Hard West

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, with a 170 W TDP and 128 MB of L3 cache distributed across the chip. This is a desktop-class CPU designed for AMD Socket AM5 with DDR5 memory support over a dual-channel bus offering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

Despite its formidable specifications, the benchmark results for Hard West show that this CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The game is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and its computational demands are modest relative to modern hardware. The 9950X3D's single-thread performance is strong — evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3064 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259 — but the measured frame rates in this game are constrained far more by the GPU than by CPU throughput.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are extensive: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 42018, and the PassMark multithread score reaches 70255. However, turn-based tactics games like Hard West typically rely on a limited number of threads for game logic, AI pathfinding, and rendering setup. The 16-core design provides ample headroom, but the game's engine likely does not scale to fully exploit 32 threads. Benchmark data indicates that the CPU's percentile rank versus all CPUs is 95, placing it in the top tier of processors, yet this advantage does not translate into proportionally high frame rates here.

The 3DMark results show scaling from 2 threads (2549) to 8 threads (9259) to 16 threads (16374) and max threads (17184). This pattern suggests that beyond 8 threads, the performance gains diminish significantly — a trend that aligns with how a 2015 strategy title would utilize CPU resources. For Hard West, the relevant thread count is likely in the 2-4 range, where the CPU still delivers strong results (4963 in 4-thread 3DMark). The real bottleneck in this combo is the integrated GPU, as the frame rates across all resolutions and settings remain low relative to what the CPU alone could support.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing — the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with the Intel Arc B370 — ranks 2721 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. That places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested for this game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited performance, not the CPU's capabilities. The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, 0.1% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, 0.1% delta), and the AMD EPYC 8224P (75582, 0.3% delta). All of these processors score within 0.4% of the 9950X3D, confirming that the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo's poor ranking.

The combo rank of 2721 out of 2949 means that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings tested for Hard West deliver higher frame rates. This is expected given that the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, designed for portable devices. The GPU's percentile rank versus all GPUs is 5, meaning it performs better than only 5% of all GPUs in the database. When paired with a top-tier 95th-percentile CPU, the result is a severe mismatch: the CPU sits at the high end while the GPU sits at the low end, and the game's performance reflects the weaker component.

The data indicates that this combo would be appropriate only for low-resolution, low-settings gaming where the integrated GPU can keep up. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 79 FPS average, which is playable. However, at higher resolutions or quality presets, the frame rates drop sharply. The ranking suggests that users seeking better Hard West performance would need to pair the 9950X3D with a discrete GPU, as the current combo leaves substantial CPU headroom unused.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 79 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 50 FPS — a 37% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 26 FPS, which is 67% lower than the 1080p Low figure. This scaling is steep and indicates that the integrated GPU is struggling to fill pixels as the resolution grows.

For Medium settings, the same trend holds: 1080p Medium averages 64 FPS, 1440p Medium drops to 41 FPS, and 4K Medium falls to 21 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is 67%, nearly identical to the Low settings drop. High settings show 49 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K — a 67% decrease from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings follow the pattern with 37 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, a 68% reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings — roughly two-thirds loss from 1080p to 4K — is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rates to remain more stable across resolutions, since CPU load does not scale directly with pixel count. Instead, the data shows that every doubling of pixel count (from 1080p to 4K is a 4x increase) results in a proportional frame rate collapse, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited system. The Intel Arc B370, with its System Shared memory and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance, simply cannot sustain adequate throughput at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo is sparse on minimum and maximum values, with only Medium settings providing those figures. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low averages 79 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS (with min 55 and max 74), High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. This represents a smooth progression where each quality tier costs roughly 15 FPS on average, from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop to: Low 50 FPS, Medium 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High 31 FPS, and Ultra 23 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 54% reduction in average FPS, which is shallower than the 53% reduction seen at 1080p (from 79 to 37). This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is already so constrained that the incremental cost of quality settings is proportionally smaller.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 26 FPS, Medium 21 FPS (min 18, max 25), High 16 FPS, and Ultra 12 FPS. The Ultra setting at 4K is barely interactive, averaging 12 FPS. The Medium setting at 4K has a minimum of 18 FPS, which would cause noticeable stutter in a turn-based game where camera movement and animations need to remain fluid. The data shows no minimum or maximum values for Low, High, or Ultra at any resolution, only averages, which limits the analysis of frame time consistency. The Medium settings at all three resolutions include min/max values, with the 1080p Medium range (55-74) being the most stable of all measured configurations.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake chip) built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU includes 10 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its memory is System Shared, meaning it draws from the main system RAM with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

The GPU's TDP is just 25 W, and it is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. The memory type is also System Shared, with a bus width of System Shared. This design is intended for low-power portable devices, not for demanding gaming workloads. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s.

The benchmark data for this GPU is minimal, with only one entry: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. This places the GPU at the 5th percentile versus all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only 5% of the database. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, -0.7% delta), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% delta). These are all legacy or low-end GPUs from over a decade ago, confirming that the Arc B370 is not designed for modern gaming at high settings.

In Hard West, the GPU's limitations are evident. The game's visual style — a turn-based tactics title with relatively simple geometry — should not be demanding by modern standards. Yet the Arc B370 manages only 16 FPS at 4K High and 12 FPS at 4K Ultra. The System Shared memory architecture means that the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and with 89.6 GB/s available on the CPU side, the actual bandwidth available to the GPU is "System Dependent" and likely lower. This explains why the frame rates scale so poorly with resolution — the GPU lacks dedicated VRAM and must rely on system memory, which introduces latency and bandwidth bottlenecks.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold for most players. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS, which is still playable and offers better visual quality for only a 19% reduction in average FPS. The High preset drops to 49 FPS, which is borderline for a game that benefits from smooth camera panning. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 37 FPS, which may be acceptable for a turn-based game where twitch reflexes are not required, but it is noticeably less fluid.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, which could cause occasional stutter during camera movements. The High preset at 31 FPS and Ultra at 23 FPS are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, even for a turn-based title. At 3840x2160, all presets are below 30 FPS: Low averages 26 FPS, Medium 21 FPS, High 16 FPS, and Ultra 12 FPS. None of these are recommended for a satisfactory experience.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, which balances the 64 FPS average with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. This configuration provides a stable frame rate while still offering improved visual fidelity over Low. If visual quality is paramount and the user can tolerate lower frame rates, the 1080p High preset at 49 FPS is a viable alternative. For users with 1440p displays, the Low preset at 50 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, while 4K is not recommended at any settings given the sub-30 FPS results across the board.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 79 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which is the highest measured average for any configuration.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested combinations in Hard West?

A: This pairing ranks 2721 out of 2949 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has a 95th percentile rank versus all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B370 has a 5th percentile rank versus all GPUs. The FPS scaling across resolutions — a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K — confirms the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What are the measured FPS values at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 41, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47.

Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 26 at Low settings. Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these configurations provide a smooth experience.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has a launch MSRP of $699.