Hard West

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a classic scaling pattern, but with a twist that suggests the RTX 5080 is doing most of the heavy lifting. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 287.1 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 218.4 FPS, a 24% decline. Moving to 4K Low, the average falls to 113.8 FPS — a 60% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline as resolution climbs indicates the GPU is the primary performance governor in this turn-based tactics title.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At High settings, the FPS goes from 221.5 at 1080p to 137.5 at 1440p (a 38% reduction), then to 72.8 at 4K (a 67% drop from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 162.4 FPS at 1080p, 104 at 1440p, and just 51.8 at 4K. That final step from 1440p to 4K at Ultra represents a 50% performance hit, which is substantial even for a GPU with 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

What does this imply about the limiting component? The fact that 1080p Low reaches 287.1 FPS — but not higher — hints that the CPU may be imposing a ceiling at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 7 7700 boosts to 5.30 GHz and has 8 cores and 16 threads, which should be ample for a 2015 turn-based tactics game. Yet the data shows the 1080p Low score is only 32% higher than the 4K Low score, suggesting the game engine or CPU single-thread performance starts to matter more when the GPU isn't saturated. The CPU's single-thread benchmark score of 1049 in 3dMark supports this interpretation.

The resolution scaling data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (287.1) and Ultra (162.4) is 124.7 FPS. At 4K, that gap shrinks to 62 FPS (113.8 versus 51.8). This compression at higher resolutions is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios, where the cost of additional shading and memory traffic dominates the preset differences.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, a genre that historically relies more on single-threaded performance than massive multi-core scaling. The Ryzen 7 7700 presents an interesting case: it has 8 physical cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.80 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, its 3dMark single-thread score is 1049, while multi-threaded scores scale well: 8484 with 16 threads and 8479 with max threads. The Cinebench R23 results echo this, with 4136 single-core and 29302 multi-core.

How does this translate to Hard West? The measured FPS data shows the combo at 287.1 FPS at 1080p Low, which is the least GPU-demanding configuration. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we'd expect to see this number plateau regardless of further GPU headroom. The fact that it reaches nearly 300 FPS suggests the CPU is adequately feeding the RTX 5080 at this resolution. However, comparing to the CPU's nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H scores nearly identically (0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i9-13905H is 0.6% lower. This puts the 7700 in a tight cluster of high-performance mobile and desktop chips.

The architecture matters here. Zen 4 (Raphael) on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache, provides strong single-thread responsiveness. For a game like Hard West, which likely has AI turn calculations and pathfinding that are single-threaded, the 5.30 GHz boost clock is probably more relevant than the core count. The 3dMark 2-thread score of 2043 indicates that even with just two threads active, the CPU performs well. The data doesn't show frame times or 1% lows, but the average FPS figures suggest the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

That said, the CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all tested CPUs provides context: it's a strong performer, but not at the very top. The 65 W TDP and DDR5 memory support (with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) round out a package that should handle turn-based AI calculations without issue. For Hard West specifically, the data implies the CPU is more than sufficient, with headroom to spare at 1080p where the GPU can run at full tilt.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 5080 is the clear star in this pairing, and the resolution scaling data confirms it. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, the memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s is substantial for a 2015 title that likely doesn't need anywhere near that capacity. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz and 10752 shading units provide the raw compute necessary to push high frame rates.

At 1080p, the GPU is clearly not the bottleneck — the 287.1 FPS at Low settings and 221.5 FPS at High settings indicate the game is being rendered far faster than any display refresh rate. The shift to 1440p shows the GPU starting to work harder: 218.4 FPS at Low and 137.5 FPS at High. But it's at 4K where the GPU's workload becomes evident. The 4K Ultra score of 51.8 FPS is the only measured point below 60 FPS, suggesting that Hard West's Ultra preset at 4K is demanding even for a high-end GPU like the RTX 5080.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context. The PassMark G3D score of 36565 places it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are interesting: the Intel Arc A570M is 1.6% higher, while the Intel Arc Pro A60 is 1.9% lower. This suggests the RTX 5080 is in a competitive tier, though not decisively ahead of some mid-range Intel offerings in synthetic tests. Yet for Hard West, the actual measured FPS tells a different story — the GPU delivers playable performance at 4K High (72.8 FPS) and excellent performance at 1440p and below.

The 30 Gbps effective memory speed and 256-bit bus width matter for a game that might load large texture sets. Hard West's isometric view and turn-based nature likely use moderate VRAM, so 16 GB provides enormous headroom. The GPU's FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS is more than sufficient for this genre. The data suggests the RTX 5080 is a capable but not overkill partner for this CPU in Hard West, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor only at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 bottlenecking the RTX 5080 in Hard West?

A: Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not a bottleneck at most settings. The 1080p Low score of 287.1 FPS shows the CPU can feed the GPU well, and the CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock with a 3dMark single-thread score of 1049 provides ample performance for this turn-based tactics game. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, especially at Ultra settings where FPS drops to 51.8.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p offers the best balance. At High settings, the combo delivers 137.5 FPS, which is comfortably above 60. At 4K High, the score drops to 72.8 FPS, still playable but closer to the margin. For maximum smoothness, 1080p High at 221.5 FPS leaves no performance concerns.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 36565 puts it 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A570M and 1.9% ahead of the Intel Arc Pro A60. This places it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. In actual Hard West gameplay, the RTX 5080 delivers strong results, with 4K High achieving 72.8 FPS.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a worthwhile experience at 4K?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra averages 51.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer. Compared to 4K High at 72.8 FPS, the Ultra preset costs about 29% performance. For a turn-based game, this might be acceptable, but High settings appear to offer a smoother experience.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance affect Hard West?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 scores 29302 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 8484 in 3dMark 16-thread tests. While Hard West likely doesn't use all 16 threads, the CPU's strong multi-threaded scores (91st percentile) ensure that any background tasks or game logic won't cause frame drops. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides headroom.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the RTX 5080 have, and does it matter for this game?

A: The RTX 5080 has 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth from its 16 GB GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. For Hard West, a game from 2015, this bandwidth is far more than necessary. The data suggests that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU's compute (56.28 TFLOPS FP32) is more likely the limiting factor than memory bandwidth.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 48th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 2.8% of all combinations tested. The ranking reflects the strong synergy between the two components: the CPU's high single-thread performance (1049 in 3dMark single-thread) complements the GPU's raw rendering power.

What does this rank imply? In a game like Hard West, which is turn-based and likely not heavily optimized for multi-core CPUs, the rank of 48 suggests that most combinations ahead of this one probably feature higher-end GPUs (like RTX 5090-class cards) or CPUs with even higher boost clocks. The data shows this combo is capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 4K High and 100+ FPS at 1440p Ultra, so the rank reflects competitive performance relative to the entire test pool.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (0.1% higher average score) and Intel Core i9-13905H (0.6% lower) — are all within a narrow band. This suggests that for Hard West, the specific CPU choice among these top-tier processors matters less than the GPU. The RTX 5080's nearest GPU rivals (Intel Arc A570M at 1.6% higher, Intel Arc Pro A60 at 1.9% lower) show similar clustering, reinforcing that this combo sits in a performance tier where small synthetic differences don't translate to large FPS changes in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across the board. Low settings hit 287.1 FPS, Medium reaches 269.8 FPS, High achieves 221.5 FPS, and Ultra still manages 162.4 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the game is almost always CPU-limited or engine-limited, as even the most demanding preset stays well above 150 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU starts to show its workload. Low settings drop to 218.4 FPS, Medium to 180.6 FPS, High to 137.5 FPS, and Ultra to 104 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 52% performance reduction, which is more pronounced than at 1080p (where the reduction is 43%). This indicates the GPU is becoming more relevant at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the 4K results reveal the true GPU demands. Low settings average 113.8 FPS, Medium 97.1 FPS, High 72.8 FPS, and Ultra 51.8 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 4K (24.3 FPS) is larger than the gap between Low and Medium (16.7 FPS), suggesting that the High preset introduces significant rendering costs.

Across all resolutions, the trend is consistent: Low to Medium has a smaller FPS impact than Medium to High, while High to Ultra has the largest impact. At 4K, the High-to-Ultra step costs 21 FPS (72.8 to 51.8), which is a 29% reduction. This pattern indicates that the Ultra preset likely enables effects that are disproportionately expensive at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the High preset at 72.8 FPS is the recommended choice for most players. It provides a smooth experience above 60 FPS while retaining visual quality. The Ultra preset at 51.8 FPS may appeal to players with variable refresh rate monitors who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, but the 29% performance cost relative to High is substantial for a turn-based game where smoothness isn't as critical as in action titles.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 104 FPS is the clear recommendation. This delivers high visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 100, which is more than sufficient for any display. Players with 144 Hz monitors will appreciate the headroom. The High preset at 137.5 FPS is an alternative for those who want maximum smoothness, but the visual downgrade from Ultra is noticeable in the data (a 33.5 FPS difference).

For 1080p, any preset delivers playable performance. The Ultra preset at 162.4 FPS is recommended for the best visual experience, as it still exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates. The Medium preset at 269.8 FPS would be overkill for most displays, and the Low preset at 287.1 FPS offers no practical benefit unless targeting extreme refresh rates.

The data suggests a general rule: at 4K, use High; at 1440p and below, use Ultra. The Low and Medium presets are only relevant for players who want to maximize frame rates beyond what the High/Ultra presets offer, which is rarely necessary given that the combo already delivers excellent performance at these resolutions. For players who prioritize absolute smoothness over visuals, the Medium preset at 4K (97.1 FPS) provides a better balance than Low (113.8 FPS) since the visual improvement is likely worth the 16.7 FPS cost.