Hard West

# Hard West Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

This combination of Intel's 10-core Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA's Turing-based RTX 2060 SUPER delivers playable performance across most settings in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The data shows a system that sits in the 71st percentile of tested combinations for this game, with clear scaling patterns that reveal where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p, the combo delivers high refresh rates, while 4K Ultra pushes the hardware to its limits, suggesting that the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but instructive progression as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 157 FPS at 1080p to 99 FPS at 1440p, then to 52 FPS at 4K — a decline of 37% from 1080p to 1440p, and another 47% from 1440p to 4K. This steep drop at 4K strongly indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the pixel count quadruples while the frame rate does not scale proportionally.

At Medium settings, the pattern continues: 128 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is just barely above the 40 FPS threshold often considered minimum for acceptable playability. High settings show 99 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K — here, the 4K performance dips below what most players would find smooth. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 74 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K, making 4K Ultra effectively unplayable for this combination.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate, with frame rates dropping by roughly 35-40% across all settings. This suggests that at 1440p, the system remains reasonably balanced, though the GPU is clearly doing most of the heavy lifting. The data implies that Hard West is not particularly CPU-bound at these resolutions, as the Core i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for a turn-based tactics game that likely does not heavily utilize multi-threaded processing.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the best experience, the data points to Medium settings at 1440p as the sweet spot. The 81 FPS average at 2560x1440 Medium represents a strong balance between visual quality and smoothness, with the measured minimum of 69 FPS ensuring that even demanding scenes remain fluid. This configuration delivers 63% of the 1080p Medium frame rate while offering 78% more pixels, indicating that the visual upgrade is worth the performance cost.

At 1080p, Medium settings provide 128 FPS average, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, and the minimum of 109 FPS means the experience stays consistently above 100 FPS. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, High settings at 1080p (99 FPS) are a viable alternative to Medium, offering improved graphics with only a 23% performance penalty. Ultra at 1080p (74 FPS) is playable but may cause noticeable slowdowns in complex scenes.

At 4K, the recommendation is more constrained. Low settings yield 52 FPS, which is playable but sacrifices significant visual quality. Medium at 4K (43 FPS) is borderline, with the minimum of 36 FPS dipping below ideal smoothness. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires accepting either Low or Medium settings, and even then, frame pacing may be inconsistent. For most users, 1440p Medium or 1080p High will provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060 SUPER's specifications provide context for the measured results. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory capacity for Hard West's needs at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest that memory bandwidth becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz represent the Turing architecture's capabilities, and the 2176 shading units working at these clocks produce the 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute that drives the rendered frames.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct -0.4%), Radeon Pro 5700 (deltaPct -0.5%), and Radeon RX 460 (deltaPct -1.5%), indicating that the 2060 SUPER sits in a competitive mid-range position. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 and PassMark G3D score of 16462 align with the card's positioning.

The memory configuration is particularly relevant for Hard West. The 8 GB capacity is more than sufficient for a 2015 turn-based tactics title, even at 4K, but the effective memory speed of 14 Gbps may not be the limiting factor. Instead, the data suggests that the GPU's raw compute throughput is what constrains performance at 4K, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops when moving from 1440p to 4K across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2632 out of 3722 tested combinations for Hard West, placing it in the 71st percentile of all tested systems. This ranking reflects a mid-to-upper-tier position, indicating that while this combo can handle the game well at most settings, there are many faster configurations in the database.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals helps contextualize this ranking. The Core i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Core i9-11900 (deltaPct 0.2%), AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (deltaPct -0.2%), and Intel Core i7-12800H (deltaPct 0.5%). These tiny deltas indicate that the i5-14400F is firmly in a competitive cluster of processors.

The combo's rank of 2632 suggests that while the CPU is strong, the GPU holds the system back. The GPU's 62nd percentile ranking, compared to the CPU's 83rd percentile, indicates a potential imbalance where the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot fully leverage the i5-14400F's capabilities. This is particularly evident at 4K, where the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are likely underutilized while the GPU is saturated.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. The data shows 52 FPS at Low settings, 43 FPS at Medium, 33 FPS at High, and 25 FPS at Ultra at 3840x2160. For smooth gameplay, Low or Medium settings are recommended at 4K.

Q: What is the best settings/resolution combination for this system?

A: The data suggests 1440p Medium as the optimal balance, delivering 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS. At 1080p, Medium provides 128 FPS average, which is excellent for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 18093, with the closest rival being the RTX 3060 Mobile at 18159 (deltaPct -0.4%). The Radeon Pro 5700 is at 18189 (deltaPct -0.5%), and the Radeon RX 460 at 18373 (deltaPct -1.5%).

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at 4K where frame rates drop dramatically. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 62nd percentile suggests the i5-14400F has ample headroom.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with this combo?

A: The measured results show 157 FPS at Low, 128 FPS at Medium (with 109 FPS minimum), 99 FPS at High, and 74 FPS at Ultra settings at 1920x1080.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Hard West?

A: No, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient for this title, which was released in 2015. The limiting factor appears to be compute performance rather than memory capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for this combination is as follows:

At 1920x1080 resolution, the system delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 157 FPS, Medium settings average 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS and maximum of 148 FPS, High settings average 99 FPS, and Ultra settings average 74 FPS. These results indicate that 1080p gaming is exceptionally smooth across all settings, with even Ultra maintaining a playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440 resolution, performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 99 FPS, Medium settings average 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, High settings average 62 FPS, and Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The Medium setting at 1440p offers the best balance, with frame rates staying above 69 FPS even in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160 resolution, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 52 FPS, Medium settings average 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 49 FPS, High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra settings average 25 FPS. The minimum of 36 FPS at Medium settings indicates that 4K gameplay may experience occasional stutters, though it remains technically playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F brings substantial processing power to this combination, with 10 cores and 16 threads operating at base and boost clocks of 2.50 GHz and 4.70 GHz respectively. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3, which provides ample fast memory for game logic and AI computations common in turn-based tactics titles.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its capability: Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055, Geekbench multi-core of 11268 and single-core of 2058, and a PassMark multithread score of 25470. These scores place the i5-14400F in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. The nearest rivals — Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, Core i9-11900, Ryzen 7 6800HS, and Core i7-12800H — all score within 0.5% of this CPU, indicating tight competition at this performance level.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is primarily handling game logic, pathfinding, and AI decision-making rather than rendering. The 10 cores and 16 threads provide substantial headroom, and the data suggests that even at 1080p with Low settings (157 FPS), the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a power-efficient choice, though the data does not indicate any thermal or power constraints affecting the measured results.

The combination of a strong CPU and mid-range GPU creates a system where the GPU dictates performance in most scenarios. The 71st percentile combo ranking, despite the CPU's 83rd percentile standing, confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the performance ceiling for this pairing in Hard West. Players seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need a more powerful GPU, while the CPU would be well-suited for more demanding CPU-bound titles.