Hard West

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 55th out of 2,949 tested combos in Hard West. That places this configuration in the top 1.9% of all systems benchmarked for this title, a dominant position that reflects the sheer horsepower of both components. The ranking is particularly impressive given that Hard West is a turn-based tactics game from 2015, a genre and era where many systems might expect to dominate, yet the data shows this combo still sits among the elite.

The CPU sits in the 91st percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54,762. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55,093, just 0.6% ahead), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053, 1.3% behind), the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, 2% behind), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620, 2.1% behind). The GPU, meanwhile, holds the 88th percentile among all graphics cards with an average benchmark score of 60,347, sitting within 2.5% of its nearest rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and the Intel Arc Pro A60. In Hard West specifically, this combination of a top-tier CPU and GPU produces frame rates that few other systems can match, as evidenced by the sub-2% rank.

What stands out is the balance: neither component is dramatically held back by the other in this game. The CPU's 3DMark scores—12,490 for 16 threads, 13,795 for max threads, and 1,269 for single-thread—indicate strong multithreaded and single-threaded performance, while the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 9,223 show it can push pixels rapidly. The result is a combo that excels across the board, ranking well ahead of the vast majority of the 2,948 other configurations tested.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 brings 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1,313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 2,235 MHz, boosting to 2,520 MHz. For a game like Hard West, which was released in 2015 and is turn-based, this memory capacity and bandwidth are far beyond what the title requires, but the data shows how the RTX 4090's headroom translates into high frame rates across all settings.

The GPU features 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units, along with 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s, and its texture rate reaches 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, matching the FP16 throughput at a 1:1 ratio. These specifications, while overkill for Hard West's visual fidelity, explain why the measured FPS numbers are so high: the GPU simply has enormous raw compute available, and the game's modest engine can leverage it to produce triple-digit frame rates even at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark results reinforce this. Its PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631 are strong indicators of its ability to handle both legacy and modern workloads. In Hard West, the RTX 4090's role is to remove any potential graphics bottleneck, allowing the CPU to handle the turn-based logic and AI calculations without frame rate drops. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains 57 FPS average, which is more than playable for a tactics game, while at 1080p Low it reaches 329 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU is never the limiting factor in this pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in Hard West?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 55th out of 2,949 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.9% of all configurations benchmarked for this game.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's memory configuration affect Hard West performance?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. This massive memory subsystem ensures that even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the GPU can feed data fast enough to maintain playable frame rates, as shown by the 57 FPS average at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking and how does it compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 54,762. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF by 0.6% (55,093) but leads the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K by 1.3% (54,053), the Intel Xeon 6505P by 2% (53,701), and the Intel Core i7-14700F by 2.1% (53,620).

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Hard West?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 329 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This demonstrates the combo's ability to push frame rates far beyond what most displays can show, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors even in a turn-based strategy game.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347, placing it in the 88th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% difference), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657, 2.9% behind). The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M leads it by 2.5% (61,896).

Q: What are the CPU's Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 47,737 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6,739 in Cinebench R23 single-core, reflecting its 12 cores and 24 threads with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 329 FPS, Medium averages 297 FPS with a minimum of 252 and maximum of 341, High averages 228 FPS, and Ultra averages 171 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the highest quality preset, the system is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold, making it ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate play despite the game's turn-based nature.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain remarkably high. Low settings average 229 FPS, Medium averages 188 FPS with a minimum of 160 and maximum of 216, High averages 144 FPS, and Ultra averages 108 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but modest—roughly 30% on Low settings—showing that the GPU has ample headroom to handle the increased pixel count without significant strain.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further but remains playable across all presets. Low settings average 120 FPS, Medium averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 113, High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 57 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only one below 60 FPS, but for a turn-based tactics game where frame timing is not critical, 57 FPS is still a smooth experience. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 4090 can handle 4K with ease, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that the game's logic doesn't introduce stutters or drops.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important characteristics about this combo's behavior in Hard West. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 329 at 1080p to 229 at 1440p (a 30.4% decrease) and then to 120 at 4K (a 47.6% decrease from 1440p). This scaling is roughly proportional to the pixel count increase—1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p—which indicates that the system is GPU-bound at these settings. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game's logic, so the frame rate is primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering throughput.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 297 FPS at 1080p, 188 FPS at 1440p (a 36.7% decrease), and 99 FPS at 4K (a 47.3% decrease from 1440p). The slightly larger drop from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the increased settings are adding a bit more load per pixel, but the overall trend remains consistent. At High settings, the numbers are 228 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% decrease), and 76 FPS at 4K (a 47.2% decrease). The pattern holds, with the GPU being the dominant factor.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 171 FPS at 1080p, 108 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% decrease), and 57 FPS at 4K (a 47.2% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is the only sub-60 average in the entire dataset, indicating that this is the first setting where the GPU's limits start to show. However, the consistent ~47% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings suggests that the limiting component is the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's strong single-thread score of 6,739 in Cinebench R23 and 1,269 in 3DMark single-thread ensures that it never becomes a bottleneck, even at lower resolutions where the CPU would typically have more influence.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the data clearly supports Ultra settings as the best choice. The average FPS of 171 is well above the 144 Hz threshold, and the game's turn-based nature means that even 60 FPS would be sufficient. Ultra provides the highest visual quality without any meaningful performance compromise, making it the optimal preset for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings still deliver 108 FPS average, which is excellent for most displays. However, for users with 144 Hz monitors who want to maximize smoothness, High settings at 144 FPS average match the refresh rate perfectly. The choice between High and Ultra comes down to whether the user prioritizes visual fidelity or frame rate consistency; the data shows both are viable, but High offers a more comfortable margin.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is more nuanced. Ultra settings produce 57 FPS average, which is playable for turn-based tactics but below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. High settings, at 76 FPS average, provide a better balance, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while staying comfortably above 60 FPS. For users who prioritize frame rate above all, Medium at 99 FPS average is the safest choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while still providing a reasonable level of visual detail.

Overall, the best experience per the measured rows depends on the display's resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p and 1440p, Ultra is the recommended preset, as the combo has enough headroom to run it without issue. For 4K, High settings strike the best balance between visual quality and performance, delivering 76 FPS average while maintaining the visual fidelity that the RTX 4090 is capable of. The data shows that this combo is so powerful that even at 4K, users can choose between a highly playable 57 FPS at Ultra or a smoother 76 FPS at High, with no other component limiting the experience.