Hard West

# Hard West — AMD Ryzen 7 5700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and this pairing of an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 5700 with the flagship RTX 5090 produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and settings. Benchmark data shows the combo ranks 248th out of 3722 tested configurations, placing it in the top 7% of all tracked hardware pairings for this game. The measured results reveal a title that is far more sensitive to settings than to resolution scaling, with frame rates ranging from 58 FPS at 4K Ultra to 233 FPS at 1080p Low. This is a game where the CPU still matters, but the GPU headroom is substantial enough that most bottlenecks appear only at the highest presets.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling pattern here is unusual compared to most modern titles. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average frame rate from 198 FPS to 148 FPS, a reduction of roughly 25%. That is a significant step, but the drop from 1440p to 4K at High is even steeper: from 148 FPS down to 78 FPS, a 47% decrease. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 is finally being pushed hard enough that pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor, rather than the game's engine or the CPU.

At Low settings, the scaling is more linear but still shows the GPU being the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. 1080p Low produces 233 FPS, 1440p Low drops to 200 FPS (a 14% reduction), and 4K Low falls to 123 FPS (a 38% reduction from 1440p). The gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller at Low settings because the game's rendering load at 1080p is light enough that the CPU or engine limits are being approached. At 4K Low, the GPU is still the clear bottleneck, but the absolute frame rate remains highly playable.

The Medium preset shows a different pattern. 1080p Medium averages 217 FPS, 1440p Medium averages 187 FPS, and 4K Medium averages 101 FPS. The 1440p-to-4K drop here is 46%, nearly identical to the High preset's 47% drop. This consistency suggests that once you exceed roughly 2 million pixels, the RTX 5090's fill rate and shading throughput become the deciding factor, regardless of the specific quality level. The difference between 1440p and 4K is consistently around 45-47% across Low, Medium, and High, which points to a resolution-bound scenario rather than a settings-bound one.

Ultra settings tell a different story. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 175 FPS, which is only 12% lower than 1080p High. But 1440p Ultra drops to 111 FPS (a 37% reduction from 1080p Ultra), and 4K Ultra falls to 58 FPS (a 48% reduction from 1440p Ultra). The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that dips below 60 FPS, and it does so decisively. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that scale superlinearly with pixel count, likely including higher-quality shadows, ambient occlusion, or post-processing that taxes the GPU's compute units more heavily at 4K.

What this means in practice: at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 5090 is rarely the limiting component for this 2015 title, even at Ultra. The CPU and the game engine's single-threaded nature will cap performance well below what the GPU can deliver. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, and the choice of preset has a dramatic impact on playability.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It carries 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is connected via a 512-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

In Hard West, the GPU's raw compute capabilities are largely underutilized at lower resolutions. The card has 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, along with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). Pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s. These figures are far beyond what a turn-based tactics game from 2015 requires, which explains why the measured frame rates at 1080p and 1440p are so high.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce this. Passmark G3D returns 39,650, and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 scores 18,355. The GPU sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% ahead), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% behind). The RTX 5090 trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%, but these deltas are all within a narrow band.

The memory configuration is more than sufficient for Hard West. The game's textures and geometry are modest by modern standards, and 32 GB of GDDR7 is overkill for this title. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth means that even at 4K Ultra, there is no risk of memory bandwidth becoming a limiting factor. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the key spec that drives the 4K results, but it is the 176 ROPs and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate that ultimately determine how fast the frame buffer can be filled at 4K.

The GPU's power draw is substantial at 575 W TDP, with a suggested 950 W power supply and a single 16-pin connector. The card measures 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, occupying a dual-slot form factor. It supports PCIe 5.0 x16 and offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. While the power requirements are high, the performance headroom in Hard West is so large that the GPU rarely operates at full load outside of 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hard West at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only with the right settings. At 4K Medium, the average is 101 FPS, and at 4K High it is 78 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. To maintain 60 FPS at 4K, use Medium or High presets.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: At 1440p, the system delivers excellent frame rates across all presets. 1440p Ultra averages 111 FPS, and 1440p High averages 148 FPS. 1080p is also fine, but the frame rates there (175-233 FPS) exceed the refresh rate of most monitors, so the extra resolution at 1440p is a better use of the GPU.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 overkill for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, yes. The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth are far beyond what Hard West needs. The game becomes CPU-limited at those resolutions, as evidenced by the relatively small frame rate differences between Low and High at 1080p (233 vs 198 FPS). Only at 4K Ultra does the GPU start to work hard.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700 has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its single-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core at 2,916 points, is the key factor. Hard West's engine is likely not well-threaded, so the CPU's single-core speed limits frame rates at lower resolutions.

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

A: The average frame rate at 1080p Low is 233 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it is 175 FPS. That is a 25% reduction, which is significant but still leaves the game highly playable. The Medium preset sits at 217 FPS, and High at 198 FPS.

Q: Is there a settings preset that offers the best balance?

A: At 4K, Medium is the sweet spot: 101 FPS average with minimums of 86 FPS and maximums of 116 FPS. At 1440p, High at 148 FPS is a good choice, or Ultra at 111 FPS if you want maximum visual quality. At 1080p, even Ultra at 175 FPS is smooth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this pairing cover three resolutions and four settings presets, with Medium being the only preset that includes minimum and maximum frame data.

At 1920x1080, the results are:

• Low: 233 FPS average
• Medium: 217 FPS average, with minimums of 185 FPS and maximums of 250 FPS
• High: 198 FPS average
• Ultra: 175 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy: Low is fastest, then Medium, then High, then Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 58 FPS, or 25%. The Medium preset's minimum of 185 FPS means that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate never drops below what would be considered smooth on a 144 Hz monitor. The maximum of 250 FPS indicates that the system can exceed the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 200 FPS average
• Medium: 187 FPS average, with minimums of 159 FPS and maximums of 215 FPS
• High: 148 FPS average
• Ultra: 111 FPS average

The 1440p spread from Low to Ultra is 89 FPS, or 45%. The Medium preset at 187 FPS is still very fast, and even Ultra at 111 FPS is comfortable for high-refresh-rate gaming. The minimum of 159 FPS at Medium means there are no noticeable hitches. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low is 33 FPS (14%), while at Ultra it is 64 FPS (37%), showing that higher settings amplify the resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 123 FPS average
• Medium: 101 FPS average, with minimums of 86 FPS and maximums of 116 FPS
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 58 FPS average

The 4K spread from Low to Ultra is 65 FPS, or 53%. The Medium preset at 101 FPS is the only 4K configuration that stays comfortably above 60 FPS. High at 78 FPS is playable, but Ultra at 58 FPS falls just short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium minimum of 86 FPS means that even in heavy scenes, the frame rate stays above 60 FPS. The maximum of 116 FPS shows that the system is capable of more in lighter scenes.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is consistent across presets: 123 vs 200 FPS at Low (38% drop), 101 vs 187 FPS at Medium (46% drop), 78 vs 148 FPS at High (47% drop), and 58 vs 111 FPS at Ultra (48% drop). This consistency indicates a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, where the RTX 5090's pixel throughput is the deciding factor.

Settings Recommendations

For this hardware pairing, the best experience depends on your display's resolution and refresh rate.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. The 101 FPS average with an 86 FPS minimum is the only 4K configuration that guarantees a smooth experience on a 60 Hz or 100 Hz display. High at 78 FPS is acceptable if you have a 75 Hz monitor, but the drop from Medium to High is 23 FPS, which is noticeable. Ultra at 58 FPS is below 60 FPS and should be avoided unless you have a variable refresh rate display and can tolerate occasional dips. The Low preset at 123 FPS is fast but sacrifices visual quality for speed that the GPU doesn't need to spend.

At 1440p, the High preset at 148 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, High will keep you near the refresh rate cap. Ultra at 111 FPS is also viable if you prefer maximum quality and have a 120 Hz display. The Medium preset at 187 FPS is overkill for most 1440p displays, as it exceeds the refresh rate of all but the fastest 240 Hz panels. Low at 200 FPS is unnecessary.

At 1080p, Ultra at 175 FPS is the recommended choice because the GPU has so much headroom. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is far above what most 1080p monitors can display. Medium at 217 FPS is faster but the visual difference between Medium and Ultra is worth the 42 FPS trade-off. Low at 233 FPS is pointless at this resolution.

The pattern is clear: at 1080p, use Ultra; at 1440p, use High or Ultra; at 4K, use Medium. The RTX 5090's power is best utilized at higher resolutions and settings, but the game's age means that even 4K Medium looks good while delivering playable frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne codename. It is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, with 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. The base clock is 3.70 GHz, boosting to 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. It supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU uses PCIe Gen 3 with 20 lanes, and its L3 cache is 16 MB.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily single-threaded. The game is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and its engine likely relies on one or two threads for the majority of game logic and scene management. The Ryzen 7 5700's single-thread performance is solid: Cinebench R23 single-core scores 2,916 points, and 3DMark single-thread scores 901. These numbers indicate that the CPU can handle the game's logic without becoming a severe bottleneck at lower resolutions.

However, the CPU's multi-threaded scores are more impressive. Cinebench R23 multi-core is 20,655, Geekbench multi-core is 9,959, and 3DMark max-thread is 6,617. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is overkill for a game like Hard West, but it ensures that background tasks and streaming don't interfere with game performance. The CPU's percentile among all CPUs is 78, with an average benchmark score of 25,517. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon D-2752TER (0.1% behind), AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (0.1% behind), AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (0.1% behind), and AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (0.3% ahead), all within a 0.4% band.

The evidence that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p and 1440p comes from the frame rate patterns. At 1080p, the difference between Low (233 FPS) and Ultra (175 FPS) is 58 FPS, but the difference between 1080p Ultra (175 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (111 FPS) is 64 FPS. If the GPU were the bottleneck at 1080p, we would expect to see larger frame rate differences between Low and Ultra at the same resolution. The relatively small spread at 1080p suggests that the CPU is capping performance at around 175-233 FPS, depending on the settings' CPU load.

At 1440p, the CPU still has influence, as evidenced by the 200 FPS Low result versus the 148 FPS High result. But at 4K, the GPU takes over completely: the frame rates scale almost perfectly with the pixel count and settings, indicating that the RTX 5090's rendering capabilities are the sole constraint.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and its 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for this game. Hard West doesn't require high memory bandwidth, and the dual-channel configuration is sufficient. The 16 MB L3 cache is also plenty for the game's working set.

In summary, the Ryzen 7 5700 is more than enough for Hard West, but it does limit performance at 1080p and 1440p. If you want to push beyond 175 FPS at 1080p or 200 FPS at 1440p, a CPU with higher single-thread performance would be needed. But for most users, the combination of this CPU and the RTX 5090 delivers excellent frame rates at all resolutions, with the CPU being the secondary consideration behind the GPU at 4K.