Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from late 2015. The data shows a pairing where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the modern 6-core processor ensures frame rates are never held back by CPU limitations. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four quality presets, placing the results in context against other tested hardware combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic performance curve as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 90 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 57 FPS, a 37% reduction in frame rate. The jump to 4K High further diminishes performance to 30 FPS, which is another 47% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets. For Low settings, the average FPS falls from 143 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p and finally to 47 at 4K. Medium settings show a similar pattern: 117 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, the most demanding, start at 67 FPS at 1080p, drop to 43 FPS at 1440p, and plummet to 22 FPS at 4K. The consistent relative drops across presets suggest that the rendering load scales uniformly with resolution, and the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the decisive constraints.

What the data implies is that this system is well-suited for 1080p and capable of 1440p, but 4K is only viable at the lowest settings. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more punishing. For instance, at High settings, the drop from 1440p to 4K is 27 FPS, which is a larger absolute loss than the 33 FPS drop seen from 1080p to 1440p. This suggests that the RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are being saturated at 4K, leading to a disproportionate performance loss.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) and built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 21765 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3072 in single-core, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T, which is 0.1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, which is 0.2% slower.

For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, the CPU's role is less about raw frame rate generation and more about maintaining consistent turn processing and game logic updates. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 143 FPS, which is a very high frame rate for this genre. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 7400F's single-core performance, evidenced by its 3072 score in Cinebench R23 single-core, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth also help ensure that game data is readily available.

The processor's capability is further underscored by its PassMark multi-thread score of 25645 and single-thread score of 3689. These figures suggest that even in the most CPU-intensive scenarios, such as calculating line-of-sight or processing many simultaneous unit actions, this chip should not become a bottleneck. The measured FPS data supports this conclusion: the frame rate differences between presets at the same resolution are entirely attributable to GPU load, not CPU limitations. For example, at 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra costs 76 FPS (from 143 to 67), a change driven by GPU workload, while the CPU maintains a stable output.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU on a 12 nm process, featuring 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its memory subsystem is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 14111 in PassMark G3D and 1242 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0% difference) and the AMD Radeon 680M (0.1% faster).

The GPU's performance characteristics are the defining factor in this combo's Hard West results. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM is a critical resource, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 22, which is likely due to the GPU hitting both its compute and memory limits. The 6 GB frame buffer may struggle with the texture and geometry data at 4K Ultra, causing the steep performance cliff seen in the numbers. In contrast, at 1080p Low, the GPU can easily handle the workload, achieving 143 FPS.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are adequate for a game from 2015, but the data suggests they are not sufficient for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The measured results show that the RTX 2060 is much more comfortable at 1440p Medium, where it averages 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS. This is a playable range for a tactical game. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is a forward-looking feature, but for Hard West, the older rendering paths are likely more relevant. The 160 W TDP and dual-slot design are consistent with its mid-range positioning, and the 1x 8-pin power connector suggests it is not an overly power-hungry card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across all combinations:

• 1920x1080: At Low settings, the combo achieves 143 FPS average. Medium settings yield 117 FPS average, with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS. High settings produce 90 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 67 FPS average. This resolution is where the system is most comfortable, with all presets exceeding 60 FPS.

• 2560x1440: Low settings average 90 FPS. Medium settings average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. High settings average 57 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS average. At 1440p, the system remains playable at Low through High, but Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

• 3840x2160: Low settings average 47 FPS. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. High settings average 30 FPS. Ultra settings average 22 FPS. At 4K, the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay, with even Low settings falling below 50 FPS.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. The RTX 2060 can handle 1080p with ease, providing high frame rates even at Ultra. At 1440p, it is a balanced experience, offering good performance at medium presets. At 4K, it is only marginally playable at Low settings, and the frame rates at High and Ultra are too low for a comfortable experience. The minimum FPS figures, where available (Medium settings), show that the system maintains relatively stable frame times, with the 4K Medium minimum of 33 FPS being the lowest recorded.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of all tested hardware combinations for Hard West, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2324 out of 2949 combos. This places it in the lower 21% of all tested systems. While this rank might seem low, it is important to consider the context. The rank is relative to all possible CPU and GPU pairings, many of which include much more powerful components. The 83rd percentile CPU and 58th percentile GPU individually do not guarantee a high combo rank, because the game's performance is heavily weighted toward GPU capabilities, and the RTX 2060 is an older, entry-level ray tracing card.

The combo rank of 2324 suggests that there are 2323 other tested combinations that produce better average FPS in Hard West. This is expected, given that the RTX 2060 is now several generations old. However, the data shows that the performance is still serviceable for the game's genre. The rank does not indicate a broken or unplayable setup; rather, it reflects that this is a mid-range system from a few years ago. The measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p are perfectly adequate for a turn-based tactics game, where high frame rates are less critical than in fast-paced shooters. The combo's position in the rankings is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, which we have already analyzed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and preference for frame rate stability.

• For 1920x1080: The Ultra preset at 67 FPS is the best choice for visual fidelity, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold. If a higher refresh rate is desired, the Medium preset at 117 FPS offers a significant boost with a minor reduction in visual quality. Low at 143 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it is unnecessary for this genre.

• For 2560x1440: The Medium preset at 74 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a good balance of visuals and performance. The High preset at 57 FPS is also viable, but it dips below 60 FPS, which might be noticeable to some users. The Low preset at 90 FPS is the best for smoothness, but it sacrifices too much visual detail. Ultra at 43 FPS is not recommended for general play.

• For 3840x2160: The Low preset at 47 FPS is the only reasonable option for playable performance. The Medium preset at 39 FPS is borderline, but the minimum of 33 FPS might cause stutters. High and Ultra are not recommended, as their 30 FPS and 22 FPS averages are too low for a smooth experience.

In summary, the recommended presets are Ultra at 1080p, Medium at 1440p, and Low at 4K. These settings provide the best experience per the measured rows, ensuring that the game remains fluid without unnecessary graphical sacrifices.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 90 frames per second.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset, which averages 47 FPS. At Medium, it averages 39 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it drops to 30 FPS and 22 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i5-14600T and 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H in average benchmark scores.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 63 frames per second.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 2324 out of 2949 tested combinations in Hard West.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU and the base clock of the GPU?

A: The CPU has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, while the GPU has a base clock of 1365 MHz.