Hard West

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 is a combination that lands in the lower-middle portion of the database for Hard West, ranking 2998th out of 3722 tested combos. This places it in the 20th percentile of all recorded system pairings for this turn-based tactics title, meaning the majority of tested configurations deliver higher average frame rates. However, the data reveals a nuanced picture: this combo is entirely capable of smooth play at 1080p and even 1440p with the right settings, but it struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K. The benchmark results show a system that is well-balanced for its intended resolution class, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU provides ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2998 out of 3722 tested combinations puts this pairing in the bottom fifth of the database for Hard West. This sounds worse than it performs in practice, because the database includes many high-end and enthusiast configurations that vastly exceed the requirements of a 2015 turn-based tactics game. The ranking is heavily influenced by 4K performance, where this combo falls below the 30 FPS threshold for playability at High settings. When isolating the 1080p results, the picture changes considerably: the combo achieves 84 FPS at High, 110 FPS at Medium, and 134 FPS at Low, all of which are perfectly fluid for the genre.

Relative to other combos, this pairing sits in a region where most systems are either older mid-range builds or budget-oriented configurations. The Intel Core i5-12400F itself ranks at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, indicating that the processor is not the limiting factor in this ranking. The Arc B570, by contrast, ranks at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, which is respectable for a mainstream graphics card. The combination of a solid mid-range CPU with a slightly below-average-for-4K GPU explains the overall ranking: the system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short at 4K, dragging its overall position down.

In terms of raw benchmark scores, the CPU's average benchmark score of 19039 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (0% difference), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 (0.3% lower). This indicates the i5-12400F is essentially tied with these processors in general compute performance, with negligible differences that would not translate to meaningful gaming deltas in a turn-based title. The GPU's average benchmark score of 20556 is similarly close to its rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534 (0.1% lower), the Intel Arc A750 scores 20582 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662 (0.5% higher). These sub-1% deltas suggest the Arc B570 performs on par with these alternative GPUs in synthetic tests, though game-specific results like those measured here can deviate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 272 mm² containing 19,600 million transistors. It operates at a fixed clock speed of 2500 MHz for both base and boost, which is a relatively high frequency for a mid-range card. The memory subsystem consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the 160-bit bus struggles to feed the rendering pipeline.

In Hard West specifically, the GPU's role is critical at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the card delivers 134 FPS at Low, 110 FPS at Medium, 84 FPS at High, and 63 FPS at Ultra. At 2560x1440, these numbers drop to 85 FPS at Low, 69 FPS at Medium, 53 FPS at High, and 40 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, performance falls off a cliff: 44 FPS at Low, 36 FPS at Medium, 28 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra. This scaling indicates that the GPU's 10 GB frame buffer and 380 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K at high detail levels.

The 18 ray tracing cores and 2304 shading units provide the raw compute power for this game, but Hard West is not a graphically demanding title by modern standards. The Arc B570's 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are more than enough for this turn-based tactics game at mainstream resolutions. The 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s, which helps maintain fill rates at higher resolutions. The card's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are standard for its class, and the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for this workload.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K?

A: Only at reduced settings. The measured data shows 44 FPS at Low, 36 FPS at Medium, 28 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra at 3840x2160. For a playable experience, Low settings are required, as Medium dips to 31 FPS minimum.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. The combo delivers 84 FPS at High and 110 FPS at Medium, with even Ultra maintaining 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, High still achieves 53 FPS, making that resolution viable if you prefer higher detail.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to similar CPUs?

A: The i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is essentially identical to its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (0.1% higher), and the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3% lower). Differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: Is the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM enough for Hard West?

A: Yes, based on the measured results. The game runs at 134 FPS at 1080p Low and 85 FPS at 1440p Low, indicating the 10 GB frame buffer is not a constraint at these settings. Even at 1080p Ultra, the combo maintains 63 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests no. The i5-12400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and its 3DMark single-thread score of 909 indicates strong single-core performance. The FPS scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution follows GPU-bound behavior, not CPU limitations.

Q: What minimum FPS can I expect at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 93 with an average of 110 and maximum of 126. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 59 with an average of 69 and maximum of 80. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 31 with an average of 36 and maximum of 42.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is clearly GPU-limited only at Ultra settings, where it drops to 63 FPS average. The Low preset delivers 134 FPS, Medium delivers 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 and maximum of 126, and High delivers 84 FPS. These numbers indicate that for 1080p gaming, the Arc B570 has substantial headroom, and the 10 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains solid but shows expected scaling. Low settings produce 85 FPS, Medium produces 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 80, High produces 53 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35-40% performance across all settings, which is typical for a GPU with a 160-bit memory bus. The minimum FPS of 59 at Medium is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, though just barely.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings yield 44 FPS, Medium yields 36 FPS with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42, High yields 28 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. The 4K results clearly show that this GPU is not designed for ultra-high-definition gaming in this title, as even Low settings barely exceed 40 FPS. The 10 GB VRAM may also be a factor here, as the higher resolution demands more memory bandwidth, which the 380.0 GB/s figure cannot adequately provide.

The scaling between presets is consistent across resolutions. From Low to Medium, performance drops by approximately 18% at 1080p, 19% at 1440p, and 18% at 4K. From Medium to High, the drop is 24% at 1080p, 23% at 1440p, and 22% at 4K. From High to Ultra, the drop is 25% at 1080p, 25% at 1440p, and 25% at 4K. This uniform scaling suggests that the GPU is handling the increased load proportionally, with no sudden bottlenecks or memory-related stutters.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration provides strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for turn-based tactics games that often rely on a single main thread for game logic.

In the 3DMark benchmarks, the i5-12400F scores 909 in single-thread, 1699 in 2-thread, 3067 in 4-thread, 4779 in 8-thread, and 5912 in max-thread tests. The scaling from 2 to 4 threads shows a 80% improvement, and from 4 to 8 threads a 56% improvement, indicating good multi-threading efficiency up to 8 threads. The max-thread score of 5912 is only 24% higher than the 8-thread score, suggesting diminishing returns beyond 8 threads, which is typical for a 6-core/12-thread design in this workload.

For Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, AI pathfinding, and turn calculations. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and single-core score of 1680 indicate that the processor has ample compute headroom for this genre. The Geekbench multicore score of 9472 and single-core score of 1964 further confirm that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The Passmark single-thread score of 3481 places the i5-12400F well above the threshold needed for smooth turn-based gameplay.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache is beneficial for game logic that accesses large data structures, and the 65 W TDP means it can sustain boost clocks without thermal throttling in most systems. The Intel Socket 1700 platform with PCIe Gen 5 support (20 lanes from the CPU) ensures that the GPU has a modern interface, though the Arc B570 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is more than sufficient for this game's bandwidth requirements. The i5-12400F's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a better-than-average processor, and its performance is essentially tied with the nearest rivals listed in the database.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. This configuration delivers 110 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS, providing a smooth experience with no risk of frame drops below the 60 FPS threshold. The 31 FPS gap between the minimum and average indicates stable performance, and the 126 FPS maximum shows headroom for occasional scene complexity spikes. This is particularly important for a turn-based tactics game where camera movements and unit animations can cause temporary frame rate fluctuations.

If you prefer higher visual fidelity, the High preset at 1920x1080 is also viable, delivering 84 FPS average. This is still well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a noticeable improvement in texture detail and shadow quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 63 FPS, which is playable but closer to the edge of smoothness; frame pacing may become an issue during intense combat sequences. For the most responsive experience, the Low preset at 1080p provides 134 FPS, which is overkill for this genre but useful if you have a high-refresh-rate monitor.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best compromise, delivering 69 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS. The minimum is just below the 60 FPS mark, but in a turn-based game, brief dips are less noticeable than in fast-paced action titles. The High preset at 1440p yields 53 FPS, which is borderline playable but may feel sluggish during camera pans. The Low preset at 1440p provides 85 FPS and is the safest choice if you prioritize smoothness over visual quality.

For 3840x2160, the data strongly suggests avoiding this resolution unless you are willing to accept Low settings. The Low preset delivers 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for turn-based tactics. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 36 FPS average with a minimum of 31 FPS, which is likely to feel choppy. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as 28 FPS and 21 FPS respectively fall below the minimum playability threshold.

In summary, the ideal experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium or High settings, where the combo maintains well above 60 FPS with stable minimums. At 1440p, Medium is the maximum recommended preset, while at 4K, only Low settings are viable. The GPU's 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the lower resolutions but become limiting factors at 4K, where the 160-bit memory bus cannot keep up with the rendering demands. This pairing is best suited for mainstream 1080p gaming, with 1440p as a secondary option for players who prioritize resolution over maximum detail.