Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, presents an interesting case study when paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Intel Arc B390. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the graphics component is the primary constraint, yet the CPU’s capabilities still define the ceiling of what is achievable. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy that shifts dramatically as resolution and graphical load change.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, pointing directly at the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 55 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset, the average falls to 35 FPS, a reduction of 36%. At 4K, the average plummets to 18 FPS, which is just 33% of the 1080p figure. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering resolution demands more from the graphics processor than it can deliver.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. For Low settings, the average FPS drops from 87 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p and then to 29 at 4K. Medium settings show 71 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with averages of 41 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and only 14 FPS at 4K. In every case, the step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% of the frame rate, and the step to 4K costs another 40-50%. The consistency of these deltas indicates that the GPU is saturated at each resolution, and the CPU is not the bottleneck in these tests.

The implications are straightforward: this combination is not suited for 4K gaming in Hard West. The highest average at 4K is 29 FPS on Low settings, which is below the threshold for smooth play. Even 1440p is marginal, with only the Low preset exceeding 50 FPS. The data suggests that 1080p is the practical resolution for this pairing, where even Ultra settings achieve 41 FPS, and Low settings reach 87 FPS. The limiting component is unambiguously the Intel Arc B390, given its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. Its base clock is 4.20 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16817 and a single-core score of 1713. In 3DMark, the max-thread score is 7967, and the single-thread score is 959. These figures place the CPU in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33079.

However, in Hard West, the CPU’s role is secondary. The game is a turn-based tactics title, and the measured frame rates are consistently lower than what the CPU alone could support. At 1080p Low, the system hits 87 FPS, which is the highest measured average. This is likely close to the CPU-limited ceiling, but the GPU still prevents higher frame rates. The 7800X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 8 cores are more than sufficient for this genre, which typically does not stress multi-threading as heavily as modern shooters or strategy games with complex simulations.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any of the tested configurations. For instance, at 1080p Ultra, the average is 41 FPS, which is a GPU limit given that the same GPU at 1080p Low achieves 87 FPS. The CPU’s performance headroom is evident when comparing across resolutions: the frame rate scales inversely with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G and Intel Core i7-13650HX, both with an average score of 33089 and a deltaPct of 0, meaning the 7800X3D is effectively tied with them. This reinforces that the CPU has ample compute for the game, leaving the GPU as the deciding factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Intel Arc B390 in Hard West?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve playable frame rates. The highest average at 1080p is 87 FPS on Low, and even Ultra averages 41 FPS. At 1440p, only Low exceeds 50 FPS, and at 4K, no preset reaches 30 FPS on average.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (deltaPct 1.3%), followed by the GeForce 800M at 1460 (deltaPct 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (deltaPct 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (deltaPct 2.7%). The Arc B390 is slightly ahead of all these, but the margins are minimal.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 7800X3D bottleneck the Arc B390 in this game?

A: No. The data shows that frame rates decrease consistently as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU bottleneck. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 55 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p and 18 at 4K. If the CPU were the limitation, the frame rates would remain flat across resolutions, which they do not.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 87, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next highest is 71 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 55 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: Is the Arc B390’s performance in Hard West consistent with its general GPU ranking?

A: Yes. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking indicates it is among the weakest GPUs tested. In Hard West, the 4K Ultra average of 14 FPS and 4K High average of 18 FPS align with this low standing. The GPU is only able to produce 29 FPS at 4K Low, which is still below a typical 30 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How much faster is the 7800X3D than the Ryzen 7 8700G in synthetic tests?

A: The two CPUs have identical average benchmark scores. The 7800X3D scores 33079, while the 8700G and Intel Core i7-13650HX both score 33089, resulting in a deltaPct of 0. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H scores 33201, which is 0.4% higher than the 7800X3D.

How This Combo Ranks

In Hard West, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. The low ranking is driven entirely by the GPU, as the CPU is in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. The data confirms that the combo’s performance is limited by the Arc B390, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

The ranking of 2614 out of 2949 means that 335 other combos perform worse in this game. This is not surprising given the GPU’s weak standing relative to its peers. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, are similarly low-performing, and the combo’s position reflects that. The CPU’s strong synthetic scores do not translate into a high in-game rank because the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings. The measured FPS values are the deciding factor, and they are uniformly low at higher resolutions.

The combo’s rank also indicates that users with this pairing will need to make significant compromises in settings to achieve acceptable frame rates. At 1080p, the combo can deliver 41 FPS on Ultra, which is playable for a turn-based tactics game, but at 4K, even Low settings only yield 29 FPS. The rank of 2614 is a holistic measure, and the data suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium to high settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance in Hard West. All measurements are averages, with some presets also reporting minimum and maximum values.

At 1920x1080 resolution:

• Low settings: 87 FPS average
• Medium settings: 71 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS
• High settings: 55 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 41 FPS average

At 2560x1440 resolution:

• Low settings: 55 FPS average
• Medium settings: 45 FPS average, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS
• High settings: 35 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 26 FPS average

At 3840x2160 resolution:

• Low settings: 29 FPS average
• Medium settings: 24 FPS average, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS
• High settings: 18 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 14 FPS average

The data shows a clear progression: each jump in resolution reduces the average FPS by approximately 35-50%, regardless of the settings preset. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is also consistent, with Ultra averaging roughly half the FPS of Low at each resolution. For example, at 1080p, Low is 87 FPS and Ultra is 41 FPS; at 1440p, Low is 55 FPS and Ultra is 26 FPS; at 4K, Low is 29 FPS and Ultra is 14 FPS. The minimum and maximum values for Medium settings show that frame times are relatively stable, with the spread being about 21-22 FPS at each resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p resolution. The Low preset delivers 87 FPS, which is smooth for any game, but for a turn-based tactics title, higher visual fidelity may be preferred. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 71 FPS, which is still excellent and likely provides a good balance between visuals and performance. The High preset at 1080p achieves 55 FPS, which is also playable, and the Ultra preset at 41 FPS remains above 30 FPS, making it an option for those who prioritize image quality.

At 1440p, the recommendations change. The Low preset at 55 FPS is the only one that exceeds 50 FPS. Medium at 45 FPS is acceptable, but High at 35 FPS and Ultra at 26 FPS are below what many would consider smooth. For 1440p, the data supports using Low or Medium settings, with Medium providing a playable 45 FPS average.

At 4K, the combo is not recommended for serious play. The highest average is 29 FPS on Low, which is below the 30 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset at 14 FPS is nearly unplayable. The data suggests that 4K should be avoided entirely for this pairing in Hard West.

The optimal setting is 1080p Medium, which gives 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This provides a solid frame rate with better visuals than Low. For users who want the highest frame rate, 1080p Low at 87 FPS is the best choice. For those who want the best image quality without dropping below 30 FPS, 1080p Ultra at 41 FPS is the highest preset that remains playable.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU’s base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is system shared, meaning it uses the main system memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth that is system dependent. The GPU has a TDP of 80 W and is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), GeForce 800M (1460), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and GeForce GT 710 (1443). The deltaPct values show that the Arc B390 is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than these older, entry-level GPUs. This explains the measured FPS in Hard West, which are low at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s role in Hard West is to render the game’s visuals, and the data shows it struggles with the demands of 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the GPU can produce 87 FPS on Low, but this drops to 41 FPS on Ultra. The system-shared memory and low compute power (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) are insufficient for higher resolutions. The boost clock of 2500 MHz helps at 1080p, but the pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU is the clear bottleneck in this combo. The CPU’s high benchmark scores do not compensate for the GPU’s low ranking. The measured FPS values confirm that the GPU limits performance to a maximum of 87 FPS at 1080p Low, and this ceiling falls rapidly as resolution increases. For any user with this combo, the GPU dictates that Hard West must be played at 1080p with moderate settings to achieve playable frame rates.