Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 pairing delivers a definitive performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the processor’s six cores and 12 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s logic. With a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, the Ryzen 5 5600X sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, holding an average benchmark score of 21771. That score places it within a tight competitive cluster: it is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and Intel Core i7-11700, and 0.6% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9554P. For a game like Hard West, which relies on turn-based simulation rather than twitch-reflex rendering, these CPU figures are more than sufficient. The RTX 4070, meanwhile, operates in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648, and its nearest rivals are all within a 1.3% margin, indicating a stable mid-to-high-tier graphics position.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 5600X is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) part built on a 7 nm TSMC process, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. Its 32 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth are the architectural pillars that support the CPU’s synthetic scores, which include a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 11838 and a single-core result of 1541. In Hard West, these specifications translate into a scenario where the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. The game’s turn-based nature means that frame pacing is more dependent on the GPU’s ability to draw the scene than on the CPU’s ability to calculate AI pathfinding or unit actions. The 3DMark single-thread score of 917 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3364 further confirm that the 5600X has strong per-core performance, which is critical for games that are not heavily multithreaded.

However, the measured FPS data reveals a clear trend: as resolution increases, the CPU’s role diminishes further. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 239 FPS, a figure that suggests the GPU is still being fed efficiently by the CPU. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 4811 and the max-thread score of 5588 indicate that the CPU can handle concurrent workloads without throttling, which is relevant for background tasks during gameplay. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier also suggest headroom for overclocking, though the data does not include overclocked results. In the context of Hard West, the CPU’s job is to maintain a stable frame delivery pipeline, and the benchmark results indicate that it does so without introducing stutter or frame-time spikes, as evidenced by the consistent average FPS figures across all settings. The processor’s 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die contribute to its efficiency, but the practical takeaway is that the 5600X is not the limiting factor in this combo; the GPU’s rendering load is.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Out of 3722 tested combinations in the database, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 5 5600X and RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 946. This places it in the upper quartile of all tested combos, though not at the absolute top tier. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s 75th percentile standing and the GPU’s 81st percentile standing, with the combined result being slightly dragged down by the fact that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2020, while the GPU is a recent high-end offering from 2023. The data shows that this combo outperforms 2776 other tested configurations, which is a significant margin given the breadth of hardware combinations in the database. The rank of 946 also implies that there are 945 combos that deliver higher average FPS in Hard West, likely featuring newer or more powerful CPUs and GPUs, such as those with higher core counts or more advanced architectures.

Breaking down the components, the RTX 4070’s nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark list include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (0.1% higher score), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (1.3% higher). This indicates that the 4070 is solidly positioned, but it is not a dominant outlier. Similarly, the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within a 0.6% delta, meaning that swapping the 5600X for an Intel Core i7-11700 or an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U would yield nearly identical performance in most scenarios. The combo’s rank of 946 is therefore a reflection of the GPU’s strength relative to the CPU’s mid-range status. In practice, this means that users with this combo will see excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU’s limits become apparent, as shown in the resolution scaling section.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a textbook example of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 239 FPS, which drops to 162 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 85 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 32% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K at the Low preset. The trend is consistent across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop increases with higher quality presets. For instance, at High settings, the system delivers 161 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. That is a 37% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The fact that the percentage drops are similar across presets indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest decline: 121 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 47%. This pattern suggests that the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated at higher resolutions, particularly with Ultra settings that likely increase texture detail and shadow quality. The 4K High result of 54 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while 4K Ultra at 40 FPS is playable but not ideal for a game that benefits from crisp visuals. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, but the 1080p Low result of 239 FPS shows that the CPU can push the GPU to its maximum output. Therefore, users looking to improve 4K performance would need a more powerful GPU, not a faster CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 239 FPS, which is the peak measured in this dataset. Medium settings yield 210 FPS, with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS, indicating a narrow frame-time distribution. High settings produce 161 FPS, while Ultra drops to 121 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 118 FPS, which is substantial but expected given the increased graphical fidelity. The Medium preset’s minimum of 178 FPS suggests that even in the most demanding scenes, the system remains well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings deliver 162 FPS, Medium drops to 133 FPS (with a min of 113 FPS and max of 153 FPS), High produces 102 FPS, and Ultra settles at 76 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is notable because it maintains a minimum of 113 FPS, which is still high enough for a 120 Hz display. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 76 FPS, is the first point where the system dips below the 100 FPS mark, but it remains comfortably playable. The data shows a 47% reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, and a 37% reduction from 1080p High to 1440p High, confirming the GPU-bound nature discussed earlier.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 begins to show its limits. Low settings produce 85 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 70 FPS (min 59 FPS, max 80 FPS), High falls to 54 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS is just below the 60 FPS target, meaning that users may experience occasional frame drops in intense scenes. The 4K High result of 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, and 4K Ultra at 40 FPS is only suitable for cinematic play or turn-based games where frame rate is less critical. The data indicates that 4K is only viable at Low or Medium settings for a consistently smooth experience, while 1440p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, and 1080p offers maximum performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that this combo achieves 60+ FPS at all settings up to 1440p. At 4K, only the Low preset (85 FPS) and Medium preset (70 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, while High (54 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) fall below.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 21771, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and Intel Core i7-11700, and 0.6% higher than the AMD EPYC 9554P.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck even at 1080p. The Low preset yields 239 FPS, which is close to the RTX 4070’s maximum output, and the CPU’s single-thread score of 917 (3DMark) is sufficient to feed the GPU without limiting performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 102 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 76 FPS. This is a 26 FPS difference, or approximately a 25% reduction in performance when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 946 out of 3722 tested combinations, placing it in the upper quartile of all tested hardware pairings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming smoothly?

A: At 4K, the system can achieve 85 FPS on Low and 70 FPS on Medium, but High and Ultra presets drop to 54 FPS and 40 FPS respectively. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 4K is limited to Medium settings or lower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved at the High preset for 1080p and 1440p resolutions. At 1920x1080, High delivers 161 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors and provides a substantial improvement over Medium’s 210 FPS, but with better visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 121 FPS, which is still smooth, but the 40 FPS penalty over High may not be worth the marginal visual gains in a turn-based game. At 2560x1440, High produces 102 FPS, which is ideal for 100 Hz displays, while Ultra drops to 76 FPS, which is still playable but less fluid. For users prioritizing frame rate, the Medium preset at 1440p offers 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 FPS, ensuring no drops below 100 FPS.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, but it sacrifices visual quality. The Medium preset at 70 FPS is the best compromise, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS, but the minimum of 59 FPS means occasional dips below the threshold. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, with 54 FPS and 40 FPS respectively, are only suitable for players who prioritize image quality over smoothness, which is acceptable in a turn-based tactics game where reaction time is not critical. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using High at 1440p, as it offers a strong blend of detail and performance, with 102 FPS average and no reported minimum below 60 FPS. If the user has a 4K display, Medium is the recommended preset to stay above 60 FPS most of the time, while accepting the occasional dip.