Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, presents an interesting workload for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination. The data shows this pairing achieves a combo rank of 2360 out of 2949 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-mid portion of the database. This ranking, while not near the top, is nonetheless workable for a game of this genre, though the benchmark results indicate that the graphics card is the primary constraint when pushing higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B570 sits at rank 2360 out of 2949 combos tested in Hard West. This places it in the 20th percentile of all tested systems, a position that suggests the pairing is more than capable of running the game, but with notable compromises at the highest fidelity levels. The processor itself is a high-end part, with an average benchmark score of 39768, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. However, the GPU, with an average score of 20556, sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This disparity in relative performance is the core story of this combo.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (0.4% ahead), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.7% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (0.8% behind). The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is essentially in a dead heat with these parts, showing that its performance is consistent with other high-end chips, but it doesn't pull away in this particular aggregate benchmark. The GPU, on the other hand, is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% ahead), the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% behind), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (0.5% behind). This indicates that while the Arc B570 is a solid performer, it is not a class leader, and its position relative to these rivals is a tight grouping.

Given the CPU’s strength, one might expect the bottleneck to be almost entirely on the GPU. The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p, the game can push well over 100 frames per second on lower settings, which is a figure the CPU can easily feed. However, as resolution and settings increase, the GPU's workload becomes heavier, and the frame rates drop accordingly. The combo ranking is therefore not a reflection of the CPU’s capability, but rather a measure of the total system's ability to render the game at high settings and resolutions, where the Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit memory bus begin to show their limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo for a smooth experience?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, even on Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 63 FPS. At 2560x1440 on High, it drops to 53 FPS, and at 3840x2160 on High, it falls to 28 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the most reliable resolution for maintaining high frame rates across all settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals in overall GPU performance?

A: The Arc B570’s average benchmark score is 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is 0.1% ahead. It is also 0.1% ahead of the Intel Arc A750 and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M390X. This shows it is a mid-pack performer, not a top-tier card.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B570 in Hard West?

A: No. The CPU has a very high average benchmark score of 39768 and is in the 87th percentile. The measured FPS shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 134 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle high frame rates. The frame rate drops at higher resolutions are more consistent with a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 69 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 40 FPS. This represents a significant drop of 29 FPS, or roughly a 42% performance penalty for the higher visual fidelity.

Q: Does the combo have any data for the minimum FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 on Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded was 31, with a maximum of 42 and an average of 36. No minimum FPS data is available for the other settings at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 7700?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average score of 39768, while the Ryzen 7 7700 has an average score of 40081. This makes the 7700 0.8% faster in the aggregate benchmark, a difference that is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios like Hard West.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected trend in resolution scaling. The system’s performance is heavily influenced by the number of pixels being rendered. Starting at 1920x1080, the combo shows significant headroom. On Low settings, it achieves an average of 134 FPS, which is more than double the 63 FPS seen on Ultra. This wide gap between settings at the same resolution suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample power to handle the game's logic at these frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board. The High preset falls from 84 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS, a 37% decrease. The Low preset drops from 134 FPS to 85 FPS, a 37% decrease as well. This proportional drop indicates that the GPU is being pushed harder, but the CPU is still able to keep up. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 45 FPS, which is similar to the 71 FPS gap at 1080p, showing that the GPU's relative performance scaling is consistent.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to struggle. The High preset delivers an average of just 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset manages 44 FPS, but even this is a significant drop from the 85 FPS seen at 1440p. The Ultra preset at 4K yields only 21 FPS, making it nearly unplayable. The data shows that the frame rate penalty from 1080p to 4K is substantial; for instance, the High preset drops from 84 FPS to 28 FPS, a 67% reduction. This scaling behavior clearly identifies the Intel Arc B570 as the limiting component, as the CPU's performance is not the constraint at these higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 134, providing a very fluid experience. Medium settings bring the average down to 110 FPS, with a minimum of 93 and a maximum of 126, still excellent for a turn-based title. High settings yield an average of 84 FPS, which is very playable. Ultra settings are the most demanding, resulting in an average of 63 FPS, which is still smooth for this genre.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but shows the GPU's strain. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is a comfortable frame rate. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80, indicating some minor frame pacing concerns but generally smooth gameplay. High settings drop to an average of 53 FPS. Ultra settings, however, fall to an average of 40 FPS, which is on the lower end of playable for a tactics game.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations are clear. Low settings average 44 FPS, which is borderline for smooth play. Medium settings average 36 FPS, with a minimum of 31 and a maximum of 42, showing that the experience can become choppy. High settings average 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. Ultra settings average just 21 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive. The data shows a clear progression where the GPU's capabilities are exceeded as pixel count increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium or High preset. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves an average of 110 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a smooth, responsive experience. High settings at 1080p, with an average of 84 FPS, are also an excellent choice, offering improved visual fidelity without a significant performance hit. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with 63 FPS, is still playable, but the marginal visual improvements may not be worth the frame rate drop from the High preset.

For users with a 2560x1440 monitor, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 69 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset is also viable, with an average of 53 FPS, but it may be less consistent, especially in scenes with more action. The Low preset, at 85 FPS, is the best choice if frame rate is the absolute priority. The Ultra preset at 1440p should be avoided, as the 40 FPS average is not ideal.

At 3840x2160, there is no ideal preset. The Low setting, with an average of 44 FPS, is the only one that approaches playability, but it still has moments of noticeable slowdown. The Medium setting, at 36 FPS, is playable but not smooth, and the High and Ultra settings are not recommended due to their low frame rates. For this resolution, it is best to stick with 1080p or 1440p for a better experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a high-end desktop processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its substantial L3 cache of 96 MB (shared) is a key feature for gaming, as it helps reduce memory latency. The CPU's benchmark results are strong; for example, it scores 23230 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2080 in single-core, and its average benchmark score is 39768.

In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game from 2015, the CPU's role is less demanding than in fast-paced action titles. The game's logic is typically not heavily multi-threaded, and the 9800X3D's single-thread performance is more than sufficient. The data supports this; at 1080p Low, the system achieves 134 FPS, indicating that the CPU can easily feed the GPU at lower resolutions. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 63 FPS average is well within the CPU's capability to produce.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is a near-tie. It is 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS and 0.7% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450, but 0.7% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and 0.8% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 7700. These differences are within the margin of error for synthetic benchmarks and do not translate to a meaningful difference in Hard West. The 9800X3D's high clocks and large cache ensure that it is not a bottleneck in this system, allowing the GPU to be the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, part of the Battlemage generation. It has a 10 GB GDDR6 memory buffer on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The card operates at a consistent clock speed of 2500 MHz for both base and boost. Its compute capabilities include 2304 shading units and an FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS. The GPU has a TDP of 150 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it is a mid-range performer. Its average benchmark score is 20556, with a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 83514. Its percentile rank is 65, meaning it outperforms 65% of all GPUs in the database. In Hard West, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings.

The 10 GB of VRAM is a critical factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, the game likely requires more memory, and while the data does not show a hard failure, the low frame rates suggest the GPU is struggling with the memory bandwidth and capacity. The 160-bit bus, compared to wider buses on higher-end cards, restricts the amount of data that can be moved. The GPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score, showing it is a competent performer for its class, but it lacks the raw power to handle 4K Ultra settings in this title. The combination of a strong CPU and a mid-range GPU means the system's overall performance is dictated by the Arc B570's capabilities.