Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a strikingly lopsided performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The data shows a system where a high-end 16-core CPU is paired with an entry-level integrated GPU, resulting in frame rates that are heavily constrained by graphics processing at every resolution. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and how this specific combination stacks up against the broader benchmark database.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This CPU sits in the 91st percentile of all tested processors, indicating that its raw processing power is far above the average. Its benchmark scores reinforce this: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 15233 and a single-core score of 2083.

In Hard West, the CPU’s role is largely theoretical, as the game’s turn-based mechanics rarely stress even a fraction of its capabilities. The 5950X’s 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample headroom for game logic, AI pathfinding, and unit calculations. However, benchmark results indicate that this headroom goes almost entirely unused. The measured frame rates are not limited by CPU throughput; instead, they are limited by the graphics subsystem. Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, -0.2% delta) and the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, -0.3% delta). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core i9-13900F (51730, 0.4% delta) and slightly behind the Intel Core i7-14700 (52301, -0.7% delta). This positioning confirms that the CPU is a top-tier performer, yet its influence on this game’s FPS is negligible. The data suggests that even a much weaker processor would deliver identical frame rates in Hard West when paired with the same GPU, as the bottleneck sits firmly elsewhere.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 79 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 49 at High settings and 37 at Ultra settings, showing a clear performance ceiling tied to graphics load.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, performance is poor. The average FPS ranges from 26 at Low settings down to 12 at Ultra settings. High settings yield 16 FPS, and Medium settings yield 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25 FPS. These figures indicate that 4K is not a viable resolution for this pairing.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 5950X is a high-end processor with a 91st percentile ranking, while the Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS drops significantly as resolution and settings increase, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations?

A: In Hard West, this combination ranks 2721 out of 2949 total tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, reflecting the weak GPU performance despite the strong CPU.

Q: Are there any settings where the game is playable without major stutter?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS of 79 is smooth. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS, which is still playable. At 1440p, only Low settings (50 FPS) approach playability, while High settings drop to 31 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186 (a -0.2% delta), and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (a -0.5% delta). The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (-0.7% delta), while the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% delta). These differences are minimal, placing the Arc B370 in a very low performance tier.

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

The resolution scaling data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 49 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average FPS drops to 31, a reduction of roughly 37%. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 16 FPS, a further drop of about 48% from 1440p. This pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, with Low settings, the FPS goes from 79 at 1080p, to 50 at 1440p, and down to 26 at 4K. The scaling is nearly linear with the pixel count increase, which is the hallmark of a GPU that is saturated with rendering work.

This behavior indicates that the limiting component is the Intel Arc B370. The Ryzen 9 5950X has more than enough computational power to feed frames, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increasing pixel throughput. The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (79 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) is 42 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (26 FPS) and Ultra (12 FPS) is only 14 FPS. This compression suggests that at 4K, even the lowest settings overwhelm the GPU, and the frame rate is constrained by raw pixel fill rate rather than shading complexity. The game’s turn-based nature means that low FPS might not be as disruptive as in an action game, but the data clearly shows that this combo is only practical at 1080p with lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranking for this specific pairing in Hard West is 2721 out of 2949 tested combinations. This places it in the 92.3rd percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms only about 7.7% of the configurations in the database. This is a poor showing, and the reason is evident from the component-level data. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 91st percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile of all graphics cards. The combination of a high-end CPU with a low-end GPU results in a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound.

The ranking suggests that most other tested combos, even those with significantly weaker CPUs, achieve better frame rates in Hard West because they feature more capable discrete graphics solutions. The Arc B370’s performance is comparable to legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is a card from the early 2010s. This historical context underscores how far behind the curve this GPU is. The combo rank is a direct reflection of the GPU’s low absolute performance. While the CPU ensures that there is no processing overhead, the GPU’s 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for modern resolutions and settings. The data indicates that this combo is only suitable for low-demand scenarios, and its rank in the database reflects that reality.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel’s 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Notably, it has no dedicated VRAM; instead, it uses System Shared memory, with a bus width and bandwidth that are System Dependent. This is a critical limitation for gaming. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio).

In Hard West, the GPU’s role is entirely dominant in determining the final frame rate. The data shows that the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs is consistent with the poor FPS numbers. The lack of dedicated VRAM means that the GPU must access system memory, which is a shared resource with the CPU. While the Ryzen 9 5950X supports DDR4, the bandwidth is limited to 51.2 GB/s, which is far below what a dedicated graphics card would offer. This shared memory architecture likely contributes to the performance drops at higher resolutions. The GPU’s nearest rivals are all legacy or low-end parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186 score, -0.2% delta) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190 score, -0.5% delta). The Arc B370’s score of 1184 is only slightly off these figures, confirming that it is a very weak performer. The frame rates in Hard West reflect this, with even the lowest settings at 1080p only reaching 79 FPS, and Ultra settings at 4K plummeting to 12 FPS. The GPU’s 25 W TDP and IGP slot width also indicate its low-power, integrated nature, which is not designed for serious gaming workloads.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings tiers.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 79.
• Medium: Average FPS of 64, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74.
• High: Average FPS of 49.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 37.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly:

• Low: Average FPS of 50.
• Medium: Average FPS of 41, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47.
• High: Average FPS of 31.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 23.

At 3840x2160, the performance is mostly unplayable:

• Low: Average FPS of 26.
• Medium: Average FPS of 21, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25.
• High: Average FPS of 16.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 12.

These numbers reveal a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the combo can handle Low and Medium settings with playable frame rates, but High and Ultra settings push the GPU to its limits. At 1440p, only Low settings achieve an average above 50 FPS, and Ultra settings drop below 25 FPS. At 4K, all settings fail to reach 30 FPS, with Ultra being a slideshow at 12 FPS. The data shows that this system is only viable for Hard West at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The lack of minimum and maximum FPS data for most settings (except Medium) suggests that the frame times are relatively stable, but the absolute values are too low for a comfortable experience at higher resolutions. The combination of a powerful CPU and a weak GPU results in a system where the frame rate is entirely dictated by the graphics card, and the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this pairing is not suited for demanding graphical workloads.