Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable experience in Hard West, but the data shows that settings management is critical to maintaining smooth frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 1214th out of 1699 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The measured results indicate a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p comfortably, but struggles to maintain fluid motion at 4K, where only the Low preset crosses the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific CPU-GPU pairing, the data clearly points to the High preset as the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 1920x1080, High yields an average of 101.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for the turn-based tactical gameplay of Hard West. This preset provides a substantial improvement over Medium’s 130.2 FPS and Low’s 156.2 FPS, but the visual jump from Medium to High is typically more noticeable than the frame rate sacrifice suggests. The Ultra preset, while offering the best image quality, drops the average to 72.5 FPS at 1080p, which is still playable but represents a 28.3% performance hit compared to High.

At 2560x1440, the High preset remains the recommended choice, delivering 63.8 FPS average. This is just above the 60 FPS target and indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER still has enough headroom for a responsive experience. Medium at 1440p achieves 84 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High in a game like this often justifies the modest frame rate reduction. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 44.3 FPS, which is noticeably less fluid and should be avoided for consistent gameplay.

For 4K resolution, the situation changes dramatically. The High preset drops to 32.7 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The data shows that only the Low preset at 3840x2160, with an average of 55.2 FPS, approaches playability. Given the turn-based nature of Hard West, some players might tolerate 41.2 FPS at Medium, but the Low preset is the only 4K option that maintains a reasonably smooth experience. In summary, stick with High for 1080p and 1440p, and if you must play at 4K, accept the Low preset’s visual compromises for the frame rate stability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the performance scaling observed across resolutions. The GPU’s base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with its 2176 shading units, determine its raw compute capability. The data indicates that this GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly from 1080p levels.

The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19774. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which scores 19680 and is 0.5% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which scores 19706 and is 0.3% slower. This close grouping suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is performing exactly as expected for its class. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are adequate for a turn-based tactics title, but the 4K results show that the 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are stretched thin at higher resolutions.

The measured FPS data reveals that the GPU’s performance degrades predictably as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the GPU delivers 101.1 FPS, but this drops to 63.8 FPS at 1440p and 32.7 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a mid-range GPU being pushed beyond its comfort zone. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 12 nm process and Turing architecture are older designs, and the data suggests they are not well-suited for 4K gaming in this title, even with its relatively simple graphics.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 7700 and RTX 2060 SUPER achieves a rank of 1214 out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 71st percentile of all combinations, meaning roughly 29% of tested systems perform worse. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning, as the CPU is significantly more capable. The Ryzen 7 7700 has a percentile of 91 among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER has a percentile of 63 among all GPUs. This disparity indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

When compared to other combos in the database, this system’s performance is consistent with its component tier. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the RTX 2070, are only 0.5% faster on average, which suggests that upgrading the GPU to a similar-tier card would yield minimal gains. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13905H (0.6% faster), are all within a narrow performance band. This indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios, and the combo’s ranking is primarily determined by the GPU’s capabilities.

The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates. At 4K, the system falls below the 60 FPS threshold for all settings except Low, which explains its mid-pack ranking. For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, the ranking is acceptable, but gamers seeking higher resolutions should consider a more powerful GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 156.2 FPS, providing an extremely fluid experience. Medium achieves 130.2 FPS, High reaches 101.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 72.5 FPS. All four presets remain above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p the most versatile resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show the GPU’s limitations. Low produces 98.7 FPS, Medium hits 84 FPS, and High maintains 63.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 44.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and indicates that the GPU cannot handle maximum settings at this resolution. The data shows a clear step-down from 1080p, with High at 1440p representing a 36.9% reduction from High at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low is the only preset to exceed 50 FPS, averaging 55.2 FPS. Medium drops to 41.2 FPS, High falls to 32.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 23.4 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K is only viable with the lowest settings, and even then, the experience is not ideal for fast-paced action. However, for a turn-based game, the 55.2 FPS at Low might be acceptable for players prioritizing resolution over visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a significant GPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 101.1 FPS at 1080p to 63.8 FPS at 1440p, a 36.9% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate falls to 32.7 FPS, an additional 48.7% reduction. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K, and the 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the higher resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low, the drop from 1080p (156.2 FPS) to 1440p (98.7 FPS) is 36.8%, and to 4K (55.2 FPS) is an additional 44.1%. At Ultra, the decline is even more pronounced: from 72.5 FPS at 1080p to 44.3 FPS at 1440p (38.9% drop), and then to 23.4 FPS at 4K (47.2% drop). This consistent scaling behavior across presets confirms that the GPU is the limiting component, as a CPU-bound scenario would show less degradation at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 7700’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for Hard West, as the frame rate drops align almost perfectly with the increased pixel workload. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz and 32 MB of L3 cache provide ample processing power, but the GPU cannot keep pace at 4K. For optimal performance, players should target 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU’s limitations are less apparent.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a 7000-series processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, combined with a 65 W TDP, make it a highly efficient and powerful CPU. The processor’s benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29302 and a single-core score of 4136. Its average benchmark score of 40468 places it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i9-13905H (0.6% slower), are closely matched.

In Hard West, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the FPS scaling data. The measured frame rates show that the CPU is not the bottleneck, since the performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is consistent with GPU-bound behavior. The Ryzen 7 7700’s 16 threads and high boost clock ensure that the game’s turn-based logic and AI calculations are handled without issue, but the GPU determines the final frame rate.

The CPU’s passmark multi-thread score of 34470 and single-thread score of 4063 indicate strong overall performance. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, which does not heavily utilize multi-threading, the single-core performance is more relevant. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4136 is well above average, ensuring that the game’s main thread runs smoothly. The data confirms that the Ryzen 7 7700 is not a limiting factor in this combo, and any performance issues can be attributed to the RTX 2060 SUPER. For players considering an upgrade, focusing on the GPU would yield the most significant improvements in this title.