Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015 that places far more weight on CPU-driven game logic and unit AI than on raw GPU throughput. The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a playable but constrained experience, with the data showing that frame rates scale more predictably with resolution than with visual fidelity. The measured results indicate that this combination sits in the lower percentile of tested configurations, ranking 3399 out of 3722 combos in this game, which places it firmly in the lower half of the database. The 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides adequate logical processing, but the benchmark scores reveal that it is neither a standout nor a bottleneck in most scenarios.

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

The Core i5-11400F is a Rocket Lake-S desktop processor built on Intel's 14 nm process, featuring 6 physical cores and 12 threads. Its base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are the key clock figures that influence how quickly the CPU can process turn-based logic, pathfinding, and enemy turn calculations. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 868 in 3dMark single-thread and 2024 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which are moderate figures for a desktop part from its generation. The multi-threaded results are more substantial, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scoring 14340 and Geekbench multi-core at 7737, indicating that the CPU can handle parallel workloads effectively when the game engine utilizes all available threads.

For Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily to manage the game state, AI decisions, and the sequential resolution of turn-based actions. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 84 FPS average, which is 31 FPS higher than the High preset at the same resolution (53 FPS). This gap of nearly 37% between Low and High at 1080p suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower settings; instead, the GPU is likely handling the increased draw calls and effects. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game's modest data requirements, as turn-based tactics rarely demand the memory bandwidth that real-time strategy or first-person shooters do.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the CPU database, the i5-11400F sits within 0.6% of the AMD EPYC 7H12 and within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-12450H, with average benchmark scores of 17177 versus 17120 and 17239 respectively. This tight clustering means that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-11400F performs essentially identically to those parts, though none of these rivals are specifically optimized for gaming. The processor's 71st percentile ranking against all CPUs indicates it is a capable mid-range part, but the game's frame rate data shows that CPU headroom is rarely the deciding factor in Hard West's performance. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 17 on High and 13 on Ultra, which are low enough to suggest that the CPU is waiting on the GPU rather than being the active bottleneck.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20-based graphics card from 2017, built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process with 5,700 million transistors. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for a game like Hard West that does not require massive texture streaming. The GPU's base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz are modest by modern standards, and its 2304 shading units and 32 ROPs produce a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. The card's FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12928, which is only 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and 0.4% behind the GTX 1660 SUPER.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in Hard West, as the game's visual complexity is modest. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: at 1920x1080, the RX 580 delivers 84 FPS on Low, 69 FPS on Medium, 53 FPS on High, and 39 FPS on Ultra. This scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between presets, as the CPU can keep up with the logical demands at all settings. At 2560x1440, the numbers drop to 53 FPS on Low, 43 FPS on Medium, 33 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra, showing a consistent reduction of roughly 35-40% when moving from 1080p to 1440p. At 4K (3840x2160), the card struggles significantly, with only 28 FPS on Low and 17 FPS on High, indicating that the RX 580 is not suited for 4K gaming in this title, even at lower presets.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 740M (0.5% slower) and the AMD FirePro W5100 (0.6% faster), which are not direct gaming competitors, but the performance parity is notable. The RX 580's DirectX 12 score of 43 in Passmark is low, but Hard West's engine likely uses DirectX 11, where the card scores 60. The data indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and clock speeds are sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the card hits a wall at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K where even Low settings cannot maintain a smooth 30 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hard West?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 39 on Ultra to 84 on Low, while at 2560x1440, the range drops to 25-53 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 13-28 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120) and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (17074). It is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12450H (17239) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (17278).

Q: Is the RX 580's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the 8 GB GDDR5 memory with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than enough for Hard West, as the game's textures and assets are not demanding. The frame rate drops at higher resolutions are due to the GPU's compute capabilities rather than memory capacity.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 84 FPS average, while the Ultra preset delivers 39 FPS average, representing a 45 FPS difference. The Medium preset provides 69 FPS, and High provides 53 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 3399 out of 3722 tested combinations in Hard West, placing it in the lower 8.7% of all configurations. This indicates that while the hardware is functional, it is not optimized for high-end performance in this title.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 28 on Low settings, and the lowest is 13 on Ultra. These frame rates are not smooth enough for a playable experience, even for a turn-based game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. The Medium setting delivers 69 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, which provides a smooth and stable frame rate for turn-based gameplay. The High preset at 1080p offers 53 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably lower, and the jump from Medium to High only adds visual effects that are not critical for a tactical game. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is borderline, as it dips below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for a comfortable experience, even in slower-paced genres.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset provides 53 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that maintains a playable frame rate. Medium drops to 43 FPS, and High falls to 33 FPS, making these presets less desirable for extended sessions. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1440p Medium setting at 43 FPS is a viable compromise, as the minimum FPS of 37 ensures that the game never stutters severely. However, the data strongly suggests that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, as it balances frame rate and visual fidelity better than any other combination. At 4K, none of the settings are recommended, as even Low at 28 FPS fails to provide a consistent experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination ranks 3399 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West, which places it in the bottom 8.7% of all configurations. This low ranking is surprising given that both components are not ancient hardware, but the game's engine and the specific demands of turn-based tactics may not align well with this pairing. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest that each component is mid-range, but their combined performance in this game is below what those individual rankings would imply.

The data shows that the combo's performance is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU adequately. The ranking indicates that many other tested combos, likely with more powerful GPUs or newer CPU architectures, achieve significantly higher frame rates. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-12450H, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, so the difference in game performance likely comes down to the GPU. The RX 580's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, perform within 0.4% of it in synthetic benchmarks, but in Hard West, the actual frame rates may vary based on driver optimizations and game-specific settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 84 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Medium delivers 69 FPS with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 79, indicating a stable performance window. High drops to 53 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values recorded for those presets.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 53 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High preset, showing that resolution scaling has a significant impact. Medium provides 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50, which is still playable. High at 33 FPS and Ultra at 25 FPS are less suitable for consistent gameplay, as the lower frame rates may cause noticeable delays in unit response during enemy turns.

At 3840x2160, the results are predominantly unplayable. Low settings yield 28 FPS, Medium yields 23 FPS with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26, High yields 17 FPS, and Ultra yields 13 FPS. These numbers confirm that the RX 580 is not capable of 4K gaming in Hard West, even with the most aggressive settings reductions. The data shows a clear pattern: each step up in resolution reduces frame rates by approximately 35-40%, and each step up in settings from Low to Ultra reduces frame rates by roughly 15-25% at a given resolution. The only exception is the 1080p Low to Medium jump, which only costs 15 FPS, making Medium the most efficient preset in terms of visual gain per frame lost.