Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a performance profile in Hard West that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset choice, with the data showing a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p to a GPU-bound one at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, ranking, and component roles based solely on the provided benchmark data.

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

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic scaling pattern, but with a twist specific to this turn-based tactics title. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 246 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 155 FPS, a reduction of 91 FPS, and then to 4K Low it falls further to 82 FPS. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases, even in a genre not typically associated with heavy graphical loads.

However, the story changes dramatically when examining higher presets. At Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 116 at 1080p to 73 at 1440p and finally to 38 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling: it is less than half the 1080p Ultra score, which is a more significant drop than the pure pixel-count increase would suggest. This implies that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at high resolutions, likely taxing the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM or its shading units heavily.

The scaling from Medium to High also shows interesting behavior. At 1440p, the jump from Medium (127 FPS) to High (98 FPS) costs 29 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra (73 FPS) costs 25 FPS. This non-linear progression suggests that the Ultra preset is not just a linear extension of High but includes a specific feature that causes a disproportionate performance hit. The data points to the RTX 3080 being the limiting factor at 4K across all settings, while at 1080p, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are likely sufficient to feed the GPU, allowing for the very high frame rates observed.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 5 7500F and RTX 3080 sits at rank 1013 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 27% of all configurations, which is a solid position, but it is not near the top of the leaderboard. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the CPU is in the 77th percentile vs all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 68th percentile vs all GPUs. The combo's rank reflects a pairing of two mid-to-high-tier components that together are more than capable for this game, but they are not the absolute best available.

The ranking suggests that many other combos, likely with newer or more powerful GPUs, achieve higher average FPS. However, the rank of 1013 out of 3722 is not a poor showing; it indicates that this system is in the upper echelon of tested hardware. For a game released in 2015, this modern pairing is overkill for most presets, but the 4K Ultra result shows that even this hardware can be brought to its knees. The combo's position implies that users can expect excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra settings presenting a challenge.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 plays a pivotal role in determining the high-resolution performance ceiling. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory is a key factor; while sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, the 4K Ultra results (38 FPS) suggest that the game may be hitting memory capacity limits or bandwidth constraints. The GPU's memory bandwidth is listed at 760.3 GB/s, which is substantial, but the 320-bit bus and 10 GB capacity are the limiting factors at extreme settings. The clock speeds, with a base of 1440 MHz and boost of 1710 MHz, are moderate for the Ampere architecture.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context. Its Passmark G3D score is 25086, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 4407. These are strong numbers, but the GPU's percentile rank is only 68th, meaning a third of tested GPUs outperform it. In Hard West, the RTX 3080 is clearly the dominant component at 4K, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. At 1080p Low (246 FPS), the GPU is not fully utilized, but at 4K Ultra (38 FPS), it is the definitive bottleneck. The data shows that the GPU's performance is directly tied to the preset and resolution, with the 10 GB VRAM being a potential constraint on the Ultra preset's texture and effect loads.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 201 FPS average with a documented range of 171 to 231 FPS. This is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The High preset at 1080p (155 FPS) is also viable, but the jump to Ultra (116 FPS) sacrifices performance for marginal visual gains, which is not recommended given the large drop from Medium.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (127 FPS) remains the sweet spot, providing a smooth experience above 120 FPS. The High preset (98 FPS) is still very playable, but the Ultra preset (73 FPS) is the first to dip below the 100 FPS threshold. For 4K, the data suggests that Medium (67 FPS) is the highest playable preset, with High (51 FPS) being borderline and Ultra (38 FPS) being too demanding for a consistent experience. The Low preset at 4K (82 FPS) is surprisingly playable, but it likely sacrifices too much visual fidelity. The recommendation is to use Medium at all resolutions, as it provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality, with the data showing it is the only preset that maintains above 60 FPS at 4K.

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

The raw data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 246 FPS average
• Medium: 201 FPS average (171 min, 231 max)
• High: 155 FPS average
• Ultra: 116 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 155 FPS average
• Medium: 127 FPS average (108 min, 146 max)
• High: 98 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 82 FPS average
• Medium: 67 FPS average (57 min, 77 max)
• High: 51 FPS average
• Ultra: 38 FPS average

The 1080p results show a massive headroom, with even Ultra exceeding 100 FPS. At 1440p, the transition from Medium to High (29 FPS drop) is the largest single-step decline in this resolution. At 4K, the drop from Low to Medium (15 FPS) is significant, and the Ultra preset at 38 FPS is the only result below the 40 FPS threshold, indicating it is not a viable option for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset's min/max FPS data (57-77 at 4K, 108-146 at 1440p, 171-231 at 1080p) shows that frame pacing is consistent, with no severe stutters, making it the most reliable choice.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 98 FPS.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this combo?

A: No, the 4K Ultra preset yields an average of 38 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

*Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Hard West?*

A: It ranks 1013 out of 3722 combos, placing it in the top 27% of all tested systems.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded at 1080p?

A: The maximum FPS recorded is 231 FPS, which occurs at 1080p with the Medium preset.

Q: Which preset shows the largest performance gap between 1080p and 4K?

A: The Low preset shows the largest gap, dropping from 246 FPS at 1080p to 82 FPS at 4K, a difference of 164 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile rank among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks in the 68th percentile vs all GPUs.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial, and the 5 nm process node contributes to its efficiency. In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is less demanding than in fast-paced shooters, but it still needs to manage game logic, AI, and unit pathfinding.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 22799, and its single-core score is 3218. The Passmark single-thread score is 3841. These numbers suggest the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's computational load. The data shows that at 1080p Low (246 FPS), the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU is not fully stressed. However, at 4K Ultra (38 FPS), the CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11850H, has an average score of 24935, which is 0.1% higher, indicating the 7500F is well-matched against its peers. The CPU's 77th percentile rank vs all CPUs means it outperforms the majority of processors, making it a solid choice for this game. The data implies that the CPU will not be a constraint in Hard West at any resolution, allowing the RTX 3080 to be the sole determinant of performance at higher settings. The 12 threads are more than sufficient for the game's multi-threaded tasks, ensuring smooth frame delivery even in complex tactical scenarios.