Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the measured data for this combination of an AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and an Intel Arc B390 shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component. The CPU is a strong modern desktop part, but the GPU, which operates as an integrated processor, delivers performance that places this combo near the bottom of the tested database. Benchmark results indicate that playable frame rates are achievable only at 1080p with lower settings, and the experience degrades quickly as resolution and visual fidelity increase.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average frame rate stays above 60 FPS. At this resolution, the Low preset achieves an average of 87 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 71 FPS. Higher resolutions of 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 produce average frame rates below 60 FPS across all tested settings.

Q: How does the Arc B390's performance compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which places it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 and is 1.3% slower. It is also 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460) and 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446). Its percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 9, indicating it outperforms only a small fraction of the graphics cards in the database.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D a high-performing processor relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes, the CPU data shows it is a strong performer. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has an average benchmark score of 44573 and sits in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, which is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i5-14600, which is 0.7% slower.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures recorded for this combo in Hard West?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS values only for the Medium settings. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 61. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum drops to 38 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Medium, it falls to 20 FPS. No minimum FPS data is provided for the Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Hard West?

A: The combo ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 11% of all systems tested for this game. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the graphics processor's limited performance.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D?

A: The launch MSRP for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is $269. The Intel Arc B390 has no launch MSRP listed in the data.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this system for Hard West. The GPU’s benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which is a very low result. This is reflected in its 9th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, meaning 91% of graphics cards in the database perform better. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts, with the GT 520MX being 1.3% slower and the GT 710 being 2.7% slower. This places the Arc B390 at the very entry level of graphics performance.

The graphics processor is an integrated part, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. Its clocks are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. The memory configuration is entirely system-dependent, with the GPU using "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM of its own. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This architecture is a significant constraint for gaming, as the GPU must share system memory bandwidth with the CPU.

In Hard West, the impact of this GPU is dramatic. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 18 FPS on High, 24 FPS on Medium, 14 FPS on Ultra, and 29 FPS on Low. The game becomes nearly unplayable at this resolution, with the Ultra preset producing a slideshow. The situation improves at 2560x1440, but average frame rates still remain below 60 FPS: 35 FPS on High, 45 FPS on Medium, 26 FPS on Ultra, and 55 FPS on Low. The GPU's limited shading units (1536), TMUs (48), and ROPs (24) are clearly insufficient to handle the rendering load at higher resolutions.

The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is the raw compute capability, but the lack of dedicated, high-bandwidth VRAM is a severe handicap. The performance scaling across settings is also telling. At 1080p, moving from Low to High drops the average FPS from 87 to 55, a 37% decrease. At 1440p, the drop from Low to High is from 55 to 35 FPS, a 36% decrease. This demonstrates that the GPU is already under heavy load even at Low settings, and any increase in visual complexity directly impacts the frame rate.

The measured results indicate that for Hard West, the Arc B390 should be considered a 1080p-oriented part. While it can produce playable frame rates at that resolution on lower settings, it lacks the headroom for higher resolutions or more demanding presets. The system-dependent memory bandwidth is a critical weakness, as the game likely requires significant data transfer that this architecture cannot provide efficiently.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a completely different story compared to the GPU. This is a modern, high-performance desktop processor based on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The CPU has a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a key feature for gaming performance. Its benchmark scores are strong, with an average of 44573, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, is only 0.2% faster, while the Intel Core i5-14600 is 0.7% slower.

In terms of raw processing power, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is more than capable of handling a turn-based tactics game like Hard West. The single-thread score of 3494 and the multithread score of 25047 indicate that both single-core and multi-core workloads are handled very well. Games of this genre typically do not have extremely high thread requirements, but they do benefit from strong single-core performance. With a boost clock of 4.50 GHz and a large L3 cache, the CPU is well-suited for this task.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU. For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 87 FPS. This is a high frame rate that indicates the CPU is capable of feeding frames quickly. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a lower value regardless of resolution or settings. However, the frame rates vary significantly with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

The 65W TDP of the CPU is modest, and its memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth is ample for most gaming scenarios. The CPU is a top-tier part, and its performance is essentially wasted in this pairing for Hard West because the graphics processor cannot keep up. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is a mere 14, which is far below the CPU's capability. The CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame.

The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's strong benchmark scores do not translate into high in-game performance here because the GPU is the primary constraint. It would be able to drive much higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful discrete graphics card. In this specific configuration, the CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation, but it is far from being utilized to its full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Hard West reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. The data includes average FPS for all settings, with minimum and maximum FPS only recorded for the Medium preset.

At 1920x1080, the system is able to achieve playable frame rates. The Low preset yields an average of 87 FPS, which is smooth. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating a stable experience. The High preset drops to an average of 55 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 41 FPS, which may feel stuttery in a turn-based game but is still technically functional.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. The High preset drops to 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 26 FPS. None of these settings at 1440p achieve a consistent 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the performance is very poor. The Low preset averages 29 FPS, which is barely playable. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset drops to 18 FPS, and the Ultra preset is a near-unplayable 14 FPS. This resolution is clearly not suitable for this combination.

The scaling between settings is not linear. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium results in a 16 FPS drop, while the jump from Medium to High results in another 16 FPS drop. At 1440p, the drop from Low to Medium is 10 FPS, and from Medium to High is also 10 FPS. At 4K, the drop from Low to Medium is 5 FPS, and from Medium to High is 6 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU are working harder, while at higher resolutions, the GPU is already saturated and the additional settings have a smaller absolute impact on frame rate.

The minimum and maximum FPS data for Medium settings provides additional insight. At 1080p, the range is 61-82 FPS, a 21 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 38-52 FPS, a 14 FPS spread. At 4K, the range is 20-27 FPS, a 7 FPS spread. This tightening of the frame rate range as resolution increases further confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor. At higher resolutions, the GPU is consistently hitting its performance ceiling, leaving little variance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hard West, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2614 out of 2949 total combinations. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested, which is a very low ranking. The data indicates that this is not a competitive gaming setup for this title.

The combination of a top-tier CPU and an entry-level GPU is an unusual one. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking is in stark contrast to the GPU's 9th percentile ranking. The combo's overall rank is dragged down entirely by the GPU's lack of performance. The data suggests that the CPU is not contributing to the low ranking; rather, it is being held back by the graphics solution.

When compared to other combos, the performance is limited by the GPU's ability to render the game. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is not suitable for high-resolution or high-detail gaming. The rank of 2614 out of 2949 means that the vast majority of other tested systems can run Hard West better than this one.

The low rank is a direct consequence of the Arc B390's position in the GPU hierarchy. Its nearest rivals are all very old, low-powered parts. For instance, it is only 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. This means that in a game like Hard West, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, the GPU is still unable to deliver a smooth experience at higher settings. The CPU's high performance cannot compensate for this fundamental graphics limitation.

This combo's ranking serves as a cautionary example of an imbalanced system. While the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a powerful processor, the overall system performance is dictated by its weakest link. In this case, that is the Intel Arc B390. The data clearly shows that this pairing is not optimized for gaming performance in Hard West, and the low rank reflects that.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Hard West is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium settings preset. This configuration provides an average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate stays above 60 FPS, which is generally considered the threshold for smooth gameplay, even during busy scenes.

The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 87 FPS, but it does so at the cost of visual quality. The Medium preset strikes a better balance between visual fidelity and performance. The jump from Low to Medium is a 16 FPS drop in average frame rate, but the visual improvements are likely substantial. Since a turn-based tactics game does not require the same level of frame rate responsiveness as a first-person shooter, the 71 FPS average on Medium is a very comfortable target.

The High preset at 1080p averages 55 FPS, which is still playable but may not be as smooth. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 41 FPS, which could lead to noticeable stuttering. Neither of these presets provides the same level of consistency as Medium. The data shows that the minimum FPS for Medium is 61, which is higher than the average FPS for High. This means that the Medium preset is not only faster on average but also more stable.

At 2560x1440, the best option is the Low preset, which averages 55 FPS. However, this is below the 60 FPS target and may not provide a fully smooth experience. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS, which could result in noticeable frame drops. At 3840x2160, no preset provides an acceptable experience, as even the Low preset only averages 29 FPS.

Therefore, the recommended settings are 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth frame rate above 60 FPS without sacrificing too much visual quality. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p is also a viable option, offering an average of 87 FPS. However, for the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear choice. The data shows that attempting to play at higher resolutions or with higher settings will result in a degraded experience.