Hard West

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D perform in synthetic benchmarks relative to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D posts an average benchmark score of 54,762. This places it 0.6% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which scores 55,093, and 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54,053. It also leads the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701) by 2% and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620) by 2.1%.

Q: What is the RTX 5060's standing among all GPUs, and how does it compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 sits in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 26,331. It trails the AMD Radeon 860M (26,401) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26,421) by 0.3% each, and it is 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26,553). However, it is 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26,011).

Q: What is the RTX 5060's memory configuration, and does it support modern APIs?

A: The RTX 5060 comes with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for the Ryzen 9 9900X3D, and what is its boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz, and it boosts up to 5.50 GHz. It features 128 MB of L3 cache and is built on TSMC's 4 nm process with Zen 5 architecture.

Q: How does the combo of Ryzen 9 9900X3D and RTX 5060 rank in Hard West?

A: This specific combination ranks 1,288 out of 2,949 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the upper half of all tested configurations for this game.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU and GPU in this combo?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a launch MSRP of $599. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the graphics engine in this configuration, and its specifications directly shape the Hard West results. The GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB206 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It carries 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation processors. The card also includes 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores.

Clock speeds are modest but relevant: a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. The memory subsystem is a defining characteristic, with 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus. This yields a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is substantial for the memory bus width. The effective memory speed is 28 Gbps. Pixel rate sits at 119.9 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 299.6 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute rating is 19.18 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 19.18 TFLOPS (1:1).

These specs translate directly into the measured frame rates in Hard West. The game is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, but the data shows that even this mid-range GPU handles it with ease at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 delivers 198 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the GPU is rarely the bottleneck at that resolution. The drop from 198 FPS at Low to 93 FPS at Ultra at 1080p demonstrates how much headroom the GPU has and how the visual load scales with settings.

The GPU's role becomes more apparent at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440, the RTX 5060 produces 125 FPS on Low, 103 FPS on Medium, 79 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 20 FPS, indicating that Ultra preset applies a significant amount of additional graphical work. At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to show its limits: 66 FPS on Low, 54 FPS on Medium, 41 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is borderline playable, while 4K High at 41 FPS is more comfortable but still below the 60 FPS threshold.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a key consideration. While the FACT PACK does not provide VRAM usage statistics, the performance pattern suggests that at 4K with higher presets, memory capacity and bandwidth could be limiting factors. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is solid for a 128-bit bus, but 4K Ultra requires substantial memory throughput. The 128-bit bus width means the GPU must rely on its high clocked GDDR7 memory to compensate, and the results show that it can hold 31 FPS at 4K Ultra, but not more.

In benchmark terms, the RTX 5060 achieves a PassMark G3D score of 20,891 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,628. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 112,787, and its Vulkan score is 113,321. These synthetic results align with the in-game data: the GPU is capable but not a high-end part, ranking in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides the processing foundation for this combo. It is a 12-core, 24-thread processor from the 9000 series, based on Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It runs on the AMD Socket AM5 platform and is manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. The CPU integrates Radeon Graphics, though the discrete RTX 5060 handles all rendering in this test.

Clock speeds are notable: a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 120 W TDP. Cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a massive 128 MB of L3 cache. This large L3 cache is a defining feature of the X3D line and can benefit gaming workloads that rely on cache residency.

Memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU supports ECC memory. It connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU. The processor has a 4 nm process node and a transistor count of 16,630 million across two 70.6 mm² dies.

Synthetic benchmarks show the CPU's strength. The Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47,737, with a single-core score of 6,739. Geekbench multicore reaches 22,884, and single-core is 3,041. PassMark multithread score is 56,154, with a single-thread score of 4,646. The 3DMark scores scale with thread count: 2,512 for 2 threads, 4,885 for 4 threads, 9,002 for 8 threads, 12,490 for 16 threads, and 13,795 for max threads. Single-thread 3DMark score is 1,269.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is less about raw thread throughput and more about maintaining consistent frame delivery. The game is turn-based tactics, which typically does not stress CPUs as heavily as fast-paced shooters or simulators. The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this workload. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz helps with single-threaded tasks, and the 128 MB L3 cache can keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 91st among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,762. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55,093, -0.6% delta), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053, +1.3% delta), Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, +2% delta), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620, +2.1% delta). The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in this combo, as even at 1080p Low (198 FPS), the CPU can feed the GPU adequately.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 is ample for this game. Hard West, being an older title, does not require the massive memory throughput that modern AAA releases might demand. The 128 MB L3 cache is likely more than enough to hold the game's active data set, minimizing main memory access.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1,288 out of 2,949 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 56th percentile of all tested configurations for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU: the CPU is a high-end part (91st percentile), while the GPU is mid-range (72nd percentile). The overall combo rank is pulled down by the GPU, which is the more limiting component for gaming performance.

Among the 2,949 combos, a rank of 1,288 means there are 1,661 combos that perform worse and 1,287 that perform better. This is a solid mid-pack result. The CPU's strength does not fully translate into a top-tier gaming rank because Hard West is not a CPU-intensive title. The GPU's mid-pack standing is the primary determinant of the combo's position.

The delta between the CPU's percentile (91) and the combo's percentile (56) illustrates the GPU bottleneck. In this game, at most resolutions and settings, the RTX 5060 is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has significant headroom, as shown by its ability to score 13,795 in 3DMark max threads and 47,737 in Cinebench R23 multicore. This headroom is unused in Hard West, where frame rates are governed by GPU rendering.

The combo rank of 1,288 suggests that users with this CPU but a stronger GPU would likely see better Hard West performance. Conversely, users with this GPU but a weaker CPU might see similar frame rates, since the GPU is the bottleneck. The data supports the conclusion that this is a GPU-limited configuration for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets each. All data points are measured, not estimated.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 delivers its highest frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 198. Medium settings produce an average of 162 FPS, with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 187 FPS. High settings yield 125 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop to 93 FPS. The range from 198 FPS at Low to 93 FPS at Ultra represents a 53% performance reduction, indicating that Ultra preset imposes a significant load. Even at Ultra, 93 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p playable at all settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings produce 125 FPS. Medium settings average 103 FPS, with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS. High settings average 79 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 59 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 59 FPS is just shy of 60 FPS, which is a notable threshold. Medium and High settings are comfortably above 60 FPS, making 1440p a viable resolution for this GPU, particularly at Medium (103 FPS) and High (79 FPS).

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. Low settings produce 66 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings drop to 41 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 31 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings maintain an average above 60 FPS. Medium is borderline at 54 FPS, while High and Ultra are below 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is marginal for playability, especially for a turn-based tactics game where frame rate consistency matters less than in action genres.

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern. From 1080p Low (198 FPS) to 4K Low (66 FPS), there is a 67% reduction. From 1080p Ultra (93 FPS) to 4K Ultra (31 FPS), there is a 67% reduction as well. This indicates that resolution scaling is consistent across settings. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data across all resolutions, showing that frame time variance is moderate: at 1080p Medium, the range is 138-187 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 87-118 FPS; at 4K Medium, 46-62 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable. Ultra at 93 FPS is smooth, and even the most demanding preset maintains a high frame rate. Since the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution, enabling Ultra is the best choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. If the user prioritizes frame rate above 144 FPS, High (125 FPS) or Medium (162 FPS) are viable, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (103 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. High (79 FPS) is also excellent and provides better visuals while staying well above 60 FPS. Ultra (59 FPS) is borderline, dipping just below 60 FPS, so it is not recommended for users who are sensitive to frame rate drops. Low (125 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user has a high-refresh-rate monitor and prefers maximum frame rates over visuals.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Low (66 FPS) is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the safe choice for 4K gaming. Medium (54 FPS) is acceptable for a turn-based tactics game, where precise timing is less critical, and the higher visual fidelity might be preferable. High (41 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) are below 45 FPS, which can feel sluggish even in a slower-paced game. For 4K, Medium is the recommended compromise: it provides better visuals than Low while maintaining a frame rate that is playable for this genre.

The Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 162 FPS; at 1440p, 103 FPS; and at 4K, 54 FPS. The min/max data for Medium shows reasonable frame time consistency, with the 4K range of 46-62 FPS indicating only moderate variance. For users who want a single setting that works across all resolutions, Medium is the data-supported recommendation.

For users with a 60 Hz display at 1440p, High (79 FPS) is the best choice, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering better visuals than Medium. For 4K users with a 60 Hz display, Medium (54 FPS) is close to the target, and the turn-based nature of Hard West means that occasional dips to 46 FPS are unlikely to be problematic. Ultra is only recommended at 1080p, where the GPU has sufficient headroom to maintain 93 FPS.