Hard West

# Hard West — AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a benchmark profile that is strongly resolution-dependent in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. Across the measured FPS table, the combo shows a clear transition from CPU-bound behavior at 1080p to GPU-bound behavior at 4K, with the RTX 3070's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth becoming the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The data indicates this pairing ranks 1225th out of 2949 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database's results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the shifting bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 211 FPS; at 1440p Low, it falls to 133 FPS (a 37% reduction); at 4K Low, it drops to 70 FPS (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, while the CPU remains capable of feeding frames at all tested resolutions.

For High settings, the progression is 133 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 36.8%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 47.6%. The steeper decline at higher resolutions indicates that the RTX 3070's compute resources — 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs — are being saturated, particularly at 4K where the pixel shader workload quadruples relative to 1080p.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling: 99 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and only 33 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 30 FPS minimum for smooth play, and even the 1440p Ultra value of 63 FPS represents a 36.4% drop from 1080p Ultra. Medium settings follow the same trend: 173 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result including a measured minimum of 49 FPS.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 3070 is still able to maintain high frame rates, but 4K pushes the GPU past its comfortable operating range. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37 FPS (70 vs 33), while at 1080p the same gap is 112 FPS (211 vs 99). This compression of performance at 4K indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at that resolution, whereas at 1080p the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), running on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide ample single-thread performance for Hard West's turn-based logic, while the 128 MB L3 cache helps with game asset streaming. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its strength: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739, with a Geekbench multicore score of 22884.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS at Low settings. At 211 FPS, the CPU is feeding the GPU at a rate that exceeds what most displays can show, indicating that the 9900X3D is not a bottleneck at this resolution. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and 2-thread score of 2512 suggest that the processor's per-core performance is sufficient for the game's turn-based combat calculations, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded.

However, the CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs (against an average benchmark score of 54762) shows it is a top-tier processor, but its nearest rivals — the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (avg score 55093, delta -0.6%), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053, +1.3%), Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, +2%), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, +2.1%) — are all within 2.1% of its average score. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, swapping to any of these rivals would produce nearly identical frame rates in Hard West.

The processor's 4 nm process node and 16,630 million transistors contribute to its efficiency, but in this game, the more relevant factor is its ability to maintain high clock speeds under load. With a boost clock of 5.50 GHz and a TDP of 120 W, the 9900X3D can sustain high frequencies without thermal throttling, which is critical for maintaining frame rates in the 1080p High setting where the CPU must process game logic while the GPU renders at high speed.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 173 FPS with a measured minimum of 147 FPS, offering a smooth experience with better visual quality than Low (211 FPS) while still exceeding the refresh rate of most monitors. High settings at 1080p produce 133 FPS, which is still excellent, but Ultra drops to 99 FPS — a 42.7% reduction from Medium.

At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, delivering 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS. This keeps the frame rate above 90 FPS, which is adequate for high-refresh-rate displays. High at 1440p yields 84 FPS, which is playable, but the jump to Ultra reduces performance to 63 FPS — a 42.2% drop from Medium. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as the 109 FPS average is more than 70% higher than the Ultra result.

At 4K, no preset achieves a fully smooth experience. Medium produces 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is borderline acceptable for turn-based gameplay where twitch reflexes are less critical. High drops to 44 FPS, and Ultra falls to 33 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target. Low at 4K reaches 70 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. For 4K gaming with this combo, Medium is the only viable preset that maintains playable frame rates, though users may prefer Low for smoother performance at 70 FPS.

The data shows that the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K, especially at Ultra settings where texture quality demands more memory. The GPU's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 256-bit memory bus are adequate for 1440p, but at 4K the combination of pixel count and texture data can exceed the memory capacity, leading to the observed performance degradation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1225th out of 2949 tested combinations in Hard West, placing it in the 58th percentile (top 42%). This ranking reflects the RTX 3070's position in the GPU hierarchy — it sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17208 — while the 9900X3D is at the 91st percentile among CPUs. The combination of a high-end CPU with a midrange GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short at 4K.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (avg score 17083, delta 0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, +1%), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019, +1.1%), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468, -1.5%). These deltas show that the RTX 3070's performance is within 1.5% of these alternatives, meaning that in Hard West, the choice between these GPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates. The RX 7600 XT, being the closest rival at 0.7% slower, would produce results that are within measurement error of the RTX 3070.

The combo rank of 1225 of 2949 suggests that while this pairing is not in the top tier, it is above the median. The 9900X3D's high CPU percentile does not translate into a proportionally high combo rank because Hard West is not particularly CPU-intensive — the turn-based genre rarely stresses processors to their limits. The GPU's midrange position is the dominant factor in the combo's overall ranking.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K Medium settings, the combo averages 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is playable for turn-based tactics. High and Ultra settings drop to 44 FPS and 33 FPS respectively, which may be less comfortable. Low settings at 4K reach 70 FPS but with significant visual compromises.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: Medium settings at 1440p deliver 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS, offering the best balance of visual quality and performance. High settings produce 84 FPS, while Ultra drops to 63 FPS, making Medium the recommended choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 17208 is within 1.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468). In Hard West, these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D overkill for Hard West?

A: The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are far more than Hard West requires, as evidenced by the 211 FPS at 1080p Low settings. The processor's 91st percentile ranking among CPUs means it is not the limiting factor in any tested scenario; the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

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

A: The combo achieves 99 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is still above 60 FPS but represents a 42.7% drop from Medium settings (173 FPS). For maximum visual fidelity at 1080p, Ultra is playable, but Medium offers a significantly higher frame rate.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1225th out of 2949 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier. This ranking is driven primarily by the RTX 3070's midrange GPU position, as the 9900X3D's high CPU performance does not significantly impact Hard West's frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 211 FPS on Low settings, 173 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 147 FPS and maximum of 198 FPS), 133 FPS on High, and 99 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting's measured range of 147–198 FPS shows consistent performance with no significant dips below 147 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are 133 FPS on Low, 109 FPS on Medium (minimum 93 FPS, maximum 126 FPS), 84 FPS on High, and 63 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting's minimum of 93 FPS ensures a smooth experience on 1440p displays, while the Ultra result of 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly: 70 FPS on Low, 57 FPS on Medium (minimum 49 FPS, maximum 66 FPS), 44 FPS on High, and 33 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting's maximum of 66 FPS shows that the GPU can occasionally reach playable levels, but the average of 57 FPS and minimum of 49 FPS indicate that 4K is a stretch for this hardware.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings shows a 37% drop (173 to 109 FPS), while the 1440p to 4K transition at Medium shows a 47.7% drop (109 to 57 FPS). This increasing rate of decline with resolution confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, with the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth struggling to handle the higher pixel count and texture requirements.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is based on the GA104 chip using the Ampere architecture, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. Its 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs provide substantial rasterization throughput, while 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores offer hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features. The GPU's boost clock of 1725 MHz and base clock of 1500 MHz, combined with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, deliver 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Hard West, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can feed them in some settings, as evidenced by the 211 FPS Low result. However, at 4K, the GPU's pixel fill rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, with the Ultra setting dropping to 33 FPS.

The GPU's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208, places it in the midrange of the database. Its nearest rivals — the RX 7600 XT, GTX 690, HD 7970M, and Tesla K40c — all have average scores within 1.5%, indicating that the RTX 3070's performance is well-established in its class. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure modern API access, though Hard West's age means these features are not heavily utilized.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is the most significant limitation at 4K. Hard West's turn-based tactical gameplay typically involves static scenes with detailed textures, and at 4K Ultra, the texture data can exceed the GPU's memory capacity, causing the observed performance drop from 57 FPS at Medium to 33 FPS at Ultra. The GPU's 220 W TDP and dual-slot design are standard for this performance class, and the PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for the game's data transfer needs.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS and FP16 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1) indicate strong compute capability, but Hard West's rendering workload is primarily rasterization-based. The 184 TMUs are adequate for the game's texture-heavy scenes, but the 96 ROPs become a bottleneck at 4K where pixel output requirements quadruple compared to 1080p. The data shows that the RTX 3070 is a capable 1080p and 1440p GPU for Hard West, but 4K gaming requires reduced settings to maintain acceptable frame rates.