Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor provides ample headroom at 1080p. The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable scaling pattern that PC builders should consider when pairing components for this genre. The data indicates that this is a balanced pairing for 1440p gaming, but the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at 4K, and the CPU's strength is only fully utilized at lower resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and demonstrates a classic GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 96.5 at 1920x1080 to 59.7 at 2560x1440, and finally to 30.4 at 3840x2160. This represents a 38% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 49% reduction when stepping up to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the render resolution is the primary factor limiting performance.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The system delivers 159.1 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 97 at 1440p and 55 at 4K. The fact that the 4K Low setting (55 FPS) is still faster than the 1080p Ultra setting (73.8 FPS) is notable, but the overall trend shows that pixel throughput is the main challenge. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, even dropping to Low settings only yields 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target many builders prefer, indicating that this GPU is not suited for 4K in this title.

The scaling from Medium to High to Ultra at each resolution shows diminishing returns in terms of visual fidelity versus performance cost. At 1080p, the jump from Medium (126.1 FPS) to High (96.5 FPS) costs 24% performance, while the jump from High to Ultra (73.8 FPS) costs another 24%. At 4K, the same progression from Medium (44 FPS) to High (30.4 FPS) is a 31% drop, and High to Ultra (26.2 FPS) is a 14% drop. This indicates that Ultra settings are particularly punishing at high resolutions, and the GPU is the limiting component in all 4K scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. However, in Hard West, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data shows it does this with ease at 1080p.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 159.1 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates well beyond the GPU's limits at higher resolutions. The fact that the 1080p Low score is more than double the 4K High score (159.1 vs 30.4 FPS) strongly implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution tested. The processor's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2778, is well-suited for the turn-based logic of Hard West, but the game does not appear to stress the multi-core capabilities heavily.

The i5-14600KF's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, has an average benchmark score of 49166, which is only 0.4% lower than this chip's 49367. This negligible difference means builders should expect identical gaming performance from either CPU. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide flexibility, but the benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the deciding factor for frame rates in this specific title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock of 1650 MHz and 2176 shading units position it as a mid-range card from the GeForce 20-series. The benchmark data shows it performs at the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 19774. In Hard West, its 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient, as the game is from 2015 and does not appear to exceed this capacity at any settings, even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's performance is the clear limiting factor at 4K. The card manages only 26.2 FPS at 4K Ultra and 30.4 FPS at 4K High, which are both below playable thresholds for most users. At 1440p, the card performs much better, with 59.7 FPS at High and 83 FPS at Medium, making it a viable option for that resolution. The RTX 2060 SUPER's closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, has an average score of 19680, which is 0.5% lower, indicating nearly identical performance in synthetic tests.

The card's 175 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, and its DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern APIs, but the raw frame rates show its age. The data suggests that for Hard West, the RTX 2060 SUPER is best paired with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, as it provides smooth gameplay at those resolutions with High settings, while 4K should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept frame rates in the 30-55 FPS range.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 1251 out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the lower 26% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range standing rather than the CPU's high-end capability. The CPU alone sits in the 93rd percentile, while the GPU is in the 63rd percentile, and the overall combo rank is dragged down by the graphics card's performance ceiling.

This ranking gap is informative. It suggests that the CPU is significantly more capable than the GPU, and that upgrading the graphics card would yield substantial frame rate improvements without needing to change the processor. The combo's rank of 1251 indicates that many other pairings, likely featuring stronger GPUs, outperform it in this game. However, the data also shows that for a turn-based tactics title like Hard West, the absolute frame rate is less critical than in fast-paced shooters, and the 1440p High performance of 59.7 FPS is perfectly acceptable for the genre.

Compared to other potential pairings, this combo is not optimized for 4K, but it is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The rank suggests that users prioritizing frame rates should consider a more powerful GPU, but those who value the CPU's multi-core strength for other tasks will find this a reasonable compromise.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, the average FPS is 30.4 on High settings and 26.2 on Ultra, which are below the 60 FPS target. Only at Low settings does it reach 55 FPS, so 4K is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, with 59.7 FPS on High and 83 FPS on Medium settings, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p. The CPU delivers 159.1 FPS at 1080p Low, while the GPU only manages 30.4 FPS at 4K High, indicating the graphics card limits performance.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to the RTX 2070?

A: The RTX 2070 has an average benchmark score of 19680, which is 0.5% lower than the RTX 2060 SUPER's 19774, meaning they perform nearly identically in synthetic tests.

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to the i5-14600K?

A: The i5-14600K has an average score of 49166, which is 0.4% lower than the i5-14600KF's 49367, so there is no meaningful performance difference between the two for gaming.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 96.5, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for most monitors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following are the exact measured average FPS values for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Hard West:

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 30.4 FPS on High settings, 26.2 FPS on Ultra, 44 FPS on Medium, and 55 FPS on Low. These numbers confirm that 4K is not viable for this GPU, with even the lowest settings failing to reach 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance is more respectable: 59.7 FPS on High, 47.9 FPS on Ultra, 83 FPS on Medium, and 97 FPS on Low. This resolution offers the best balance, with High settings nearly hitting the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are excellent: 96.5 FPS on High, 73.8 FPS on Ultra, 126.1 FPS on Medium, and 159.1 FPS on Low. The 1080p results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor, as even the lowest settings produce frame rates that would require a high-refresh-rate monitor to fully utilize.