Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, presents an interesting case study when paired with modern high-end hardware. The benchmark data for the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination reveals a significant imbalance, where the legacy game engine interacts with contemporary components in a way that produces surprisingly consistent, yet varied, performance across different resolutions and settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) suggest that this is a scenario where the CPU and GPU alternately take the lead role depending on the graphical load, making the analysis of both components crucial to understanding the final results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It features 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the context of Hard West, a game from 2015, this processor is more than capable of handling the game's logic, which is primarily turn-based and does not demand the high thread counts that modern real-time strategy or simulation titles might. The data shows that the CPU's performance, while not top-tier, is sufficient to push very high frame rates in this specific game.

Benchmark results for the i3-12100F indicate a solid mid-range standing. It achieves a 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355, which has a nearly identical average score (13492, a 0% delta), and the Intel Core i5-9500, which is just 0.3% faster. This places the i3-12100F in a performance class where it can drive frame rates well above the refresh rate of most monitors in less demanding scenarios. For instance, its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 11860, and its single-core score is 1674, indicating strong per-thread performance which is often more critical for older games.

In Hard West, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 244 FPS. As the resolution increases, the frame rate drops, which is a typical sign of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck. However, the fact that the frame rate at 4K with High settings (83 FPS) is still very high suggests that the CPU is not severely limiting the experience, even at lower resolutions. The data implies that the i3-12100F provides a robust foundation, ensuring that the game's turn-based mechanics and AI calculations do not become a constraint, allowing the GPU to work without being starved of data. The CPU's 8 threads are likely sufficient for the game's engine, which was designed for the dual-core and quad-core era of its release, but the high clock speeds ensure that any single-threaded tasks are handled efficiently.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an absolute powerhouse of a graphics card, featuring a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its architecture is Blackwell 2.0, built on a 5 nm process, with 21,760 shading units and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. In terms of raw compute, it offers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This GPU is designed for extreme 4K and high-refresh-rate gaming, and its benchmark scores reflect this, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 77712. Its nearest rivals are notably mobile and data center parts, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% faster) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (2.4% faster), which highlights its position in the desktop enthusiast segment.

When paired with the i3-12100F in Hard West, the RTX 5090 D's role is to render the game's visuals, which are relatively simple by modern standards. The game is a turn-based tactics title with a stylized, dark aesthetic, and it does not feature the complex geometry, particle effects, or advanced lighting that would fully utilize the 5090 D's immense power. The data shows that even at 3840x2160 (4K) with Ultra settings—the highest preset tested—the GPU still delivers an average of 62 FPS. This indicates that the game is not heavily GPU-bound at any resolution, as the RTX 5090 D is essentially overkill for the graphical demands of Hard West.

The GPU's VRAM of 32 GB is far beyond what the game requires, and its memory bandwidth is similarly excessive for a title of this era. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p shows a range of 244 FPS down to 186 FPS, which demonstrates that the GPU can handle the increased graphical load without breaking a sweat. The limiting factor is not the GPU's raw power but rather the game engine's ability to process the increased draw calls and rendering commands. The RTX 5090 D is so fast that it often waits for the CPU to feed it instructions, which is why we see a significant drop in frame rates when moving from 1080p to 4K, as the CPU struggles to keep up with the increased pixel output demands, even though the GPU itself is more than capable of rendering them.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the game performs across different settings at varying resolutions. The best experience, balancing visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, appears to be at the High preset. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 206 FPS, which is excellent for any display. At 2560x1440, it maintains a very high 158 FPS, and even at 3840x2160, it achieves a playable 83 FPS. The High preset seems to be the sweet spot where the game looks good without incurring the performance penalty of the Ultra settings, which, while visually superior, can cause a significant drop in frame rates.

The Medium preset is also a strong contender, offering slightly higher frame rates than High at the cost of some visual fidelity. At 1080p, it averages 227 FPS, and at 1440p, it hits 195 FPS. However, the jump from Medium to High is often not visually dramatic, and the data shows that the performance hit is relatively small (from 227 to 206 FPS at 1080p). The Ultra preset, while offering the best visuals, shows a more substantial performance cost, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K, it drops to 62 FPS, which may not be ideal for players who prefer a consistently smooth experience above all else.

Given the data, the recommendation is clear: for the best overall experience, the High preset is the optimal choice. It provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining frame rates that are well above the standard 60 FPS target at all tested resolutions. At 4K, if a player has a high-refresh-rate monitor, they might consider dropping to Medium to gain a 25 FPS increase (from 83 to 108 FPS), but for most users, the High preset at 4K will be more than sufficient. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates (244 FPS at 1080p) but sacrifices too much visual quality in a game that relies on atmosphere and art style. Therefore, High is the recommended preset for this combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 108th out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This is a very strong ranking, placing it in the top 3.7% of all tested configurations. This high rank is primarily driven by the sheer power of the RTX 5090 D, which ensures that the game runs at very high frame rates regardless of the CPU's more modest standing. The data indicates that the combo is not limited by the GPU in any significant way, as the 5090 D's performance is far beyond what the game demands.

The ranking also suggests that this is a combination that will not be a bottleneck for the game itself. While the i3-12100F is not a top-tier CPU, its performance is more than adequate for a game like Hard West, which does not rely on heavy multi-threading. The 108th rank out of 2949 combos implies that the system is capable of delivering a top-tier experience, with most other tested systems, which likely include more balanced CPU-GPU pairings, falling behind. This reflects the GPU's ability to carry the performance, even when paired with a mid-range CPU. The delta between this combo and the absolute best is likely due to other systems having faster CPUs that can push even higher frame rates at lower resolutions, but in absolute terms, the performance is exceptional.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and expected scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings is very high, with the Low preset hitting 244 FPS and the High preset at 206 FPS. When moving to 2560x1440, there is a noticeable drop: the Low preset falls to 209 FPS (a 14% decrease), and the High preset falls to 158 FPS (a 23% decrease). This scaling continues at 3840x2160, where the Low preset averages 131 FPS (a 37% decrease from 1080p) and the High preset averages 83 FPS (a 60% decrease from 1080p).

This pattern reveals that the system is not purely GPU-bound. If the RTX 5090 D were the sole limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate to drop more consistently across all settings as resolution increases. However, the data shows that the percentage drop is larger for higher settings (e.g., High) than for lower settings (e.g., Low). For instance, from 1080p to 4K, the Ultra preset drops from 186 FPS to 62 FPS, a 67% decrease, while the Low preset drops from 244 to 131 FPS, a 46% decrease. This suggests that the CPU is becoming a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as it struggles to keep up with the increased amount of data being sent to the GPU.

The scaling indicates that while the GPU is incredibly powerful, the CPU's capabilities are being stretched at 4K. At lower resolutions, the CPU can feed the GPU quickly enough, but as the pixel count increases, the CPU's limited number of cores and its overall throughput become a constraint. The result is that the system's performance is more balanced at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the CPU begins to limit the GPU's potential, preventing it from achieving the frame rates it might otherwise be capable of. This is a classic example of a high-end GPU being paired with a mid-range CPU, where the GPU is not the limiting factor in all scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is provided for three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The following breakdown details the exact average FPS for each configuration, along with the minimum and maximum FPS where available.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 244 FPS.
• Medium: Average 227 FPS, with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 261 FPS.
• High: Average 206 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 186 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: Average 209 FPS.
• Medium: Average 195 FPS, with a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS.
• High: Average 158 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 118 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: Average 131 FPS.
• Medium: Average 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS.
• High: Average 83 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 62 FPS.

The data shows that at 1080p, all settings deliver frame rates well above 144 FPS, with the lowest being 186 FPS on Ultra. This makes the game incredibly smooth on any high-refresh-rate monitor. At 1440p, the frame rates are still very high, with all settings except Ultra (118 FPS) staying above 144 FPS. At 4K, the frame rates become more varied, with the Low setting achieving 131 FPS, but the Ultra setting dropping to 62 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides a solid 108 FPS, which is a good balance for players who want high resolution without sacrificing too much performance. The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution (193 at 1080p, 166 at 1440p, 92 at 4K) indicate that there are occasional frame dips, but they are not severe enough to cause noticeable stuttering.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers an excellent balance. At High settings, it delivers 158 FPS, which is smooth on most high-refresh-rate monitors, and the visual quality is significantly better than 1080p. While 4K is playable (83 FPS on High), 1440p provides more headroom for consistent high frame rates.

Q: Does the game perform better on Low or Ultra settings at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 131 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 62 FPS. This is a 69 FPS difference, indicating that the Ultra settings impose a significant performance cost, likely due to the increased CPU load from more complex rendering commands, which the i3-12100F cannot fully feed to the RTX 5090 D.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests that the CPU does become a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is larger for higher settings (e.g., a 67% decrease on Ultra) than for lower settings (a 46% decrease on Low), which indicates that the CPU is struggling to keep up with the GPU's demands as the pixel output increases.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta) and just 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452). It is also 0.7% faster than the Intel Core 5 120UL and 1.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-1250U.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. It is 1.1% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). It is also 2.1% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 2.4% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Medium presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 158 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 195 FPS. This is a 37 FPS difference. The Medium preset also has a minimum FPS of 166, which is higher than the High preset's average, suggesting that Medium provides a more consistent and higher frame rate, though High offers better visual quality.