Hard West

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X brings a 12-core, 24-thread configuration based on the Zen 5 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz position it as a high-frequency desktop part, with a 120 W TDP and support for DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus. The 64 MB shared L3 cache and per-core L2 cache of 1 MB suggest strong latency characteristics, though for a turn-based tactics title like Hard West, the question is whether this compute-heavy configuration translates into tangible frame rate advantages.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 46,438 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,555 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 19,827 and single-core of 3,341. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 54,643 and single-thread score of 4,672 place it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is 0.4% ahead, the Intel Core i7-14700F trails by 0.7%, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is 1.5% behind this chip, and the Core Ultra 5 245KF is 1.8% behind. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 9900X performs essentially on par with its immediate competition, with deltas under 2% in either direction.

For Hard West, a game from 2015 that relies on turn-based logic and AI pathfinding rather than continuous physics simulations, the data implies that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. The 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 2 threads (2,519) to max threads (13,929), but the game's engine likely doesn't exploit all 24 threads. The single-thread score of 1,286 in 3DMark and 660 in Cinebench R15 indicate that per-core performance is robust, which matters more for legacy game engines that may only use a few cores. The measured FPS at 1080p Low — 334 FPS average — suggests the CPU can feed the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates, meaning the processor's capabilities are not the bottleneck even at the lowest settings.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB203 chip at TSMC's 5 nm node, offers 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, while memory operates at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). The 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide substantial rasterization throughput, with a pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s.

In GPU benchmarks, the RTX 5080 scores 36,565 in PassMark G3D and 86,637 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 264,461. Its 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it firmly in the high-end tier. The nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Arc A570M at 1.6% ahead, Intel Arc Pro A60 at 1.9% behind, Intel Arc A580 at 2.5% behind, and AMD Radeon Pro W5500X at 2.6% behind. These deltas are small, but the RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM and 960 GB/s bandwidth are far beyond what a 2015 turn-based tactics title requires.

For Hard West, the GPU's role becomes apparent in the resolution scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52.2, which is the lowest measured value across all configurations. This suggests that at maximum settings and 4K resolution, the GPU's rasterization load becomes significant, even for a game with modest graphical demands by modern standards. The 16 GB VRAM is likely underutilized, as Hard West's textures and geometry from 2015 would fit comfortably within a fraction of that capacity. The data indicates that the GPU's raw compute power, not its memory capacity, determines performance at higher resolutions and settings.

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

The measured FPS reveals a clear pattern of resolution-dependent scaling. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 334, dropping to 220.4 at 1440p Low, and further to 117.3 at 4K Low. This represents a 34% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the progression is 216.4 FPS at 1080p, 140 at 1440p, and 72.8 at 4K — a 35% drop to 1440p and a 66% drop to 4K. The pattern holds across all settings, suggesting the GPU becomes progressively more constrained as pixel count increases.

The scaling ratios are informative. From 1080p to 1440p, the FPS drops by roughly one-third regardless of settings, which aligns with the 1.78x increase in pixel count (from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels). From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 2.25x (from 3.69 million to 8.29 million), yet the FPS drops by approximately 47% at Low settings, 48% at High, and 52% at Ultra. This sub-linear scaling suggests that the performance is not purely pixel-bound; the CPU and memory subsystems still contribute to frame delivery, especially at lower settings where the GPU load is lighter.

The limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p Low, the 334 FPS average indicates the CPU or game engine's draw call overhead is the ceiling, since even the RTX 5080 could theoretically render more frames. At 4K Ultra, the 52.2 FPS average shows the GPU is now the primary constraint, as the increased shading and fill-rate demands overwhelm the pipeline. The data implies that for Hard West, the sweet spot for GPU utilization lies somewhere between 1440p and 4K, where the RTX 5080's capabilities are neither starved by low resolution nor saturated by extreme settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 29th out of 1,699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 1.7% of all configurations, which is an impressive standing for a game that predates both components by nearly a decade. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all resolutions and settings, weighting the measured FPS values.

Given that the CPU and GPU each rank in the 94th and 89th percentiles respectively, the combo rank of 29 suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for this title, but not the absolute top. The top 28 combos likely include configurations with even faster CPUs or GPUs, possibly with higher boost clocks or more specialized gaming optimizations. However, the delta between this combo and the top-ranked ones is likely small in practical terms, since the FPS values at 1080p and 1440p are already far beyond what most displays can show.

The ranking also implies that Hard West's engine does not heavily penalize the 9900X's multi-threaded design. Some turn-based tactics games have poorly optimized single-thread paths, but the 3DMark single-thread score of 1,286 and Cinebench R15 single-core of 660 suggest the CPU handles legacy workloads competently. The combo's 29th rank out of 1,699 indicates that for this specific game, there are only 28 other CPU-GPU pairings that produce higher average FPS, which is a strong result for a mid-2024 CPU paired with a early-2025 GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo?

A: At 1440p High, the combo averages 140 FPS, which is smooth and only 35% lower than the 1080p High result of 216.4 FPS. The 4K High result of 72.8 FPS is playable but represents a 66% drop from 1080p.

Q: Does the RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM matter for Hard West?

A: Hard West's 2015-era textures and geometry are unlikely to approach 16 GB of VRAM usage. The data shows performance is more sensitive to resolution and settings than memory capacity, as evidenced by the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 9900X's average benchmark score of 54,450 is 0.4% below the Ryzen 9 9900X3D, 0.7% above the Intel Core i7-14700F, 1.5% below the Core Ultra 5 245K, and 1.8% below the Core Ultra 5 245KF. These deltas are within 2%, indicating near-identical CPU performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low?

A: The 334 FPS average at 1080p Low indicates the CPU or game engine is the limiting factor, as the GPU could theoretically render more frames. The CPU's 24 threads and 5.60 GHz boost clock are sufficient for this workload.

Q: What setting provides the best balance for 4K play?

A: At 4K Medium, the combo averages 93.2 FPS, which exceeds the 4K High result of 72.8 FPS by 28%. The 4K Low result of 117.3 FPS is higher still, but Medium likely offers a better visual experience per the measured data.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 29th out of 1,699 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the top 1.7% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 164.8 FPS, which exceeds most 144Hz displays, so players can max out settings without concern. The 1080p Medium result of 285 FPS is far beyond any practical refresh rate, indicating that the game is thoroughly CPU-bound at this resolution.

For 1440p, High settings at 140 FPS offer a strong balance, closely matching common 144Hz monitor refresh rates. The 1440p Ultra result of 100.9 FPS is also viable for 100Hz displays, while 1440p Medium at 180.1 FPS provides headroom for high-refresh panels. The 1440p Low result of 220.4 FPS is unnecessary except for competitive play, which is unlikely in a turn-based tactics title.

At 4K, Medium settings at 93.2 FPS provide the best experience per the measured rows, as they maintain a smooth frame rate while offering better visual quality than Low (117.3 FPS). The 4K High result of 72.8 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays, but the 4K Ultra result of 52.2 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less desirable. The data suggests that for 4K, Medium is the sweet spot, with High as a viable alternative only if visual fidelity takes priority over frame rate smoothness.

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

The complete measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combo in Hard West is as follows:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 334.0 FPS average
• Medium: 285.0 FPS average
• High: 216.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 164.8 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 220.4 FPS average
• Medium: 180.1 FPS average
• High: 140.0 FPS average
• Ultra: 100.9 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 117.3 FPS average
• Medium: 93.2 FPS average
• High: 72.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 52.2 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings reduces FPS by roughly 20-30%, and each resolution increase reduces FPS by roughly 35-65%. The largest relative drop occurs from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (from 334 to 220.4 FPS, a 34% decrease), while the smallest relative drop is from 1440p to 4K at Ultra (from 100.9 to 52.2 FPS, a 48% decrease). This indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU caps performance at lower resolutions and settings. The Ultra setting consistently shows the largest absolute FPS penalty across all resolutions, suggesting that it enables effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's fill rate.