Hard West

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread desktop processor built on Intel’s Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, and it carries a 20 MB shared L3 cache. In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, this CPU provides far more compute headroom than the game’s logic requires. The benchmark data confirms this: the processor’s average benchmark score of 32279 places it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of installed hardware. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32233, a negligible 0.1% difference, while the Intel Core i9-11900 trails by just 0.2% at 32226. The i5-14400F is also 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H, which scores 32121.

These synthetic scores translate into real-world performance that is effectively a non-factor in Hard West. The game’s turn-based nature means that even the most complex battlefield calculations—enemy AI pathfinding, line-of-sight checks, and damage rolls—are completed in milliseconds. At 1080p with Low settings, the measured average FPS is 173, a figure that is almost certainly limited by the GPU’s frame output rather than the CPU’s ability to feed it draw calls. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 further underscore that this processor can handle any scenario the game throws at it. For a game like Hard West, the CPU’s role is to ensure that frame times remain consistent during intense moments like enemy turn transitions or environmental destruction, and the data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck at any resolution tested.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver of performance in Hard West, and the benchmark results reflect its capabilities and limitations. This GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture, using the TU104 chip with 2560 shading units. Its average benchmark score is 20282, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This puts it in a competitive tier: it is 1% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (score 20480, delta -1%), and 1.2% ahead of the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, delta -1.2%). The Intel Arc B570 and Arc A750 are also close, with scores of 20556 and 20582 respectively, both within 1.5% of the RTX 2070 SUPER.

In Hard West, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s stylized Western environments, character models, and particle effects from gunfire and explosions. The 8 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, even at 4K, as the game’s textures are not particularly demanding by modern standards. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 27, which suggests that the GPU is hitting its compute limits rather than running out of memory. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are the specifications that matter most here. At 1080p Low, the GPU pushes 173 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 27 FPS—a 6.4x reduction in frame rate that aligns with the 4x increase in pixel count combined with heavier shading loads. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the ceiling that determines whether the game feels smooth or stutters during cinematic camera pans.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the RTX 2070 SUPER delivers 173 FPS on Low, 141 FPS on Medium, 109 FPS on High, and 81 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, these numbers drop to 109, 90, 69, and 52 FPS respectively. At 4K, the performance falls further to 57, 47, 36, and 27 FPS for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra settings. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a 67% reduction in frame rate (from 173 to 57 FPS), which is consistent with the 4x pixel count increase that the GPU must process. The fact that the 1440p High result of 69 FPS is nearly identical to the 1080p Ultra result of 81 FPS suggests that the GPU is the limiting component across all settings.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between low and high settings at lower resolutions. Instead, the gap between Low and Ultra settings grows from 92 FPS at 1080p (173 vs 81) to 30 FPS at 4K (57 vs 27). This widening gap is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. For a turn-based tactics game, this is actually beneficial: even at 4K Ultra with 27 FPS average, the game remains playable because the pacing does not require twitch reflexes. However, for players who prefer smoother camera movement, the 1440p Medium setting at 90 FPS offers a balanced experience that keeps the GPU well within its comfort zone.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2164 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 42nd percentile of all combinations, meaning that roughly 58% of tested systems perform better. This ranking might seem low, but it is important to contextualize it against the game’s release date. Hard West launched in 2015, and the database includes combos with much newer, higher-end hardware. The ranking reflects the absolute performance hierarchy, not the playability of this specific setupcars.

Looking at the component-level data, the CPU is in the 83rd percentile, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile. The combo’s ranking is dragged down by the GPU, which is the limiting factor in this pairing. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s nearest rivals include the RTX 3070 Mobile, which is only 1.2% faster on average, and the Intel Arc A750, which is 1.5% faster. This means that the GPU is competitive with mid-range hardware from a few generations later, but it is not a high-end part by today’s standards. The i5-14400F, on the other hand, is a modern CPU that punches well above its weight, sitting just 0.1% behind the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U. In Hard West, the combo’s ranking is acceptable because the game is not graphically intensive, and the 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS, while low, is still playable for turn-based tactics.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. The measured 4K results show 57 FPS on Low, 47 FPS on Medium, 36 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The Low and Medium settings are playable, while High and Ultra will feel sluggish for camera movement.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a smooth experience?

A: Based on the data, 1440p Medium provides 90 FPS average with a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 103 FPS. This offers a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. At 1080p, even Ultra hits 81 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F scores 32279 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226). It is 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i7-12800H (32121).

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the data clearly shows GPU limitation. The FPS drops by 67% from 1080p Low (173 FPS) to 4K Low (57 FPS), which is consistent with the GPU being the limiting factor. The CPU has headroom to spare.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282. It is 1.3% slower than the Intel Arc B570 (20556) and 1.5% slower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582).

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The data shows no evidence of VRAM limitations. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is likely due to compute limits rather than memory capacity, as the game’s textures are not excessively demanding.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the best balance of visual quality and performance, the 1440p Medium preset is the standout choice. The data shows 90 FPS average with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, which provides a smooth and responsive experience for a turn-based tactics game. The 76 FPS minimum ensures that even during busy scenes with multiple characters and environmental effects, the frame rate stays above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider acceptable. This setting allows the RTX 2070 SUPER to maintain comfortable headroom without pushing it to its limits.

If you prefer higher visual fidelity, the 1440p High preset at 69 FPS is a viable alternative, though the minimum FPS is not recorded in the data. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 81 FPS is also a strong option, offering the highest settings without sacrificing smoothness. However, the 1440p Medium preset is recommended because it uses the GPU’s resolution scaling more effectively, providing a crisper image than 1080p while maintaining similar frame rates. For players who want to maximize frame rate above all else, the 1080p Low preset at 173 FPS is available, but it sacrifices visual detail that enhances the game’s atmospheric Western setting. The 4K resolution is playable at Low (57 FPS) and Medium (47 FPS) settings, and for a turn-based game, the lower frame rates are acceptable, making 4K Medium a reasonable choice for players with 4K displays who prioritize resolution over smoothness.

The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended due to the significant performance cost. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 81 FPS, which is a 44% reduction from the Medium preset at the same resolution. The visual difference between High and Ultra in Hard West is unlikely to justify this performance hit, especially given the game’s stylized art direction. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, delivering a consistent experience that respects the GPU’s capabilities while still providing a visually rich game world.