Hard West

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers a decidedly mixed experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The benchmark data reveals a system that can handle the game at lower settings but struggles considerably at higher resolutions and presets, ultimately ranking in the bottom percentile of tested configurations. The combination of a strong mid-range CPU with a low-power integrated-class GPU creates a significant bottleneck that becomes more apparent as graphical demands increase.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frames per second (FPS) data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 79 FPS, but this drops to 50 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 26 FPS at 4K. This represents a 37% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% loss from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear; the gap widens dramatically at the highest resolution, suggesting the GPU is being overwhelmed by the pixel count.

Looking at the High preset, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 49 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 48%, mirroring the Low preset's proportional losses. This consistency across settings indicates that the resolution itself, not the specific graphical features, is the primary driver of performance degradation. The Ultra preset shows the most severe impact, with 37 FPS at 1080p falling to 23 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 12 FPS at 4K.

These results imply that the Intel Arc B370, with its system-shared memory and 25W TDP, is the constraining factor. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel workload increases, the GPU's limited shading units (1280) and ROPs (20) become the bottleneck. The data suggests that for a smooth experience, users should stay at 1080p; venturing to 1440p or 4K will require significant compromises in visual quality, and even then, 4K may remain impractical for anything beyond the Low preset.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024. In synthetic tests like 3DMark, it scores 5652 with max threads and 868 in single-thread tests. These numbers place the CPU in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a solid performer for its class.

Given that Hard West is a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is less about high frame rates in fast-paced action and more about handling game logic, pathfinding, and AI computations. The 12 threads provide ample parallel processing capability for such tasks. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 79 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, but the GPU still manages to keep up. However, the fact that FPS drops so sharply with resolution increases strongly suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is notable. The data shows it is within 0.6% of the AMD EPYC 7H12 and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, and within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-12450H and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G. This indicates that the i5-11400F is a balanced, mid-tier processor. For Hard West, the 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than adequate; the game likely does not even utilize all threads, but the strong single-core performance (204 in Cinebench R15 single-core) ensures smooth logic updates. The bottleneck is clearly not the CPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling patterns.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the most balanced experience appears to be the Medium preset at 1080p, which yields an average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. This provides a smooth, playable frame rate while offering a step up in visual fidelity from Low. The Low preset at 1080p is faster at 79 FPS, but the jump to Medium only costs 15 FPS (a 19% reduction) and likely provides a substantially better-looking game. The High preset at 1080p drops to 49 FPS, which is still playable but shows a more significant 23% performance hit from Medium.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47), which is acceptable for a turn-based game where twitch reflexes are not required. The Low preset at 1440p is smoother at 50 FPS, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it. The High preset at 1440p falls to 31 FPS, which is borderline. For 4K gaming, the data is less encouraging: the Low preset averages 26 FPS, and Medium drops to 21 FPS. These are likely too low for a comfortable experience, even in a slow-paced genre.

The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer across all resolutions, with 37 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. Given the minimal visual gains Ultra typically offers over High, the data suggests avoiding it entirely. The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1080p, offering a good balance of frame rate and quality. For users with 1440p displays, Medium is the recommended compromise, while 4K should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept Low settings and sub-30 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2721 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is a poor showing for a system with a capable CPU. The ranking indicates that while the CPU is not the problem, the GPU drags the entire combo down significantly. The Arc B370, which is an integrated graphics solution with a 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, is the primary reason for this low position.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end cards like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, delta -0.7%). This means the Arc B370 performs similarly to graphics cards from over a decade ago, which explains its poor showing in a 2015 title. The combo rank of 2721 out of 2949 suggests that most other tested systems, even those with older CPUs, outperform this configuration due to having more powerful discrete GPUs.

The data implies that this combo is heavily unbalanced. The CPU is a modern, capable processor that scores in the 71st percentile, but the GPU is an integrated part with performance in the 5th percentile. This mismatch results in a system that is only suitable for very light gaming or older titles at low settings. For Hard West, the combo's rank reflects the GPU's inability to handle the game's rendering demands, especially at higher resolutions. Users should not expect this system to compete with even entry-level discrete GPU setups.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively, indicating that performance is heavily reliant on the system's memory configuration. The GPU's TDP is just 25W, and it is an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with no power connectors required.

The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 render output units (ROPs). Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. These specs are modest, and the shared memory architecture is a significant limitation. In Hard West, the GPU's performance is directly tied to its ability to access system memory, which is slower than dedicated GDDR5 or GDDR6. This is likely why the 4K performance is so poor, as the memory bandwidth becomes a major bottleneck at high pixel counts.

The data shows that the GPU's benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 places it in the 5th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all legacy cards. This suggests that the Arc B370 is not designed for gaming at high resolutions or settings. In Hard West, the GPU's limitations are evident: at 1080p Low, it can manage 79 FPS, but this drops to 26 FPS at 4K Low. The shared memory system means that as resolution increases, the demand for memory bandwidth grows, and the system's DDR4 memory (running at 51.2 GB/s per the CPU's memory bandwidth spec) cannot keep up. The GPU's 20 ROPs also limit fill rate, which is crucial for high-resolution rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 79 FPS, while Medium drops to 64 FPS (minimum 55, maximum 74), High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in quality costs roughly 15 FPS, except for the jump from High to Ultra which costs 12 FPS. At 1080p, all presets are playable, but only Low and Medium provide consistently smooth frame rates above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 50 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. At this resolution, only Low and Medium are viable, with High and Ultra falling below the 30 FPS threshold that is often considered the minimum for playability. The minimum FPS for Medium at 1440p is 35, which is still acceptable, but the average of 41 FPS indicates that the system is working hard to maintain this level.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (minimum 18, maximum 25), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these are playable for a comfortable experience, and even the maximum FPS of 25 on Medium is below 30. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, regardless of settings. The minimum FPS values for Medium at each resolution (55 at 1080p, 35 at 1440p, 18 at 4K) highlight the increasing instability as resolution rises, which is typical of a GPU hitting its memory bandwidth and fill rate limits.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, the best experience is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS. This offers a smooth frame rate while providing better visual quality than the Low preset.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. It is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for Hard West?*

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 71st percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile. The FPS drops dramatically with resolution increases (from 79 FPS at 1080p Low to 26 FPS at 4K Low), which is a classic sign of a GPU limitation.

*Q: Can this system run Hard West at 4K?*

A: Technically yes, but not well. At 4K, the Low preset averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. These frame rates are below the generally accepted threshold for playable performance.

*Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in Hard West?*

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F + Intel Arc B370 combo ranks 2721 out of 2949 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, indicating that most other systems perform better.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to the Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 79 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS. The Low preset is 42 FPS faster, which is a 114% performance increase over Ultra.