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but just barely. The 4K Ultra preset achieves 43.1 FPS, which is playable but below the 60 FPS threshold. For a smoother 4K experience, the High preset at 51.7 FPS or Medium at 68.3 FPS is preferable.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 586th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the upper 35% of all configurations, which is a solid result given the mid-range CPU.

Q: Does the GPU or CPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rate drops to 43.1 FPS on Ultra, while the CPU maintains sufficient performance to avoid bottlenecking. At 1080p, the CPU is more influential, but the frame rates remain high.

Q: Is the 12 GB VRAM on the RTX 4070 sufficient for Hard West?

A: Yes, the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than adequate for this game. The measured FPS data shows no signs of VRAM limitations, with consistent performance across all settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Hard West shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 189.8 FPS on Low, 174.4 FPS on Medium, 157.7 FPS on High, and 119.9 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 69.9 FPS, which represents a 36.8% performance hit for maximum visual quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show more variation. The Low preset delivers 159.1 FPS, Medium yields 132.4 FPS, High achieves 104.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 77 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 82.1 FPS, indicating a 51.6% reduction in frame rate when enabling the highest settings. This resolution is where the GPU starts to become more of a limiting factor, although all settings remain playable.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload increases significantly. The Low preset achieves 86.5 FPS, Medium delivers 68.3 FPS, High yields 51.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 43.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 43.4 FPS, which is a 50.2% performance reduction. This resolution shows the most significant impact of settings changes, with the Ultra preset falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals important insights into which component is limiting performance. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at the High setting, the frame rate drops from 157.7 FPS to 104.5 FPS, a 33.7% reduction. This is a substantial drop that indicates the GPU is becoming more stressed at 1440p. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High shows a further drop from 104.5 FPS to 51.7 FPS, a 50.5% reduction, which strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At the Low setting, the scaling is similar. The frame rate drops from 189.8 FPS at 1080p to 159.1 FPS at 1440p, a 16.2% reduction, and then to 86.5 FPS at 4K, a 45.6% reduction from 1440p. This pattern confirms that the CPU can maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU's rendering workload increases dramatically as resolution rises. The 4K Low setting at 86.5 FPS is still highly playable, but the scaling shows that the RTX 4070's performance is heavily impacted by resolution.

The data indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component at 4K, while the Ryzen 5 4600G has sufficient headroom at lower resolutions. The 119.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra suggests that the CPU can support high frame rates, but the GPU cannot maintain those rates at 4K Ultra, where it drops to 43.1 FPS. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, with the CPU being more influential at 1080p. The overall scaling pattern shows that players should target 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it delivers frame rates above 100 FPS on High settings.