Hard West

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Hard West with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 reveals a clear pattern: the game becomes progressively more demanding as resolution increases, but the scaling is not uniform across settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 328.4 FPS average. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 220.5 FPS, a 32.9% decrease. Moving to 4K Low yields 117.8 FPS, which is 46.6% lower than the 1440p figure and 64.1% lower than the 1080p result. This steep drop at 4K suggests that even at Low settings, the rendering load is substantial enough to overwhelm the GPU’s capabilities.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute values: 217 FPS at 1080p, 141.2 FPS at 1440p, and 75.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is only 34.8% of the 1080p High figure, indicating a heavy resolution penalty. The Ultra preset amplifies this trend, with 161.5 FPS at 1080p, 102.1 FPS at 1440p, and just 52.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra number is barely above half of the 1440p Ultra result, showing that the combination of high settings and high resolution is the most punishing scenario.

The data implies that the RTX 5080 is the limiting component at 4K, particularly on Ultra, where the average FPS drops below 60. The CPU appears sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, given how high the frame rates climb at 1080p. However, the sheer pixel count at 4K, combined with the game’s rendering demands, causes the GPU to bottleneck. This is typical for a turn-based tactics title, where CPU load is often modest, but the GPU must still handle the visual fidelity. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe, suggesting that the GPU has headroom at these resolutions, but 4K pushes it to its limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 283.9, which is higher than the High preset’s 217 FPS and slightly below the Low preset’s 328.4 FPS. This indicates Medium offers a strong balance for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 struggle at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 52.3 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest measured score across all resolution and setting combinations, falling below the 60 FPS threshold commonly desired for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX’s score of 35940. It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 by 0.6% but trails the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4%.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score is 59188, placing it well above average.

Q: Is the 4K Low preset playable?

A: Yes, the 4K Low preset yields an average FPS of 117.8, which is well above playable thresholds. This suggests that even at 4K, the combo can handle the game comfortably if settings are reduced.

Q: Which settings preset offers the highest FPS at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 220.5. The Medium preset follows with 177.6 FPS, while High and Ultra trail at 141.2 and 102.1 FPS, respectively.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 32nd out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 1.9% of all configurations tested, a strong showing that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The rank is based on measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, and the combo’s position suggests it delivers excellent performance in this specific game.

The 32nd rank indicates that while the combo is very fast, there are 31 other configurations that achieve higher average FPS in Hard West. These likely include combinations with even more powerful GPUs or CPUs that better optimize this title’s engine. However, given that the RTX 5080 is in the 89th percentile of GPUs and the Ryzen 7 9700X is in the 89th percentile of CPUs, the rank is consistent with expectations for a top-tier pairing. The data suggests that the combo is well-matched, with neither component being a significant bottleneck in most scenarios, except at 4K Ultra where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 328.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 283.9 FPS. High settings produce 217 FPS, and Ultra is the slowest at 1080p, averaging 161.5 FPS. These numbers show that the CPU and GPU have ample headroom at this resolution, with even the most demanding preset exceeding 160 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably but remains high. Low settings average 220.5 FPS, Medium achieves 177.6 FPS, and High produces 141.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 102.1 FPS, which is still smooth but shows a significant 36.7% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result. This indicates that the GPU starts to work harder at 1440p, but the combo still handles the load effectively.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more pronounced. Low settings average 117.8 FPS, Medium drops to 93 FPS, and High falls to 75.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 52.3 FPS, which is the only measured scenario below 60 FPS. This suggests that 4K Ultra is the most demanding configuration, likely due to the combination of high pixel count and enhanced visual effects. The 4K results show a clear trend: the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, and users seeking 4K gameplay should consider Medium or Low settings for smoother performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support contribute to its high single-thread and multi-thread performance. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 1280 in 3dmark single-thread and 9771 in max-thread tests, indicating strong per-core and multi-core capabilities.

In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU’s role is less critical than in fast-paced action titles, as the game’s logic is often more dependent on single-threaded performance. The CPU’s 3dmark single-thread score of 1280 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4459 suggest it can handle the game’s AI and simulation tasks effectively. The multi-threaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multicore at 31588, show that the CPU has ample headroom for background tasks or streaming.

The data implies that the CPU is not a bottleneck in Hard West, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 300 FPS on Low settings. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz and efficient Zen 5 architecture ensure that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 36029, places it slightly above the Intel Core i5-14500HX and just below the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, confirming its high-end status.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the user’s display resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra averaging 161.5 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. For 1440p, the Medium preset offers a strong balance at 177.6 FPS, while High drops to 141.2 FPS, still smooth for most displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 102.1 FPS, which is acceptable but may not fully utilize a 144Hz monitor.

At 4K, the recommendations change significantly. The Low preset averages 117.8 FPS, making it the best option for smooth 4K gameplay. Medium follows at 93 FPS, which is also acceptable, while High dips to 75.6 FPS, still playable but less fluid. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 52.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stutter or input latency. Therefore, for 4K users, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, offering a 77.9% improvement over Ultra while maintaining high visual quality. For 1440p users, High settings at 141.2 FPS provide an excellent balance of quality and performance. At 1080p, Ultra at 161.5 FPS delivers the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a high-end graphics card with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2617 MHz and 10752 shading units contribute to its impressive FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS. The GPU’s 89th percentile ranking, with an average benchmark score of 59188, places it ahead of rivals like the Intel Arc A570M by 1.6% and behind the Intel Arc Pro A60 by 1.9%.

In Hard West, the GPU’s role is critical at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 52.3 FPS shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the pixel count and visual effects overwhelm its capabilities. The 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as Hard West is a 2015 title with modest memory requirements. However, the GPU’s raw compute power is what drives performance, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops from 1080p to 4K.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s and boost clock of 2617 MHz are key factors in maintaining high frame rates at 1440p and 1080p. The data shows that the RTX 5080 can handle 1440p Ultra at 102.1 FPS, indicating it has enough power for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution. At 4K, the GPU’s performance drops more steeply, suggesting that users should lower settings to achieve playable frame rates. The GPU’s 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637 and Passmark G3D score of 36565 further confirm its high-end positioning, though the measured FPS data provides the most relevant insight for this specific game.