Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 in Hard West produces a set of benchmark results that clearly illustrate the performance boundaries of this combination. The measured data, derived from actual testing, shows a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but is pushed to its limits at 4K, particularly under the most demanding graphics presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to identify where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a significant and predictable drop in frame rates, indicating that the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 84 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 1440p, then plummets to 28 FPS at 4K. This represents a steep decline, with the 4K figure being exactly one-third of the 1080p performance, highlighting the immense pressure placed on the GPU's rendering pipeline at higher resolutions.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. On the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 110 at 1080p to 69 at 1440p, and further down to 36 at 4K. The trend is even more pronounced on the Low preset, where performance goes from a very playable 134 FPS at 1080p down to 85 at 1440p and finally 44 at 4K. The data strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus, is the bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution in the same way.

The relative performance gap between 1080p and 4K also widens as settings increase. At Low, the 4K performance is roughly 33% of the 1080p score. At High, it is also 33% (28/84). This consistent ratio across settings indicates that the limiting factor is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound, pointing directly at the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D has the headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the Arc B570's computational throughput is clearly insufficient, yielding average frame rates in the low 20s to mid-40s range. For a smooth experience at 4K, the data shows that only the Low preset approaches acceptable playability, while Ultra dips to 21 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play in most cases.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the decisive component in this combo's Hard West performance, with its specifications and benchmark scores providing context for the measured FPS. The GPU is based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) and operates at a consistent base and boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory subsystem, featuring 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. These specs are essential for understanding its 4K limitations, as the bandwidth is taxed heavily at that resolution.

Synthetic benchmark data for the Arc B570 places it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. In comparison to its nearest rivals, it is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, having a negligible 0.1% performance delta. It also performs nearly identically to the Intel Arc A750, with a delta of -0.1%, and is slightly ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X. In the context of Hard West, this level of performance translates to the observed frame rates: strong at 1080p, adequate at 1440p, and sub-optimal at 4K.

The GPU's role becomes clearer when looking at the VRAM and clock behavior. The 10 GB frame buffer is likely sufficient for the textures used in Hard West at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with High or Ultra settings, memory pressure can contribute to the performance drop. The data shows that at 4K, the average FPS for Ultra (21) is significantly lower than High (28), suggesting that the increased texture detail and effects are heavily impacting the GPU's compute and memory resources. The consistent 2500 MHz clock speed ensures that the GPU doesn't throttle, but raw clock speed alone cannot overcome the architectural limits exposed at 4K resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested processor and graphics card combinations for Hard West, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Intel Arc B570 achieves a rank of 2360 out of 2949 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all systems tested for this game, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the individual components' performance in other areas. This low rank underscores that Hard West is a game where the GPU's performance, specifically at higher resolutions, drastically impacts the overall system ranking.

The combo's ranking suggests that while the CPU is powerful, the Arc B570 holds the system back in the aggregate metrics used for ranking. The average benchmark score for the CPU is 27896, placing it at the 80th percentile, but the GPU's 65th percentile score and its performance in this specific title drag the combo down. The ranking is a holistic measure, and the low FPS at 4K (21-44 FPS) and even the sub-60 FPS results at 1440p Ultra (40 FPS) likely contribute to a poor overall score compared to combinations with more powerful GPUs.

It is important to note that this rank is game-specific. The data suggests that for a turn-based tactics title like Hard West, which may not be heavily optimized for multi-threaded CPUs, the GPU performance is the dominant factor. A combo with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank higher. This is a crucial insight for interpreting the data: the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is not the bottleneck in this system; rather, the Intel Arc B570's performance ceiling defines the combo's low standing among all tested pairings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 53 FPS at 2560x1440 on the High preset.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D or the Intel Arc B570 the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 21 (Ultra) to 44 (Low). The CPU's performance is constant regardless of resolution, so the drop in FPS at 4K is attributed to the Intel Arc B570's inability to maintain higher frame rates at that pixel count.

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The performance delta is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 134 on Low and 63 on Ultra. At 4K, the same settings yield 44 FPS and 21 FPS, respectively. This shows a performance drop of over 50% when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes min and max FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 93 FPS and the maximum is 126 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 59 FPS and the maximum is 80 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 31 FPS and the maximum is 42 FPS.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the processor in this combo?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D had a launch MSRP of $449.

Q: Given the measured FPS, is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: According to the data, 4K gaming is only viable on the Low preset, which achieves an average of 44 FPS. The Medium preset (36 FPS), High preset (28 FPS), and Ultra preset (21 FPS) all fall below the generally accepted 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the data shows that all presets are playable, but the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 84 FPS. While the Ultra preset provides higher quality, its 63 FPS average is still above 60, but High gives more headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset (110 FPS) and Low preset (134 FPS) are options for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, but they sacrifice visual quality for frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best recommendation, delivering an average of 53 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for a turn-based tactics game, where precise timing is not critical. The Medium preset (69 FPS) is also a strong choice if a higher frame rate is desired, while the Ultra preset (40 FPS) is less optimal due to its lower average. The Low preset (85 FPS) remains smooth but significantly reduces graphical details.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. The data shows that the Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 44 FPS. The Medium preset (36 FPS) is borderline, and the High (28 FPS) and Ultra (21 FPS) presets are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable choice based on the measured performance.

The data also provides min and max FPS for the Medium preset at all three resolutions. At 1440p, the range is 59-80 FPS, and at 4K, it is 31-42 FPS. This variability suggests that even the Medium preset can have noticeable frame dips at higher resolutions, reinforcing the recommendation to use Low settings at 4K for a more stable frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a formidable processor that provides ample performance headroom for this gaming scenario. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, it is well-equipped for modern games. Its key feature is the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is designed to reduce memory latency, a critical factor in gaming performance. The processor's boost clock of 4.50 GHz and its 105W TDP demonstrate its high-performance design.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates its strength. It scores 14317 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1452 in single-core. In PassMark, it achieves a multithread score of 28309 and a single-thread score of 3234. More specific to gaming, its 3DMark scores are notable: 7299 for 16 threads and 884 for single-thread. These figures confirm that the CPU is not a bottleneck in Hard West, as its performance is significantly higher than what the GPU can utilize in this title.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 80% places it in the top fifth of all processors, and its performance is nearly identical to rivals like the Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, with deltas of 0.1% and 0%, respectively. The data shows that the CPU's role in this combo is to provide a stable, high-performance foundation that allows the GPU to operate without being starved of data. The measured FPS at 1080p (84-134 FPS) demonstrates that the CPU can easily handle the game's logic and draw calls at high frame rates, but the GPU's limits are exposed at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination in Hard West, sorted by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: The average FPS is 134. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo across all tests, indicating a CPU-bound scenario where the GPU is not the limiting factor.
• Medium: The average FPS is 110. The minimum and maximum FPS are 93 and 126, respectively, showing a stable performance window.
• High: The average FPS is 84. This is a strong result, offering smooth gameplay with high visual quality.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 63. This preset provides the highest visual fidelity but results in a lower, though still playable, average frame rate.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: The average FPS is 85. This is a solid performance, showing the GPU can handle the resolution increase with low settings.
• Medium: The average FPS is 69. The minimum and maximum FPS are 59 and 80, respectively, indicating a playable range with occasional dips.
• High: The average FPS is 53. This is a playable frame rate for a turn-based tactics game, though it is below the 60 FPS threshold.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 40. This preset is demanding, and the frame rate drops noticeably, indicating a GPU-heavy workload.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: The average FPS is 44. This is the only preset at 4K that achieves an average frame rate above 40 FPS.
• Medium: The average FPS is 36. The minimum and maximum FPS are 31 and 42, respectively, showing a low and variable performance level.
• High: The average FPS is 28. This is a significant drop from 1080p, demonstrating the GPU's struggle at this resolution.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 21. This is the lowest measured result, indicating that this preset is not suitable for a smooth experience at 4K.