Hard West

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly constrained gaming experience in Hard West, primarily due to the graphics subsystem. The data shows a combination that ranks in the bottom percentile of all tested system pairings, with performance metrics that are consistently low across every resolution and settings preset. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the relationship between the CPU and GPU, and the practical implications for turn-based tactical play.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a desktop processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, featuring 14 cores and 20 threads. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which places it in the high-performance tier for CPU-bound workloads. The processor includes a 24 MB shared L3 cache, alongside 2 MB per core for L2 and 80 KB per core for L1. It supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory and operates on the Intel Socket 1700 platform.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600K demonstrates substantial raw computational power. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 24,491, while single-core performance reaches 2,064 in the same test. Geekbench results show 16,673 for multi-core and 2,491 for single-core. The PassMark suite further illustrates the CPU's capability, with a multithread score of 38,682 and a single-thread score of 4,270. These figures confirm that the processor is not a bottleneck in typical gaming scenarios.

However, the measured frame rates in Hard West tell a different story. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 79 FPS, which is the highest recorded across all tested configurations. This suggests that even at the lowest graphical load, the frame rate is being capped by factors other than the CPU. The i5-14600K's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct -0.2), AMD EPYC 4345P (deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (deltaPct 0.7), and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (deltaPct -0.8). These variations are minimal, indicating the i5-14600K is a consistent performer across CPU-intensive tasks.

Given that the CPU ranks in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, its role in this combo is theoretically strong. Yet the game's results show that the limiting component is clearly the GPU. In a turn-based tactics title like Hard West, CPU overhead for AI and game logic is typically moderate, but the data indicates that the processor's ample headroom is not being utilized due to the graphics bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2,721 out of 2,949 tested combos in Hard West. This places the system in the bottom 8% of all configurations, a stark contrast to the CPU's individual standing. The combo rank reflects the end-to-end performance of the pairing, and the data shows that the Arc B370 severely drags down the overall result.

To contextualize, the GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 5, meaning it outperforms only 5% of graphics cards in the database. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (deltaPct -0.2), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7), and AMD FirePro M2000 (deltaPct 1.4). These are all older or entry-level parts, and the Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,184 is in line with this low-end grouping.

The combination rank of 2,721 indicates that the i5-14600K's computational strengths are effectively negated by the GPU's limitations. For a game like Hard West, which is not graphically demanding by modern standards, this pairing still fails to deliver acceptable performance at higher settings. The data suggests that the CPU is responsible for the system's ability to hit 79 FPS at 1080p Low, but the GPU prevents it from scaling beyond that point. This rank serves as a warning that the Arc B370 is a severe bottleneck, and users should expect performance comparable to integrated graphics from over a decade ago.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is revealing. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system averages 64 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium reduces the average to 41 FPS, a decline of 36%. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 21 FPS, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p figure.

This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth demands rise, and the Arc B370's limited resources are exhausted quickly. The GPU has a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, with a FP32 compute of 6.144 TFLOPS. These specifications are modest, and the system-shared memory (with bandwidth described as "System Dependent") further compounds the issue.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Low produces 79 FPS and Ultra produces 37 FPS, a 53% difference. At 4K, Low produces 26 FPS and Ultra produces 12 FPS, a 54% difference. This consistency indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor across all settings, and the CPU's performance is not influencing these results. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat as resolution increases, but the data shows a steep decline, confirming GPU limitation.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is the complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 in Hard West.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 79, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74. High settings produce an average of 49 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 37 FPS. All three of the latter presets lack recorded minimum and maximum values.

At 2560x1440, the performance declines noticeably. Low settings average 50 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The pattern shows that each settings tier costs roughly 8-9 FPS at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (with a minimum of 18 and maximum of 25), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. The minimum recorded frame rate of 18 FPS at 4K Medium indicates significant stutter potential during complex scenes.

The data reveals that the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS is 1080p Low. The 1080p Medium preset hovers near 60 FPS but does not reach it, while all other combinations fall below the smoothness threshold. For a turn-based tactics game, where frame pacing is less critical than in action titles, these numbers may be tolerable for some players, but they are objectively low.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Hard West?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 79, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2,721 out of 2,949 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom portion of all systems.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 12, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Are there any settings at 1440p that achieve 60 FPS or higher?

A: No. At 2560x1440, the highest average FPS is 50 with Low settings, and all other presets fall below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking versus all GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating it outperforms only a small fraction of the database.

Q: Does the CPU have any impact on the 4K results?

A: The data suggests the CPU has minimal impact at 4K, as the frame rates drop dramatically from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 79 to 26 FPS at Low), indicating the GPU is the primary limiting component.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's tolerance for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 79 FPS on average, which is the only configuration that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. This is the recommended preset for smooth gameplay, especially if the user prioritizes responsiveness. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is also acceptable, offering a slight visual upgrade while staying above the 60 FPS threshold, though the recorded minimum of 55 FPS suggests occasional dips. The High preset at 49 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS are best avoided, as they introduce significant frame rate penalties without proportional visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 50 FPS is the only viable option for a reasonably smooth experience. Medium at 41 FPS and High at 31 FPS are playable for turn-based tactics but may feel sluggish. Ultra at 23 FPS is not recommended. At 3840x2160, all presets fall below 30 FPS, with Low at 26 FPS being the highest. Given the genre, 4K is not practical for this combo, and users should either lower the resolution or accept stuttery performance.

The best overall experience is achieved at 1080p with Low settings, which balances the highest frame rate with the least risk of frame drops. For users who prefer some visual polish, 1080p Medium is a reasonable compromise, but they should be aware of the 55 FPS minimum. There is no scenario where Ultra settings provide a playable experience, as even at 1080p, the average drops to 37 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It features 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has no dedicated memory; instead, it uses system shared memory with a bus width described as "System Shared" and bandwidth that is system-dependent.

The GPU's compute capabilities are 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio). It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The TDP is 25 W, and it is classified as an IGP with no power connectors or dedicated slot width. The GPU's only benchmark score is 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 5th percentile versus all GPUs.

In Hard West, the GPU's limitations are evident from the measured FPS data. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 37 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. At 4K Ultra, the average is 12 FPS, making the game almost unplayable. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the GPU relies on system memory, which can introduce latency and bandwidth bottlenecks, especially at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all older discrete or mobile parts, including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, with deltaPct values of -0.2 and -0.5 respectively. This indicates that the Arc B370's performance is comparable to graphics hardware from the early 2010s, which is insufficient for modern gaming expectations. The data confirms that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this combo, and its low percentile ranking directly correlates with the poor frame rates observed in Hard West.