Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination shows a system that is heavily skewed toward GPU performance. The pairing of a 6-core Comet Lake processor with a flagship Blackwell 2.0 GPU produces frame rates that are playable at every tested setting, but the scaling between resolutions reveals a clear bottleneck dynamic. At 1080p, the system achieves a 180 FPS average on Low settings, but as resolution increases to 4K, the frame rate drops significantly, indicating that the GPU is taking on the primary workload. The data suggests that this is a configuration built for high-fidelity output, where the RTX 5090 D's massive 32 GB memory pool and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are far more relevant to the experience than the CPU's processing power.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the severity of the drop is notable. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 152 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings reduces that to 131 FPS, a 13.8% decrease. Jumping to 3840x2160 High yields 83 FPS, which is a 45.4% drop from the 1080p result. This steep decline is a classic indicator that the GPU is the limiting component; the RTX 5090 D is being pushed harder at higher pixel counts, while the i5-10400F has enough headroom to keep feeding it frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 180 FPS, but at 4K Low, it falls to 125 FPS. That is a 30.5% reduction, which is less severe than the High setting drop but still significant. This suggests that even when graphical load is minimal, the GPU's rendering workload at 4K is substantial enough to limit the frame rate. The Ultra settings tell a different story: 137 FPS at 1080p, 118 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra figure, demonstrating that the combination of high resolution and maximum quality settings creates an extreme demand on the GPU.

What this data indicates for a player is that this combo is best suited for 1440p or 1080p gaming if high refresh rates are the goal. At 4K, the system can still deliver playable frame rates, but the drop from 125 FPS on Low to 62 FPS on Ultra shows that users will need to make significant quality concessions to maintain smoothness. The fact that the 4K High result is 83 FPS suggests that a balanced approach is possible, but the GPU is clearly the component determining the ceiling of performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant force in this pairing, and its specifications explain why resolution has such a profound impact on the results. The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This is a massive amount of memory bandwidth, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The card's 21760 shading units and 176 ROPs are responsible for the raw pixel pushing power, and the 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance gives it immense compute capability. The boost clock of 2407 MHz is high for a flagship card, and the 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for this density of transistors, with 92,200 million on a 750 mm² die.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (which it beats by 1.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (which beats it by 1.6%). This puts the RTX 5090 D in a strange position; it is clearly a top-tier card, but its performance is closely matched by mobile and older workstation parts in synthetic benchmarks. However, in actual gaming scenarios like Hard West, the data shows that the GPU's strength is its ability to handle high resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 62 FPS is the lowest in the dataset, but it is still a playable frame rate for a turn-based tactics game, which does not require the same twitch reflexes as a first-person shooter.

For this specific game, the GPU's role is to render the stylized environments and character models, and the 32 GB of VRAM is overkill for a 2015 title. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) ensures that texture streaming is never a bottleneck, even at 4K. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between settings; the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 63 FPS, while at 1080p it is only 43 FPS. This reinforces that the GPU is working harder at higher resolutions, and its capabilities are the deciding factor in whether the game runs at 62 FPS or 180 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in Hard West?

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 180 FPS, which is close to the CPU's practical limit for frame generation. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 62 FPS, which is a 65.6% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's turn-based logic at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of quality and performance. At High settings, the combo achieves 131 FPS, and at Ultra, it maintains 118 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with high visual fidelity. While 1080p produces higher frame rates (152 FPS High, 137 FPS Ultra), the 1440p results are still well above 60 FPS and offer more screen detail.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which places it in the 92nd percentile. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which has a score of 78940 and outperforms it by 1.6%. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 and is 1.1% slower, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 and is 2.1% faster.

Q: Does the game benefit from the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM?

A: For a game released in 2015, the 32 GB GDDR7 memory is far more than necessary. The data does not show any texture streaming or memory-related stutters, as the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 92 FPS. The GPU's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the memory subsystem is not a bottleneck, but the game's requirements are likely met by a fraction of the available VRAM.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No, the measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 62. While this is above 60, it is a close margin. The minimum FPS is not listed for this setting, but the average suggests that there could be dips below 60 in heavy scenes. Dropping to High settings at 4K provides a more comfortable 83 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks translate to gaming?

A: The i5-10400F has a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451. These scores indicate a capable mid-range processor for gaming. Its 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and 2-thread score of 1350 show that it has adequate single-thread performance for the game's logic. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is not a top-tier part, but it is sufficient for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 180, which is the peak performance in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 168 FPS, with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 193 FPS. High settings yield 152 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 137 FPS. The variation from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 43 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the increased workload without a massive performance hit.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's struggle. Low settings produce 155 FPS, which is a 13.9% decrease from 1080p. Medium settings average 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. High settings drop to 131 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 118 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 37 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings still manage 125 FPS, which is playable, but Medium settings drop to 108 FPS (minimum 92, maximum 124). High settings average 83 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 62 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 63 FPS, which is the largest spread in the dataset. This shows that at 4K, the GPU's rendering load is the dominant factor, and the settings have a much more pronounced effect on performance. The 4K Medium result of 108 FPS is notable because it provides a smooth experience with a minimum of 92 FPS, suggesting that this is a sweet spot for 4K gaming without sacrificing too much visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hard West, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 508th out of 2949 combos. This places it in the top 17.2% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The rank reflects the combination's ability to produce high frame rates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. However, the rank is not in the top tier, which is likely due to the CPU's mid-range status. The data shows that the GPU is a top-8% part (92nd percentile), but the CPU is only in the 68th percentile. This mismatch means that the combo's overall performance is limited by the CPU in certain scenarios, even if the GPU is capable of more.

The rank of 508 suggests that there are 507 other combos that perform better in this game. These likely include systems with newer, higher-core-count CPUs paired with similar or slightly less powerful GPUs. The fact that this combo still ranks in the top 18% reflects the RTX 5090 D's raw power, but it also highlights that the i5-10400F is holding the system back from reaching its full potential. For a game like Hard West, which is turn-based and does not require extreme frame rates, this rank is more than adequate. The combo delivers smooth gameplay at all tested settings, and the rank reflects that it is a capable system, even if it is not the absolute best.

The combo's rank also implies that users with this hardware will have a positive experience. The 83 FPS at 4K High and 62 FPS at 4K Ultra are both playable, and the 1440p results are excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data indicates that this is a balanced system for the game, with the GPU providing the bulk of the performance and the CPU offering enough support to avoid major stutters or frame drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its specifications show why it is not the primary driver of performance. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It is built on the 14 nm Comet Lake architecture and has a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The memory support is DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, providing a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU's PCIe support is Gen 3 with 16 lanes, which is older than the GPU's PCIe 5.0 interface, but this does not appear to be a bottleneck in the benchmark data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-10400F shows its strengths and weaknesses. Its single-thread performance is modest, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1420. The multi-thread scores are better, with Cinebench R23 multicore at 10283 and Geekbench multicore at 6257. These scores place the CPU in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (0.2% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.6% faster), which shows that the i5-10400F is competitive with other mid-range parts.

For Hard West, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI calculations, and scene management. The game is turn-based, so it does not require the same level of single-thread performance as a real-time strategy game. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions; the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU load. However, at 1080p Low, the 180 FPS average is likely near the CPU's limit for frame generation. The 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and 2-thread score of 1350 indicate that the CPU can handle the game's basic threads, but it would struggle to push frame rates much higher than 180 FPS in any scenario. The CPU's 65 W TDP is low, making it an efficient part, but it is clearly not in the same league as the GPU in terms of performance capability.