Hard West

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Alder Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock runs at 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The CPU's benchmark profile shows a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a 3DMark 2-thread score of 1699, which indicates that single-threaded performance is solid but not exceptional. In Cinebench R23, the chip scores 1680 points in single-core and 12380 points in multi-core, placing it at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs tested.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics title, the CPU's role is less about raw multi-threaded throughput and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing during turn transitions and AI calculations. The game's genre doesn't demand the same level of CPU-bound physics or complex simulation as real-time strategy titles, but the processor's 12 threads ensure that background tasks and game logic don't bottleneck the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 247 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor even at high frame rates. The 3DMark 4-thread score of 3067 and 8-thread score of 4779 indicate that the processor scales reasonably well with thread count, though the gap between 8-thread and max-thread scores (5912) is modest, reflecting diminishing returns beyond 8 threads for most workloads.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F sits in a tight cluster. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS averages 19047 points in CPU benchmarks, essentially tied with the i5-12400F's average of 19039 points (deltaPct of 0). The Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% behind, and the Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% ahead. This means the i5-12400F delivers performance that is statistically indistinguishable from these alternatives in synthetic tests, though real-world gaming results can vary based on memory latency and platform differences. The CPU's 65W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible choice, but the benchmark data does not isolate memory type as a variable in Hard West's measured FPS.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a chip size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It operates at a base clock of 1920 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute capabilities include 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate is 455.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 29.15 TFLOPS.

In Hard West, the RTX 4070's memory capacity and bandwidth play a significant role at higher resolutions. The game is not particularly demanding by modern standards, but the GPU's 12 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra settings, there is ample headroom for textures and geometry. The benchmark data shows the GPU achieving 26927 points in PassMark G3D, placing it at the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37648 is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, deltaPct 0.1%) and AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, deltaPct 0.4%), while the RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% ahead and the Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% behind.

The GPU's role in Hard West becomes clearer when examining the measured FPS across settings. At 1080p High, the combo produces 161 FPS average; at 1440p High, it drops to 102 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls to 54 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant regardless of resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS average shows that the GPU is fully utilized at the highest settings, though the frame rate remains playable for a turn-based tactics game where twitch reflexes are not required.

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

The measured FPS data reveals distinct scaling patterns across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 247 FPS average, which drops to 162 FPS at 1440p Low (a 34% reduction) and 85 FPS at 4K Low (a further 48% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline at Low settings indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases, even when graphical effects are minimized. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as 247 FPS is near the upper range of what the i5-12400F can sustain in this title. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and PassMark single-thread score of 3481 suggest that the CPU's per-core performance caps frame rates in less demanding scenes.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern shifts. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 210, dropping to 133 at 1440p Medium and 70 at 4K Medium. The percentage drops are 37% and 47% respectively, showing that the GPU's workload scales almost linearly with pixel count. The Medium settings include a minimum FPS measurement at each resolution: 178 at 1080p, 113 at 1440p, and 59 at 4K. These minimums indicate that the GPU maintains consistent frame delivery without stuttering, as the minimums are roughly 70-84% of the averages, which is healthy for a turn-based title.

High settings show a similar trend: 161 FPS at 1080p, 102 at 1440p, and 54 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. This consistency across quality presets suggests that the RTX 4070's performance scaling is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound, meaning the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions. The Ultra preset tells a more dramatic story: 121 FPS at 1080p, 76 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 37%, but the 1440p to 4K drop is 47%, confirming that 4K Ultra is the most demanding configuration tested.

The data clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at 4K across all settings, while 1080p results suggest a more balanced load where the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. At 1080p Low, the 247 FPS average is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability, as the i5-12400F's 3DMark max-thread score of 5912 is modest compared to higher-end processors. This interpretation is supported by the fact that upgrading the GPU would yield diminishing returns at 1080p Low, whereas upgrading the CPU would have a more noticeable impact at that specific settings/resolution combination.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 921st out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 25% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing given that the CPU is a mid-range desktop processor and the GPU is a high-end enthusiast card. The rank of 921 indicates that there are 920 combos that perform better, but also 2801 combos that perform worse. This positioning suggests that the RTX 4070's GPU power is the primary driver of the combo's ranking, as the i5-12400F's 73rd percentile CPU score is respectable but not top-tier.

The combo's ranking becomes more meaningful when considering the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 40 FPS average, which is playable for a turn-based tactics game but not smooth by modern standards. At 1440p Ultra, 76 FPS is a much more comfortable experience, and at 1080p Ultra, 121 FPS is excellent. The fact that this combo ranks 921st despite achieving 121 FPS at 1080p Ultra suggests that many higher-ranked combos likely feature more powerful GPUs (such as the RTX 4080 or 4090) paired with stronger CPUs, enabling higher frame rates at 4K. The delta between this combo and the top-ranked configurations is likely driven by 4K performance, where the RTX 4070's 504.2 GB/s bandwidth and 12 GB VRAM become limiting factors.

In the context of the nearest rival GPUs, the RTX 4070's performance is closely matched by the Tesla P4 and RX Vega 56 in synthetic benchmarks, but those GPUs would likely produce lower frame rates in Hard West due to architectural differences in DirectX 12 rendering. The RTX 4070's PassMark DirectX 12 score of 103 is notably lower than its DirectX 11 score of 244, which could indicate that Hard West's engine (released in 2015) may not fully utilize the GPU's modern feature set, potentially leaving performance on the table. However, the measured FPS data shows strong results across all settings, so any DX12 inefficiency does not manifest as a practical problem.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo for a balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1440p High achieves 102 FPS average, while 4K High drops to 54 FPS. For a turn-based tactics game, 4K High at 54 FPS is playable, but 1440p High provides a smoother experience with a 47% higher frame rate. If visual fidelity is the priority, 4K Medium at 70 FPS offers a good compromise, with minimums of 59 FPS ensuring no significant drops below 60 FPS.

Q: Does this combo perform better at 1080p or 4K relative to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 921st out of 3722 configurations overall. At 1080p Ultra, it achieves 121 FPS, which is strong, but at 4K Ultra, it produces 40 FPS. The rank likely reflects the combo's 4K performance ceiling, as higher-ranked combos with more powerful GPUs would achieve higher frame rates at 4K. The RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K, but the 40 FPS average at Ultra indicates the GPU is fully saturated at that setting.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: The evidence suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at most settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 247 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit, but at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 121 FPS, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1440p and 4K across all settings, the GPU becomes increasingly dominant, with frame rates dropping by 34-48% as resolution increases, while the CPU's workload remains consistent.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for Medium settings at each resolution?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS only for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 178 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the minimum is 113 FPS; and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 59 FPS. These minimums are 85%, 85%, and 84% of their respective averages (210, 133, and 70 FPS), indicating stable frame delivery without major stutters.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (deltaPct 0), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (deltaPct -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (deltaPct 0.3%), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 (deltaPct 0.3%). All four rivals are within 0.3% of the i5-12400F, meaning performance differences are negligible in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the combo's ranking percentile and what does it mean for gameplay?

A: The combo ranks 921st out of 3722 total tested combinations, placing it in the top 24.8% of all configurations. This means it outperforms roughly 75% of tested combos. In practical terms, this rank supports the conclusion that the combo is well-suited for Hard West at 1080p and 1440p, with acceptable performance at 4K on Medium or High settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display resolution and frame rate preferences. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 121 FPS average provides the best visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 100 FPS, which is smooth for a turn-based tactics game. The High preset at 161 FPS offers a 33% frame rate increase over Ultra but with reduced graphical fidelity, which may be preferable for users who prioritize responsiveness over visuals. The Medium preset at 210 FPS is excessive for this genre, as turn-based tactics do not benefit from frame rates above 120 FPS in terms of gameplay responsiveness.

For 1440p displays, the Ultra preset at 76 FPS is the most visually impressive option that still maintains a comfortable frame rate. The High preset at 102 FPS provides a 34% improvement over Ultra, which could be beneficial if the display has a high refresh rate (e.g., 144Hz). The Medium preset at 133 FPS exceeds the needs of most 60Hz displays but can take advantage of 120Hz or 144Hz panels. The Low preset at 162 FPS is unnecessary for this game genre, as the visual trade-off is substantial for marginal frame rate gains.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the recommended choice, as it delivers frame rates above 60 FPS with minimums of 59 FPS, ensuring no significant dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 54 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, especially during camera pans or transitions between turn-based maps. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for general play, as the frame rate is below the 60 FPS standard, though it remains acceptable for a turn-based game where precise timing is not required. The Low preset at 85 FPS is smooth but sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is not fast-paced.

Overall, the data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1440p Ultra (76 FPS) or 1080p Ultra (121 FPS), depending on the display resolution. For 4K users, Medium settings (70 FPS) provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with the 59 FPS minimum ensuring consistent frame delivery throughout gameplay. The RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM and the i5-12400F's 12 threads are sufficient to handle these settings without encountering memory or processing bottlenecks, as evidenced by the stable frame rates across all measured configurations.