Hard West

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 posts an average benchmark score of 19593, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, scores 19617, making the 5500 just 0.1% slower. Against the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668), the 5500 is 0.4% behind, while it is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499) and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723).

Q: What is the Intel Arc B370's performance standing among all GPUs?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, making the Arc B370 0.2% slower. It is also 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190) and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192), while being 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: What is the best frame rate achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 79 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all resolutions and settings. The Medium preset delivers 64 FPS average, High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the results are significantly lower. The Low preset averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 FPS and maximum of 25 FPS, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages only 12 FPS. None of the 4K results reach playable levels.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 5500 have an unlocked multiplier?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 5500 has the multiplier unlocked. This allows for potential overclocking, though the benchmark data provided does not include any overclocked results.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Hard West?

A: This combo ranks 2721 out of 2949 total tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the lower portion of the database. The rank is based on measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a 16 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 3.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500 shows strong multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 16429, while the single-core score is 2319. PassMark multithread score is 19330, and single-thread score is 3058. The Geekbench multicore score is 7976, and single-core is 1730. The 3DMark 16-thread score is 5386, while the single-thread score is 836. These figures indicate a capable mid-range desktop processor.

In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is primarily in game logic, unit AI, and turn processing. The game's genre does not require the extremely high frame rates typical of fast-paced shooters, so the Ryzen 5 5500's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for maintaining game state. The processor's single-thread performance, as seen in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2319, is relevant for the main game loop, which often runs on one primary thread. The multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in the PassMark multithread score of 19330, help with background tasks and any parallel processing the game might use for pathfinding or enemy turns.

The measured FPS data shows that at lower settings (Low and Medium), the frame rates at 1080p are 79 FPS and 64 FPS respectively, suggesting the CPU can handle the game's logic without bottlenecking. However, at higher settings (High and Ultra), frame rates drop to 49 FPS and 37 FPS, which could indicate that the GPU becomes the limiting factor rather than the CPU. The CPU's performance percentile of 73% of all CPUs supports the idea that it is not the main constraint in this game, particularly when compared to the GPU's much lower percentile ranking.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, codenamed Panther Lake, built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, and it delivers 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 12.29 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (2:1 ratio). The TDP is 25 W, and it uses system-shared memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bus width are all system dependent.

The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low performance relative to the broader GPU landscape. Its nearest rivals are all older or lower-end components, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, which have similar scores. This GPU is clearly not designed for high-end gaming, and the measured frame rates in Hard West reflect this.

In Hard West, the GPU is responsible for rendering the game's visual elements, which include 2D sprites and environments typical of turn-based tactics games from 2015. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 79 FPS, indicating the GPU can handle the game at its lowest visual demands. However, as settings increase, the frame rates drop significantly: 64 FPS at Medium, 49 FPS at High, and 37 FPS at Ultra. This pattern suggests that the GPU's limited shading units and texture units become a bottleneck at higher settings. At 1440p, the frame rates drop further (50 FPS at Low, 41 FPS at Medium, 31 FPS at High, 23 FPS at Ultra), and at 4K, they become unplayable (26 FPS at Low, 21 FPS at Medium, 16 FPS at High, 12 FPS at Ultra). The system-shared memory, with its system-dependent bandwidth, likely contributes to these performance declines at higher resolutions, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Hard West covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra). Starting at 1080p, the Low preset achieves an average of 79 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all tests. The Medium preset averages 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 37 FPS. These results show a clear progression where each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20% of the frame rate.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates decrease noticeably. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the same settings at 1080p. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, representing a 36% drop from the 1080p Medium result. The High preset averages 31 FPS, a 37% drop from 1080p High. The Ultra preset averages 23 FPS, a 38% drop from 1080p Ultra. This consistent percentage drop across all settings indicates that resolution scaling has a uniform impact on the GPU's performance.

At 4K resolution, the frame rates become critically low. The Low preset averages 26 FPS, a 48% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS, a 67% drop from 1080p Medium. The High preset averages 16 FPS, a 67% drop from 1080p High. The Ultra preset averages 12 FPS, a 68% drop from 1080p Ultra. No 4K configuration reaches a playable frame rate, and even the Low preset struggles to maintain smooth motion. The data shows that this combo is only viable at 1080p with lower settings, with 1440p being borderline at best.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 2721 out of 2949 total tested combinations in Hard West, placing it in the bottom 8% of all combos in the database. This ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's very low performance percentile (5th percentile), while the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking is comparatively strong. The Intel Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is significantly below what would be needed for smooth gameplay at higher resolutions or settings.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500 is well-matched in synthetic benchmarks, but the GPU holds the combo back. The CPU's performance is within 0.7% of its nearest rivals, meaning any of those CPUs paired with the same GPU would likely produce similar results. The combo's rank in the bottom 8% suggests that the system is not suitable for Hard West at medium or high settings, and even at low settings, the experience would be limited by the GPU's capabilities.

The data shows that the combo's rank is consistent with its measured FPS results. At 1080p Low, the 79 FPS average is respectable, but the Ultra preset's 37 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth. At 1440p, the best-case scenario is 50 FPS at Low, which is marginal, and at 4K, no preset achieves even 30 FPS. This distribution of results across resolutions and settings aligns with a combo that ranks near the bottom of the database.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 79 FPS average, which is the only configuration that provides a fully smooth experience above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 64 FPS average is also playable, offering a balance between visual quality and performance, with a minimum of 55 FPS ensuring no major stutters. The High preset at 49 FPS average is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 37 FPS is likely too choppy for consistent gameplay.

At 1440p, the Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, which may be acceptable for a turn-based tactics game where precise timing is not critical, but the minimum of 35 FPS could cause noticeable frame drops. The High and Ultra presets (31 FPS and 23 FPS respectively) are below playable thresholds. At 4K, no preset is recommended, as even the Low preset averages only 26 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for basic playability.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with the Medium preset, which offers a 64 FPS average with a reasonable visual quality improvement over Low. The minimum of 55 FPS ensures that the frame rate rarely dips below the smooth threshold. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 79 FPS is the safest choice. For those willing to tolerate occasional dips, the Medium preset provides the best trade-off between visual fidelity and performance, given that the High preset's 49 FPS average is likely too inconsistent for an enjoyable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K reveal important information about the limiting component in this combo. From 1080p Low (79 FPS) to 1440p Low (50 FPS), there is a 37% reduction in frame rate. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (26 FPS), there is an additional 48% reduction. This pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases is characteristic of a GPU-limited system, where the integrated graphics unit's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint.

Comparing the different settings presets across resolutions provides further evidence. The Medium preset drops from 64 FPS at 1080p to 41 FPS at 1440p (36% reduction) and then to 21 FPS at 4K (49% reduction). The High preset drops from 49 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction) and then to 16 FPS at 4K (48% reduction). The Ultra preset drops from 37 FPS at 1080p to 23 FPS at 1440p (38% reduction) and then to 12 FPS at 4K (48% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings indicates that the GPU's fill rate and pixel processing capabilities are the limiting factors, rather than CPU performance.

The CPU's strong synthetic benchmark results, particularly its 73rd percentile ranking and multi-threaded scores, suggest that it is not the bottleneck in this system. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see less variation in frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions point directly to the Intel Arc B370's limited pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and its system-shared memory architecture. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces this conclusion, making it clear that any attempt to improve performance in Hard West would require a more capable graphics solution, rather than a CPU upgrade.