Hard West

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 328th out of 3722 tested combinations in Hard West. That places this setup in the top 8.8% of all combos tested for this game, a strong result for a turn-based tactics title that does not demand extreme hardware. The rank reflects a machine that can drive high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions while still handling 4K with playable frame rates.

Benchmark data indicates the combo sits comfortably above the median tested system. The RTX 4080 SUPER alone holds an 86th percentile rank among all GPUs in the database, while the i5-12400 sits at the 72nd percentile among CPUs. Neither component is a bottleneck at the resolutions where Hard West is typically played, but the data shows the GPU carries more weight in the higher settings tiers.

When compared to other tested combos in the same percentile band, this pairing shows a balanced profile. The GPU's average benchmark score of 54209 places it within 0.1% of the standard RTX 4080, while the CPU's average score of 18683 puts it within 0.1% of the AMD EPYC 7643. The delta between the two components is negligible in synthetic workloads, but the in-game results reveal where each part matters.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts to 4.40 GHz. The chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it connects to the rest of the system via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The L3 cache is 18 MB shared, with 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core. The processor's TDP is rated at 65 W, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

For a game like Hard West, which is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, the CPU's single-thread performance is more relevant than its multi-thread capabilities. The i5-12400 scores 910 in 3DMark single-thread, 947 in Cinebench R20 single-core, and 2257 in Cinebench R23 single-core. These numbers indicate strong per-core performance that handles game logic, AI pathfinding, and unit interactions without issue. The 12 threads also provide headroom for background tasks, though Hard West rarely needs more than a few cores.

The CPU's multi-thread scores are respectable for its class. Cinebench R23 multi-core yields 15989, Geekbench multi-core hits 8564, and 3DMark max-thread reaches 5890. In PassMark, the multi-thread score is 18747, with integer math at 58366 and floating-point math at 45494. These figures show the i5-12400 can handle more demanding workloads, but in Hard West, the frame rate is more likely tied to the GPU at higher resolutions and settings.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 7643 (delta -0.1%), Intel Core i7-1355U (delta -0.3%), AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (delta -0.7%), and Intel Core i3-14100F (delta +0.9%). The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is essentially tied with the EPYC 7643's 18697, and it trails the i3-14100F by less than 1%. This suggests the i5-12400 is a mid-range performer that does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Does the Core i5-12400 bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in Hard West?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the data shows the CPU keeps up with the GPU, as frame rates scale with resolution. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 51 FPS, which is more consistent with GPU limitation than CPU limitation given the CPU's single-thread scores.

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

A: The measured data shows 1440p High delivers 130 FPS average, which is a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. 1080p Ultra hits 154 FPS, while 4K High stays at 68 FPS, so the choice depends on whether you prioritize resolution or frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 54209 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080's 54247. In-game, the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance is effectively identical to its predecessor in synthetic tests, though the measured FPS data is specific to this combo.

Q: Is the i5-12400's 6-core configuration sufficient for Hard West?

A: Yes, the game is turn-based and not heavily threaded. The CPU's single-thread scores (910 in 3DMark single-thread, 3456 in PassMark single-thread) indicate it handles the game's logic without issue, and the 12 threads provide more than enough headroom.

Q: What frame rates can this combo achieve at 4K?

A: At 4K Low, the average is 108 FPS. At 4K Medium, it drops to 89 FPS with a minimum of 75 and maximum of 102. At 4K High, it falls to 68 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 51 FPS. All are playable, but Ultra may require turning down settings for smoother motion.

Q: How does the i5-12400's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is within 1% of the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697), Intel Core i7-1355U (18730), AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811), and Intel Core i3-14100F (18519). This means the CPU is competitive with those chips in general workloads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Hard West span three resolutions and four settings tiers. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 154 at Ultra to 245 at Low. The Medium preset produces 229 FPS on average, with a minimum of 194 and a maximum of 263. High settings yield 205 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings, but the CPU still allows for very high frame rates at Low.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clearer scaling pattern. Low settings produce 206 FPS, Medium drops to 169 FPS (minimum 144, maximum 194), High yields 130 FPS, and Ultra falls to 97 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 39 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 33 FPS. This suggests that each settings tier has a meaningful impact on GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more modest. Low settings produce 108 FPS, Medium yields 89 FPS (minimum 75, maximum 102), High drops to 68 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 51 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 21 FPS loss, while High to Ultra is a 17 FPS loss. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (75) is still above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that even at this resolution, the combo can maintain smooth gameplay with some settings adjustments.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops proportionally. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 245 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 206 FPS (a 16% decrease). At 4K Low, it falls to 108 FPS (a 48% decrease from 1440p). This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the bottleneck characteristics of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 245 at 1080p to 206 at 1440p, a 39 FPS reduction. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 206 to 108, a 98 FPS reduction. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 56%, which is less than the 75% pixel count increase, indicating that the CPU still has some influence at the lower end of the settings spectrum.

At High settings, the scaling is more linear. 1080p High produces 205 FPS, 1440p High drops to 130 FPS (a 37% decrease), and 4K High falls to 68 FPS (a 48% decrease from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High is 67%, which is closer to the pixel count scaling, suggesting the GPU is the primary limiter at this settings tier.

At Ultra settings, the pattern holds. 1080p Ultra yields 154 FPS, 1440p Ultra drops to 97 FPS (a 37% decrease), and 4K Ultra falls to 51 FPS (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The overall drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 67%, matching the High settings trend. This consistency indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance scales predictably with resolution, and the CPU is not introducing significant overhead.

The data suggests that for this combo, the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p Low to GPU at 4K Ultra. At 1080p Low, the 245 FPS average is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. At 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average is a function of the GPU's pixel throughput, which is rated at 285.6 GPixel/s and 816.0 GTexel/s. The RTX 4080 SUPER's FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS is sufficient for this game, but the 4K Ultra settings push the rendering pipeline harder.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience per the numbers is the 1440p High preset, which delivers 130 FPS average. This resolution and settings combination offers a high frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most 144Hz monitors, while maintaining visual fidelity that is superior to Medium or Low. The 130 FPS at 1440p High is also well above the 97 FPS at 1440p Ultra, a difference of 33 FPS that may be noticeable in fast-moving scenes.

For players who prefer 1080p, the High preset at 205 FPS is a strong choice, as it provides a smooth experience on 240Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 154 FPS is also viable, but the 51 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual gains for a turn-based game. The Medium preset at 229 FPS is the highest frame rate option at 1080p with a minimum of 194 FPS, ensuring no dips below 144 FPS.

At 4K, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 89 FPS and a minimum of 75 FPS. This is playable on 60Hz displays and provides headroom for frame pacing. The High preset at 68 FPS is also acceptable, but the drop to 51 FPS at Ultra makes that tier less desirable for consistent smoothness. The Low preset at 108 FPS is the fastest 4K option, but the visual trade-offs may be significant for a game that relies on atmospheric lighting and shadows.

The recommendation is to prioritize 1440p High for the best combination of frame rate and visual quality. If 4K is a requirement, Medium settings are the safest choice. For competitive play or maximum smoothness, 1080p Low at 245 FPS is the fastest measured configuration, but the game's turn-based nature means that extreme frame rates are less critical than in real-time genres.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD103 chip fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It contains 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, with a transistor density of 121.1 million per square millimeter. The GPU has 10240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. It also features 80 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores.

The GPU's clock speeds are 2295 MHz base and 2550 MHz boost, with memory running at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is connected via a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4080 SUPER's pixel rate is 285.6 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 816.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 52.22 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1 ratio).

In Hard West, the GPU's role is to render the 2D and 3D elements of the turn-based tactics game, including character models, environmental details, and lighting effects. The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER handles all tested resolutions and settings with playable frame rates, even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's high memory bandwidth is particularly beneficial for 4K textures, and the 16 GB VRAM ensures no capacity issues at any settings tier.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rivals in the database are the RTX 4080 (delta -0.1%), AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (delta -1.1%), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (delta -2.7%), and AMD Radeon 8060S (delta -2.8%). The GPU's average benchmark score of 54209 places it just below the RTX 4080's 54247, indicating that the SUPER variant offers negligible performance gains over the non-SUPER in synthetic tests. In-game, the measured FPS is specific to this combo, but the GPU's percentile rank of 86% among all GPUs confirms its high-end positioning.

The GPU's 320 W TDP and triple-slot design require a 700 W power supply and a 16-pin connector. The card measures 310 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, which may be a consideration for smaller cases. The display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RTX 4080 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with Hard West's rendering requirements.