Hard West

# Hard West — AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + Intel Arc B390

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, proves surprisingly demanding on this particular CPU-GPU pairing. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X combined with the Intel Arc B390 produces a performance profile that is heavily GPU-limited across all tested resolutions and settings. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: this combo struggles at 4K, becomes playable at 1440p with reduced settings, and only reaches smooth territory at 1080p on Low. The data indicates the Intel Arc B390, with its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, is the primary bottleneck, while the Ryzen 7 5700X provides ample headroom that goes largely unused in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across every settings preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 87 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 37% reduction — and then to 29 FPS at 3840x2160, which represents another 47% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component; a CPU-bound scenario would show much smaller frame rate differences as resolution increases.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the combo delivers 55 FPS average, dropping to 35 FPS at 1440p (a 36% decline) and then to 18 FPS at 4K (a 49% decline from 1440p). The Medium preset shows 71 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K, with the proportional drops closely mirroring the other presets. This consistency across settings strongly suggests that pixel throughput — not geometry, draw calls, or CPU logic — is the limiting factor.

Ultra settings exhibit the same trend but at lower absolute values: 41 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K. The resolution scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is roughly 3x for all presets in terms of pixel count, yet the frame rate drops are proportionally larger, indicating that the Arc B390's memory subsystem — marked as "System Shared" with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent" — cannot keep up with the increased memory traffic at higher resolutions.

The 4K results are particularly telling. Even at Low settings, the average of 29 FPS falls below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K bottoms out at 14 FPS, which is barely interactive. This data suggests that the Arc B390, with its integrated graphics design and 80 W TDP, is fundamentally unsuited for 4K gaming in Hard West, regardless of settings adjustments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3312 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This ranking is unsurprising given the GPU's individual performance standing. The Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). These are all entry-level or legacy parts, which contextualizes the Arc B390's position as a low-end solution.

The CPU, by contrast, performs at a much higher level. The Ryzen 7 5700X achieves an average benchmark score of 27578, placing it at the 79th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12600K with an identical average score (27578, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (27636, 0.2% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535, 0.2% slower), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (27507, 0.3% slower). The near-identical scores among these four CPUs indicate that the Ryzen 7 5700X is competitive with modern mid-range and upper-mid-range processors.

The massive disparity between the CPU's 79th percentile ranking and the GPU's 9th percentile ranking explains the combo's poor overall position. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where CPU load is generally modest, the GPU's limitations dominate the final frame rates. The combo rank of 3312 out of 3722 reflects this imbalance — the system is effectively held back entirely by the graphics solution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 architecture processor codenamed Vermeer, built on TSMC's 7 nm process with 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is likely minimal given the game's turn-based nature. The benchmark data shows no frame rate figures that would indicate CPU limitation — the scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistently proportional to resolution increases, which is the hallmark of GPU-bound performance. A CPU-bound scenario would show similar frame rates across resolutions, which is not the case here.

The Ryzen 7 5700X's benchmark results demonstrate strong multi-threaded capability: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 13184, with single-core at 1499. Geekbench shows 10779 multi-core and 2016 single-core. PassMark multi-thread reaches 26612, with single-thread at 3385. These scores place it well above what Hard West would require, even if the game were more demanding on CPU resources. The 16 threads provide ample headroom for any background processes or streaming workloads that might accompany gameplay.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier (with a $299 launch MSRP) position it as an efficient, overclockable desktop part. However, in this specific pairing, the CPU's capabilities are effectively wasted — the Arc B390 cannot push enough frames to stress the Ryzen 7 5700X meaningfully. The benchmark data shows no scenario where the CPU's performance ceiling is approached.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 87 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. Medium settings drop to 71 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 82 FPS — the only preset with min/max data recorded across all resolutions. High settings average 55 FPS, while Ultra falls to 41 FPS. All of these figures are playable, though the gap between Low and Ultra (46 FPS) highlights the GPU's sensitivity to graphical complexity.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more marginal. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is still acceptable for turn-based gameplay. Medium averages 45 FPS with min/max of 38 and 52 FPS respectively. High drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 10 FPS, while Medium to High costs another 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 9 FPS. This linear degradation suggests the GPU is being pushed progressively closer to its limits.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 29 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS with min/max of 20 and 27 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 15 FPS, indicating that the GPU is so severely limited that settings changes have diminishing returns. Even the best 4K result (29 FPS on Low) would be borderline for gameplay, and the Ultra preset at 14 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

The Medium preset at 1080p (71 FPS average) represents the sweet spot for this combo — it offers a significant improvement over High and Ultra while maintaining a comfortable frame rate. The min/max range of 61-82 FPS shows consistent performance without major dips.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. It belongs to the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation and features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The clocks range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost. Its compute capabilities include 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio), with pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s.

The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM. The bus width is also system-shared, and bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This architecture means the GPU's performance is heavily influenced by the system's memory speed and configuration. In the context of Hard West, this shared memory setup likely contributes to the steep performance drops at higher resolutions, where memory bandwidth requirements increase substantially.

The Arc B390's benchmark performance is minimal. Its only recorded 3DMark score is 1482 in Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals — GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 — are all dated, low-end parts from previous generations. The 80 W TDP for an integrated GPU indicates a power-efficient design, but efficiency does not translate to gaming performance in this case.

In Hard West, the GPU's limitations are apparent at every resolution. The game's simple graphics (a 2015 turn-based tactics title) should not stress modern hardware significantly, yet the Arc B390 cannot maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on any setting above Low. This suggests the GPU is not just bandwidth-limited but also compute-limited, given the modest 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 24 ROPs. The 4K results, where even Low settings fail to reach 30 FPS, reinforce the conclusion that this GPU is unsuitable for high-resolution gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal configuration for this combo is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which delivers 71 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with a 10 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold for even the worst-case dips. The Low preset at 1080p offers 87 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the additional 16 FPS, especially in a turn-based game where fast reaction times are less critical.

At 2560x1440, Low settings (55 FPS) are the only playable option, though Medium at 45 FPS could work for players who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p fall below 40 FPS, which is likely to feel sluggish even in a turn-based context. For 4K, no preset achieves acceptable performance — the best option is Low at 29 FPS, which is marginal at best.

Players with this combo should consider running at 1080p with Medium settings as the default, as it offers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality. If higher resolutions are desired, dropping to Low settings at 1440p provides a reasonable experience. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as it delivers less than half the frame rate of Medium in most cases while presumably offering diminishing visual returns in a game of this era.

The data shows that the Arc B390's performance ceiling in Hard West is approximately 87 FPS (achieved at 1080p Low), and every settings increase or resolution bump reduces this figure substantially. For the smoothest experience, the Medium 1080p configuration is recommended, with the understanding that this combo is not designed for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pair in Hard West?

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 with Medium settings delivers 71 FPS average (61-82 FPS range), which is the best balance of performance and visual quality. 1440p Low achieves 55 FPS, while 4K is not viable at any setting.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. It ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X a good match for the Intel Arc B390 in this game?

A: The CPU is far more capable than the GPU, ranking at the 79th percentile with an average benchmark score of 27578. In Hard West, the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions, so the CPU's performance is largely unused.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with each preset?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 87 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS (61-82 FPS range), High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. These are the highest frame rates achievable with this combo.

Q: Why does performance drop so sharply from 1440p to 4K?

A: The Arc B390 uses system-shared memory with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." The 4K resolution increases memory bandwidth demands significantly, and the data shows frame rates roughly halving from 1440p to 4K across all presets.

Q: Can this combo handle Hard West at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average at 1440p Ultra is 26 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. Even High settings at 1440p only reaches 35 FPS, so lower presets are required for a smooth experience at this resolution.