Hard West

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination delivers a compelling performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that scales predictably with graphical load, but the underlying data also shows clear delineations in where the CPU and GPU each take precedence. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, contextualizes the combo’s standing against 1,699 other tested combinations, and answers common questions about this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and indicates a shift in the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 123.2 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset reduces that to 77.4 FPS, a 37% decrease. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields just 40.7 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel count increases geometrically.

In contrast, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is less severe. The combo produces 256.1 FPS at 1080p Low and 164.8 FPS at 1440p Low, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 86.3 FPS, which is 66% lower than the 1080p Low result. The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the RTX 3080 Ti’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus are being taxed heavily at 4K, regardless of how light the preset is.

The data shows a clear pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (256.1 FPS) and Ultra (123.2 FPS) is 132.9 FPS. At 4K, that gap narrows to 45.6 FPS (86.3 FPS Low vs 40.7 FPS Ultra). This compression of performance at 4K confirms that the GPU’s raw throughput—its 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 capability—is exhausted before the graphics settings can fully express their range. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, has enough headroom to keep feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K the RTX 3080 Ti’s fill rate becomes the ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-13400F and RTX 3080 Ti ranks 382nd out of 1,699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 22.5% of all tested systems, a strong showing for a pairing that features a mid-range 13th-gen processor with an enthusiast-tier GPU. The dataset positions this combo well above the median, and the measured FPS numbers support that ranking.

The CPU itself sits at the 82nd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,236. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13620H (avg score 25,201, delta 0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (avg score 25,365, delta -0.5%). The i5-13400F is effectively on par with these alternatives, differing by less than one percent in aggregate CPU benchmarks. This suggests that the processor is not a weak link in the combo; it provides consistent single-threaded and multi-threaded performance that should not hold back the RTX 3080 Ti in a turn-based tactics game.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3080 Ti ranks at the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,224. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3090 (avg score 41,441, delta -0.5%) and the RTX 5070 (avg score 41,687, delta -1.1%). The delta percentages show that the 3080 Ti is within 1.1% of the RTX 5070 and 0.5% of the RTX 3090 in aggregate GPU compute. For Hard West, this means the combo’s 382nd rank is driven by the GPU’s high standing, while the CPU’s 82nd percentile provides sufficient support.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo averages 103.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K High only reaches 51.9 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 77.4 FPS, offering a playable experience with maximum visual fidelity.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rival in this game?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41,224, which is 0.5% below the RTX 3090 (avg score 41,441) and 1.1% below the RTX 5070 (avg score 41,687). In practice, the 3080 Ti is within a few percentage points of these cards, so performance in Hard West would be nearly identical.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores suggest no significant bottleneck. It scores 21,279 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,004 in single-core, placing it at the 82nd percentile. The 10-core, 16-thread design with a 4.60 GHz boost clock is sufficient for the GPU at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 256.1 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 123.2 FPS. The difference is 132.9 FPS, representing a 52% reduction from Low to Ultra, which is expected given the increased graphical load.

Q: Can this combo achieve 4K gaming at playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 86.3, and at Medium it is 69.2. At High, it drops to 51.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40.7 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, Medium settings are the maximum recommended.

*Q: How does the combo’s rank in Hard West reflect its overall performance?*

A: With a rank of 382 out of 1,699 combos, this system is in the top 22.5% of all tested configurations. This indicates strong overall performance, consistent with the GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking and the CPU’s 82nd percentile ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings yield 256.1 FPS, Medium produces 209.2 FPS, High reaches 162.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 123.2 FPS. These numbers show that the RTX 3080 Ti is not challenged at 1080p; even at Ultra, the frame rate is far beyond what a 60 Hz or 144 Hz display can use. The relative consistency across settings—a 52% drop from Low to Ultra—suggests the GPU has ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but starts to show the GPU’s limits. Low settings average 164.8 FPS, Medium averages 135.7 FPS, High averages 103.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 77.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 53%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. This resolution is where the combo begins to feel balanced; High settings stay above 100 FPS, and Ultra remains playable for most users.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 86.3 FPS, Medium averages 69.2 FPS, High averages 51.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 40.7 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at the same setting shows the resolution cost: High settings drop from 103.6 FPS to 51.9 FPS, a 50% reduction. Low settings drop from 164.8 FPS to 86.3 FPS, a 48% reduction. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is being saturated at this resolution, and the 4K Ultra result of 40.7 FPS is below the 60 FPS target.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 2560x1440 with High settings. This combination yields 103.6 FPS, which is smooth and leaves headroom for occasional dips. At this resolution, Ultra settings still achieve 77.4 FPS, offering a viable upgrade for those who prioritize visuals over raw frame rate. The 1440p High preset provides the best balance between fidelity and performance, as the jump from Medium (135.7 FPS) to High (103.6 FPS) is significant in quality without sacrificing playability.

At 1920x1080, any setting is playable, but Ultra at 123.2 FPS is the recommended choice for maximizing visual quality. The frame rate remains high enough for competitive or fast-paced play, even though Hard West is a turn-based title. For 4K, Medium settings at 69.2 FPS are the best recommendation; they stay above 60 FPS and offer a noticeable improvement over Low (86.3 FPS is smoother but visually less detailed). High at 4K (51.9 FPS) and Ultra (40.7 FPS) are below the 60 FPS threshold, so they are only suitable for users willing to tolerate lower frame rates for maximum fidelity.

The data suggests that the GPU has diminishing returns at 4K Ultra, where the 40.7 FPS average is the lowest measured. Users with a 4K display should stick to Medium to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience, while those with 1440p or 1080p displays can comfortably push to High or Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile processor for gaming. In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game that likely relies more on single-thread performance for AI and game logic than on multi-threaded scaling, the CPU’s single-core capabilities are critical. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and Geekbench single-core score of 2,301 indicate strong per-core performance.

The CPU’s multi-threaded scores, such as 21,279 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, show that it can handle background tasks and any game engine threads that scale across cores. However, the measured FPS data reveals that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra (123.2 FPS) and Low (256.1 FPS), the frame rates are high enough to suggest the GPU is the bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU is never starved. The 82nd percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms that this processor is above average, and its nearest rival, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D, scores nearly identically (25,365 vs 25,236, delta -0.5%).

In this specific game, the CPU’s role is to maintain consistent frame pacing and avoid stutters during turn-based actions. The 10-core design ensures that even if the game uses multiple threads for pathfinding or environmental calculations, there is ample capacity. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz provides the single-thread speed needed for fast response times, but the data shows that the RTX 3080 Ti is the component that determines the final FPS, especially at 4K where the GPU’s 34.10 TFLOPS and 186.5 GPixel/s pixel rate are fully exercised.