Hard West

# Hard West: Intel Core i5-11400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combination of a six-core Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 produces strong, playable results across Hard West's settings, ranking in the top 22% of all 1,699 tested combos for this game. The data shows a system that comfortably handles 1080p and 1440p at high refresh rates, while 4K Ultra remains a demanding target. The pairing ranks 370th overall, placing it well within the upper quartile of tested hardware configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from Intel's Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It operates at a 2.60 GHz base clock and boosts up to 4.40 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications matter for Hard West because turn-based tactics games often involve significant simulation overhead — enemy AI decisions, line-of-sight calculations, and environmental interactions — all of which rely on single-thread performance and moderate multi-threading.

Benchmark results place this CPU at the 75th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 17,181. In single-threaded workloads, the chip scores 868 in 3DMark, 2,029 in Cinebench R23, and 1,979 in Geekbench — figures that indicate strong per-core efficiency. This is directly relevant to Hard West, as turn-based games frequently bottleneck on single-core logic when computing turn order and unit actions. The 4.40 GHz boost clock helps ensure that these calculations complete quickly, keeping frame pacing consistent.

Multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,372 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7,579. The processor's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (average score 17,189, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (average score 17,212, -0.2% delta), indicating the i5-11400F sits in a competitive performance band. For Hard West, the 6-core/12-thread configuration provides ample headroom for the game's background processes, though the data suggests the GPU does most of the heavy lifting at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU on a 5 nm process, featuring 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. It carries 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a substantial 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU runs at a 2,325 MHz base clock with a 2,512 MHz boost, and its memory operates at 28 Gbps effective.

This card ranks at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,687. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (average score 41,610, 0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (average score 41,441, 0.6% delta), placing the RTX 5070 in a strong performance tier. For Hard West, the 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient — the game's turn-based visuals, while detailed for a 2015 title, do not demand the massive texture pools seen in modern open-world games.

The GPU's 30.87 TFLOPS FP32 compute power and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate translate directly into high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the RTX 5070 pushes well beyond 120 FPS at every preset, and even at 4K, only the Ultra preset dips below 60 FPS. The 80 ROPs ensure efficient pixel throughput, which matters for Hard West's stylized art direction and particle effects during gunfights.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern that identifies the limiting component at each resolution. From 1080p to 1440p, the average frame rate drops by approximately 35% across all settings — for example, High settings drop from 171.6 FPS to 112.2 FPS, and Medium drops from 195.8 FPS to 146.1 FPS. This magnitude of drop suggests the GPU is becoming more load-bearing as pixel count increases, though the CPU still has enough headroom to keep up.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more severe decline, with High settings falling from 112.2 FPS to 56.7 FPS — a 49.5% reduction. Ultra settings suffer even more, dropping from 85.2 FPS at 1440p to 43.5 FPS at 4K, a 49% decrease. These steep drops indicate that at 4K, the RTX 5070 becomes the primary bottleneck. The GPU's pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s are being taxed heavily at this resolution, while the CPU's 4.40 GHz boost clock has ample capacity to feed frames.

At 1080p, the data shows the CPU and GPU are well balanced — the i5-11400F's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,029) prevents it from holding back the RTX 5070, which is why Low settings achieve 213.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (213.7 to 128 FPS) is a 40% reduction, reflecting GPU load rather than CPU limitations. The pattern across all resolutions confirms that this combo is GPU-limited at higher settings, but CPU-limited only at very high frame rates where the GPU can render frames faster than the processor can issue draw calls.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K in Hard West?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings or lower. The measured data shows 56.7 FPS at High, 76 FPS at Medium, and 93.1 FPS at Low for 3840x2160. Ultra settings fall to 43.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The data shows 112.2 FPS average at 2560x1440 with High settings. This represents a comfortable experience well above 60 FPS, with headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 868) appears sufficient, as Low settings reach 213.7 FPS. The bottleneck shifts to the GPU at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the steep 4K performance drops.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 370th out of 1,699 tested combos, placing it in the top 21.8% of all configurations. This is a strong result for a turn-based tactics title that doesn't heavily stress modern hardware.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 deliver 85.2 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. High settings provide 112.2 FPS, offering a better balance of visual quality and performance if you prefer higher refresh rates.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM on the RTX 5070 matter for Hard West?

A: The game's 2015 release date means it uses modest texture memory. The 12 GB capacity is far beyond what Hard West requires, so VRAM is not a limiting factor in any of the measured results.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination achieves rank 370 out of 1,699 tested combos in Hard West. This places the pairing in the 78th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly four out of every five tested systems. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs is the primary driver of this strong showing, while the CPU's 75th percentile position provides adequate support without dragging down overall performance.

This ranking makes sense given the game's genre. Turn-based tactics titles like Hard West typically do not require the most powerful CPUs available — the i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the game's AI and logic systems. The RTX 5070's high pixel rate and memory bandwidth then deliver excellent frame rates. The result is a combo that sits comfortably in the upper echelon of tested hardware, though not at the very top — the 4K Ultra result of 43.5 FPS shows there are more capable configurations for maximum settings at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all presets. Low settings average 213.7 FPS, Medium averages 195.8 FPS, High averages 171.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 128 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 85.7 FPS, indicating the GPU handles the additional visual load without significant strain.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low settings average 176.4 FPS, Medium averages 146.1 FPS, High averages 112.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 85.2 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra providing a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the demands increase substantially. Low settings average 93.1 FPS, Medium averages 76 FPS, High averages 56.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 43.5 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, representing a 66% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score of 128 FPS. The data shows a consistent scaling curve: 4K performance is roughly 50-55% of 1080p performance at equivalent settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the data supports using Ultra settings. The 128 FPS average at this preset provides a smooth, high-refresh experience, and the 213.7 FPS at Low shows the hardware has massive headroom. There is no practical reason to compromise visual quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings at 85.2 FPS are the best choice for players with 60 Hz displays, while High settings at 112.2 FPS better suit 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors. The 26.7 FPS difference between High and Ultra is noticeable in fast-paced encounters, but both remain playable. Medium at 146.1 FPS is only recommended for competitive play, which is uncommon in a turn-based tactics game.

For 3840x2160, the recommendation depends on your frame rate target. Medium settings at 76 FPS offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as they stay comfortably above 60 FPS. High settings at 56.7 FPS are borderline — playable but not ideal for those sensitive to frame pacing. Low settings at 93.1 FPS provide the smoothest 4K experience but sacrifice visual detail. Ultra at 43.5 FPS is not recommended for general play, as the visual gains over High are minimal compared to the 23% performance loss. The data clearly suggests Medium or High for 4K, with Medium being the safest choice for consistent 60+ FPS gameplay.