Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination delivers a robust experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from late 2015. The benchmark data shows a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom at lower resolutions while the GPU becomes the primary constraint as graphical load increases. The measured frame rates, ranging from 33 FPS at 4K Ultra to over 200 FPS at 1080p Low, highlight a configuration well-suited for high-refresh-rate play at mainstream resolutions, though 4K Ultra demands compromises.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is built on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU's L3 cache totals 32 MB, supplemented by 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core. This configuration sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,606. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, scores 27,535, a mere 0.3% difference, while the Intel Core i5-12600KF is 0.8% higher. Such a small delta indicates the 5800X is competitively positioned within its performance class.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's 16 threads are typically sufficient to handle game logic and AI calculations without bottlenecking. The 3DMark results show strong scaling from 1,846 points in the 2-thread test to 7,578 points at max threads, reflecting excellent multi-threading efficiency. Cinebench R23 scores of 2,371 for multi-core and 3,327 for single-core further reinforce this. However, the game's frame rates do not show signs of CPU limitation at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 211 FPS, and even at 4K High, it manages 42.2 FPS. These results suggest the CPU is not the limiting factor; rather, the GPU handles the rendering load effectively. The 5800X's single-thread performance, with a Geekbench score of 2,194, ensures that even older game engines that rely on fewer cores will perform adequately.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture (chip GA104) using Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1500 MHz, with a boost clock of 1725 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). With 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, the RTX 3070 delivers 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. It holds the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28,238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27,985, just 0.9% lower, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is 1% higher.

In Hard West, the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the game's visual demands, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across settings. The PassMark G3D score of 22,214 indicates strong overall graphics capability. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s proves sufficient for the game's textures and effects, as frame rates at 1440p High (83.4 FPS) and 4K High (42.2 FPS) remain playable. The boost clock of 1725 MHz contributes to the GPU's ability to handle the game's rendering, though the data suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU's raw compute power becomes the primary determinant of performance. The RTX 3070's 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores are present, but Hard West does not appear to leverage these features, focusing instead on traditional rasterization.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p High, the system achieves 135.2 FPS, which drops to 83.4 FPS at 1440p High (a 38.3% reduction), and further to 42.2 FPS at 4K High (a 68.8% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline at 4K is typical of GPU limitation, where the pixel fill rate and shading capacity are stretched. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 211 FPS, but at 4K Low, it falls to 68.1 FPS, a 67.7% drop. Similarly, 1080p Medium produces 174.7 FPS, while 4K Medium yields 59.7 FPS, a 65.8% reduction. The most demanding setting, Ultra, shows 98.1 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 33 FPS at 4K, a 66.4% decrease.

These consistent percentage drops across all settings suggest the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU would show less sensitivity to resolution changes. The RTX 3070's performance at 4K Ultra (33 FPS) indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 20.31 TFLOPS are not sufficient for maximum settings at that resolution, while at 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom. The data implies that for optimal play, users should target 1440p, where the system maintains over 65 FPS even at Ultra settings. At 4K, High settings are the practical ceiling, with 42.2 FPS, which is playable for a turn-based tactics game but below the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling pattern confirms that the combo is balanced for 1080p and 1440p, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates high performance across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 211 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset. Medium settings produce 174.7 FPS, High settings 135.2 FPS, and Ultra settings 98.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 112.9 FPS, a 53.5% reduction, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant load but still maintain smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, frame rates remain strong. Low settings average 134.7 FPS, Medium 110.4 FPS, High 83.4 FPS, and Ultra 65.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 68.8 FPS, a 51.1% reduction. These figures show that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, as even Ultra settings exceed 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle with the highest settings. Low settings average 68.1 FPS, Medium 59.7 FPS, High 42.2 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 35.1 FPS, a 51.5% reduction. While Low and Medium are playable, High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them suitable only for less demanding scenarios. The overall combo rank in Hard West is 772 out of 1,699 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of configurations. Across all resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: the system excels at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring settings adjustments for playable frame rates.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Hard West?*

A: The highest average FPS is 211, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 33, which is well below the 60 FPS target. For 4K, Low settings (68.1 FPS) or Medium settings (59.7 FPS) are required for playable frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28,238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27,985, which is 0.9% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is 1% higher at 27,956.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p High and 1440p High?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 135.2, while at 1440p High, it is 83.4. This represents a 51.8 FPS reduction, or a 38.3% drop.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across settings, with reductions of approximately 66-68%, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scaling. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, with a 3DMark max threads score of 7,578, provides sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,606. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, is 0.3% higher in score.