Hard West

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 552nd out of 1,699 tested combinations in Hard West, placing it comfortably in the top third of all configurations. This percentile position is notable given the game's age and turn-based nature, where frame rates are less critical than in fast-action titles. The combo's standing reflects a balanced pairing where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other, though the data reveals the GPU does most of the heavy lifting as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 552 out of 1,699 tested systems, this configuration sits at roughly the 67th percentile of all hardware pairings evaluated in Hard West. The ranking indicates that this setup outperforms the majority of tested combos, though it does not reach the top tier of configurations. The Intel Core i3-12100F itself holds a 72nd percentile ranking across all CPUs tested in general benchmarks, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 achieves a 79th percentile among all GPUs. The slight gap between the CPU's and GPU's relative standings suggests the processor is the more limiting factor in this pairing, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU overhead becomes more prominent.

The i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13,516 places it in close competition with several notable processors. It sits a mere 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13,534, and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13,462. The delta narrows further against the Intel Core i3-10105, which trails by 0.6% with a score of 13,430, and the Intel Core i7-7700K lags 1.8% behind at 13,280. These tight margins indicate that the i3-12100F delivers competitive multi-threaded performance despite its modest 4-core, 8-thread configuration.

For the GPU, the RX 9070's average benchmark score of 34,780 places it 0.2% behind the NVIDIA A2 (34,866) and 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (34,677). The margins expand slightly against the AMD Radeon HD 7970, which trails by 0.7% at 34,541, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400, which sits 0.8% lower at 34,511. These comparisons show the RX 9070 holding its own against a mix of workstation and older gaming cards, though the delta percentages remain modest across the board.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 brings substantial memory and bandwidth resources to Hard West. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for a 2015 turn-based tactics title. The GPU's base clock runs at 1330 MHz, with a game clock of 2070 MHz and a boost clock reaching 2520 MHz. Memory operates at 2518 MHz, translating to 20.1 Gbps effective. These clock speeds, combined with 3,584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation units, provide the raw throughput needed to handle the game's visual effects.

In Hard West specifically, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the RX 9070 pushes 240 FPS, but this drops to 112 FPS at Ultra — a 53.3% reduction that shows the GPU's workload scaling with visual complexity. At 4K, the Ultra preset yields just 37.9 FPS, while Low produces 80.8 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the RX 9070's compute capabilities, rated at 36.13 TFLOPS FP32, are being taxed meaningfully by the game's highest presets at 4K resolution, though the card remains far from fully utilized at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 240 FPS, which drops to 154.7 FPS at 1440p Low (a 35.5% reduction) and further to 80.8 FPS at 4K Low (a 66.3% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline with resolution at the same settings indicates the RX 9070's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor, while the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

For Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 112 FPS at 1080p, 70.2 FPS at 1440p (37.3% lower), and 37.9 FPS at 4K (66.2% lower). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that resolution scaling is highly predictable for this game and hardware combination. The 4K Ultra result of 37.9 FPS indicates that this pairing cannot sustain smooth 60 FPS gameplay at maximum settings in 4K, while 1440p Ultra at 70.2 FPS remains playable. The 1080p results show that the CPU begins to matter less at higher resolutions, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrowing from 53.3% at 1080p to 53.2% at 4K — a nearly identical ratio that underscores the GPU's dominant role in this workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 240 FPS, which is the maximum recorded value across all tested configurations. Medium settings yield 196.3 FPS, High settings reach 152.6 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 112 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 53.3% reduction in average frame rate, demonstrating the performance cost of enabling the game's full visual feature set.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show clear scaling. Low settings average 154.7 FPS, Medium produces 123.9 FPS, High achieves 97.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 70.2 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 54.6%, slightly higher than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU's workload scales marginally more steeply at this intermediate resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding. Low settings yield 80.8 FPS, Medium drops to 64.5 FPS, High manages 50.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37.9 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 53.1%, nearly identical to the 1080p ratio. However, the absolute frame rates at 4K Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making high refresh rate displays impractical at this resolution with maximum settings. The 4K Medium result of 64.5 FPS barely clears 60 FPS, while 4K High at 50.5 FPS and 4K Ultra at 37.9 FPS both fall short.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the sweet spot for this pairing lies at 1440p with High settings, which delivers 97.3 FPS. This combination provides smooth gameplay with substantial visual fidelity improvements over Medium settings, which yield 123.9 FPS but sacrifice noticeable visual quality. At 1440p Ultra, the 70.2 FPS result remains playable, but the 27.8% performance penalty compared to High settings may not justify the incremental visual gains in a turn-based tactics game where reaction time is less critical.

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, 1080p Ultra at 112 FPS offers an excellent experience, providing both high settings and frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold. This represents the best balance of fidelity and performance for those with 1080p displays. At 4K, users should consider Medium settings, which deliver 64.5 FPS — the only 4K preset that maintains playable frame rates while retaining some visual enhancements. The 4K High and Ultra settings at 50.5 FPS and 37.9 FPS respectively fall below optimal smoothness, though they remain playable for a turn-based genre where frame rate dips are less disruptive.

For competitive play or maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 240 FPS is the clear choice, though the visual trade-offs are substantial. The 1440p Low setting at 154.7 FPS offers a middle ground for users wanting higher resolution without sacrificing frame rates, but the visual quality reduction from Medium may be noticeable. Overall, the data indicates that 1440p High provides the most balanced experience, while 1080p Ultra maximizes quality without compromising performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Hard West?

A: Based on the measured results, 1440p High at 97.3 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low reaches 240 FPS, while 1080p Ultra at 112 FPS provides the best quality at standard resolution.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hard West?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 64.5, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. However, 4K High drops to 50.5 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 37.9 FPS, making these presets less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F scores 13,516 on average, placing it 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13,534) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (13,462). It also leads the Intel Core i3-10105 by 0.6% and the Intel Core i7-7700K by 1.8%.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark standing relative to similar cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 achieves an average benchmark score of 34,780, which is 0.2% lower than the NVIDIA A2 (34,866) and 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (34,677). It outperforms the AMD Radeon HD 7970 by 0.7% and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 by 0.8%.

Q: How does performance scale between 1080p and 4K at the same settings?

A: The frame rate reduction from 1080p to 4K is consistent across settings. At Low, the drop is 66.3% (240 to 80.8 FPS), at Medium it is 67.1% (196.3 to 64.5 FPS), at High it is 66.9% (152.6 to 50.5 FPS), and at Ultra it is 66.2% (112 to 37.9 FPS).

Q: Which settings should be avoided for this combination?

A: The 4K Ultra preset at 37.9 FPS is the least recommended, as it falls well below playable frame rates for most users. The 4K High setting at 50.5 FPS is also marginal, while the 4K Medium at 64.5 FPS is the minimum recommended configuration for 4K displays.