Hard West

# Hard West — AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a benchmark profile that places it in the 83rd percentile of tested configurations for Hard West, ranking 492nd out of 2,949 combos. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU's substantial 12-core/24-thread configuration and 128 MB of L3 cache providing ample headroom even at 1080p where the RTX 5070 reaches its practical limits in this turn-based tactics title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a classic resolution-scaling curve, but with some notable characteristics specific to Hard West's rendering demands. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 129 FPS at 1080p to 82 FPS at 1440p—a 36% reduction—and then further to 43 FPS at 4K, representing an additional 48% decline. This steep falloff at 4K Ultra indicates that the RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 192-bit bus are being heavily taxed by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when examining lower settings presets. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 224 FPS to 142 FPS (37% reduction), while the 4K Medium figure of 74 FPS represents another 48% decline. Interestingly, the Low preset shows a similar proportional pattern: 274 FPS at 1080p, 173 FPS at 1440p (37% lower), and 91 FPS at 4K (47% lower). This consistency across settings presets suggests that resolution scaling in Hard West follows a predictable mathematical relationship, with each doubling of pixel count exacting roughly a 37% performance penalty at the first step and another 47-48% at the second.

The High preset tells a slightly different story. From 172 FPS at 1080p to 109 FPS at 1440p is a 37% drop, consistent with other presets. However, the 4K High figure of 57 FPS represents a 48% reduction from 1440p—again consistent. The uniformity of these percentages across all four settings presets strongly indicates that the limiting component at 4K is the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, not any CPU-side constraint. The RTX 5070's pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s are being saturated as resolution increases, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 5.50 GHz boost clock remains largely idle in terms of bottleneck potential.

What the data does not show is any evidence of CPU limitation even at 1080p Low, where the system produces 274 FPS. At that frame rate, the CPU's per-core performance—evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,269 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,739—is sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck. The 12 cores and 24 threads provide massive parallel headroom that Hard West's turn-based engine likely does not fully utilize, but the high single-thread capabilities ensure that even the most demanding AI and pathfinding calculations do not constrain frame delivery.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 492 out of 2,949 tested configurations places this system in the top 16.7% of all combinations benchmarked for Hard West. This percentile ranking is notably higher than the GPU's standalone percentile of 82 among all GPUs, suggesting that the pairing with the Ryzen 9 9900X3D extracts additional performance from the RTX 5070 that might not be achievable with a less capable processor. The CPU's own percentile of 91 among all CPUs indicates that this combination pairs a top-decile processor with an upper-quartile GPU, resulting in a balanced system that ranks higher than either component individually might suggest.

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU provides context for its contribution. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55,093 in average benchmarks, a mere 0.6% below the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 54,762 average. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K trails by 1.3%, while the Intel Xeon 6505P and Intel Core i7-14700F are 2.0% and 2.1% behind, respectively. These narrow margins indicate that the 9900X3D's performance advantage in synthetic benchmarks is minimal, yet the combination ranking in Hard West suggests that the specific characteristics of this CPU—particularly its large L3 cache and high boost clock—may provide benefits in this game that general benchmark averages do not capture.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show an even tighter cluster. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 is essentially tied at 0.1% difference, while the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 are 0.8% apart and 1.2% below, respectively. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile trails by 2.0%. This grouping of professional-grade GPUs around the RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 40,377 suggests that in synthetic tests, the 5070's performance profile is comparable to workstation-class hardware. However, in Hard West specifically, the consumer-oriented feature set and driver optimizations of the GeForce architecture likely contribute to the higher-than-expected combo ranking.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K in Hard West?

A: Yes, but only at Medium or Low settings. The measured data shows 74 FPS at 4K Medium and 91 FPS at 4K Low, both comfortably above 60 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 57 FPS, and at Ultra settings, it falls to 43 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for Ultra settings with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the system delivers 129 FPS average. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average is 82 FPS. Both are playable, but 1440p Ultra provides a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, while 1080p Ultra offers higher frame rates for smoother camera panning.

Q: How does the CPU's 3D V-Cache affect performance in Hard West?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D features 128 MB of L3 cache, which is substantial for a desktop processor. While the measured frame rates do not isolate cache effects directly, the high combo ranking of 492 out of 2,949 suggests that the large cache helps maintain consistent performance in turn-based tactics scenarios where map data and unit states may be frequently accessed.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K in this game?

A: Based on the measured results, 12 GB of GDDR7 memory with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for Hard West at 4K, but the frame rate drops at Ultra settings (43 FPS) indicate that memory bandwidth may be a limiting factor at maximum settings. At 4K Medium (74 FPS) and 4K Low (91 FPS), the VRAM configuration proves sufficient.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 142 FPS, with a minimum of 121 FPS and maximum of 163 FPS. This provides a very smooth experience with no dips below 120 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does this combo compare to the average of all tested configurations?

A: Ranking 492nd out of 2,949 combos places this system in the top 16.7% of all tested pairs. This is significantly better than the GPU's individual percentile of 82, indicating that the CPU choice boosts overall performance in Hard West.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 274 FPS, which represents the absolute ceiling for this configuration. Medium settings produce 224 FPS average with a minimum of 191 FPS and maximum of 258 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. High settings deliver 172 FPS average, while Ultra settings reduce performance to 129 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 145 FPS, or 53% of the Low preset's performance—indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant rendering cost even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings still deliver a very high 173 FPS average. Medium settings provide 142 FPS average with a minimum of 121 FPS and maximum of 163 FPS, maintaining the same 42 FPS spread between minimum and maximum as seen at 1080p. High settings produce 109 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 82 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 91 FPS, representing 53% of the Low preset's performance—exactly the same proportion as at 1080p, confirming that settings presets have a consistent multiplicative effect regardless of resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show strain at higher settings. Low settings maintain a playable 91 FPS average. Medium settings produce 74 FPS average with a minimum of 63 FPS and maximum of 86 FPS, showing that even the minimum stays above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 57 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable. Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for turn-based tactics where frame rate is less critical than in action games. The proportional relationship between settings presets remains consistent: the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48 FPS, again 53% of the Low preset's performance.

The Medium preset is the only setting that includes measured minimum and maximum values across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 191-258 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 121-163 FPS. At 4K, the range is 63-86 FPS. In each case, the minimum is approximately 85% of the average, and the maximum is approximately 115% of the average, suggesting consistent frame delivery without major stutters or spikes.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 129 FPS is the best choice for users who prioritize visual quality, as the frame rate remains well above 100 FPS. However, for competitive or fast-paced play, the Low preset's 274 FPS offers more than double the frame rate of Ultra, which could be advantageous for camera movement smoothness. The Medium preset at 224 FPS represents a strong middle ground, providing enhanced visuals over Low while maintaining frame rates above 200 FPS.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset's 82 FPS is perfectly playable and provides the full visual experience. The High preset at 109 FPS offers a 33% improvement over Ultra while likely delivering most of the visual benefits, making it the recommended choice for users with 120Hz or 144Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 142 FPS is optimal for high-refresh-rate displays, as it exceeds 140 FPS while still providing better visuals than Low.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 74 FPS is the clear recommendation. It maintains an average above 60 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 57 FPS is acceptable for turn-based gameplay where reaction time is less critical, but the Medium preset provides a smoother experience. The Low preset at 91 FPS is the best choice for users with 4K high-refresh-rate displays, offering near-100 FPS performance. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS should be avoided unless visual fidelity is paramount and frame rate is not a concern.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D brings substantial processing power to this combination, with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture at a 4 nm process node. The base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz represent high frequency capabilities for a multi-core processor. The 128 MB of L3 cache, distributed as 80 KB L1 per core and 1 MB L2 per core, provides a massive cache hierarchy that can reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47,737 and a Geekbench multicore score of 22,884. Single-thread performance is also robust, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 6,739 and Geekbench single-core at 3,041. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 1,269 single-thread to 12,490 at 16 threads, indicating good thread scaling across the 12-core configuration. The PassMark multithread score of 56,154 and physics score of 5,340 further confirm the CPU's capability in compute-intensive tasks.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is primarily in handling game logic, AI decision-making, and map state management. The high single-thread performance ensures that the main game thread operates without bottlenecking the GPU, even at 1080p Low where the system produces 274 FPS. The large L3 cache likely benefits the game by keeping frequently accessed map and unit data closer to the cores, reducing memory access latency. The CPU's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support provide adequate data throughput for the game's memory access patterns.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary determinant of frame rates in Hard West, as evidenced by the consistent resolution scaling patterns. With 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, the GPU provides substantial raw compute throughput. The 30.87 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 482.3 GTexel/s texture rate indicate strong fill rate capabilities, while the 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate supports high-resolution rendering.

The GPU's memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) provides high-speed data transfer for texture and geometry data. The 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in a turn-based tactics game that does not heavily rely on these features.

The RTX 5070's benchmark results show strong synthetic performance with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,077, Geekbench OpenCL score of 172,660, and Vulkan score of 178,923. The PassMark G3D score of 29,137 and GPU compute score of 15,787 round out the performance profile. The GPU's percentile of 82 among all GPUs places it in the upper quartile of graphics cards.

In Hard West, the GPU's performance characteristics directly determine the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the GPU can render at 274 FPS, indicating that the game is not heavily GPU-bound at lower settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with frame rates dropping to 43 FPS. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at all settings, as evidenced by the lack of memory-related stuttering in the measured minimum frame rates. The GPU's 5 nm process node and 250 W TDP provide efficient performance, though the 600 W suggested PSU requirement should be considered for system builders.