Hard West

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. For a turn-based tactics title like Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining consistent frame pacing during unit actions, AI calculations, and map loading rather than pushing extreme frame rates. The data shows this processor is exceptionally capable in synthetic benchmarks, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 43695 and a single-core score of 6168, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs tested.

In the context of Hard West's measured results, the CPU's high single-thread performance is relevant because turn-based tactics games often rely on a primary simulation thread. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1093 and PassMark single-thread score of 4238 indicate strong per-core performance that should prevent CPU bottlenecks at lower resolutions. However, the measured FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings (71.2 FPS) versus Low settings (150.3 FPS) suggests that even with a powerful CPU, graphical settings significantly influence the frame rate, meaning the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase.

The processor's 64 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth (DDR5, dual-channel) provide ample headroom for the game's data streaming requirements. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 7900X scores within 0.8% of the Intel Core i9-13980HX (deltaPct -0.8) and within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT (deltaPct -0.4), showing that this CPU is statistically tied with the fastest desktop and mobile processors in aggregate benchmarks. This parity means that any performance differences in Hard West are more likely attributable to the GPU or game optimization than to CPU capability.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X strong enough for Hard West at 4K?

A: Yes. The measured data shows the CPU's 12-core/24-thread design and 93rd percentile ranking in all-CPU benchmarks provide far more processing headroom than a turn-based tactics game requires. The bottleneck at 4K is clearly the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate drop from 150.3 FPS at 1080p Low to 50.3 FPS at 4K Low.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580's memory configuration affect Hard West performance?

A: The Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth. This is sufficient for the game's asset streaming, and the measured results show playable frame rates at 1440p High (58.2 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (71.2 FPS), indicating no memory capacity or bandwidth limitation in standard play.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 123.7 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the jump from Medium to High (94.1 FPS) shows only a 24% performance penalty for higher visual quality.

Q: Does Hard West benefit more from CPU or GPU scaling?

A: The data indicates GPU scaling dominates. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra (71.2 FPS) to Low (150.3 FPS) more than doubles the frame rate, while the CPU's 3DMark scores (single-thread 1093, max-thread 12536) suggest it is not the limiting component in any tested configuration.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival in aggregate performance?

A: The Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 is within 0.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (avgScore 23181, deltaPct -0.7) and within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon 760M (avgScore 22999, deltaPct 0.1). This places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average is 25.4 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for most players. Dropping to 4K High improves this to 31.3 FPS, while 4K Medium (39.6 FPS) and 4K Low (50.3 FPS) provide more comfortable margins.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of settings presets across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 71.2 FPS, which is fully playable, but the jump from Ultra to High (94.1 FPS) represents a 32% performance gain with only a modest visual step down. For players prioritizing smoothness, Medium at 1080p offers 123.7 FPS, while Low reaches 150.3 FPS — both well beyond display refresh rate capabilities.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings produce 58.2 FPS, which is acceptable for most monitors, but Medium delivers 77.4 FPS and Low reaches 95.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p (46.7 FPS) is borderline, and the data suggests that High is the optimal balance for 1440p displays, offering a 25% improvement over Ultra while maintaining visual fidelity.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Ultra (25.4 FPS) is not viable for smooth gameplay, and High (31.3 FPS) only barely crosses the 30 FPS threshold. Medium (39.6 FPS) is the recommended preset for 4K, providing a playable experience with acceptable quality. Low (50.3 FPS) is the only preset that offers comfortable headroom above 40 FPS at 4K, but it sacrifices significant visual detail. For the best overall experience across resolutions, the data supports High at 1080p and 1440p, with Medium as the pragmatic choice for 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1335 out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places the combo in the bottom 21% of all tested configurations, which is a notable finding given the individual component strengths. The CPU alone sits in the 93rd percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 66th percentile of all graphics cards — yet the combination underperforms relative to what those individual rankings might suggest.

This discrepancy indicates that the Arc B580's performance in Hard West is the limiting factor for the combo's overall ranking. The GPU's aggregate benchmark score of 23021 is respectable, but its percentileVsAllGpus of 66 suggests that many other GPUs offer superior raw performance. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 71.2 FPS, which is solid, but the 4K Ultra result of 25.4 FPS shows the GPU struggling at higher resolutions and settings.

The combo's rank of 1335 out of 1699 means that approximately 364 tested combinations performed worse. This is not a catastrophic result, but it does indicate that this pairing is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. The 12-core CPU provides massive headroom that remains largely unused in this game, while the GPU's 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 12 GB VRAM are adequate for mainstream resolutions but insufficient for maximum settings at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 150.3 FPS at 1080p to 95.5 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 50.3 FPS at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU's performance is resolution-independent.

At High settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 94.1 FPS at 1080p falls to 58.2 FPS at 1440p (38% reduction) and then to 31.3 FPS at 4K (67% reduction from 1080p). The 4K-to-1080p ratio of approximately 0.33 for High settings indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The Arc B580's pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s are being taxed heavily at 4K.

The resolution scaling suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The Ryzen 9 7900X's 3DMark max-thread score of 12536 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 43695 provide far more compute than Hard West requires. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the consistent 36-38% drop from 1080p to 1440p and 67% drop from 1080p to 4K across settings confirms that the Arc B580's rendering capabilities dictate the performance envelope.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable. Low settings produce an average of 150.3 FPS, Medium delivers 123.7 FPS, High achieves 94.1 FPS, and Ultra reaches 71.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 79.1 FPS, representing a 111% performance difference. This wide spread indicates that Hard West's graphical settings have a substantial impact on rendering load.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are 95.5 FPS (Low), 77.4 FPS (Medium), 58.2 FPS (High), and 46.7 FPS (Ultra). The performance gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 48.8 FPS (a 104% difference), showing consistent scaling. Notably, 1440p Ultra (46.7 FPS) is closer to 1080p Ultra (71.2 FPS) than to 4K Ultra (25.4 FPS), suggesting that the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is sufficient at 1440p but begins to strain at 4K.

At 3840x2160, the results are 50.3 FPS (Low), 39.6 FPS (Medium), 31.3 FPS (High), and 25.4 FPS (Ultra). The Low-to-Ultra gap is 24.9 FPS (a 98% difference). The 4K results are consistently below 60 FPS, with only Low settings providing a comfortable margin above 40 FPS. The step from 4K Medium (39.6 FPS) to 4K High (31.3 FPS) costs 8.3 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra (25.4 FPS) costs an additional 5.9 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, with 20 ray tracing cores. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 12 GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 456.0 GB/s bandwidth.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is dominant across all tested settings and resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the Arc B580's performance is the primary determinant of frame rates, with the CPU providing ample headroom. The GPU's 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 213.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the 71.2 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 46.7 FPS at 1440p Ultra.

However, the GPU's limitations become apparent at 4K. The 25.4 FPS at 4K Ultra and 31.3 FPS at 4K High suggest that the 12 GB VRAM and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain fluid frame rates at that resolution with high-quality settings. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 15748 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable but not top-tier. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (deltaPct -0.7) and the AMD Radeon 760M (deltaPct 0.1), indicating that the Arc B580 competes with mid-range offerings rather than high-end cards.