Hard West

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Hard West with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 show a steep performance drop as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 143 FPS average, which drops to 90 FPS at 1440p and further to 47 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a scaling pattern that points squarely at the graphics card struggling with pixel throughput.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 90 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p, then to 30 FPS at 4K. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 117 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, starts at 67 FPS at 1080p, drops to 43 FPS at 1440p, and bottoms out at 22 FPS at 4K. The consistent halving or near-halving of performance at each resolution step—particularly the 1440p-to-4K transitions—suggests that the RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated by the increased pixel workload.

The 4K results reveal a critical insight: even at Low settings, the combo only manages 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider smooth. At Ultra settings, 4K becomes unplayable at 22 FPS. The data indicates that Hard West at 4K is not a viable option for this hardware pairing, regardless of settings. The frame rate collapse from 1080p to 4K is more severe than what would be expected from a CPU-bound scenario, confirming that the RTX 2060's rendering capabilities—its 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs—are the bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on a 4 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide substantial single-thread headroom, which is reflected in its PassMark single-thread score of 4691. For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, which typically relies on discrete computation bursts rather than sustained multithreaded rendering, this processor's strength in single-threaded performance is directly relevant.

The CPU's multithreaded capabilities are also substantial, with a PassMark multithread score of 36470 and an average benchmark score of 69996. This places the 9700F in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 9700F is essentially level with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% higher average score) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% lower), while edging out the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.7% and the Intel Core i7-14700K by 0.9%. These delta values are negligible in real-world gaming, indicating that the 9700F is not a limiting factor in this configuration.

The 32 MB shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (dual-channel, 89.6 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample data throughput for game logic and asset streaming. In Hard West, which is a turn-based game with relatively modest CPU demands compared to real-time strategy titles, the 9700F's 8-core/16-thread configuration is overkill for maintaining frame rates. The evidence from resolution scaling supports this: if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively stable across resolutions, but instead we see the dramatic drops described above. The CPU's 65 W TDP and active production status suggest it is a modern, efficient part that should sustain consistent performance without thermal throttling in a well-cooled system.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process, with a base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its 6 GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is modest by modern standards but adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The card's PassMark G3D score of 14111 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 15290 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0% delta), AMD Radeon 680M (0.1% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.8% higher). This clustering suggests the RTX 2060 is a mid-range performer that is neither exceptionally strong nor weak relative to its contemporaries.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 143 FPS, which is well above playable thresholds. However, the card's limitations emerge at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the 22 FPS average is a clear indication that the GPU cannot handle the pixel count and texture loads. The 6 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor, as 4K textures and effects can exceed this capacity, leading to memory swapping and frame drops. The card's 48 ROPs and 201.6 GTexel/s texture rate are also modest, limiting fill-rate performance at high resolutions.

The RTX 2060's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 capability mean it can handle modern rendering APIs, but Hard West, released in 2015, is based on older technology that may not fully utilize these features. The GPU's 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present but unlikely to be engaged by this game. The end-of-life production status of the RTX 2060 also suggests that driver optimizations for newer titles may be limited, though this does not appear to affect Hard West based on the measured data.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this combination of AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2324 out of 2949 tested combos for Hard West. This places it in the bottom 21% of all combinations, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the individual components' relative strengths. The CPU's 94th percentile standing does not compensate for the GPU's 58th percentile performance, and the overall combo ranking reflects the GPU bottleneck identified earlier.

The rank of 2324 out of 2949 means that 2323 other CPU-GPU combinations delivered higher average frame rates in this game. This is not a flattering position, and the data suggests that users with this pairing will likely experience suboptimal performance at higher settings. The gap between the combo's CPU and GPU capabilities is stark: the 9700F is a top-tier processor by percentile, while the RTX 2060 is a mid-range card. In Hard West, which is ultimately GPU-bound at most settings, the combo's ranking is dragged down by the graphics card.

However, it is important to contextualize this ranking. The database includes combos with high-end GPUs that would naturally outperform the RTX 2060. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, this combo achieves 143 FPS, which is competitive with many higher-ranked systems. The ranking becomes more unfavorable at 4K, where the combo's 22-47 FPS range across settings puts it in the lower tier. For users prioritizing 1080p gaming, this combo is adequate; for 4K enthusiasts, it falls short.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rate data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 143 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth and suitable for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset at 1080p drops to 90 FPS, still playable but with diminishing returns over Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 67 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold that many users prefer for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 90 FPS, which is acceptable for most users. The Medium preset at 1440p provides 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, making it a viable option for those seeking higher visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The High preset at 1440p drops to 57 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced action but acceptable for turn-based tactics where frame timing is less critical. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as 43 FPS is noticeably choppy.

At 4K, no settings preset delivers a fully smooth experience. The Low preset at 47 FPS is the best option, but it falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 39 FPS and High at 30 FPS are playable but not ideal, while Ultra at 22 FPS is effectively unplayable. For 4K users, the recommendation is to stick with Low settings or reduce resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best overall balance of visual quality and performance, with a 117 FPS average and a 99 FPS minimum, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU-GPU pairing?

A: The measured data shows that 1080p at Medium settings provides 117 FPS average with a 99 FPS minimum, making it the best balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1440p, Low settings at 90 FPS is the safest choice, while 4K is only playable at Low settings with 47 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hard West?

A: The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option for this pairing. At Low settings, the average FPS is 47, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 22 FPS, which is unplayable. Users seeking 4K should consider a more powerful GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The resolution scaling data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, frame rates drop by 67% at Low settings, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9700F's 94th percentile ranking and single-thread score of 4691 indicate it is not the constraint.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2324 out of 2949 tested combinations for Hard West, placing it in the bottom 21%. The ranking reflects the RTX 2060's mid-range performance, despite the CPU's top-tier standing.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 143 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 67 FPS. This is a 76 FPS difference, representing a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to highest quality preset.

Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Based on the measured data, the 6 GB GDDR6 memory is adequate for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, as frame rates remain playable. However, at 4K, the performance collapse suggests that VRAM capacity or bandwidth may be a limiting factor, particularly at Ultra settings.