Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, presents an interesting case for modern hardware. The measured data for the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable, delivering high frame rates even at 4K. The benchmark results indicate that the game's engine scales predictably with settings and resolution, but the sheer power of this combo ensures a smooth experience across the board. The data suggests that users can prioritize visual fidelity without significant concern for performance drops, though the choice of preset does have a meaningful impact on the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience balances visual quality with a comfortable frame rate margin. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 122.2 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the High preset at 159 FPS offers a 30% increase in performance over Ultra, while likely providing a visually similar experience in a turn-based game where fine details are less critical during fast motion. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the High preset at 1080p is the recommended choice, as it provides the best combination of quality and speed without pushing the GPU to its limits.

At 2560x1440, the data shows a similar pattern. The Ultra preset averages 76.8 FPS, which is playable, but the High preset at 105.2 FPS is a superior option. The 37% performance uplift from Ultra to High at this resolution makes High the clear recommendation for a fluid experience. The Medium preset at 133.8 FPS is even faster, but it likely sacrifices noticeable visual details that enhance the game's atmospheric, western-themed environments. For 1440p, the High preset strikes the best balance, ensuring the system remains well ahead of any potential frame time spikes.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset drops to 40.6 FPS, which may feel less smooth, especially during camera pans or when multiple characters are on screen. The High preset at 55.5 FPS is more acceptable, but still leaves little headroom. The Medium preset at 68.7 FPS is the most prudent choice for 4K, as it provides a stable frame rate that is 69% higher than Ultra while maintaining a level of detail that is likely sufficient for the genre. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, prioritizing frame rate stability over the highest settings is necessary, making Medium the recommended preset for this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: Based on the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 258.4 FPS, and the frame rate drops consistently as resolution and settings increase, which points to the GPU being the primary performance driver in this title.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rival in terms of raw performance?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 37283, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (score 37507). It is also 1.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A and 2.2% behind the RTX 4080 Mobile, while being 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The Low preset averages 159.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 76.8 FPS. This represents a 107.6% performance drop when moving from the lowest to the highest settings, indicating that Ultra demands significantly more from the GPU.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. The measured data shows an average of 55.5 FPS on High settings and 40.6 FPS on Ultra. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, the Medium preset at 68.7 FPS is the recommended setting at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49367, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K (score 49166) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (score 49062). It is 0.5% lower than the AMD EPYC 4345P.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K on the High preset?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 159. At 4K High, the average FPS drops to 55.5. This is a 65.1% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant impact of resolution on the GPU's workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivers a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for a game like Hard West, which is not known for requiring massive texture pools. The GPU's 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs are the key components driving the measured frame rates. The boost clock of 2475 MHz, combined with the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency, allows the card to maintain high performance across all tested settings.

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the main scaling factor in this game. For instance, moving from Low to Ultra at 1440p drops the average FPS from 159.4 to 76.8, a clear sign that the graphics card is being stressed by the higher settings. The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 14720 in the Passmark GPU Compute test, are likely underutilized in this turn-based title, but the raw rasterization power is what drives the high frame rates observed. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is not a limiting factor at 1080p or 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, its performance drops to 40.6 FPS, indicating that the card is reaching its limits under maximum load at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows exceptional performance. The Low preset averages 258.4 FPS, which is extremely high and likely far beyond the refresh rate of most displays. Medium drops to 210.1 FPS, while High averages 159 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still excellent at 122.2 FPS, is 53% slower than Low, demonstrating the performance cost of maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. Low averages 159.4 FPS, which is nearly identical to the 1080p High result, suggesting the GPU is scaling well with resolution. Medium comes in at 133.8 FPS, and High at 105.2 FPS. Ultra averages 76.8 FPS, which is a 52% drop from Low at the same resolution, mirroring the scaling seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the impact of 4K resolution is clear. Low averages 84.8 FPS, which is still playable but a 67% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 68.7 FPS, and High drops to 55.5 FPS. Ultra averages 40.6 FPS, which is the only measured result below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that 4K Ultra is not a viable option for consistent smoothness. The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as both resolution and settings increase, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals how the system's performance scales with resolution. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, there is a noticeable but not drastic drop in FPS across all settings. For example, on High settings, the frame rate drops from 159 FPS to 105.2 FPS, a 34% reduction. This is a typical scaling factor, as the pixel count increases by 78%, but the GPU's architecture handles the extra load efficiently.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more dramatic. On High settings, the frame rate drops from 105.2 FPS to 55.5 FPS, a 47% reduction. This is expected, as 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p. The fact that the FPS does not drop proportionally suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound, and other factors like memory bandwidth and fill rate are coming into play. The 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth is sufficient, but the 64 ROPs may be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops to 40.6 FPS.

This scaling behavior indicates that the system is GPU-limited at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, has more than enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the 258.4 FPS result on Low settings. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the CPU's role diminishes, making the RTX 4070 the clear bottleneck at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core processor with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643. This level of performance is well above what a turn-based tactics game like Hard West requires, as these games typically rely on a few threads for game logic and AI.

The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system hits 258.4 FPS, which is a clear indication that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls and game state updates. The fact that the FPS scales down consistently with resolution and settings points to the GPU being the limiting factor. The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by Passmark at 4273, is more than adequate for the game's engine, which likely does not utilize all 20 threads. The high frame rates across all presets and resolutions, except for 4K Ultra, confirm that the i5-14600KF is a robust partner for the RTX 4070 in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations, this combo of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 394 out of 1699 combos for Hard West. This places it in the top 23% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-performing setup for this game. The rank takes into account the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and this combo's ability to maintain playable frame rates even at 4K High contributes to its strong position.

The combination's ranking suggests that while there are faster systems, this pairing is well above the median for Hard West. The CPU's percentile of 93 against all CPUs and the GPU's percentile of 81 against all GPUs indicate that both components are high-end. However, the combo rank of 394 shows that the overall performance is not solely dependent on individual component strength; the interplay between them matters. The data implies that this is a balanced system, where the GPU is the primary driver of performance in this game, and the CPU provides ample support without holding it back.