Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination show a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet reveals surprising CPU strength at 1080p. The data indicates this pairing provides a very wide range of performance, from highly playable 4K to extremely high refresh rate 1080p, making it a versatile option for this specific game. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to explain where the bottlenecks lie and how to get the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, which is typical for a game of this era running on modern hardware. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 161 FPS at 1920x1080 to 102 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 54 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 37% reduction in FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent and predictable, indicating that the rendering load is scaling directly with the pixel count.

This pattern strongly suggests that at 4K, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the limiting component. The game's demands at 3840x2160 are simply too high for the GPU to maintain the frame rates seen at lower resolutions. Conversely, the very high frame rates at 1080p, such as 256 FPS on Low settings, hint that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 5 7600X, with its high single-thread performance, is not the bottleneck at 1080p; the GPU is still the primary constraint, but it has more headroom to work with.

The data shows that the most significant performance cliff occurs between 1440p and 4K. The jump from 102 FPS to 54 FPS at High settings is a dramatic drop, more than halving the frame rate. This indicates that 4K is the point where the RTX 4070's capabilities are truly taxed, and users should expect to make compromises in settings to achieve a smooth experience. At 1440p, the system is in a sweet spot, delivering high frame rates that are well above the threshold for smooth gameplay, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how the game scales with graphical presets. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with the average frame rate dropping from 256 FPS to 121 FPS. Even at the Ultra preset, the system maintains an average of 121 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. For competitive play or maximum smoothness, the Low preset's 256 FPS is unmatched, but the Medium preset at 210 FPS offers a compelling balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 76 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the threshold where some users might prefer higher frame rates. The High preset at 102 FPS is the recommended choice here, as it provides a smooth experience while retaining a high level of visual detail. The Medium preset at 133 FPS is also a strong option for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, offering a 30% performance increase over High with a modest reduction in visual quality.

For 4K resolution, the choices become more critical. The Ultra preset averages just 40 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth experience. The High preset improves this to 54 FPS, which is playable but still not perfect. The Medium preset, however, delivers a much more playable 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, making it the best option for 4K gaming on this hardware. The data clearly shows that Medium is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a balance that avoids the low frame rates of Ultra while offering a significant visual upgrade over Low.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1060 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4135. This is the key metric for a game like Hard West, which, as a turn-based tactics title, likely relies heavily on single-threaded performance for game logic and AI calculations. The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this game.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 7600X is closely matched with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and the Intel Core i5-12600K, with deltaPct values of 0.2% and 0.2%, respectively. This indicates that in general CPU benchmarks, these processors are nearly identical in performance. However, the Ryzen 5 7600X's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz and its position in the 79th percentile of all CPUs suggest it has ample power for demanding titles.

The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is evident in the 1080p Low preset results, where the system achieves 256 FPS. This high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU's ability to process game logic quickly enough to feed the GPU. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 121 FPS average shows that the CPU can handle the increased draw calls and game state updates without dropping below acceptable levels. The Ryzen 5 7600X's performance is more than sufficient for Hard West, leaving the GPU as the primary determinant of frame rate at all resolutions tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks at position 829 out of 3722 tested combinations in this game. This places it in the top 22% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The data shows that this pairing is well above average for playing Hard West, indicating that it will provide a high level of performance without being at the absolute top tier of hardware.

This ranking is a reflection of the GPU's capabilities. The RTX 4070, with an average benchmark score of 37648 and a percentile rank of 81, is a high-end card. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which is a much older card, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, which is a laptop part. The fact that the RTX 4070 scores similarly to these cards in synthetic benchmarks, but has modern features and efficiency, makes it a strong choice.

The high combo rank suggests that the system is well-balanced for this game. While the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, it is also not holding the GPU back. The 829th rank out of 3722 means there are many systems that perform better, but the vast majority of systems will perform worse. For a user looking to play Hard West at high settings with good frame rates, this combination is more than capable, and its ranking reflects that it is a solid, above-average choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of performance in Hard West, and its role becomes more apparent as resolution increases. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's requirements, even at 4K resolution, where the High preset still manages to hold 54 FPS. The VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, contribute to its strong performance. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is the component that determines the frame rate in most scenarios. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 40, which is a direct result of the GPU's rendering capabilities being maxed out. The fact that lowering the settings to Medium at 4K improves the average FPS to 70 shows that the GPU has more headroom when the graphical load is reduced.

The RTX 4070's nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks is the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, with a deltaPct of 0.4%. However, this comparison is misleading, as the RTX 4070 is a much more modern architecture with features like ray tracing and DLSS that the RX Vega 56 lacks. In the context of Hard West, the measured FPS shows that the RTX 4070 is a capable card, but it is the limiting factor at 4K. Users should be aware that to achieve higher frame rates at this resolution, they will need to reduce graphical settings, as the GPU cannot handle the Ultra preset at playable speeds.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 256 FPS, which confirms the CPU and GPU's combined power. The Medium preset averages 210 FPS, with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS. The High preset averages 161 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 121 FPS. All of these results are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the lowest average (121 FPS at Ultra) is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 162 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. The High preset averages 102 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 76 FPS. At this resolution, all settings are playable, but the Ultra preset's 76 FPS is the first sign of strain on the GPU. The Medium and High presets offer the best balance for 1440p, providing high frame rates with good visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is playable but a significant drop from the 162 FPS seen at 1440p. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as it stays above 60 FPS on average and has a minimum that is close to that threshold. The High preset averages 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Ultra preset averages just 40 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows a clear hierarchy: for 4K, users should stick to Medium settings to get a playable experience, while those with 1080p or 1440p monitors can use higher presets without issue.