Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a remarkable performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The measured data shows this combination achieving extremely high frame rates across all resolutions, with the most demanding preset at 4K still producing an average of 62 FPS. This analysis breaks down the exact numbers, contextualizes them against the hardware’s broader benchmark standings, and explores what the scaling patterns imply about the bottleneck in this specific game.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 249 FPS. This is one of the lower averages for 1080p in the measured set, sitting between the Medium preset’s 309 FPS and the Ultra preset’s 187 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which places it 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (score 76904) and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (score 78940). The data also shows it trailing the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB by 2.1% and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by 2.4%.

*Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations in Hard West?*

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 8th out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 0.3% of all configurations.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded in any measured row?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 332, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest single-frame value in the data is a max FPS of 355, which appears in the same 1080p Medium settings row (average 309 FPS).

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what type is it?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What are the CPU’s core and thread counts?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). Its base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing for Hard West, and the data reflects its substantial resources. The GPU’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is far beyond what a turn-based tactics game from 2015 requires, yet this capacity ensures that VRAM is never a limiting factor at any resolution tested. The 512-bit memory bus provides a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is relevant for moving texture and geometry data, though Hard West’s modest visual complexity likely does not stress this throughput.

Clock speeds are equally telling. The GPU’s base clock is 2017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The boost behavior matters more in practice, as the card will sustain higher frequencies under load. For a game like Hard West, which is not graphically intensive by modern standards, the RTX 5090 D operates well below its maximum potential in most scenarios. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate are extreme specifications that translate into headroom rather than necessity.

The GPU’s benchmark profile reinforces its high-end positioning. Its PassMark G3D score is 44065, and its Geekbench Vulkan score reaches 376915, while OpenCL scores 310674. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14326. These numbers place the RTX 5090 D in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. However, the nearest rivals listed are surprising: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and RX 6850M XT are mobile parts, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are datacenter cards. The deltaPct values show the RTX 5090 D is only 1.1% above the RX 6650M XT and 2.4% below the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. This suggests that the aggregate benchmark score, which mixes different workload types, does not fully capture gaming-specific performance.

In Hard West, the GPU’s role is clear from the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the average is 332 FPS, which indicates the GPU is not the bottleneck—the CPU or game engine limits the frame rate. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes more engaged, but even at 4K Ultra, the average remains at 62 FPS. The RTX 5090 D’s memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is sufficient to handle 4K textures without stutter, and the 32 GB VRAM means no texture streaming issues are possible. The data implies that for Hard West, the GPU is overprovisioned; its capabilities exceed the game’s demands, and the measured FPS figures are more reflective of CPU or engine limitations at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is typical for a game that is not GPU-bound at lower settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 332. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 251 FPS, a reduction of 81 FPS or roughly 24%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 131 FPS, which is a 60% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling indicates that the GPU is starting to take on more work, but the absolute numbers remain so high that the component is still not fully saturated.

The High settings row shows a similar trend. At 1080p High, the average is 249 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 158 FPS, a 37% decrease. At 4K High, the average is 83 FPS, which is a 67% drop from 1080p High. The steep decline from 1440p to 4K suggests that pixel throughput becomes a more significant factor at that resolution, but the game’s visual effects at High settings are still light enough for the RTX 5090 D to maintain playable frame rates.

The Medium settings row provides the only min and max FPS data in the entire measured set. At 1080p Medium, the average is 309 FPS, with a min of 262 and a max of 355. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 205 FPS, with a min of 174 and a max of 236. At 4K Medium, the average is 108 FPS, with a min of 92 and a max of 124. The spread between min and max is relatively narrow—about 30% of the average at each resolution—which indicates stable frame pacing. This stability is a sign that the hardware combination handles the game’s turn-based scenes without sudden spikes or drops.

The Ultra preset shows the largest absolute drop from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 187 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 118 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the average is 62 FPS, which is a 67% drop from 1080p. This pattern mirrors the High settings behavior, but the absolute values are lower, confirming that Ultra settings add a consistent overhead across all resolutions.

The implication of this scaling is that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU or game engine caps the frame rate—the RTX 5090 D could likely render more frames if the CPU could feed it. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, but even then, the RTX 5090 D’s 62 FPS at Ultra is well above the 30 FPS threshold typical for turn-based tactics. The data suggests that Hard West is not a demanding title for this hardware, and the resolution scaling primarily reflects the GPU’s pixel fill rate rather than any memory or bandwidth limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

This configuration of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 8th out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This is an exceptional position—only seven other hardware pairings produce higher average FPS in this game. The rank of 8 places it in the top percentile, but it is not the absolute best, which is noteworthy given the high-end nature of both components.

The CPU’s benchmark data provides context for this ranking. The Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 57498, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9015 (score 57555, deltaPct -0.1%), the AMD EPYC 7313 (score 57399, deltaPct 0.2%), the Intel Core i9-14900 (score 58115, deltaPct -1.1%), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (score 58323, deltaPct -1.4%). These deltas are small, indicating that the 9900X is statistically tied with several server and desktop parts in aggregate benchmarks. However, those rivals are not commonly paired with a GeForce RTX 5090 D in gaming systems, which may explain why this combo does not rank higher.

The GPU’s ranking is similarly high but not top-tier. The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. The nearest rivals include the RX 6650M XT (1.1% lower score), the RX 6850M XT (1.6% higher), and two Tesla P100 variants (2.1% and 2.4% higher). These are not gaming GPUs in the traditional sense, which again highlights that aggregate scores do not directly translate to gaming FPS.

In Hard West, the rank of 8 out of 2949 suggests that there are a few combinations that achieve higher frame rates, likely due to CPU differences. The 9900X’s single-thread and multi-thread scores are strong—Cinebench R23 single-core is 2253 and multi-core is 32172—but the game may favor configurations with even higher single-thread performance. The data indicates that this combo is near the top, but not the peak, and the gap to the top 7 combos is likely small in terms of FPS, given that the 1080p Low average of 332 FPS is close to what any high-end system would produce.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the averages range from 187 FPS (Ultra) to 332 FPS (Low). The Medium preset produces 309 FPS on average, with a min of 262 and a max of 355. The High preset averages 249 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 145 FPS, which is a substantial difference, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional effects (likely shadows, lighting, and post-processing) have a measurable impact even at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages range from 118 FPS (Ultra) to 251 FPS (Low). The Medium preset averages 205 FPS, with a min of 174 and a max of 236. The High preset averages 158 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 133 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more of a limiter as resolution increases. The min FPS for Medium at this resolution is 174, which is still above any refresh rate below 170 Hz, making it a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the averages range from 62 FPS (Ultra) to 131 FPS (Low). The Medium preset averages 108 FPS, with a min of 92 and a max of 124. The High preset averages 83 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 69 FPS, which is the narrowest of all resolutions. This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU’s fill rate limits performance across all presets, and the settings differences have a smaller relative impact.

The min and max FPS data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the min is 262 and the max is 355, a range of 93 FPS. At 1440p, the min is 174 and the max is 236, a range of 62 FPS. At 4K, the min is 92 and the max is 124, a range of 32 FPS. The shrinking range as resolution increases is a clear sign of GPU-bound behavior—at 1080p, the CPU causes more variance, while at 4K, the GPU’s steady workload produces more consistent frame times.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target display and desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, the Low preset’s 332 FPS average is excessive for most monitors, which typically cap at 144 Hz or 240 Hz. The High preset at 249 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and speed, still exceeding any common refresh rate. The Ultra preset’s 187 FPS remains above 144 Hz, so it is a viable choice for high-refresh 1080p panels without sacrificing much performance.

For 1440p displays, the High preset’s 158 FPS average is ideal for 144 Hz monitors, while the Medium preset’s 205 FPS provides headroom for 165 Hz or 180 Hz panels. The Ultra preset at 118 FPS is still above 100 Hz, making it playable on most 144 Hz displays, though it may not fully saturate the refresh rate. The Low preset’s 251 FPS is unnecessary for any current 1440p monitor, so users should prioritize visual fidelity.

For 4K displays, the Ultra preset’s 62 FPS average is the only row that dips below 60 FPS, and it does so by just 2 FPS. The High preset’s 83 FPS is a strong recommendation for 60 Hz 4K panels, as it provides a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. The Medium preset’s 108 FPS is suitable for 120 Hz 4K displays, offering a smooth experience with moderate settings. The Low preset’s 131 FPS is excessive for most 4K monitors, so the Medium or High presets are better choices.

The data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for this hardware across all resolutions. At 1080p High, the 249 FPS average exceeds any consumer refresh rate. At 1440p High, the 158 FPS average is perfect for 144 Hz. At 4K High, the 83 FPS average is above 60 Hz and provides a significant quality improvement over Medium. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p or 1440p users who prioritize visuals over the last few frames per second, as its 4K performance of 62 FPS is technically playable but close to the edge.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X provides the processing foundation for this combo, and its characteristics explain why Hard West’s frame rates are so high at lower resolutions. The CPU has 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz, boosting to 5.60 GHz, which is a high maximum frequency for multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads alike.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a 64 MB L3 cache. For a turn-based tactics game, the L3 cache size can help keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing memory latency. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This is ample for Hard West, which does not require large data transfers.

Benchmark results show the 9900X’s strengths. In Cinebench R23, it scores 2253 single-core and 32172 multi-core. The Geekbench scores are 3010 single-core and 22174 multi-core. The 3DMark tests reveal scaling: 1286 single-thread, 2519 for 2 threads, 4886 for 4 threads, 9114 for 8 threads, and 13929 for max threads. This scaling shows that the CPU gains performance steadily with more threads, but the single-thread score is what matters most for Hard West.

In games like Hard West, which is turn-based and likely relies on a single primary simulation thread, the single-core performance is crucial. The 9900X’s 5.60 GHz boost clock and high IPC from Zen 5 allow it to drive frame rates above 300 FPS at 1080p Low. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor—the GPU is capable of far more than 332 FPS, but the game engine cannot issue draw calls fast enough. At higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the bottleneck, which is why the FPS drops are consistent with pixel count increases.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are less relevant for this specific game, but the 24 threads ensure that any background tasks or streaming processes do not interfere with the main game thread. The 9900X’s 120 W TDP is a modest figure for a 12-core part, and its 64 MB L3 cache likely helps with cache hits during repeated turn-based calculations. Overall, the CPU’s role is to provide a high single-thread ceiling, which it does, and the measured FPS at 1080p confirms that the 9900X is not a weak link in this configuration.