Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a robust experience in Hard West, a 2015 turn-based tactics title. The data indicates that this combination ranks 194th out of 1699 tested combos, placing it in the top 12% of configurations for this specific game. While the RTX 5080 is a high-end Blackwell 2.0 GPU, the Ryzen 5 5500, a Zen 3 Cezanne processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, proves to be a capable partner, ensuring high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Hard West?*

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 194th out of 1699 tested combos for this game.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this setup?

A: The maximum average frame rate recorded is 216.8 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875. It is effectively tied with the Intel Core i5-12500, which has a deltaPct of -0.1, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, also at -0.1.

Q: What is the GPU's relative standing among all tested graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 scores in the 89th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59188.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 4K resolution with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with High settings, the setup produces an average frame rate of 75.5 FPS.

Q: Is there a significant performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows a clear drop. For example, at High settings, the average frame rate falls from 180.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 75.5 FPS at 3840x2160.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 194 out of 1699 tested combinations signifies strong performance for Hard West. This position in the 88th percentile of all tested pairings suggests that the system is well-balanced for this title, providing a high level of playable performance without being bottlenecked by either component. The CPU's average benchmark score of 20875 places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a solid mid-range processor. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct -0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (deltaPct -0.1), show that the Ryzen 5 5500 is competitively positioned within its class.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5080's 89th percentile ranking and average score of 59188 confirm it is a top-tier graphics card. The data suggests that while the GPU is exceptionally powerful, the CPU is sufficient to feed it data effectively in Hard West, avoiding a significant bottleneck that would drag the combo rank down. The system's rank reflects the synergy between the 6-core processor and the high-end graphics card for this particular game's engine.

Resolution Scaling

Frame rates scale predictably with resolution, but the pattern reveals where the system's limits lie. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all settings is quite high, ranging from 166.9 FPS at Ultra to 216.8 FPS at Low. Moving to 2560x1440, there is a noticeable drop, with the average FPS falling to a range of 100.3 FPS at Ultra to 184.2 FPS at Low. The most significant drop occurs at 3840x2160, where the average FPS for Ultra settings falls to 53.1, and even Low settings can only muster 117.3 FPS.

This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5080 becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The performance delta from 1080p to 1440p is substantial, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced. For instance, at High settings, the FPS drops by 44.9 from 1080p to 1440p, and then by another 60.3 from 1440p to 4K. This suggests that while the CPU is capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's workload increases significantly at 4K, making it the definitive bottleneck in this scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 216.8 FPS. Medium settings yield 199.5 FPS, and High settings produce 180.7 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, the average remains high at 166.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound, as the frame rates are extremely high and the differences between settings are relatively small.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show more variance between settings. The Low preset averages 184.2 FPS, while Medium and High produce 175.4 FPS and 135.8 FPS, respectively. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 100.3 FPS. This shows a clear step-down in performance as graphical fidelity increases, suggesting the GPU is starting to take on a more significant role. At 3840x2160, the GPU's load becomes evident. Low settings average 117.3 FPS, Medium averages 95.4 FPS, and High settings drop to 75.5 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, averaging only 53.1 FPS. This data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern across all resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 plays a critical role in determining the performance ceiling at higher resolutions and settings. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, it has a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This is a significant asset for handling the textures and effects in Hard West at 4K resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz and its 10752 shading units provide the raw compute power needed for high frame rates. Its performance in standard benchmarks is strong, with a Passmark G3D score of 36565 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637.

The data from the measured FPS shows that the GPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p, where the CPU is likely the primary driver of performance. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p and especially 4K, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The substantial drop in average FPS at 4K Ultra (53.1 FPS) compared to 1080p Ultra (166.9 FPS) highlights the increased workload on the GPU. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 59188 confirm that it is a high-performance part, but even it struggles to maintain very high frame rates at the most demanding settings in this older title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For players with a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers an average of 166.9 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay. Even High settings at 1080p provide a very high 180.7 FPS, making any preset a viable option for maximum visual quality without sacrificing performance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (135.8 FPS) offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset (175.4 FPS) is also an excellent option for those who prefer higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset (100.3 FPS) remains playable. For 4K resolution, the data suggests that the High preset (75.5 FPS) is the best recommendation, as it provides a solid frame rate close to the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset (95.4 FPS) is even better for higher refresh rates, but the Ultra preset (53.1 FPS) may dip below the ideal threshold for some users, making High or Medium the preferred settings for a consistently smooth experience.