Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B570 combination reveals a system that is heavily bound by graphics processing at higher visual presets. The measured FPS values show a clear pattern where the GPU's capabilities dictate performance, with the CPU providing ample headroom. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, component roles, and settings recommendations based strictly on the provided measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a significant and predictable drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 84 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 28 FPS at 4K. This represents a steep decline, with the 4K figure being only a third of the 1080p performance, indicating that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this GPU-bound behavior. At the Low preset, the system achieves 134 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 85 FPS at 1440p and 44 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent, with each resolution step roughly halving the frame rate. This linear degradation is characteristic of a scenario where the rendering load on the GPU memory bus and shader units becomes the bottleneck, rather than any CPU limitation.

The Medium preset provides the only complete data set with min and max FPS values, offering further insight into the scaling. At 1080p Medium, the average is 110 FPS with a range of 93 to 126 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 69 FPS with a 59 to 80 FPS range. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 36 FPS with a 31 to 42 FPS range. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the min-max spread, remains relatively stable across resolutions, suggesting that the bottleneck is throughput rather than stuttering.

The data strongly suggests that at 1080p, the system is still somewhat balanced, but by 1440p, the GPU is clearly struggling to maintain high frame rates. The 4K results, where even the Low preset only manages 44 FPS, indicate that the Intel Arc B570 is not suitable for 4K gaming in this title. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU's performance metrics, which will be examined later, show no signs of being a constraint at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average FPS at 1920x1080 is 134 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B570 in Hard West?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck. The CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and the FPS scaling pattern is typical of GPU limitation, where performance drops proportionally with resolution increases.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 85 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS. This shows a 45 FPS difference, indicating that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

Q: Can this system achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K?

A: No, based on the measured data, no settings preset at 3840x2160 reaches 60 FPS. The best 4K result is 44 FPS on the Low preset, while the High preset only achieves 28 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2998 out of 3722 tested combos for Hard West, placing it in the lower half of tested systems.

Q: What is the average FPS for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 110, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a desktop processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily in game logic, pathfinding, and AI calculations. The benchmark results from the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930, indicate substantial processing power. However, the game's low FPS at 4K, even on Low settings, demonstrates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that the system's performance scales almost entirely with resolution, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios.

The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is more than sufficient for a title from 2015, which likely does not utilize all available threads. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2525, ensures that the primary game thread can be processed quickly. The CPU's percentile ranking at 87, compared to all other CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 40081, places it in the upper echelon of processors, further confirming it is not a weak link in this pairing.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, it performs nearly identically. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has an average score of 40048, a mere 0.1% lower, while the Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, which is 0.2% higher. This puts the Ryzen 7 7700 in a performance tier where any differences would be negligible in gaming. The conclusion from the data is that the CPU provides a robust foundation, and the frame rates are dictated entirely by the graphics card's ability to render the scene.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B570 has a combo rank of 2998 out of 3722 tested combinations for Hard West. This ranking places the system in the 80th percentile of tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 80% of other configurations but is still in the lower half of the overall distribution. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance tier.

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range graphics card, and its benchmark scores reflect this positioning. The GPU has an average benchmark score of 20556, with a percentile ranking of 65 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with an average score of 20534, and the Intel Arc A750 with a score of 20582. The deltaPct values are all within 0.5% of the B570, indicating that it performs on par with these other mid-range options.

Given the GPU's mid-range status, a rank of 2998 out of 3722 is expected. The system is not a top-tier performer, but it is also far from the bottom. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is clearly capable of supporting more demanding graphics cards. The data suggests that for this game, the combo is adequately balanced for 1080p gaming but falls short of high-refresh-rate or high-resolution expectations.

In the context of the benchmark database, this rank means that users with this combo will have a playable experience at lower settings, but they will need to make compromises to achieve smooth frame rates. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's measured performance in synthetic benchmarks, which show a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2649. These scores place the GPU in a specific performance bracket, and the in-game results align with that bracket.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers an average of 84 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset provides a smoother experience at 110 FPS, but the High preset is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing visual fidelity, though it approaches the minimum playable threshold for some.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS mark. The Medium preset offers a better experience at 69 FPS, making it the recommended choice for a smooth 1440p experience. The Low preset at 85 FPS is an option for players who prefer higher frame rates, but it comes with a significant visual downgrade. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for 1440p due to the low average frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the data clearly shows that this GPU is not capable of delivering a satisfactory experience. The Low preset averages 44 FPS, which is below 60 FPS, and the Medium preset drops to 36 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 28 FPS and 21 FPS, respectively, are unplayable. Therefore, 4K gaming with this combo is not recommended, regardless of settings.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p with the High preset, which provides a solid frame rate and likely retains more visual details than the Medium preset. For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset is the best compromise between performance and quality. This recommendation is based on the average FPS values, and the Medium preset's min and max FPS data at 1080p and 1440p show stable frame times, further supporting its viability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across the board. The Low preset achieves 134 FPS, the Medium preset averages 110 FPS with a range of 93 to 126 FPS, the High preset averages 84 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. This resolution is clearly the intended usage for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset produces 85 FPS, the Medium preset averages 69 FPS with a range of 59 to 80 FPS, the High preset drops to 53 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 40 FPS. The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset averages 44 FPS, the Medium preset averages 36 FPS with a range of 31 to 42 FPS, the High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS. The performance at 4K is consistently below 60 FPS, and even the Low preset fails to reach a smooth 45 FPS average, indicating a poor experience at this resolution.

The frame time data from the Medium preset shows a consistent pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the min FPS is 93 and the max is 126, a spread of 33 FPS. At 1440p, the min is 59 and the max is 80, a spread of 21 FPS. At 4K, the min is 31 and the max is 42, a spread of 11 FPS. The decreasing spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming fully saturated, resulting in more consistent but lower frame rates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, with the codename Battlemage (Arc 5). It is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC and features 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. The GPU has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. It includes 18 ray tracing cores, though this game from 2015 is unlikely to use them. The card is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s.

The GPU's clock speeds are fixed at 2500 MHz for both base and boost, with a memory clock of 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Its theoretical performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32 operations and 23.04 TFLOPS for FP16. The card has a TDP of 150 W and requires a 450 W power supply. These specifications place it in the mid-range segment, which is reflected in its benchmark scores.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is clearly the primary determinant of performance. The measured FPS values show that the GPU is the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant performance drop at higher resolutions. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 14195 and its percentile ranking of 65 among all GPUs confirm its mid-range positioning. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and Intel Arc A750, have nearly identical average scores, indicating that the B570 is competitive within its class.

The GPU's memory capacity of 10 GB is sufficient for this older title, and the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming. However, the 4K results show that the GPU's compute power is insufficient for high-resolution rendering in this game. The data suggests that the GPU's role is to provide a solid 1080p experience, with acceptable performance at 1440p on medium settings, but it is not designed for 4K gaming.