Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a performance curve in Hard West that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU’s strong single-threaded capabilities allow the GPU to stretch its legs. The data shows a clear hierarchy: this setup is a 1080p and 1440p powerhouse, but 4K Ultra demands compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 180.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 111.6 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 59.1 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 67.2% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the render resolution is the dominant factor. The scaling is not linear; the jump from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with a 47.1% performance loss, whereas the 1080p to 1440p drop is a more modest 38.1%.

This non-linear scaling points directly at the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 192-bit bus, starts to run out of throughput headroom as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the pattern intensifies: 131.9 FPS at 1080p falls to 83.7 FPS at 1440p and then collapses to 42.7 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measurement below 60 FPS in the entire dataset, confirming that this resolution and preset combination exceeds what this hardware can comfortably deliver.

Conversely, the 1080p results show a different story. The spread between Low (251.1 FPS) and Ultra (131.9 FPS) is substantial, but even the lowest frame rate at that resolution is exceptionally high. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU—with its 8 cores and 16 threads—has enough headroom to feed the GPU adequately, allowing the graphics card to work near its full potential. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (251.1 to 181.1 FPS) is a 27.9% drop, which is less severe than the High preset drop, again reinforcing that the GPU is the primary constraint as resolution climbs.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER is the star of this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. With a boost clock of 2475 MHz and a base clock of 1980 MHz, the Ada Lovelace architecture chip delivers substantial raw compute. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory running at 21 Gbps effective provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for a game like Hard West that must load detailed textures and geometry for its turn-based tactical scenes.

The GPU’s 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units allow it to handle the game’s visual effects with ease at lower resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the card achieves 230.3 FPS, showing that it is far from saturated. However, the 4K Ultra result of 42.7 FPS tells a different story: the 80 render output units and 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply not enough to maintain fluid frame rates when every pixel is pushed through the most demanding settings.

The data suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth is a particular constraint at 4K. The jump from High (59.1 FPS) to Ultra (42.7 FPS) at 4K is a 27.7% drop, which is much larger than the same settings jump at 1080p (180.2 to 131.9 FPS, a 26.8% drop in absolute terms but smaller in percentage). This indicates that the additional memory pressure from Ultra settings at 4K overwhelms the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, causing a disproportionate performance penalty. In the context of its rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits just below the NVIDIA RTX A6000 in average benchmark score (42576 vs 42653, a -0.2% delta), confirming it is a high-end part that still has limits at extreme resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT provides a solid foundation that rarely becomes the limiting factor in Hard West. Its 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture, offer robust multi-threaded performance. The benchmark scores support this: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and a Passmark multithread score of 27988 place it well above average (86th percentile among all CPUs).

However, for a turn-based tactics game, single-thread performance often matters more. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.80 GHz and base clock of 3.80 GHz deliver a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3359, which is strong but not exceptional. The 3DMark single-thread score of 959 and Passmark single-thread score of 3538 confirm that this processor can handle the game’s logic and AI calculations without bottlenecking the GPU at 1080p.

Evidence of the CPU’s adequacy comes from the 1080p Low result of 251.1 FPS. This is an extremely high frame rate that would only be achievable if the CPU can issue draw calls and update game state faster than the GPU can render frames. The fact that this score is nearly 40% higher than the 1080p High result (180.2 FPS) suggests that the CPU has significant headroom even at these elevated frame rates. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further, as the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck—the frame rate differences between settings at those resolutions are entirely attributable to GPU load, not CPU limitations. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are more than sufficient for a game of this genre.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset at 180.2 FPS is the sweet spot—it delivers excellent visual quality while maintaining frame rates far above any display refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 131.9 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize image quality, as the drop from High is noticeable but not game-breaking.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 148.3 FPS offers the best balance. High settings at 111.6 FPS are also playable, but Medium provides a 32.9% performance uplift with only a modest visual compromise. The Ultra preset at 83.7 FPS is acceptable for players who insist on maximum quality, but the data shows it is 43.5% slower than Medium, which may not justify the visual gains.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 59.1 FPS is the only setting that approaches playable frame rates, but it is right on the edge of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 77.4 FPS is actually the better choice for a smoother experience, as it provides a 30.9% improvement over High while still looking good. The Low preset at 97.4 FPS is the only 4K option that guarantees consistently high frame rates, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 42.7 FPS should be avoided at 4K, as it falls below what most players would consider smooth.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 287th out of 1699 combos for Hard West. This places it in the top 16.9% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a desktop setup using components from the previous generation.

This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The CPU’s 86th percentile performance among all CPUs and the GPU’s 84th percentile among all GPUs combine to produce a system that handles Hard West well but is not at the absolute top tier. The ranking is likely held back by the GPU’s limitations at 4K Ultra, where the 42.7 FPS result drags down the overall composite score. In comparison to the CPU’s nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.1% faster, deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.3% slower, deltaPct -0.3)—this processor edges out some mobile parts but is not a class leader. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (0.2% faster) and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (0.3% faster), are extremely close in average score, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is well-positioned in its segment.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings spectrum is playable with exceptional headroom. Low settings produce 251.1 FPS, Medium 230.3 FPS, High 180.2 FPS, and Ultra 131.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 119.2 FPS, representing a 47.5% reduction, which shows the GPU can absorb significant settings changes without falling below high refresh rate territory.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but begin to show the GPU’s workload. Low delivers 181.1 FPS, Medium 148.3 FPS, High 111.6 FPS, and Ultra 83.7 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is consistent: Low falls by 27.9%, Medium by 35.6%, High by 38.1%, and Ultra by 36.5%. This uniformity suggests a consistent GPU-bound scaling behavior.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve becomes more pronounced. Low achieves 97.4 FPS, Medium 77.4 FPS, High 59.1 FPS, and Ultra 42.7 FPS. The 4K results show the largest relative drops from 1440p: Low falls by 46.2%, Medium by 47.8%, High by 47.1%, and Ultra by 49.0%. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only data point below 60 FPS, and it is 55.6% slower than the Low preset at the same resolution, highlighting the extreme cost of maximum quality at this pixel density.

FAQ

*Q: Can this setup run Hard West at 4K with max settings?*

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 42.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 4K achieves 59.1 FPS, but it is still borderline.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 131 FPS, with Medium at 230.3 FPS and High at 180.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (181.1 FPS) and Medium (148.3 FPS) exceed 144 FPS.

Q: How much faster is this combo at 1080p compared to 4K on High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p High is 180.2 FPS, while 4K High is 59.1 FPS. This represents a 121.1 FPS difference, or a 67.2% reduction at 4K.

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

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter, as evidenced by the 47.5% drop from Low to Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is even more dominant, with a 55.6% drop from Low to Ultra. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 959 suggests it is not a bottleneck at any resolution.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 148.3 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. This is 36.5% slower than the same settings at 1080p (230.3 FPS).

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576, which is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653) and 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723). It is 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M40 (41897).