Hard West

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but uneven experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. Benchmark data shows that this combination ranks 2632 out of 3722 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The measured frame rates reveal a system that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly with higher quality presets. This analysis breaks down the resolution scaling, GPU role, ranking context, and detailed FPS measurements to help users understand what to expect from this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K in Hard West is substantial and reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 99 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440, then plummets to 33 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 37.4% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46.8% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component once resolution climbs past 1080p, as the CPU has ample headroom in this turn-based title.

Low settings show a similar trend but with higher absolute numbers. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 157, dropping to 99 at 1440p and 52 at 4K. The percentage drops are 36.9% and 47.5% respectively, closely mirroring the High settings pattern. This consistency suggests that resolution scaling is primarily driven by pixel count and fill rate demands, which stress the GPU’s 64 ROPs and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth.

Medium settings provide the most complete data set, including minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average is 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS and maximum of 148 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 81 FPS with a range of 69 to 93 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 49 FPS. The min-to-max spread widens slightly at higher resolutions, indicating more frame time variance under heavier GPU load.

Ultra settings demonstrate the steepest scaling curve. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 74, dropping to 47 at 1440p and just 25 at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p reduction is 36.5%, while the 1440p-to-4K reduction is 46.8%. At 4K Ultra, the 25 FPS average falls well below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the minimum for acceptable playability, making this preset-resolution combination impractical for smooth gameplay.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the RTX 2060 SUPER can push frame rates high enough that CPU performance or game engine overhead might occasionally matter, but the Core i5-12600KF’s strong single-thread score of 3302 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is not a bottleneck. At 1440p and especially 4K, the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become the primary constraints, as evidenced by the near-linear scaling of FPS with pixel count.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is paired with a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. These specifications place the card at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 18093.

In Hard West, the GPU’s role is most evident when examining the frame rate differences between quality presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 83 FPS (157 vs 74), a 112% improvement for dropping quality settings. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 52 FPS (99 vs 47), and at 4K it shrinks to 27 FPS (52 vs 25). This diminishing return at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is working closer to its limits as pixel count increases, with less headroom to absorb quality-setting changes.

The RTX 2060 SUPER’s nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with an average score of 18159 (0.4% higher), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 at 18189 (0.5% higher), AMD Radeon RX 460 at 18373 (1.5% higher), and Intel Arc A770M at 18383 (1.6% higher). These small deltas indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER performs within a tight band of comparable GPUs, though the desktop RTX 3060 Mobile’s close score suggests similar rasterization capabilities in this title.

The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Hard West at all tested settings, as the game’s 2015 release date means texture and geometry demands are modest by modern standards. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, however, becomes a factor at 4K where the higher pixel throughput requires more data to be fed to the shading units. The 64 ROPs are also a potential limitation at 4K, as pixel fill rate directly impacts performance at such high resolutions.

The boost clock of 1650 MHz is modest by current standards, but the card’s 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 performance provides adequate compute for a turn-based tactics game that does not require complex real-time physics or particle effects. The Tensor cores (272) and RT cores (34) are present but largely unused in this title, as Hard West does not employ ray tracing or DLSS features.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2632 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places the pairing in the 29th percentile, meaning roughly 71% of tested hardware combinations achieve higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range position in the database, as the CPU is notably stronger relative to its peers.

The Core i5-12600KF itself ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K with an average score of 27872 (0.3% higher), AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE at 27712 (0.3% lower), AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887 (0.3% higher), and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896 (0.3% higher). These negligible deltas indicate that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, with no anomalous behavior dragging down the combo’s ranking.

The GPU’s 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093, is the primary factor limiting the combo’s position. The nearest GPU rivals are all within 1.6% of the RTX 2060 SUPER’s score, suggesting that swapping to any of those cards would yield nearly identical results in Hard West. The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a mid-percentile GPU creates a bottleneck scenario where the GPU is the performance limiter, particularly at resolutions above 1080p.

When interpreting the combo rank of 2632 out of 3722, it is important to consider that many tested combos include higher-end GPUs such as the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT, which would significantly outperform the RTX 2060 SUPER in a GPU-bound title like Hard West at high resolutions. The rank also includes combos with weaker CPUs paired with stronger GPUs, which might achieve better FPS in this game due to the GPU’s dominance in determining performance. The data suggests that this combo is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but leaves performance on the table at 4K.

The deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within 0.3%, confirming that the i5-12600KF is delivering performance consistent with its direct competitors. This means the combo’s rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s position in the performance hierarchy, rather than any CPU-side anomaly. Users considering an upgrade path should focus on the GPU as the primary bottleneck for Hard West at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers an average of 157 FPS on Low settings, 128 FPS on Medium, 99 FPS on High, and 74 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes minimum and maximum values of 109 FPS and 148 FPS respectively, indicating a 39 FPS variance between the lowest and highest observed frame rates.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce an average of 99 FPS, Medium delivers 81 FPS with a range of 69 to 93 FPS, High achieves 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 47 FPS. The Medium preset’s 24 FPS variance (69 to 93) is tighter than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU’s load is more consistent at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages become marginal for smooth gameplay. Low settings yield 52 FPS, Medium produces 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 49 FPS, High drops to 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS. The Medium preset’s 13 FPS variance is the narrowest of any resolution, reflecting the GPU operating near its sustained performance limit. The 36 FPS minimum at 4K Medium is the only sub-30 FPS value recorded across all tested configurations, though the 25 FPS average at 4K Ultra suggests that minimums would likely fall below 20 FPS if they had been recorded.

Comparing settings at each resolution provides insight into the cost of quality features. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 29 FPS (18.5%), Medium to High costs another 29 FPS (22.7%), and High to Ultra costs 25 FPS (25.3%). At 1440p, the corresponding drops are 18 FPS (18.2%), 19 FPS (23.5%), and 15 FPS (24.2%). At 4K, the drops are 9 FPS (17.3%), 10 FPS (23.3%), and 8 FPS (24.2%). The consistency of these percentages across resolutions indicates that each quality tier imposes a similar relative cost on the GPU, regardless of pixel count.

The highest measured average FPS is 157 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 25 at 4K Ultra. The full spread of 132 FPS between these extremes demonstrates the wide performance envelope of this combo. For users targeting 60 FPS as a playability baseline, the data shows that 1080p Ultra (74 FPS), 1440p High (62 FPS), and 1440p Medium (81 FPS) all meet this threshold. At 4K, only Low (52 FPS) exceeds 30 FPS, while Medium (43 FPS) and High (33 FPS) are borderline and Ultra (25 FPS) is below playable.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with all four quality presets achieving at least 74 FPS average. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable for High and Medium settings, delivering 62 FPS and 81 FPS respectively, but Ultra drops to 47 FPS.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hard West?*

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 52 FPS. Medium delivers 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS, High drops to 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS, which is below typical playability thresholds.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to its rivals?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, ranking in the 79th percentile. Its nearest rivals are within 0.3%: the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27872, AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887, and AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE at 27712.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18159, a 0.4% difference.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 157 FPS while Ultra produces 74 FPS, a difference of 83 FPS. This represents a 112% improvement in frame rate from dropping quality settings to Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 62nd percentile. The frame rate scaling with resolution changes indicates GPU-bound performance at 1440p and 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing a consistent 60 FPS experience, the 1920x1080 Ultra preset is the highest quality option that maintains an average of 74 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 62 FPS average, which also meets this threshold, while Medium provides 81 FPS for additional headroom. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so users must either accept lower settings or lower resolution.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the 2560x1440 High preset offers a strong balance with 62 FPS average. The 1080p Ultra preset provides the maximum quality available while still exceeding 60 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset with 43 FPS average is the highest quality option that remains playable, though the 36 FPS minimum approaches the edge of acceptable performance.

For users with 144 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, the 1080p Low preset at 157 FPS and Medium at 128 FPS are the only options that fully utilize such displays. The 1080p High preset at 99 FPS still provides a smooth experience but cannot saturate a 144 Hz panel. At 1440p, the Low preset at 99 FPS is the only option above 90 FPS.

The data shows that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS, ensuring no drops below 100 FPS. At 1440p, the 81 FPS average with a 69 FPS minimum keeps frame rates within a tight range. At 4K, the 43 FPS average with a 36 FPS minimum is the only quality preset that does not fall below 30 FPS. Users who want a single preset that works across all resolutions should select Medium.

For competitive or fast-paced play in turn-based tactics, frame rate consistency matters more than absolute maximums. The Medium preset’s narrow variance at each resolution (39 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, 13 FPS at 4K) suggests it provides the most stable experience. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, exhibits larger potential swings in frame time, though minimum values were not recorded for this preset at any resolution.

The recommended configuration depends on the user’s display and performance goals. For 1080p displays, Ultra offers the best visuals at 74 FPS. For 1440p displays, High provides 62 FPS with good visual quality, while Medium offers 81 FPS for smoother motion. For 4K displays, Low at 52 FPS is the only setting that maintains playable frame rates, with Medium at 43 FPS as a compromise for users who accept occasional dips below 40 FPS. The combination of the Core i5-12600KF and RTX 2060 SUPER is best suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming in Hard West, with 4K requiring significant quality reductions to remain playable.