Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a robust experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The measured data reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions and presets, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, compares the combo’s standing among other tested configurations, and offers settings guidance based strictly on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 123.3 FPS at 1080p to 77.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 39.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a reduction of roughly 37% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 49% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which indicates that the rendering load increases disproportionately at higher pixel counts, a typical characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

The Low preset exhibits the same trend but with higher absolute numbers. The average FPS at 1080p is 195.3, falling to 121.5 at 1440p and 62.3 at 4K. The percentage drops are similar in magnitude, suggesting that the resolution scaling behavior is consistent regardless of the graphics settings. This uniformity points to a scenario where the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor, as the CPU (AMD Ryzen 7 5700X) has ample headroom given its 8 cores and 16 threads.

At the Ultra preset, the frame rates are the lowest across all resolutions, with 91.8 FPS at 1080p, 56.5 FPS at 1440p, and 31.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is notably below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combination is not suitable for maximum settings at that resolution. The data suggests that the RTX 5060, with its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus, becomes the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, as the CPU’s performance headroom is unlikely to be fully utilized in this older turn-based title.

The overall pattern indicates a GPU-limited system at 4K across all presets, while at 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU’s single-thread and multi-thread capabilities are sufficient to feed the GPU. The benchmark results show that the CPU scores 921 in 3dmark_single_thread and 6858 in 3dmark_16_threads, which are more than adequate for a game of this genre and age.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 77.1, which is a solid result for this resolution and preset combination.

*Q: Is the RTX 5060 capable of 4K gaming in Hard West?*

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 62.3 on Low settings to 31.1 on Ultra settings. The Low preset achieves a playable frame rate, while Medium (55.9 FPS) and High (39.5 FPS) fall below 60 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended.

Q: How does the High preset compare to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 123.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to 91.8 FPS. This represents a performance difference of 31.5 FPS, or roughly 34% faster on High.

Q: What is the best preset for maximum frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset yields the highest average FPS at 195.3 at 1920x1080, followed by Medium at 162.5 FPS and High at 123.3 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of tested systems?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 870 out of 1699 tested combinations, placing it in the 51st percentile of all tested combos for this game.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate exceeds 120 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, the Low preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 121.5 FPS. The Medium preset is close at 104.6 FPS, but does not cross the 120 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 holds a rank of 870 out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from being a weak configuration. The rank is a composite measure of all measured FPS rows, reflecting the system’s capability across various resolutions and settings.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 26214, which places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-11900KF and AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, have average scores of 26196 and 26272, respectively, with deltaPct values of 0.1 and -0.2. This shows that the 5700X is statistically on par with these competitors, providing a consistent foundation for the GPU.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 30109, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, has an average score of 30097 with a deltaPct of 0, indicating near-identical performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928 with a deltaPct of 0.6, showing the desktop RTX 5060 holds a slight edge. This GPU performance, combined with the CPU’s strength, results in a balanced system that ranks in the 51st percentile for this specific title.

The data suggests that the combo’s rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance at 4K, where the 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus limit frame rates. At lower resolutions, the combination performs much better, but the 4K results drag down the overall rank. This is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which shows the GPU as the limiting component at 3840x2160.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 195.3 FPS on Low, 162.5 FPS on Medium, 123.3 FPS on High, and 91.8 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the system is never CPU-bound at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset (Ultra) maintains an average above 90 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 121.5 FPS on Low, 104.6 FPS on Medium, 77.1 FPS on High, and 56.5 FPS on Ultra. The Low and Medium presets remain above 100 FPS, offering a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset is still very playable at 77.1 FPS, but Ultra falls below the 60 FPS line, suggesting that users with 144Hz displays will need to compromise on settings.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 62.3 FPS on Low, 55.9 FPS on Medium, 39.5 FPS on High, and 31.1 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, making it the sole viable option for 4K gaming with this combo. The Medium preset is borderline at 55.9 FPS, while High and Ultra are not recommended for a consistent experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the frame rate scales almost linearly with the preset quality at each resolution. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is 16.9 FPS, between Medium and High is 27.5 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 20.6 FPS. This suggests that the game’s settings have a significant impact on GPU load, with the RTX 5060’s 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance being the primary driver of these results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 123.3 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, as it provides a substantial improvement over Medium (162.5 FPS) in terms of fidelity while remaining well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 91.8 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize maximum visual quality, as it still delivers a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 77.1 FPS is the recommended choice for a high-quality experience, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 104.6 FPS is ideal for users with 144Hz monitors who want a higher frame rate, while the Low preset at 121.5 FPS is the best option for competitive play or maximum smoothness. The Ultra preset at 56.5 FPS should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 62.3 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 55.9 FPS is marginally below 60 FPS and could be considered if the user is tolerant of slight frame rate dips. The High and Ultra presets, at 39.5 FPS and 31.1 FPS respectively, are not recommended for 4K gaming with this hardware combination, as they result in a choppy experience.

The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates across all presets. For 4K, users should stick to the Low or Medium presets to maintain playable performance. The GPU’s 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this older title, but the 128-bit bus becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.