Hard West

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

The measured frame rates for Hard West with the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 reveal a classic progression as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 206 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops that to 131 FPS — a 36% decrease. At 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 69 FPS, which is a further 47% reduction from the 1440p figure. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 137 FPS, or 66.5%.

This scaling pattern is steep and consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 245 FPS at 1080p to 207 FPS at 1440p to 109 FPS at 4K. At Medium, the progression is 229 FPS → 170 FPS → 89 FPS. At Ultra, it's 155 FPS → 98 FPS → 51 FPS. In every case, the largest absolute drop occurs between 1440p and 4K, suggesting the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count rises.

The RTX 4080's memory configuration plays a key role here. The card carries 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K, the pixel throughput demand is four times that of 1080p, and the data shows the 4080 handling that load with decreasing headroom. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 245 FPS — a figure that suggests the CPU is at least partially limiting, since the GPU could likely render more frames if unconstrained. At 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average indicates the GPU is now the bottleneck, with the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads providing ample processing headroom for a turn-based tactics title.

The min/max data available for Medium settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Medium, the frame time spread is 194 to 263 FPS, a range of 69 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread narrows to 144 to 195 FPS (51 FPS range). At 4K Medium, the spread tightens further to 76 to 103 FPS (27 FPS range). This narrowing range at higher resolutions is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where frame delivery becomes more consistent as the graphics processor becomes the dominant factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i5-12400 + RTX 4080 combination holds a combo rank of 320 out of 3,722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 8.6% of all combinations in the database for this game. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolution and settings permutations, weighted toward the highest playable configurations.

The CPU's individual standing provides context. The i5-12400 sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18,683. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark hierarchy include the AMD EPYC 7643 (average score 18,697, a 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730, a 0.3% delta). The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811) trails by 0.7%, while the Intel Core i3-14100F (18,519) is 0.9% behind. This clustering shows the i5-12400 is positioned very close to its direct competitors in raw compute, with deltas all under 1%.

The GPU's rank is stronger. The RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209 — a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% ahead at 54,828, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S lead by 2.6% and 2.7% respectively. The GPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis showing the RTX 4080 as the primary performance driver at higher settings.

The gap between the combo's top 8.6% rank and the GPU's 86th percentile (top 14%) suggests the CPU is dragging the overall result slightly. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where frame rates are generally high, the CPU's contribution to the combo rank is diluted by the GPU's dominance. The data indicates this combo is well above average for the game, but not at the absolute advanced — the rank of 320 implies roughly 3,400 other combos score lower in Hard West.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to this pairing. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, boosting to 4.40 GHz. The processor uses the Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, with an 18 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used.

For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, the CPU demands are modest. The genre typically involves discrete turns, unit movements, and combat calculations rather than continuous real-time simulation. The i5-12400's 12 threads provide ample parallelism for any background tasks or AI computations the game might spawn. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance when the game's logic is serialized.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this assessment. In Cinebench R23, the i5-12400 scores 15,989 multi-core and 2,257 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 18,747, with a single-thread score of 3,456. The 3DMark 16-thread test yields 5,873, while the 2-thread test produces 1,692. These numbers indicate a balanced processor that excels at both multi-threaded workloads and single-threaded tasks.

In Hard West specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The frame rate differences between settings presets at the same resolution are substantial — at 1080p, Low yields 245 FPS while Ultra yields 155 FPS, a 90 FPS gap. This settings sensitivity points to GPU load rather than CPU limitation. The 1080p Low figure of 245 FPS is the highest measured value, and it likely approaches the game's engine cap or the CPU's practical frame delivery limit. The fact that 1080p Ultra still achieves 155 FPS suggests the CPU handles the game's logic without bottlenecking even under heavier graphics loads.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility position it as a mainstream part. Its release date of January 3, 2022, means it launched after Hard West's 2015 release, but the game's modest requirements mean the i5-12400 has no trouble maintaining high frame rates. The nearest CPU rivals — the EPYC 7643 and i7-1355U — all cluster within 0.7% of the i5-12400's average benchmark score, indicating that any of these processors would deliver similar results in Hard West.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 245 FPS average. Medium settings yield 229 FPS, with a measured range of 194 to 263 FPS. High settings drop to 206 FPS. Ultra settings produce 155 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 90 FPS, or 36.7% of the Low figure.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales downward. Low settings average 207 FPS. Medium settings average 170 FPS, with a range of 144 to 195 FPS. High settings average 131 FPS. Ultra settings average 98 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 109 FPS, or 52.7% of the Low figure. This widening percentage gap indicates the GPU is working harder as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further. Low settings average 109 FPS. Medium settings average 89 FPS, with a range of 76 to 103 FPS. High settings average 69 FPS. Ultra settings average 51 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 58 FPS, or 53.2% of the Low figure. The absolute frame rates at 4K Ultra dip below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable on high-refresh displays.

Within each resolution, the Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data. At 1080p, the range spans 69 FPS (194 to 263). At 1440p, the range is 51 FPS (144 to 195). At 4K, the range is 27 FPS (76 to 103). This tightening range at higher resolutions is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, where frame pacing becomes more stable.

The delta between resolutions at the same settings follows a pattern. At Low, 1080p to 1440p drops 38 FPS (15.5%), and 1440p to 4K drops 98 FPS (47.3%). At Medium, the corresponding drops are 59 FPS (25.8%) and 81 FPS (47.6%). At High, the drops are 75 FPS (36.4%) and 62 FPS (47.3%). At Ultra, the drops are 57 FPS (36.8%) and 47 FPS (48.0%). The consistency of the 1440p-to-4K drop at approximately 47-48% across all settings strongly indicates a GPU resolution scaling characteristic.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo in Hard West?

A: The highest measured average is 245 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 51 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 206 FPS at 1920x1080 to 69 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 137 FPS or 66.5%.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 245 FPS, the frame rate is likely limited by the CPU's ability to feed frames, since the GPU could render more if unconstrained. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads deliver its maximum practical frame output.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 on average, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209 — a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X leads by 1.1% at 54,828.

Q: What is the frame time range at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured range is 144 to 195 FPS, a spread of 51 FPS around the 170 FPS average.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the Hard West experience. For users prioritizing maximum smoothness on high-refresh displays, the 1920x1080 Medium preset delivers 229 FPS average with a range of 194 to 263 FPS. This exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate common on gaming monitors, providing headroom even during demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 170 FPS with a range of 144 to 195 FPS. This is sufficient for 144 Hz displays, though the minimum of 144 FPS sits exactly at the refresh boundary. For users with 165 Hz or 240 Hz displays, the Low preset at 207 FPS is the safer option, though it sacrifices visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 89 FPS with a range of 76 to 103 FPS. This is playable on 60 Hz displays and provides a solid experience on 120 Hz panels, though not consistently at the refresh limit. The High preset at 69 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays, while the Ultra preset at 51 FPS falls short of the 60 FPS target.

The data suggests the Medium preset offers the best balance across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 229 FPS with acceptable visual quality. At 1440p, it delivers 170 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. At 4K, it achieves 89 FPS, which is playable and smooth on most displays. The Low preset's visual compromises are rarely justified given the Medium preset's substantial performance margin over the 60 FPS threshold at all resolutions.

For users with 4K displays and a strong preference for visual fidelity, the High preset at 69 FPS is the highest quality option that remains above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is the only measured configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS, and users should avoid it unless they prioritize maximum graphics quality over smoothness.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that proves ample for Hard West at all tested resolutions and settings. The card's base clock runs at 2205 MHz, boosting to 2505 MHz. Its memory operates at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective throughput.

The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The RTX 4080 packs 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. Its 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The card's pixel rate is 280.6 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s and FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS.

In Hard West, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution rises. At 1080p, the RTX 4080's raw power produces frame rates that likely exceed what the game engine can efficiently deliver — the 245 FPS Low result suggests the GPU is partially idle waiting for CPU input. At 4K, however, the GPU's workload expands dramatically. The 69 FPS High result and 51 FPS Ultra result demonstrate the card's limits under maximum pixel load.

The GPU's benchmark standing reinforces its high position in the hierarchy. At the 86th percentile among all GPUs, the RTX 4080 outperforms the vast majority of hardware. Its average benchmark score of 54,247 places it marginally behind the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6%), and the AMD Radeon 8060S (2.7%). These small deltas indicate the RTX 4080 is near the top of the performance spectrum, with only a handful of cards exceeding it.

The card's 320 W TDP and suggested 700 W PSU requirement position it as a high-power component. Its triple-slot design and 310 mm length make it a substantial physical presence in a system. For Hard West specifically, the GPU's capabilities are overkill at lower resolutions but appropriately matched at 4K, where its 16 GB VRAM and high bandwidth support the game's visual demands without compromise. The measured frame rates confirm that the RTX 4080 is the performance backbone of this combo, with the i5-12400 providing sufficient support without becoming a limiting factor except at the very highest frame rates.