Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a playable but constrained experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The combo ranks 2360th out of 2949 tested configurations, placing it in the lower quarter of all systems. This rank is primarily a reflection of the GPU's positioning rather than the CPU, as the data shows the Arc B570 struggling at higher resolutions while the Ryzen 5 5600GT provides ample headroom. The measured frame rates indicate that this pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises to maintain acceptable performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2360 out of 2949 tested combinations places it in the 20th percentile of all systems evaluated for Hard West. This is a below-average standing, but the context matters: turn-based tactics games like this one rarely demand extreme hardware, and the measured FPS shows the system is far from unusable. The ranking is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU, which sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU performs at the 74th percentile among all processors. This mismatch—where the processor is more capable than the graphics card—explains why the combo underperforms relative to what the CPU alone might suggest.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals clarifies the situation. The Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% ahead of the Intel Arc A750 (20582). The deltaPct values are tiny, meaning these three GPUs are functionally equivalent in raw compute. However, the B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest for a modern card, which becomes evident when pushing higher resolutions. The CPU, meanwhile, is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-12490F (20802), showing that the Ryzen 5 5600GT is a solid mid-range part that will not bottleneck the GPU in this title.

The ranking also reflects the game's age. Hard West released in 2015, and its engine is not particularly demanding by modern standards. The fact that this combo still lands in the bottom 20% suggests the GPU's performance at 4K is the limiting factor, not the game's optimization. At 1080p, the system delivers frame rates that many users would find perfectly acceptable, but the rank is computed across all resolutions, and the 4K results pull the average down.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows a clear hierarchy across the five settings presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 134 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for any genre. Medium drops to 110 FPS, High to 84 FPS, and Ultra to 63 FPS. All of these are playable, but the question is where the best experience lies. Given that Hard West is a turn-based tactics game where reaction time is not critical, the visual fidelity of High or Ultra may be preferable to raw frame rate.

However, the data suggests that High is the sweet spot. At 1080p, High offers 84 FPS, which is 33% faster than Ultra's 63 FPS while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium's 110 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 26 FPS, but the visual improvements in a game with this art style are likely worth it. At 1440p, High delivers 53 FPS, which is still smooth for a turn-based title, while Ultra drops to 40 FPS. At 4K, High falls to 28 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra sinks to 21 FPS, which is not recommended.

For the best balance of visuals and performance, High settings at either 1080p or 1440p are the recommended presets. The Medium preset at 1440p (69 FPS) is also a strong option for those who want a higher resolution without sacrificing smoothness, but High at 1440p offers a better visual experience for only a 16 FPS penalty. Ultra should be avoided at 4K, where the 21 FPS average is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, even in a turn-based title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the system delivers 84 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is roughly linear with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit memory bus are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where the fill rate demands become excessive.

At Low settings, the pattern is similar: 134 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is still below 60 FPS, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor even when the graphical load is reduced. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is unlikely to be the constraint here, as the 3dmark single-thread score of 913 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2438 indicate solid per-core performance. The data strongly suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield the most significant FPS improvements, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

The Medium preset shows the only min/max FPS data available: at 4K, it ranges from 31 to 42 FPS with an average of 36; at 1440p, it ranges from 59 to 80 FPS with an average of 69; and at 1080p, it ranges from 93 to 126 FPS with an average of 110. These ranges indicate that frame pacing is stable, with no severe drops, which is reassuring for a turn-based game where sudden stutters can disrupt the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. Low settings produce an average of 134 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. Medium settings yield 110 FPS (min 93, max 126), High settings produce 84 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 63 FPS. All four presets at 1080p are above 60 FPS, making this resolution the most comfortable for the combo. The 134 FPS at Low is particularly noteworthy, as it suggests the CPU can handle the game's logic without issue, leaving the GPU as the only constraint.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains playable. Low settings average 85 FPS, Medium averages 69 FPS (min 59, max 80), High averages 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. The Low and Medium presets are both above 60 FPS, while High is just below the 60 FPS threshold. For a turn-based tactics game, 53 FPS is still acceptable, but the 40 FPS at Ultra may feel less responsive. The min FPS of 59 at Medium is encouraging, as it shows the system rarely dips below 60 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 44 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS (min 31, max 42), High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, and even Low falls short of 45 FPS. The 21 FPS at Ultra is the worst result in the entire dataset, making 4K Ultra effectively unplayable. The data indicates that 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the experience is below what most gamers would consider smooth.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Hard West at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 84 FPS at 1080p with High settings, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

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

A: The data shows that 1080p offers the most comfortable experience, with all presets above 60 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium presets also exceed 60 FPS, making it a viable option for those with a higher-resolution monitor.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hard West?

A: Only at Low settings, which produce an average of 44 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 40 FPS, with Ultra at 21 FPS, which is not recommended.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU's 74th percentile ranking and strong single-thread scores (913 in 3dmark single-thread) indicate it has ample headroom, while the GPU's performance drops sharply as resolution increases.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is within 0.1% of the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% ahead of the Arc A750 (20582), making it a competitive mid-range GPU in raw compute terms.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of visuals and performance?

A: High settings at 1080p (84 FPS) or 1440p (53 FPS) offer a good balance. Medium at 1440p (69 FPS) is also a strong option if a smoother frame rate is preferred over minor visual enhancements.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide sufficient bandwidth for gaming workloads. In this combo, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and the benchmark results show it does so effectively. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17272 and single-core score of 2438 indicate balanced performance that is more than adequate for a 2015 turn-based title.

The CPU's 74th percentile ranking among all processors places it above the median, and its nearest rivals—the Intel Core i5-12490F (20802, -0.3% delta) and Intel Xeon 6325P (20821, -0.4% delta)—are all within a fraction of a percent in average score. This means the 5600GT is not a weak link in the system. In Hard West, where the game's logic and AI calculations may be single-threaded, the 913 3dmark single-thread score and 245 Cinebench R15 single-core score suggest the CPU can handle the workload without bottlenecking the GPU. The fact that FPS scales inversely with resolution (rather than staying flat) confirms the CPU is not the constraint.

The 65W TDP and 7nm process node make this an efficient part, but those are hardware characteristics rather than performance metrics. The key takeaway is that the CPU has the headroom to support a more powerful GPU, meaning future upgrades would yield immediate benefits in this game at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a 5nm GPU with 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, clocked at 2500 MHz base and boost. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are respectable for a mid-range card, but the memory subsystem is the bottleneck at high resolutions. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for Hard West, which is not a VRAM-heavy title, but the 160-bit bus limits memory bandwidth compared to wider-bus rivals.

The GPU's 65th percentile ranking places it above the median, but its average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, +0.1% delta) and Arc A750 (20582, -0.1% delta). This suggests the B570 is a competent performer in synthetic tests, but the measured FPS in Hard West tells a different story. At 4K, the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth are insufficient, with High settings producing just 28 FPS and Ultra only 21 FPS. Even at Low settings, 4K fails to reach 45 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the sole constraint at this resolution.

At 1080p, the GPU performs well, with all presets above 60 FPS. The 134 FPS at Low shows that the GPU can handle the game's graphics load when pixel count is low. The transition from 1080p to 1440p causes a 37% drop in FPS at High settings, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is another 47%, illustrating how the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor as resolution increases. For gamers with 1080p or 1440p monitors, the Arc B570 is a capable choice, but 4K is clearly outside its comfort zone in this title.