Hard West

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this Intel Core i5-12600KF + Intel Arc B390 combination in Hard West?

A: The combo ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database for this game. This rank indicates that while the system is functional, a substantial majority of other tested hardware configurations deliver higher frame rates in Hard West.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals based on synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390's average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it just 1.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% above the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). This places the GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low relative performance.

Q: What is the CPU's synthetic multi-threaded performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, scores 27872, which is only 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712 (0.3% lower). The CPU sits in the 79th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo in Hard West, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 87 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings yield 71 FPS, High settings yield 55 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 41 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 14 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only measured configuration that falls below 18 FPS, indicating that 4K Ultra is essentially unplayable with this hardware.

Q: Does the measured data include minimum or maximum frame rates for all settings?

A: No. Minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080 Medium, the range is 61 to 82 FPS; at 2560x1440 Medium, it is 38 to 52 FPS; at 3840x2160 Medium, it is 20 to 27 FPS. All other settings only have average FPS values in the data.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node. Its role in Hard West is defined by modest hardware specifications that directly constrain performance. The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The boost clock reaches 2500 MHz, while the base clock sits at 300 MHz. Memory is system shared, meaning the GPU relies on the host system's RAM rather than dedicated video memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent.

The GPU's synthetic performance, measured via 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, yields a score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival data shows it is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. This places the Arc B390 in a performance tier that is competitive with very old, low-end discrete GPUs, but far below any modern gaming-oriented graphics solution.

In Hard West, the GPU's limitations become apparent at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 87 FPS, but this falls to 41 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The trend worsens at 4K, where the average FPS at Ultra is just 14. The system shared memory and low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, along with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, explain why the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates when pixel fill requirements increase. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is modest, and the FP16 rate of 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) does not compensate in this title, which appears to rely primarily on standard rasterization.

The data suggests that the Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration for Hard West. While the CPU is capable of high frame rates, the GPU's limited resources cap performance, particularly at higher settings and resolutions. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking underscores that this is not a component designed for demanding gaming workloads, and the measured FPS data confirms this in practice.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its PCIe interface is Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The TDP is 125 W, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

Synthetic benchmarks show strong multi-threaded capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 23391, while the single-core score is 3302. The 3DMark 16-thread score is 7956, and the max-thread score is 7952. The PassMark multithread score is 27575, with a single-thread score of 3925. The CPU's average benchmark score of 27799 places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27872, a difference of only 0.3%.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, which is typical for a turn-based tactics title. The game itself is not known for being CPU-intensive, and the data reflects this. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 87 FPS, which suggests the CPU can push well beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings. The fact that FPS drops dramatically when settings are increased, rather than when resolution changes alone, indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The CPU's 10-core, 16-thread configuration provides ample headroom for a game like Hard West, which likely does not utilize all available threads. The high single-thread score of 3302 in Cinebench R23 and 3925 in PassMark single-thread tests indicate strong per-core performance, which is beneficial for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking places it well above the GPU's 9th percentile, reinforcing the idea that the processor is not the bottleneck in this system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 87 FPS, Medium settings produce 71 FPS, High settings produce 55 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 41 FPS. The Medium setting also has recorded minimum and maximum values of 61 and 82 FPS, respectively, showing a reasonable frame time consistency for that preset.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops across all settings. Low settings yield 55 FPS, Medium yields 45 FPS, High yields 35 FPS, and Ultra yields 26 FPS. The Medium setting at this resolution shows a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, indicating a tighter range relative to the average compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings produce 29 FPS, Medium produces 24 FPS, High produces 18 FPS, and Ultra produces 14 FPS. The Medium setting at 4K has a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS, which shows that even the best-case frame times at 4K are below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for playability.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops by roughly 30-40% at each step for a given setting. For example, at Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 87 to 55 FPS, a 37% reduction, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is from 55 to 29 FPS, a 47% reduction. This suggests that the GPU is increasingly overwhelmed as pixel count increases, with the 4K Ultra setting being the most demanding at just 14 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling analysis reveals how the system's components interact under increasing load. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at High settings drops from 55 to 35, a 36% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the High setting drops from 35 to 18, a 49% reduction. This accelerating decline indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar: 87 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 47%, respectively. This consistent pattern across settings strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B390's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher resolutions, regardless of the quality preset.

The data implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The Core i5-12600KF's high multi-threaded scores and 79th percentile ranking would allow for much higher frame rates if the GPU could keep up. The fact that FPS scales almost linearly with pixel count, rather than plateauing due to CPU limits, confirms that the GPU is the constraining component.

At 4K, even Low settings yield only 29 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the Arc B390 is not suitable for 4K gaming in Hard West under any settings. At 1440p, only Low settings achieve 55 FPS, while Medium and High are at 45 and 35 FPS, respectively, which may be acceptable for a turn-based game where frame rate sensitivity is lower. At 1080p, the system can achieve playable frame rates across all settings, with Ultra at 41 FPS being the minimum.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and performance preferences. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 71 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS. This ensures consistent frame delivery without the visual quality sacrifices of Low settings. The High preset at 55 FPS is also viable, but the drop to 41 FPS at Ultra may introduce noticeable stutter in a turn-based tactics game.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only setting that exceeds 50 FPS, averaging 55 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS, which is acceptable for this genre, but the minimum of 38 FPS could be problematic during heavy scenes. High at 35 FPS and Ultra at 26 FPS are less desirable, as they approach the lower bounds of playability.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings achieve 30 FPS. The Low preset averages 29 FPS, which is marginally below the threshold, while Medium at 24 FPS, High at 18 FPS, and Ultra at 14 FPS are all too slow for a comfortable experience. Users at 4K should consider lowering the resolution or accepting significant performance compromises.

For the best experience per the measured rows, the recommended configuration is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This yields 71 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. If the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the High preset at 55 FPS is a reasonable alternative. At higher resolutions, dropping to Low settings is necessary to maintain any semblance of playability, but even then, 4K remains below the 30 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the 11th percentile of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU's weak performance, as evidenced by its 9th percentile standing among all GPUs. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking does little to compensate for the GPU's limitations.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the Arc B390's performance is only marginally better than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which is a GPU from over a decade ago. The 1.3% deltaPct between these two GPUs indicates that the Arc B390 offers essentially entry-level performance. In Hard West, this translates to the measured FPS figures, which are playable only at 1080p with reduced settings.

The combo's rank of 2614 out of 2949 suggests that a significant majority of tested systems, including those with older or lower-end components, outperform this configuration. The data implies that while the CPU is more than capable of handling Hard West's requirements, the GPU severely limits the overall experience. Users with this combo would need to accept low resolutions and settings to achieve acceptable frame rates, and even then, 4K remains out of reach.