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 desktop processor built on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) using TSMC's 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 170 W. The chip features a 64 KB L1 cache per core, a 1 MB L2 cache per core, and a shared 64 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

In benchmark terms, the 7900X scores 29,300 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,016.5 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 19,267 multi-core and 2,617 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 51,406, with a single-thread score of 4,238. The 7900X sits at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53,288.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game from 2015, the CPU load is modest by modern standards. The game's mechanics — unit movement, line-of-sight calculations, and turn resolution — are not heavily threaded. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 300 FPS average, which is effectively a ceiling cap or a point where the CPU and GPU are both idle enough to hit the limit. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 155 FPS, showing that even at lower resolutions, the game engine's rendering demands scale with settings.

The 7900X's single-thread performance is strong, which matters for older game engines that rely on one or two primary threads. The 3DMark single-thread score is 1,093, and the 2-thread score is 2,137. These numbers indicate that even if Hard West uses only a couple of threads for simulation logic, the 7900X has ample headroom. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 7,798 and 16-thread score of 10,972 show scaling, but for a game like this, the extra threads likely go unused.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 7900X is virtually tied with the AMD EPYC 7313P (0.2% ahead), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3% behind), the Intel Xeon 634 (0.6% ahead), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (0.6% behind). This means that for CPU-bound scenarios, any of these processors would produce nearly identical results in Hard West. The game is not going to differentiate between them in any meaningful way.

The CPU's role in Hard West becomes more apparent at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 51, while at 1080p Ultra, it is 155. The gap between these resolutions is primarily GPU-driven, but the CPU must still feed the GPU with draw calls and game state updates. Given the 7900X's high single-thread performance, it is unlikely to be the bottleneck even at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 7900X bottleneck the RTX 4080 in Hard West?

A: The data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 300 FPS average, and at 1080p Medium, it reaches 269 FPS. These high frame rates indicate the CPU has sufficient headroom, even in a game with modest threading demands.

Q: How does the 7900X compare to its closest CPU rivals for this game?

A: The 7900X is within 0.6% of its nearest rivals — the AMD EPYC 7313P, Intel Xeon Phi 7290, Intel Xeon 634, and Intel Core i7-14700F. In practical terms, the differences are negligible for Hard West's frame rates.

Q: Is the 7900X's 12-core/24-thread configuration overkill for Hard West?

A: Yes, likely overkill. The game is from 2015 and turn-based, so it does not scale across many threads. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,137 versus the max-thread score of 12,536 shows the CPU's strength, but Hard West likely uses only a fraction of those threads.

Q: What CPU clock speed matters most for this game?

A: The boost clock of 5.60 GHz is relevant, as older game engines often favor high single-thread frequency. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,016.5 and Geekbench single-core score of 2,617 indicate strong per-thread performance, which benefits Hard West's simulation logic.

Q: Can the 7900X handle 4K gaming in Hard West?

A: Yes, the data shows 4K High at 69 FPS average and 4K Medium at 89 FPS. The CPU is not the constraint at 4K; the GPU's workload increases, and the 7900X has enough headroom to keep up with the RTX 4080.

Q: Does the CPU's cache configuration impact Hard West performance?

A: The 64 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with data reuse in game state updates. However, given the game's age and modest data footprint, the cache size is unlikely to be a determining factor compared to clock speed and single-thread efficiency.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 300 at 1080p to 207 at 1440p, then to 109 at 4K. This represents a 64% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 64% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent, suggesting the GPU is the primary limiter.

At High settings, the averages are 206 at 1080p, 131 at 1440p, and 69 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. The larger drop at higher resolution indicates the GPU's pixel throughput becomes more strained as resolution increases.

For Medium settings, the averages are 269 at 1080p, 170 at 1440p, and 89 at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 48%, respectively. Interestingly, the Medium settings include minimum and maximum FPS values: at 1080p, the range is 228-309; at 1440p, it is 144-195; and at 4K, it is 76-103. These ranges show that even at the lowest measured point, the game remains playable.

Ultra settings show the steepest scaling: 155 at 1080p, 98 at 1440p, and 51 at 4K. The drops are 37% and 48%, mirroring the Medium pattern. The fact that 4K Ultra is barely above 50 FPS suggests that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component, not the CPU.

The scaling behavior indicates that Hard West is GPU-bound at all resolutions above 1080p Low. At 1080p Low, the 300 FPS average is likely a frame cap, as the CPU and GPU have headroom to go higher. At 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average shows the GPU is working at its limit. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, because the pixel workload grows while the game logic remains constant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 300 FPS average
• Medium: 269 FPS average, with a minimum of 228 and maximum of 309
• High: 206 FPS average
• Ultra: 155 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is clearly capable of running Hard West at very high frame rates. Even at Ultra, the average of 155 FPS is far above the typical 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium settings show the widest range (228-309), indicating some variance, but the minimum of 228 FPS is still excellent.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 207 FPS average
• Medium: 170 FPS average, with a minimum of 144 and maximum of 195
• High: 131 FPS average
• Ultra: 98 FPS average

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high. Ultra averages 98 FPS, which is close to triple-digit performance. The Medium settings dip to a minimum of 144 FPS, which is still above typical 144 Hz refresh rates. High settings at 131 FPS are solid for high-refresh monitors.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 109 FPS average
• Medium: 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 and maximum of 103
• High: 69 FPS average
• Ultra: 51 FPS average

At 4K, the performance drops significantly. Low settings still manage 109 FPS, which is playable on 4K displays. Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76, which is smooth. High settings at 69 FPS are adequate, but Ultra at 51 FPS may feel less fluid, especially in scenes with more action.

The data shows that Hard West's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. The 7900X + RTX 4080 combination is more than sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and it remains playable at 4K with some settings adjustments.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, using TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores.

The RTX 4080's benchmark scores place it at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 6,567. Its PassMark G3D score is 34,457, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 263,779.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra average of 51 FPS versus the 1080p Ultra average of 155 FPS shows that the GPU's pixel processing capacity is the limiting factor. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for a game from 2015, so memory capacity is not a constraint. The memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and framebuffer operations are not bottlenecks.

Compared to its nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 4080 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% ahead), and it is ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6%), and the AMD Radeon 8060S (2.7%). These small deltas mean that swapping to a similar-tier GPU would produce negligible differences in Hard West.

The GPU's compute capabilities, such as the 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are not heavily utilized in a turn-based tactics game. The game's rendering is likely more dependent on rasterization throughput, which the RTX 4080 handles well. The 4K Medium average of 89 FPS shows that the GPU can maintain high frame rates if settings are moderated.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing Hard West on this hardware. At 1080p, every preset delivers high frame rates, so the choice depends on visual preference rather than performance. Ultra at 155 FPS is excellent, and it should be the default choice for 1080p users.

At 1440p, Ultra averages 98 FPS, which is playable but not maximal for high-refresh displays. High settings at 131 FPS offer a better balance, providing a 34% improvement over Ultra while still looking polished. Medium at 170 FPS is even smoother, with a minimum of 144 FPS, making it ideal for 144 Hz monitors. For most users at 1440p, High settings strike the best balance between visual quality and frame rate.

At 4K, the trade-offs become more significant. Ultra averages 51 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, especially in scenes with multiple units or effects. High settings at 69 FPS are more comfortable, and the 35% improvement over Ultra makes it the recommended choice for 4K. Medium at 89 FPS is the sweet spot for 4K gaming, offering a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, which provides consistent smoothness. Low at 109 FPS is an option for maximum fluidity, but the visual downgrade may not be worth it given Medium's performance.

The data suggests that the best experience on the 7900X + RTX 4080 is:

• 1080p: Ultra settings for maximum visual fidelity
• 1440p: High settings for a good balance, or Medium for high-refresh gaming
• 4K: Medium settings for smooth performance, or High if a slight frame rate dip is acceptable

The 4K Medium preset's minimum of 76 FPS indicates that the game remains fluid even in demanding scenes. The 4K High average of 69 FPS is close to the 60 FPS target, but the lack of a minimum FPS data point means there could be occasional dips below 60. Therefore, Medium at 4K is the safest recommendation for a consistently smooth experience.