Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, responds predictably but not uniformly to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom at 1080p, where the CPU begins to assert its influence. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, settings trade-offs, and the distinct roles each component plays in delivering the final frame.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 clearly demonstrates where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 211 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 133 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K, the Low preset yields only 70 FPS, representing a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline as resolution increases is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario; the RTX 3070 is being pushed progressively harder with each additional pixel.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS falls from 133 at 1080p to 84 at 1440p, and then to 44 at 4K. Medium settings follow a similar trajectory: 173 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, the most demanding, produce 99 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these drops suggests that the rendering workload scales almost linearly with pixel count, a hallmark of a game that is not particularly exotic in its graphical demands but still respects raw fill rate.

The data indicates that the RTX 3070 is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is large, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more pronounced, especially at lower settings. For instance, at Low settings, the drop from 1440p to 4K is 63 FPS (from 133 to 70), which is a larger absolute loss than the 78 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p. This nonlinearity hints that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated at 4K, leading to diminishing returns as resolution climbs.

Conversely, the relatively high frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 211 FPS average at Low settings, suggest that the Ryzen 7 5800XT is capable of feeding the GPU without becoming a severe constraint in most scenarios. However, the fact that 1080p Ultra (99 FPS) is far from the 1080p Low (211 FPS) indicates that the GPU is still the primary driver of performance even at the lowest resolution tested. The CPU only becomes a potential factor if the GPU were even faster, which is not the case here.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of how each preset balances visual quality against frame rate. For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the Medium preset is the sweet spot at 1440p, delivering an average of 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS. This ensures that even in the most demanding in-game moments, the frame rate stays comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 57 FPS, which is slightly below 60 FPS, but the minimum of 49 FPS suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable on a high-refresh-rate display.

For those prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the High preset is a viable option at 1440p, producing an average of 84 FPS. This is a significant step up from Medium in terms of graphical quality, and the frame rate remains playable for most users, though not ideal for competitive play. However, at 4K, High settings drop to an average of 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel sluggish in a turn-based game where responsiveness is less critical than in an action title.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for players with a 1080p monitor and a tolerance for lower frame rates. At 1080p, Ultra averages 99 FPS, which is still fluid, but at 1440p it drops to 63 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 33 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is not measured in the data, but the frame rate cost is substantial across all resolutions, making it a poor choice for those who value performance over marginal visual improvements.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, with 211 FPS at 1080p and 133 FPS at 1440p, but it comes at the cost of visual quality. For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where the environment and character models contribute to the atmosphere, the Low preset may sacrifice too much immersion for a frame rate that is already excessive at 1080p. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, while High at 1080p is a strong alternative for those who want higher quality without dropping below 100 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a single-core score of 3359. In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game that typically does not require massive thread counts, the CPU's single-threaded performance is likely more relevant than its multi-core capabilities.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 211 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution and settings combination, as the GPU is still able to render frames quickly. However, the fact that the 1080p Low result is not significantly higher than the 1440p Low result (133 FPS) indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck; if it were, the 1080p frame rate would be much higher relative to 1440p.

The Ryzen 7 5800XT's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 7 nm process node contribute to its strong single-threaded performance, which is beneficial for games like Hard West that may have a primary game logic thread. The processor's 3DMark single-thread score of 959 and PassMark single-thread score of 3535 are solid, but they are not exceptional compared to the latest generation. The CPU's percentile ranking of 81st among all processors indicates that it is above average, but not in the top tier.

In terms of its impact on the measured results, the CPU's role becomes more apparent in the frame time consistency, though the data does not provide min FPS for all settings. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 147 FPS, which is close to the average of 173 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is maintaining a stable frame delivery. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 93 FPS against an average of 109 FPS, which is a wider gap but still reasonable. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid major stutters, but it is not the star of the show; the GPU is clearly the dominant factor in determining overall frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1581st out of 3722 tested combos for Hard West. This places it in the 42nd percentile of all combinations, meaning that roughly 58% of tested systems perform better in this specific game. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component strengths, but it reflects the fact that Hard West is an older title that may not fully utilize the capabilities of modern hardware.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, which has a nearly identical average benchmark score with a delta of 0%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and Ryzen 7 7840HS, both of which are 0.3% faster. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is 0.6% faster than the 5800XT. These small deltas indicate that the CPU's performance is well within the expected range for its class, and its ranking is not due to a CPU deficiency.

The GPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which is 0.7% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, which is 1% faster. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is 1.1% faster, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% slower. These comparisons show that the RTX 3070 is positioned closely to several other GPUs, and its performance in Hard West is typical for its tier.

Given that the combo ranks in the lower half of all tested systems, it suggests that Hard West may be more sensitive to certain hardware characteristics that this combo does not excel at, such as raw GPU compute or specific driver optimizations. However, the measured frame rates are still playable at most settings, so the ranking does not imply a poor experience, just a middling one relative to the broader hardware landscape.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is based on the Ampere architecture, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1725 MHz, and it features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU's performance in Hard West is directly tied to its fill rate and memory bandwidth, which are taxed heavily at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 33 FPS, which is a challenging workload for the GPU. The 8 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, as Hard West is not a modern title with massive texture requirements, but the GPU's compute units are clearly working hard to render each frame.

The RTX 3070's benchmark scores, such as a PassMark G3D score of 22214 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 112821, indicate that it is a capable mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU. Its percentile ranking of 61st among all GPUs places it above average, but not in the top tier. In the context of Hard West, the GPU's performance is in line with its expectations, as the measured frame rates show a consistent degradation as resolution increases.

The GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. The fact that the 1080p Low result (211 FPS) is nearly three times the 4K Ultra result (33 FPS) underscores how much the GPU is struggling with the increased pixel count. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it may become a limiting factor, as the GPU must access textures and frame buffers more frequently.

The RTX 3070's 220 W TDP and suggested 550 W PSU indicate that it is a power-hungry component, but this does not directly affect its in-game performance. The GPU's FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS is respectable, and it contributes to the strong frame rates at lower resolutions. However, for a game like Hard West, which is not particularly demanding on modern hardware, the GPU's performance is more than adequate, and the bottleneck at 4K is more about the sheer number of pixels than any architectural limitation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a stable 60 FPS experience?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS, ensuring a stable experience above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 57 FPS, which is slightly below 60 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops with increasing resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is still the main constraint, though the CPU's performance is sufficient to allow high frame rates like 211 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1581st out of 3722 tested combos for Hard West, placing it in the lower half of all systems. This is primarily due to the game's age and its limited ability to leverage the full power of modern components.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achieved in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 211 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average is 33 FPS, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 3070 cause any issues?

A: The data does not indicate any VRAM-related issues, as the frame rates degrade consistently with resolution. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory appears sufficient for Hard West at all tested settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800XT compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score that is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, with a delta of 0%. It is 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and Ryzen 7 7840HS, and 0.6% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset. Minimum and maximum frame rates are only provided for the Medium preset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 211 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 173 | 147 | 198 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 133 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 99 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 133 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 109 | 93 | 126 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 84 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 63 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 70 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 57 | 49 | 66 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 44 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 33 | — | — |

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy: lower settings and lower resolutions yield higher frame rates. The Medium preset is the only one with measured minimum and maximum values, which show that the frame time variance is manageable, with the minimum being roughly 85% of the average in each case. This suggests that the system provides a stable experience without major frame drops, aside from the expected performance cost of higher resolutions and settings.