Hard West

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions paint a clear picture of a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor in this turn-based tactics title. The Intel Arc B390, operating as an integrated graphics solution with system-shared memory, demonstrates a steep performance cliff as pixel count increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 87 FPS, which drops to 55 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 29 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36.8% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 66.7% loss from 1080p to 4K at the same Low preset.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. The 1080p High result of 55 FPS falls to 35 FPS at 1440p, a 36.4% reduction, and then plummets to 18 FPS at 4K, which is a 67.3% drop from the 1080p baseline. These consistent percentage drops across different settings levels suggest that the limiting factor is not the CPU but rather the GPU's raw throughput and memory bandwidth constraints. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is unlikely to be the bottleneck in a game of this genre, which typically relies more on single-threaded performance for game logic and AI decision-making.

The transition from Medium to High settings at each resolution shows a predictable cost. At 1080p, Medium delivers 71 FPS while High delivers 55 FPS, a 22.5% penalty. At 1440p, the same transition costs 22.2% (45 to 35 FPS). At 4K, the Medium setting produces 24 FPS while High produces 18 FPS, a 25% reduction. This consistency indicates that the additional visual fidelity from Medium to High is uniformly expensive across resolutions, reinforcing that the GPU is the primary constraint rather than memory bandwidth or CPU limitations.

Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at every resolution, with the 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS being particularly telling. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is 14 FPS (55 to 41), which is a 25.5% performance penalty for the highest quality preset. At 1440p, the Ultra result of 26 FPS is 25.7% lower than High's 35 FPS. This consistent penalty suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive on this integrated GPU, likely related to shadow quality or post-processing that taxes the limited shading units and render output units.

The measured data also reveals that the 1080p Low setting is the only configuration that approaches a high-refresh-rate experience, with 87 FPS being the peak performance across all tested combinations. The 1440p Low result of 55 FPS is playable but far from smooth, while 4K Low at 29 FPS is borderline. The overall pattern indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K being largely impractical for anything beyond the lowest settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Hard West?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates across multiple settings presets. At 1080p, even Ultra settings produce 41 FPS, whereas 1440p Ultra drops to 26 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 14 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The penalty varies by settings preset but is consistently around 36%. Low settings drop from 87 FPS to 55 FPS, High from 55 FPS to 35 FPS, and Medium from 71 FPS to 45 FPS, with Ultra suffering a 36.6% reduction from 41 FPS to 26 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D bottlenecking the Intel Arc B390 in this game?

A: No. The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 91st percentile among all CPUs with a strong 3DMark single-thread score of 1269, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among GPUs with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings in Hard West?

A: Only at 1080p, where it averages 41 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra produces 26 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 14 FPS, making those resolutions impractical for Ultra settings.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Low delivers 87 FPS versus Ultra's 41 FPS, a 46 FPS gap. At 1440p, Low produces 55 FPS versus Ultra's 26 FPS, a 29 FPS difference. At 4K, Low achieves 29 FPS while Ultra manages only 14 FPS, a 15 FPS gap.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 puts it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant factor in determining Hard West's performance across all tested configurations. This integrated graphics processor, built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip, operates with system-shared memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means the GPU's ability to feed its 1536 shading units is contingent on the CPU's memory subsystem. In this configuration, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides dual-channel DDR5 support with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, which is shared between the CPU and GPU workloads.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable: it idles at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2500 MHz. The boost clock is critical for gaming performance, and the data suggests that sustained boost operation is possible but not sufficient to overcome the fundamental throughput limitations. The texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s are modest figures that align with the measured frame rates. The FP32 compute of 7.680 TFLOPS places this GPU firmly in the entry-level segment, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 confirms this positioning.

The GPU's 24 render output units (ROPs) are a significant constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K, the pixel count is 8.3 million pixels per frame, and with only 24 ROPs, the fill-rate limits become apparent. The 4K Low result of 29 FPS versus 1080p Low's 87 FPS illustrates this limitation clearly. Similarly, the 12 ray tracing cores are present but unlikely to be utilized in a turn-based tactics game from 2015 that predates widespread RT adoption.

The system-shared memory architecture means that the "System Shared" memory size and type are not fixed quantities but rather depend on how much system RAM is allocated to the GPU. This creates a variable performance envelope where the GPU's effective memory bandwidth is tied to the CPU's dual-channel memory controller. The 89.6 GB/s theoretical bandwidth of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's memory subsystem is shared, and the GPU's performance at higher resolutions suggests that memory bandwidth contention becomes more severe as the frame buffer requirements grow.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 9th among all GPUs, combined with its nearest rivals being the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, positions it well below the mainstream desktop GPU tier. In the context of Hard West, this means the game's visual effects, which include atmospheric lighting and detailed character models for a 2015 title, will run but with significant compromises at higher settings and resolutions. The measured FPS data consistently shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, with the CPU's powerful 12-core configuration remaining underutilized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its most playable results across all four settings presets. The Low preset produces the highest average of 87 FPS, which is smooth for the turn-based gameplay where fluid camera movement benefits from higher frame rates. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating stable performance within a narrow band. The High preset drops to 55 FPS, which remains acceptable but begins to show the GPU's limits. The Ultra preset averages 41 FPS, which is borderline for a game that may have quick camera pans between tactical positions.

At 2560x1440, the performance metrics shift downward significantly. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is playable but no longer smooth by modern standards. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52 FPS, showing occasional dips that could be noticeable during intense effects sequences. The High preset averages 35 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for comfortable play. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS, which is marginal and would likely be frustrating in a game that requires precise camera control for tactical planning.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely below playable thresholds. The Low preset averages 29 FPS, which is technically playable but far from ideal. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS, showing that even the lows are consistently below 30 FPS. The High preset averages 18 FPS, which is choppy and would impair the gaming experience. The Ultra preset averages 14 FPS, which is effectively a slideshow and not recommended for any serious play.

The Medium preset is the only one that provides both minimum and maximum FPS data across all three resolutions, allowing for a more detailed analysis of frame pacing. At 1080p, the 61-82 FPS range shows a 21 FPS spread, indicating reasonably stable performance. At 1440p, the 38-52 FPS range shows a 14 FPS spread, suggesting tighter frame delivery but at a lower overall level. At 4K, the 20-27 FPS range shows only a 7 FPS spread, which indicates that the GPU is consistently saturated and cannot deliver higher peaks.

The overall pattern across all 12 measured configurations shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the most performant, followed by 1080p Medium, then 1440p Low, with 4K Ultra being the least performant. The data also reveals that the performance gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases, from a 46 FPS difference at 1080p to a 15 FPS difference at 4K, demonstrating that the GPU's fixed costs at higher resolutions reduce the headroom for settings scaling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal configuration for this hardware combination in Hard West is the 1920x1080 Medium preset. This setting delivers an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring that frame pacing remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers a meaningful visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a 16 FPS advantage over the High preset's 55 FPS average. For a turn-based tactics game where readability of the battlefield is paramount, Medium settings provide a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, the 1080p Low preset at 87 FPS is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. This setting would be suitable for players who are sensitive to camera movement smoothness or who plan to use the system for extended sessions where consistent frame delivery is important. However, the visual compromise may make it harder to distinguish certain environmental details that could be tactically relevant.

The 1080p High preset at 55 FPS is a viable alternative for players who want improved visuals without dropping below the 50 FPS threshold. The 14 FPS penalty from Medium to High is noticeable but not severe, and the visual improvements may be worth it for players who spend significant time examining character models and environmental storytelling. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended, as the 14 FPS drop from High to Ultra is substantial and the game's turn-based nature does not benefit from the additional visual polish enough to justify the performance cost.

At 1440p, the only recommended configuration is the Low preset at 55 FPS. The Medium preset at 45 FPS is borderline, and the frame drops to 38 FPS in some scenes could be problematic. The High preset at 35 FPS and Ultra at 26 FPS are both below acceptable thresholds for comfortable play. Players with 1440p monitors should either accept the Low preset or consider running the game at 1080p with higher settings, as the 1080p Medium preset provides a superior experience to 1440p Low.

At 4K, no settings preset delivers acceptable performance. The Low preset at 29 FPS and Medium at 24 FPS are both below the 30 FPS minimum that many consider the floor for playable frame rates. The High and Ultra presets at 18 FPS and 14 FPS respectively are clearly unplayable. Players with 4K displays should strongly consider rendering at 1080p or 1440p and letting the display scale the image, as the performance gains from lower internal resolutions far outweigh the slight loss in sharpness.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D plays a supporting role in Hard West's performance profile, as evidenced by the benchmark data. This 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) is vastly overqualified for the computational demands of a 2015 turn-based tactics game. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and multi-thread score of 13795 indicate strong performance in both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads, but the game's genre is unlikely to stress either metric significantly.

The CPU's 128 MB of L3 cache, achieved through the 3D V-Cache technology (though the vCache3d field is null), provides a substantial advantage for game logic that involves repeated access to simulation data. Turn-based tactics games often require complex pathfinding and AI decision-making, and the large cache can help keep relevant data close to the cores. The 4.40 GHz base clock and 5.50 GHz boost clock ensure that single-threaded game logic executes with minimal latency, and the 3DMark 2-thread score of 2512 demonstrates strong dual-core performance for games that primarily use two threads for main game loop and rendering thread.

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762, places it in the upper echelon of desktop processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, scores 55093, which is 0.6% higher, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053, which is 1.3% lower. These deltas are marginal and indicate that the 9900X3D is competitive with mid-range Intel offerings despite its higher core count and cache allocation.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth is relevant to the GPU's system-shared memory architecture. Since the Intel Arc B390 relies on system memory for its frame buffer, the CPU's memory subsystem directly impacts GPU performance. The 89.6 GB/s theoretical bandwidth is shared between CPU and GPU workloads, and at higher resolutions where the GPU requires more memory bandwidth, this sharing could create contention. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the GPU's compute and fill-rate limits are the primary constraints, not memory bandwidth.

The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 12490 and max-thread score of 13795 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, but Hard West is unlikely to utilize all 24 threads effectively. The game's release in 2015 predates the widespread adoption of multi-threaded game engines, and turn-based tactics generally have lower thread utilization than real-time strategy or action games. The PassMark single-thread score of 4646 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739 confirm that the CPU excels in the lightly-threaded workloads that this game likely presents.

The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates an imbalanced system for this title, but the CPU's capabilities ensure that it is never the limiting factor. The benchmark data consistently shows that resolution and settings scaling follow patterns typical of GPU-bound scenarios, with frame rates dropping proportionally to pixel count increases. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU efficiently and handle game logic without introducing stutters or frame time spikes, and the 3DMark results suggest it is more than capable of this task.