Hard West

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 produces a specific performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The benchmark data places this combination at rank 2998 out of 3722 tested combos, putting it in the lower third of all system pairings measured for this game. This ranking reflects a significant bottleneck: the GPU struggles to keep pace with the CPU's capabilities, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The measured results show a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings, but which falls below the 30 FPS threshold at 4K Ultra, indicating that the graphics card dictates overall performance in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2998 out of 3722 tested configurations places this pairing in the 20th percentile of all systems benchmarked in Hard West. This is a modest result that underscores a fundamental imbalance between the two components. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a flagship desktop processor that sits in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (deltaPct 0.4), all of which are within a fraction of a percent in average score. This processor is clearly not the limiting factor.

In contrast, the Intel Arc B570 GPU ranks in the 65th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1). The GPU's lower percentile ranking compared to the CPU's 95th percentile explains the combo's overall position. The data indicates that the GPU holds the system back; in a game like Hard West, which relies heavily on the graphics pipeline for rendering its stylized environments, the Arc B570 becomes the performance ceiling. The rank of 2998 suggests that many other combinations, likely those with more balanced CPU-GPU pairings, achieve better frame rates in this specific title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), is the primary determinant of frame rates in Hard West. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a fixed clock speed of 2500 MHz for both base and boost, which is unusual for a modern graphics card. Its 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, with a raw FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS. These specifications place the GPU in a mid-range tier, and the benchmark results confirm this positioning.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is critical. The game's turn-based tactical view often renders large maps with numerous characters and environmental details, which taxes the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for a 2015 title, so memory size is not a constraint. Instead, the GPU's raw compute power limits performance. At 1080p Low, the Arc B570 achieves 134 FPS, but this drops dramatically as resolution and settings increase. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the bottleneck. The Arc B570's percentile rank of 65 against all GPUs, combined with its measured performance in this game, suggests it operates at a level comparable to the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1). However, in Hard West, the specific workload favors raw rasterization performance, which the B570 provides in moderation.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance decline as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the system averages 134 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 85 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 44 FPS, a further 48% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels rendered directly impacts frame rate.

The trend continues across all settings. At 1080p High, the average is 84 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 53 FPS (a 37% reduction). At 4K High, it falls to 28 FPS (a 47% reduction from 1440p). The percentage drops are remarkably consistent, hovering around 37% from 1080p to 1440p and 47-48% from 1440p to 4K. This linear scaling with pixel count is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is not the constraint; if it were, the frame rates would show less variation across resolutions. The data indicates that the Arc B570's rendering capabilities are exhausted as pixel count increases. The gap between 1080p and 4K performance is significant; at Ultra settings, the system goes from 63 FPS at 1080p to 21 FPS at 4K, a threefold reduction that makes 4K Ultra unplayable.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU-GPU combo in Hard West?*

A: The combination ranks 2998 out of 3722 tested combos, placing it in the lower 20% of all systems measured for this game.

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

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1) and slightly below the Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1).

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average is 134 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 1440p Low the average is 85 FPS)Skip, and at 1440p Medium the average is 69 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. However, at 1440p High the average drops to 53 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance rank against all other processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779, placing it in the top 5% of processors tested.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded?

A: The lowest average is 21 FPS, measured at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), provides a massive performance cushion in this pairing. With a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU. Its 128 MB of L3 cache, combined with the per-core L1 (80 KB) and L2 (1 MB) caches, ensures that game logic and AI calculations in Hard West are processed without delay. The CPU's benchmark results are exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a single-core score of 2259, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 26736 and a single-core score of 3064.

In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is to handle unit pathfinding, turn order, and AI decision-making. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 16 cores and 32 threads are overkill for this workload; the game was released in 2015 and does not utilize more than a few threads. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 70255 and single-thread score of 4737 indicate that it can process any computational task the game throws at it. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The combo's low rank is entirely attributable to the GPU. The processor's percentile rank of 95 against all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD EPYC 8224P (deltaPct 0.3), confirms its top-tier status. In this game, the CPU is effectively idle, waiting for the GPU to render frames.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data suggests that 1080p Medium is the best choice, delivering an average of 110 FPS with minimums of 93 FPS and maximums of 126 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p High, the average drops to 84 FPS, which is still playable but with less headroom. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate, 1080p Ultra offers 63 FPS on average, which is borderline for a 60 FPS display.

At 1440p, the situation changes. The data shows that Medium settings produce an average of 69 FPS with minimums of 59 FPS and maximums of 80 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting that consistently maintains near-60 FPS performance. High settings at 1440p drop to 53 FPS, which may be acceptable for a turn-based game where twitch reactions are not required. Low settings at 1440p provide 85 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it. For 4K, the data shows that no setting achieves a playable frame rate: Ultra averages 21 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS, and Low averages 44 FPS. None of these are suitable for a smooth experience, even in a slower-paced tactics game.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which balances visual quality and performance. It offers a 110 FPS average, which is 30% higher than the 84 FPS at High settings)Skip, and it maintains a minimum of 93 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutters. For users with 1440p displays, Medium settings are the recommended compromise, as they keep the average above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak capabilities. Low settings produce an average of 134 FPS, the highest measured in the entire dataset. Medium settings follow with 110 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 84 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 63 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 53% reduction in frame rate, from 134 FPS to 63 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 85 FPS, a 37% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. High settings average 53 FPS, and Ultra settings average 40 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 45 FPS, or 53%. At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 44 FPS, Medium settings average 36 FPS (with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS), High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average 21 FPS. The 4K results show a maximum average of 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 1080p to 1440p to 4K results in a roughly 37-48% reduction in average FPS across all settings. The only setting with recorded min/max values is Medium, which shows a 93-126 FPS range at 1080p, a 59-80 FPS range at 1440p, and a 31-42 FPS range at 4K. These ranges indicate that even at Medium settings, the frame rate can fluctuate, but the minimums remain playable at 1080p and 1440p. The overall dataset confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p Medium being a viable secondary option, while 4K is not a practical resolution for this configuration in Hard West.