Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing delivers a decisively GPU-bound experience in Hard West, with frame rates scaling almost entirely with resolution and graphics preset rather than CPU throughput. The data shows a combination that is powerful enough to saturate high refresh rate displays at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining playable performance at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the measured results, component roles, and the specific settings that yield the best experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 155 FPS. This is the lowest average at 1080p but still far above the 144 FPS refresh rate threshold for high-end monitors.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The difference is substantial. The 1080p Low preset produces an average of 233 FPS, while 4K Ultra produces an average of 51 FPS. This represents a performance drop of approximately 78% between the two extremes.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's performance consistent with its benchmark percentile?

A: The RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its measured performance in Hard West aligns with that high standing. The data indicates the card is rarely the bottleneck at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS gap between Low and High presets at 1080p.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 5700G's integrated graphics affect this combo's performance?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 5700G includes Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, but the system is using the discrete RTX 4080. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are the relevant specifications for this analysis.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 170 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. This makes it an excellent choice for high refresh rate 1440p gaming.

Q: How does the combo's rank in this game compare to its total pool?

A: The combo ranks 402nd out of 3722 tested combinations in Hard West, placing it in the top 11% of all tested systems. This is a strong result, though the ranking is influenced by the game's low CPU demands.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, operating with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. For Hard West, a turn-based tactics title, the CPU's role is primarily to manage game logic, unit pathfinding, and AI decision-making. The benchmark data suggests that the game is not heavily threaded, as the CPU's 16 threads are rarely the limiting factor.

The processor's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 12830.5 points in multi-core and 1494 points in single-core tests. Its PassMark single-thread score of 3283 is particularly relevant for Hard West, as turn-based games often rely on a few fast cores for critical simulation tasks. The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is telling: it is essentially tied with the Intel Core i9-9900K (deltaPct of -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 (+0.4%), and the Intel Core i5-14400T (-0.4%). This means the 5700G provides a level of computational power that is perfectly adequate for this game.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 233, which is a high number that indicates the CPU can feed frames to the GPU without issue. If the CPU were struggling, we would see a much smaller difference between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution. The fact that the FPS drops from 233 (Low) to 155 (Ultra) at 1080p demonstrates that the GPU is handling the increased graphical load, while the CPU maintains its pace. The Ryzen 7 5700G's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are sufficient for the game's needs, ensuring that the RTX 4080 is not starved for data.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications make it a formidable force for Hard West. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs. Its 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is more than sufficient for the game's visual effects and shader complexity.

The RTX 4080's benchmark percentile of 86 and its average score of 54247 place it in the upper echelon of GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is virtually identical in performance with a deltaPct of 0.1%. This means the standard 4080 is effectively at the top of its class for this title. The GPU's performance in Hard West is characterized by its ability to handle resolution scaling. At 1080p, the GPU is so powerful that it can push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS on lower presets, indicating it is not fully utilized. The bottleneck shifts to the CPU's ability to issue draw calls, but as noted, the 5700G handles this admirably.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K, the number of pixels quadruples compared to 1080p, and the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become critical. The data shows a clear progression: 233 FPS at 1080p Low drops to 109 FPS at 4K Low. This is a direct consequence of the GPU working harder to render each frame. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of VRAM is also a significant asset, ensuring that even at 4K Ultra with high-resolution textures, there is no memory pressure that could cause stuttering or frame drops.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Hard West is 402 out of 3722 tested combinations. This places the system in the top 10.8% of all tested hardware pairs, which is a strong performance. The ranking is a composite of the CPU and GPU's ability to deliver frame rates across all tested settings. Given the RTX 4080's 86th percentile standing and the Ryzen 7 5700G's 79th percentile standing, a top-11% overall rank is consistent with expectations.

The data indicates that this combo is not the absolute fastest, as there are likely combinations with newer, higher-end CPUs that can push frame rates slightly higher at 1080p. However, the rank is impressive because the Ryzen 7 5700G is a mid-range processor from 2021, while the RTX 4080 is a high-end GPU from 2022. The fact that this pairing achieves a 402nd rank suggests that the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the CPU is sufficient to avoid becoming a major bottleneck. For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, the rank reflects that the system is vastly overqualified for the task, providing a smooth experience even in the most demanding scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across resolutions and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 233 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset.
• Medium: 217 FPS average, with a minimum of 184 FPS and a maximum of 249 FPS.
• High: 197 FPS average.
• Ultra: 155 FPS average.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 200 FPS average.
• Medium: 170 FPS average, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS.
• High: 131 FPS average.
• Ultra: 98 FPS average.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 109 FPS average.
• Medium: 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS.
• High: 69 FPS average.
• Ultra: 51 FPS average.

The data reveals a clear pattern. At 1080p, the system is CPU-limited at lower presets, as the FPS gains from reducing settings are modest (233 to 197 FPS between Low and High). The jump to Ultra (155 FPS) shows the GPU starting to take on more work. At 1440p, the GPU becomes more of a factor, with a wider spread between Low (200 FPS) and Ultra (98 FPS). At 4K, the GPU is fully saturated, and the FPS drops are directly tied to the preset's graphical demands. The 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS is the only setting that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this is the most demanding configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the user's display and performance targets.

For 1080p and 1440p displays with high refresh rates (144Hz or higher), the High preset is the optimal choice. At 1080p High, the system delivers 197 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz threshold. At 1440p High, the average of 131 FPS is still excellent, though it falls slightly short of a 144Hz target. If a user has a 144Hz 1440p monitor, the Medium preset (170 FPS) is a better fit, as it provides a comfortable margin above the refresh rate while still offering a significant visual upgrade over Low.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset (89 FPS) offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. It is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, and the minimum of 76 FPS ensures that there are no noticeable dips. The High preset (69 FPS) is also viable for a 60Hz display, but the Ultra preset (51 FPS) is not recommended for competitive play or smooth gameplay, as it dips below the standard 60 FPS threshold. For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals at 4K, the Low preset (109 FPS) is an option, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is turn-based and does not demand ultra-fast reaction times.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is a clear indicator of the limiting component in this combo. The data shows that at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 233 at 1080p to 109 at 4K, a drop of 124 FPS (approximately 53%). At Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 155 at 1080p to 51 at 4K, a drop of 104 FPS (approximately 67%). This pattern demonstrates that the RTX 4080 is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

The scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the GPU is rendering fewer pixels, so the frame rate is high and the CPU's limits become more apparent. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows quadratically, and the frame rate drops proportionally. The fact that the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is larger at Ultra settings (67%) than at Low settings (53%) confirms that the GPU is struggling more with the increased pixel count and shader complexity at higher presets.

This analysis indicates that the Ryzen 7 5700G is not a limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, where the GPU is idle. Instead, the FPS scales smoothly with resolution, which is a hallmark of a system where the GPU is the limiting component. For Hard West, this means users can confidently adjust resolution and settings to match their display, knowing that the CPU will not introduce unexpected stutters or frame drops. The system is balanced for 1440p high-refresh gaming, with 4K Ultra being the only setting that pushes the GPU to its limits.