Hard West

# Hard West with AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but demanding experience in Hard West, a 2015 turn-based tactics title. The combo ranks 2360th out of 2949 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-mid tier for this game. The data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the 8-core CPU with 3D V-Cache provides ample headroom for the game's turn-based logic. The measured FPS across resolutions and settings shows a clear pattern: 1080p is smooth, 1440p is playable with adjustments, and 4K requires significant compromises. The Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for this game, but the 2500 MHz boost clock and 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 throughput cap performance at higher pixel counts. This analysis breaks down the exact measurements and what they mean for each component's role.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 84 at 1920x1080 to 53 at 2560x1440, then to 28 at 3840x2160. That represents a 37% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, which is typical for a game where the GPU's fill rate and shading throughput are the limiting factors.

The Low preset shows a similar pattern but with higher absolute numbers: 134 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 48%, respectively, matching the High preset's scaling almost exactly. This consistency suggests that resolution scaling is independent of the quality preset — the GPU is the bottleneck regardless of how much graphical detail is enabled. The Medium preset confirms this trend with 110 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 63 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 37%, and the 1440p-to-4K drop is 48%. At 4K Ultra, the system falls below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for acceptable playability in a turn-based game. The data indicates that Hard West's rendering load scales directly with resolution, and the Arc B570's 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

The min FPS data at Medium settings reinforces the GPU limitation: 93 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. The 4K min FPS of 31 is barely above the average of 28 at High settings, suggesting that even the minimum frame times are close to the average at that resolution. This tight distribution indicates consistent frame pacing rather than sporadic stutters, which is typical for a turn-based game with predictable scene complexity.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570's specifications directly explain its performance profile in Hard West. The GPU operates at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 throughput translates to a raw compute capability that is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K with high-quality settings. The 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Hard West's texture and geometry requirements — the game's 2015 release date means it does not demand the massive memory pools of modern titles.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in a specific performance tier. The PassMark G3D score of 14195 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 show a mid-range graphics processor. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 65, meaning it outperforms 65% of the database's tracked graphics cards. The nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1% delta), the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (-0.1% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (-0.5% delta). This places the B570 in a tight performance cluster where small percentage differences separate competitors.

The 10 GB VRAM capacity is never a limiting factor in Hard West, as the game's asset complexity from 2015 fits comfortably within that allocation. The memory clock of 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed provides the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's texture streaming and frame buffer operations. The GPU's 5 nm process node and 19,600 million transistors indicate a modern architecture, but the 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU show it is designed for mainstream systems rather than high-end gaming rigs. In Hard West, the GPU's role is to handle the 2D sprite-based combat scenes and environmental rendering, which it does adequately at lower resolutions but falls short at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D provides substantial processing headroom for Hard West, a game that is not CPU-intensive by modern standards. The 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) with a 3.00 GHz base clock and 4.10 GHz boost clock deliver strong multi-threaded performance. The 96 MB shared L3 cache is the defining feature of this processor, and while Hard West may not specifically benefit from the large cache, the overall CPU performance is far beyond what this turn-based tactics game requires.

The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its capability. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22366 and single-core score of 3157 show a processor that excels in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The Geekbench multi-core score of 11086 and single-core score of 1849 further validate this. The PassMark multi-thread score of 26318 and single-thread score of 2970 indicate a balanced processing profile. The 3DMark scores of 6764 for 16 threads and 804 for single-thread demonstrate that the CPU can handle both parallel and sequential tasks without issue.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D at 24728 (-0.1% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX at 24822 (-0.5% delta), the Intel Core i5-12450HX at 24576 (0.5% delta), and the Intel Core i5-11600 at 24563 (0.6% delta). The 5700X3D's average benchmark score of 24709 places it essentially at parity with these competitors, with deltas of less than 1% in either direction. The percentile vs all CPUs is 77, indicating it outperforms 77% of tracked processors.

In the context of Hard West, the CPU's role is to manage game logic, unit AI, turn-based combat calculations, and input processing. The 8 cores at 3.00 GHz base clock provide more than enough throughput for these tasks, and even the single-threaded performance is sufficient for the game's main thread. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 134 FPS average, which is far above the refresh rate of most displays. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, the CPU ensures that frame times remain consistent, as evidenced by the 31 FPS minimum at 4K Medium.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the High preset at 84 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is still smooth for a turn-based game, and the Medium preset at 110 FPS provides a significant frame rate buffer for those who prioritize fluidity. The Low preset at 134 FPS is unnecessary unless playing on a high-refresh-rate display, as the visual compromise is not justified when High achieves 84 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 53 FPS average is acceptable but benefits from a reduction to Medium. The Medium preset at 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum provides a more comfortable margin above the 30 FPS playability threshold. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the smoothest option at this resolution, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is marginally playable but risks frame drops in dense combat scenes, making it a less reliable choice than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset at 36 FPS average with a 31 FPS minimum is the highest settings level that maintains playability. The High preset at 28 FPS falls below the 30 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset at 21 FPS is not recommended. The Low preset at 44 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable frame rate, but the visual quality reduction is substantial. For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it offers the best visual fidelity while staying above the minimum playable frame rate. The 31 FPS minimum at Medium settings indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2360th out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the 20th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's strength, as the game's performance is primarily limited by graphics processing at higher resolutions. The combo's rank of 2360 means that 589 other configurations perform worse, while 2360 perform better in this specific game.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's percentile of 65 and the CPU's percentile of 77. The GPU, being the limiting factor, drags the overall combo rank below what the CPU alone might suggest. In a game like Hard West, where turn-based mechanics do not demand high frame rates, the combo's performance at 1080p and 1440p is more than adequate, but its 4K capabilities are limited. The rank of 2360 indicates that this is not a top-tier combination for Hard West, but it is far from the bottom of the database.

The delta between the combo's rank and the individual component percentiles highlights the GPU bottleneck. The CPU's high percentile of 77 does not translate to a high combo rank because the GPU's 65th percentile is the binding constraint. For users considering this combo, the data suggests that pairing the 5700X3D with a more powerful GPU would yield disproportionately better results in Hard West, while the current configuration is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across all settings shows a wide range. The Low preset achieves 134 FPS average, the Medium preset achieves 110 FPS average with a 93 FPS minimum and 126 FPS maximum, the High preset achieves 84 FPS average, and the Ultra preset achieves 63 FPS average. The 71 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates the significant impact of quality settings at this resolution. The Medium preset's min and max values indicate stable frame delivery, with the minimum only 17 FPS below the average.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 85 for Low, 69 for Medium (with a 59 FPS minimum and 80 FPS maximum), 53 for High, and 40 for Ultra. The 45 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is smaller than at 1080p, reflecting the GPU's increasing bottleneck at higher pixel counts. The Medium preset's minimum of 59 FPS is still well above playability thresholds, while the Ultra preset's 40 FPS average is approaching the lower boundary of acceptable performance.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 44 for Low, 36 for Medium (with a 31 FPS minimum and 42 FPS maximum), 28 for High, and 21 for Ultra. The 23 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the smallest across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The Medium preset is the only setting that maintains an average above 30 FPS, and even its minimum of 31 FPS is borderline. The High and Ultra presets fall below playable thresholds, making them unsuitable for 4K gaming. The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the performance gap between settings narrows, and the GPU's capabilities become the sole determinant of frame rate.