Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a striking contrast in the benchmark data for Hard West. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution with a very low performance percentile. The measured FPS data reveals a system that is almost entirely constrained by its graphics processor, with the CPU's substantial processing power having little opportunity to influence the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a predictable, yet severe, decline as resolution increases, which is the classic hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 55 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High settings drops the average to 35 FPS, a reduction of 20 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more punishing, with the average falling to 18 FPS. This pattern indicates that the rendering load at higher resolutions is overwhelming the Intel Arc B390.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p represents a 36% performance drop, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K represents a 49% performance drop. This non-linear degradation is a clear indicator that the GPU's processing units and memory bandwidth are exhausted. The fact that the FPS nearly halves when moving from 1440p to 4K suggests the GPU is struggling to maintain its fill rate and shader throughput at the higher pixel count.

The frame time consistency also suffers at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the FPS ranges from 38 to 52. At 3840x2160 with the same Medium settings, the range narrows to 20 to 27. While the range is narrower in absolute terms, the lower average FPS at 4K makes each frame take significantly longer, which can lead to a less responsive feel in a turn-based game. The data strongly suggests that the limiting component is the integrated GPU, not the CPU or memory subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its most notable feature is the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is designed to reduce memory latency and improve performance in gaming workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores are robust; for instance, it scores 14,317 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,452 in single-core.

Despite this processing power, its role in Hard West appears to be secondary. The game is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, which typically do not stress modern CPUs as heavily as fast-paced action games. The data shows that even at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the CPU would have the most influence, the system only reaches 87 FPS. This is likely a ceiling imposed by the GPU, not the CPU. At lower resolutions, the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the Arc B390 cannot render frames fast enough to take advantage of it.

The CPU's high performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as its 28,309 Passmark multithread score, suggests it is not a bottleneck. The FPS differences between resolutions are entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering workload. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is effectively waiting idle for the Intel Arc B390 to finish its work.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Arc B390 ranks 2,614 out of 2,949 total tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, which is a very poor showing for a system with such a capable CPU. The ranking is dragged down entirely by the GPU's performance, which sits at the 9th percentile when compared to all other GPUs.

This massive disconnect between the CPU's capability and the system's final rank is the central finding of this data. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, with score deltas of only 0.1% or less. Yet, none of that processing headroom translates into a competitive gaming experience. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, with performance deltas of 1.3% and 1.5% respectively, are entry-level parts from over a decade ago, which puts the Arc B390's capabilities into perspective.

The low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and its low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s. The system's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482 is indicative of its overall graphics capability, which is insufficient for smooth gameplay at most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data set provides twelve distinct performance measurements across four resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. With Low settings, it averages 87 FPS, which drops to 71 FPS on Medium, 55 FPS on High, and 41 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting also shows a minimum FPS of 61 and a maximum of 82, indicating stable frame times.

At 2560x1440, the performance gaps widen. The average FPS drops to 55 on Low, 45 on Medium, 35 on High, and 26 on Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. This resolution is playable only on the Low preset, as anything higher will result in average frame rates below 50 FPS.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where the system fails to deliver a playable experience. The average FPS is 29 on Low, 24 on Medium, 18 on High, and just 14 on Ultra. The Medium setting at this resolution has a minimum FPS of 20 and a maximum of 27. All of these averages are well below the standard 30 FPS threshold for acceptable performance, making 4K gaming impractical with this configuration.

The progression from Low to Ultra at any given resolution shows a consistent performance penalty. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 46 FPS. At 1440p, the same settings change costs 29 FPS. At 4K, the cost is 15 FPS. The diminishing absolute cost at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is already operating at its limit, and additional visual effects on Ultra settings cause less of a relative impact because the base performance is so low.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It has a boost clock of 2500 MHz and features 1,536 shading units. Its memory is system-shared, meaning its bandwidth is dependent on the system's RAM and is not dedicated. This is a significant disadvantage for gaming, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access.

The GPU's performance metrics are very low. It has a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, which are far below what is needed for modern gaming at high resolutions. Its FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is similarly limited. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking against all other GPUs confirms its position at the bottom of the performance stack.

The data shows that this GPU is the definitive bottleneck. It is the sole reason for the low FPS at all settings and resolutions. The 14 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a direct result of the GPU's inability to process the complex geometry and shading required. Even at 1080p Low, the 87 FPS ceiling is likely a hard limit for this GPU's pixel throughput. The system's overall rank of 2,614 out of 2,949 combos reflects the GPU's severe underperformance relative to the rest of the system.

FAQ

Q: Why does the system perform so poorly despite having a powerful CPU?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU with a 9th percentile performance ranking. Its low pixel rate and FP32 performance create a significant bottleneck, preventing the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D from achieving high frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve playable frame rates. At this resolution, the average FPS ranges from 41 to 87 depending on the settings preset.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in this title?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 14 to 29, which is below the minimum threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows this resolution is not viable.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1,482. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, have scores of 1,463 and 1,460, respectively, with performance deltas of 1.3% and 1.5%.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 55 on Low settings to 26 on Ultra settings, a difference of 29 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU's performance a factor in the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as its 14,317 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, are high, but the FPS is limited by the GPU. The system is not CPU-bound in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only playable configuration is at 1920x1080. The High preset at this resolution yields an average of 55 FPS, which is a reasonable target for a turn-based tactics game. For a smoother experience with a higher frame rate, the Medium preset provides an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring no significant stutters.

The Low preset at 1080p is the only setting that approaches a high refresh rate experience, with an average of 87 FPS. However, the visual quality trade-off is significant. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 41 FPS, is playable but may feel sluggish due to frame pacing. For a balance between visual fidelity and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the optimal choice, as it maintains an average FPS well above 60.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that averages above 50 FPS. Choosing anything higher at this resolution will result in sub-50 FPS averages, which is not recommended. The 3840x2160 resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset only achieves a 29 FPS average. The data clearly indicates that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming in Hard West, with the Medium preset offering the most stable and enjoyable experience.