Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, is not a demanding game by modern standards, but the measured frame rates for this specific combination of an Intel Core i5-14400F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 reveal a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the system delivers high frame rates that far exceed the needs of the genre, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, the role of each component, and how this specific pairing ranks against other tested configurations in the database.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth experience in Hard West with this hardware?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the system averages 74 FPS, and at 1920x1080 with High settings, it averages 117 FPS. For a turn-based tactics game, the High preset at either 1440p or 1080p provides an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, with the 1440p High option being the most visually impressive setting that still maintains a comfortable frame rate.

Q: How does the game perform at the highest visual quality (Ultra) across different resolutions?

A: The Ultra preset produces the lowest frame rates at every resolution. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 88, which drops to 55 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 29 FPS at 3840x2160. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration that drops below 30 FPS, making it potentially unplayable for some users.

Q: Is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings significant in this game?

A: Yes, the jump is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 152 FPS, while High drops to 117 FPS, a difference of 35 FPS. At 2560x1440, the gap is 22 FPS, with Medium at 96 FPS and High at 74 FPS. The performance cost of moving from Medium to High is significant, but the High preset still maintains high frame rates.

Q: What is the frame rate hit when moving from 1080p to 4K at the High preset?

A: The average FPS drops from 117 at 1920x1080 to 39 at 3840x2160, representing a 67% reduction in performance. This steep decline clearly indicates that the graphics card is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this component combo rank in the database for Hard West?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2013 out of 3722 tested combos for this game. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the performance spectrum, which is expected for a mid-range GPU paired with a strong modern CPU.

Q: Does the game utilize the CPU heavily, or is it more GPU-bound?

A: The data suggests the game is not heavily CPU-bound. The CPU has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, which are high. Since the frame rate drops so dramatically from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 117 to 39 FPS on High), the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of which preset offers the best experience. For a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where reaction time is not critical, the priority is visual quality and a stable, fluid presentation. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, shows significant performance costs, especially at higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 88 FPS, which is still playable, but at 2560x1440, it falls to 55 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to a sluggish 29 FPS.

The High preset emerges as the sweet spot. At 1920x1080, it delivers an average of 117 FPS, which is more than sufficient. At 2560x1440, it maintains a strong 74 FPS average, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p without sacrificing smoothness. The Medium preset offers higher frame rates (152 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p) but likely involves a noticeable reduction in shadow, texture, and effect quality that is not worth the performance headroom, given that High already exceeds 60 FPS at both of these resolutions.

The Low preset, while achieving the highest frame rates (186 FPS at 1080p), is not recommended for the best experience. The visual downgrade is substantial, and the performance gain is unnecessary for the genre. Therefore, the data supports the High preset at 2560x1440 as the optimal configuration for this hardware, offering a high-resolution, high-fidelity experience with a comfortable frame rate. For users prioritizing maximum fluidity, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended alternative.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 117 to 74, a 37% decrease. This is a substantial hit, but the resulting 74 FPS is still well within the bounds of smooth gameplay.

The scaling becomes more severe when moving to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS plunges from 74 at 1440p to 39 at 4K, another 47% reduction. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is becoming saturated with pixel and shading work. The trend is consistent across all settings; for instance, at Medium, the average FPS drops from 152 at 1080p to 96 at 1440p, and then to 51 at 4K.

This pattern strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The graphics card's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth are likely sufficient for the game's assets at 1080p and 1440p, but the increased memory pressure and fill-rate demands of 4K overwhelm the GPU. The CPU, with its high multi-core and single-core scores, is not the bottleneck; the system's performance is clearly tied to the GPU's ability to render frames. The 4K Ultra setting, which yields an average of just 29 FPS, underscores this, showing that the combination is not suited for maximum settings at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all four settings and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 186 FPS, Medium averages 152 FPS with a minimum of 129 and maximum of 175, High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 88 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 118 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS with a range of 82 to 111, High averages 74 FPS, and Ultra averages 55 FPS. The performance hierarchy remains consistent, with each step up in quality costing a significant number of frames.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 62 FPS, Medium averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 and maximum of 58, High averages 39 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. This is the only resolution where even the Low preset cannot maintain 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below 30 FPS. The data shows that the system is capable of handling 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K gaming is only viable at the Low or Medium presets, and even then, it is not ideal for a smooth experience.

The frame time data for the Medium preset shows a consistent spread across resolutions, with the minimum and maximum FPS staying close to the average. This indicates stable performance without major stutters or frame pacing issues, which is positive for a turn-based game where the camera and scene changes can sometimes cause hitches.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a mid-range graphics card built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The card has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. Its boost clock is rated at 2460 MHz.

In the context of Hard West, the GPU's role is paramount. The benchmark results show that the card's performance is the primary determinant of frame rate, especially as resolution increases. The card's average benchmark score is 17639, placing it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which has a score of 17666 and is 0.2% faster, and the AMD Radeon 780M, which scores 17688 and is 0.3% slower.

The 4K results highlight the GPU's limitations. The 8 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's textures, but the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 overwhelms the card's fill rate and shading power. The drop from 74 FPS at 1440p High to 39 FPS at 4K High is a clear sign that the GPU is working at its limit. The card's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but it is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with this game's visual complexity. The data suggests that the RTX 4060 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, where it can deliver high to very high frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its TDP is rated at 65 W.

The CPU's benchmark scores are robust. It scores 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 3055 in single-core, and 9090 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its average benchmark score is 32279, placing it at the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which is 0.1% faster with a score of 32233, and the Intel Core i9-11900, which is 0.2% faster.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is less demanding than in fast-paced action titles. The game's logic, AI, and unit pathfinding are unlikely to stress a 10-core processor. The high single-core performance of 3055 in Cinebench R23 is particularly relevant, as many game logic threads are single-threaded. The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU, resulting in high frame rates. Even at 4K, where frame rates are lower, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is clearly saturated. The CPU's performance is more than adequate for this title, ensuring that the GPU is the sole determinant of frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Hard West, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2013 out of 3722 tested combos. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solidly mid-pack performance.

This ranking is logical given the components. The CPU is a high-performer, ranking in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Since the game's performance is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the overall combo ranking is dragged down by the GPU's mid-range status. The combo ranks lower than what the CPU alone might suggest, but higher than what the GPU alone might suggest, reflecting a balanced but not top-tier system.

The ranking of 2013 out of 3722 means that over 1700 other combinations perform better in this game. This is expected, as many tested combos will feature higher-end graphics cards like the RTX 4070 or RTX 4080. However, the ranking also shows that this combo outperforms a significant number of others, likely those with older or less powerful GPUs. The performance data shows a system that is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its 4K performance is limited. For a game like Hard West, this ranking is more than satisfactory, as the gameplay experience at 1440p High is excellent, and the system is far from the bottom of the list.