Hard West

The data for Hard West with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 shows a game that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high at 1080p. This combination ranks in the top 12% of all tested configurations, and the measured FPS figures provide a clear picture of how the game scales across presets and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic scaling pattern where the burden shifts from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 194 FPS, which drops to 131 FPS at 1440p and further to 69 FPS at 4K. That represents a 33% performance loss moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 47% loss moving from 1440p to 4K. The game is clearly becoming GPU-bound at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops roughly in line with the increase in pixel count.

This scaling behavior is typical for a turn-based tactics title where the visual load is relatively light. The RTX 4080, with its 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs, is more than capable of handling the game’s geometry and effects at 1080p, but the 4K resolution pushes the GPU harder. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 51, which is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset. The gap between 1080p High and 4K High is 125 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The pattern holds across all settings. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 229 FPS to 109 FPS, a 52% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 213 FPS to 89 FPS, a 58% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 155 FPS to 51 FPS, a 67% reduction. The percentage loss increases with higher settings, which suggests that the more demanding presets amplify the GPU load at 4K.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS on Low and Medium presets. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, are sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 at these lower resolutions. The 3D V-Cache, which provides 96 MB of shared L3 cache, likely helps with the game’s turn-based logic and pathfinding calculations.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Hard West?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 229 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. This drops to 213 FPS at Medium and 194 FPS at High, showing that even at the highest 1080p preset, the combo maintains well above 150 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hard West?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K High, the average FPS is 69, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it rises to 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 51 FPS, which may feel less smooth for some players.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X3D compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27896, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (score 27887, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (score 27932, delta -0.1%). It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-10900K and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-12600KF.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are at Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 181 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 144 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 76 FPS. No minimum values are listed for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter at 1440p. At High settings, the combo achieves 131 FPS at 1440p compared to 194 FPS at 1080p, a 32% drop. The CPU’s strong single-thread score of 884 in 3DMark and 1452 in Cinebench R23 indicates it is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 448 out of 3722 tested combinations, placing it in the top 12.0% of all systems tested in Hard West.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) part built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting to 4.50 GHz. The CPU’s distinguishing feature is the 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantially larger than typical desktop processors. This cache configuration is designed to reduce memory latency, which can benefit games that rely on frequent data access.

In Hard West, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS on lower presets. The 3DMark single-thread score of 884 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1452 indicate strong per-core performance, which is essential for the game’s turn-based logic and AI calculations. The multi-thread scores, such as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 7299 and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14317, show that the CPU can handle parallel workloads, though the game likely does not fully utilize all 16 threads.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this title. The 8,850 million transistors on a 74 mm² die result in a dense design that emphasizes cache over raw clock speed. The 3D V-Cache is particularly beneficial for games with large data sets, and the 96 MB L3 cache likely contributes to the high frame rates observed at 1080p.

The CPU’s position relative to its nearest rivals underscores its efficiency. Its average benchmark score of 27896 is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-12600KF, which is a newer architecture. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s performance in synthetic tests, such as PassMark multi-thread score of 28309 and Geekbench multi-core score of 11765, confirms it is a capable gaming processor. In Hard West, this translates to frame rates that are not CPU-limited until the resolution drops below 1080p.

At 4K, the CPU’s influence diminishes, as the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The 69 FPS at 4K High is more a reflection of the RTX 4080’s pixel throughput than the CPU’s processing power. The CPU’s 105 W TDP and Socket AM4 compatibility make it a straightforward upgrade for existing platforms, though its production status is listed as end-of-life.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers 229 FPS at Low, 213 FPS at Medium, 194 FPS at High, and 155 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 181 FPS and a maximum of 245 FPS, indicating a smooth experience with minimal frame time variance. The Ultra preset, while lower, still maintains an average above 150 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a turn-based tactics game.

At 1440p, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings produce 197 FPS, Medium produces 170 FPS, High produces 131 FPS, and Ultra produces 98 FPS. The Medium preset records a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS, showing that even at this higher resolution, the game remains fluid. The High preset at 1440p is particularly notable, as 131 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 109 FPS, Medium yields 89 FPS, High yields 69 FPS, and Ultra yields 51 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K records a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, which is the only 4K preset with min/max data available. This suggests that 4K Medium is the most stable high-resolution option, as the minimum FPS stays above 75.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings is consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the gap is 74 FPS (229 vs 155). At 1440p, the gap is 99 FPS (197 vs 98). At 4K, the gap is 58 FPS (109 vs 51). The larger gap at 1440p indicates that Ultra settings impose a higher relative cost at this resolution, while the smaller gap at 4K suggests the GPU is already nearing its limit even at Low settings.

The RTX 4080’s specifications align with these results. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for the game’s textures at 4K. The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate are more than sufficient for a game released in 2015, but the 4K Ultra preset still pushes the GPU hard, resulting in 51 FPS.

For players targeting high refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot. The combo achieves 194 FPS at High and 155 FPS at Ultra, which can drive a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor. At 1440p, the High preset’s 131 FPS is still suitable for high refresh displays, while the Ultra preset’s 98 FPS is close to the 100 FPS mark. At 4K, the game is best played at Medium or High settings to maintain a stable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 448 out of 3722 tested configurations in Hard West, placing it in the top 12.0% of all systems. The rank reflects the balance between the Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s strong single-thread performance and the RTX 4080’s high-end rasterization capabilities. The GPU’s percentile rank of 86 among all GPUs is slightly higher than the CPU’s percentile rank of 80 among all CPUs, indicating that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing.

The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score of 54247 is closely matched by its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has a score of 54209, a delta of 0.1%, meaning the two cards are effectively identical in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% higher. These small deltas suggest that the RTX 4080 is well-positioned within its performance tier.

The CPU’s benchmark scores further contextualize its role. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14317 and single-core score of 1452 are typical for a high-end desktop processor from 2022. The 3DMark scores, including 7299 for 16 threads and 884 for single-thread, show consistent scaling. The PassMark scores, such as 28309 for multi-thread and 3234 for single-thread, reinforce the CPU’s balanced performance.

The combo’s rank of 448 out of 3722 is not surprising given the hardware. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a gaming-focused CPU with a large cache, and the RTX 4080 is a top-tier GPU for 1440p and 4K gaming. In a game like Hard West, which is not graphically demanding, the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, with only the 4K Ultra preset presenting a challenge. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that the combo is capable of high frame rates across most settings.

The percentile ranks provide additional context. The CPU’s 80th percentile among all CPUs means it outperforms 80% of tested processors, while the GPU’s 86th percentile means it outperforms 86% of tested GPUs. This combination of above-average components results in a system that is well-suited for the game’s requirements, though the 4K Ultra preset remains the only setting that pushes the hardware to its limits.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data offers clear guidance for optimizing the experience in Hard West. For players with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset’s 155 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing frame rate. The High preset’s 194 FPS is also viable for those who prefer maximum smoothness, but the difference between High and Ultra is minimal in terms of visual impact for this game.

At 1440p, the High preset’s 131 FPS is the recommended balance between quality and performance. The Ultra preset’s 98 FPS is still playable, but the 33 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual improvements. The Medium preset’s 170 FPS is an option for players with high refresh rate monitors, as it exceeds 144 FPS and provides a smooth experience.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. The 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, offers a stable and playable experience. The High preset’s 69 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum FPS makes it the safer choice. The Ultra preset’s 51 FPS is the only setting that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for consistent performance.

The Low preset is not recommended for this hardware, as the higher presets provide substantial visual improvements with only moderate FPS costs. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 229 FPS, but the Medium preset’s 213 FPS is only 7% lower while offering better visuals. At 1440p, Low’s 197 FPS drops to 170 FPS at Medium, a 14% reduction. At 4K, Low’s 109 FPS drops to 89 FPS at Medium, a 18% reduction, but the visual quality improvement is worth the trade-off.

For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p delivers the best combination of speed and stability. The Medium preset’s recorded minimum FPS values—181 at 1080p, 144 at 1440p, and 76 at 4K—indicate less frame time variance compared to other presets, which is important for a turn-based game where sudden camera movements can cause stutter.

In summary, the data suggests that Medium settings at 4K, High settings at 1440p, and Ultra settings at 1080p provide the optimal experience for this combo. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth ensure that texture quality is not a bottleneck, so players can prioritize the settings that affect lighting and shadows for the most impact. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s performance is sufficient to avoid CPU bottlenecks at all tested resolutions, making the GPU the primary determinant of frame rate.