Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 paint a clear picture of a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution at higher resolutions. The data indicates that while the CPU is a modern, capable part, the GPU's performance profile limits the experience to 1080p gaming for smooth frame rates. The measured FPS shows a steep drop-off as resolution increases, and the settings scaling suggests that medium presets are the practical ceiling for this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 87 FPS, which is very playable. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average drops to 55 FPS, a significant 37% reduction. At 4K with Low settings, the average falls to just 29 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 simply does not have the raw fill rate or compute power to handle the pixel count at higher resolutions.

For the Medium preset, which is the most detailed set of measurements, the scaling is equally telling. At 1080p, the average is 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 45 FPS (a 37% reduction), with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. At 4K, the average plummets to 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The frame rate is nearly halved from 1440p to 4K, underscoring that the GPU is overwhelmed by the 4K resolution. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this hardware configuration in Hard West, as even the lowest settings fail to produce a consistently playable frame rate.

The scaling between 1080p and 1440p is more manageable, but still substantial. For High settings, the drop is from 55 FPS to 35 FPS, a 36% reduction. For Ultra settings, the drop is from 41 FPS to 26 FPS, a 37% reduction. The consistent percentage drop across all presets indicates that the limiting factor is purely the GPU's rendering throughput, which scales almost linearly with the number of pixels. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, is not the limiting factor here; the data shows a performance ceiling that is defined by the GPU at every resolution above 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

For a playable experience, the data points to 1080p as the primary resolution target. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 87 FPS, which is excellent for a turn-based tactics game, offering very smooth camera panning and unit movement. However, the visual quality at Low is likely to be quite basic. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a much better balance, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS. This ensures that frame pacing remains consistent, and the visual upgrade over Low is typically significant in games of this era.

The High preset at 1080p is also playable, with an average of 55 FPS. This is generally sufficient for a turn-based game, where twitch reflexes are not required. However, the minimum frame rates are not listed for this preset, so there is a risk of occasional stutters. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to an average of 41 FPS. While this is still technically playable for the genre, it represents a 42% performance hit compared to Medium for a marginal increase in visual fidelity. The data suggests that the sweet spot is the Medium preset at 1080p, as it offers a high average frame rate with a respectable minimum frame rate, providing a smooth and stable experience.

At 1440p, the options are more limited. The Low preset at 1440p averages 55 FPS, which is acceptable, but the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 45 FPS, which is playable but with a minimum of 38 FPS, indicating potential dips below 40 FPS. The High preset at 1440p averages 35 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 26 FPS, which is not recommended. For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only setting that consistently stays above 50 FPS. However, given that the game is turn-based, the Medium preset at 1440p might be acceptable for users who prioritize visual quality over absolute smoothness, but the data shows that 1080p Medium is the most robust choice.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a mobile-class integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and fabricated on a 3 nm process. Its performance in this benchmark is notably low, as indicated by its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The measured 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is very close to that of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which is a legacy entry-level part. This comparison underscores the B390's position as a low-end graphics solution.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it does not have dedicated VRAM. The memory type and bus width are also listed as "System Shared," and the bandwidth is "System Dependent." This reliance on system memory for graphics data is a major factor in its performance, especially at higher resolutions where the memory bandwidth requirements increase significantly. The shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance drop at 4K, as the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The clocks show a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. The boost clock is relatively high, but the low base clock and the shared memory architecture limit its effective performance in sustained workloads. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures are modest, and the FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is not sufficient for demanding modern titles at high resolutions. In Hard West, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale almost exclusively with resolution and settings, with the CPU showing no signs of limiting performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Hard West, this combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11th percentile of all systems tested for this game. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities, as the CPU is a far more capable component. The Ryzen 5 7400F ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32750. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T, which is a 0.1% difference in score, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, which is 0.2% slower. This indicates that the CPU is a high-performing part, capable of handling much more demanding graphics cards.

The stark contrast between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's low percentile ranking (9th) creates a significant imbalance in this system. The data shows that the GPU is holding the entire system back. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, which is not typically CPU-intensive, the CPU's potential is largely untapped. The combo rank of 2614 is a direct result of the GPU's poor performance, and it would likely be much higher if paired with a more capable discrete graphics card. The benchmark results indicate that this is a system designed for basic productivity and light gaming, not for a title like Hard West at high settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K?

A: No, not at playable frame rates. The data shows an average of 18 FPS at 4K High settings and 29 FPS at 4K Low settings. Even the lowest settings fail to provide a smooth experience at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this system?

A: The best experience is at 1080p with the Medium preset. This yields an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, providing a stable and smooth frame rate for a turn-based game.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. This places it in the same performance tier as those legacy entry-level GPUs.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates drop dramatically with resolution and settings, while the CPU is a high-performance part ranking in the 83rd percentile. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking clearly shows it is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 87 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. This represents a 53% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a strong CPU for gaming?

A: Yes, the CPU is strong. It ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32750. Its performance is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-14600T, which is only 0.1% faster in average score.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measurements show a clear hierarchy across settings. With the Low preset, the average frame rate is 87 FPS. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. The High preset averages 55 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. This demonstrates that the game scales predictably with settings at this resolution, and the frame rates are generally playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 55 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. The High preset averages 35 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. The data shows that only the Low preset consistently maintains an average above 50 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely constrained. The Low preset averages 29 FPS. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset averages 18 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 14 FPS. None of these frame rates are suitable for a playable experience, indicating that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware configuration in Hard West.