Hard West

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a highly playable experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The measured frame rates show that this combination is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at 1080p. The data indicates a clear hierarchy where the RTX 4060 dominates performance scaling, with the i5-9400 acting as a capable but secondary component.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 117 at 1920x1080 to 74 at 2560x1440, a 37% reduction, and then to 39 at 3840x2160, a further 47% drop. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K is classic evidence of pixel-throughput limitations on the graphics card. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title, but the sheer pixel count at 4K overwhelms the 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

Moving from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K shows an even more dramatic scaling curve. Medium averages 51 FPS, High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. That is a 43% performance loss from Medium to Ultra at the same resolution. The relative gap between settings narrows as resolution decreases, suggesting that at 1080p, the CPU begins to play a larger role. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low (172 FPS) and Ultra (88 FPS) is 84 FPS, but the scaling from 1440p to 4K at any given setting is consistently around 45-50%, which points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component.

The data shows that 4K is only viable for this combo at Low settings, where it achieves 62 FPS. At Medium, the 4K average of 51 FPS is playable for a turn-based strategy, but the min FPS of 43 indicates occasional dips that could be noticeable during camera pans or effects-heavy scenes. For a smooth experience, 1440p is the sweet spot, with all settings except Ultra exceeding 70 FPS. The 2560x1440 Ultra average of 55 FPS is acceptable but not ideal for a game that benefits from stable frame pacing.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 8 GB VRAM is ample for Hard West, which is not a VRAM-intensive title given its 2015 release date. The memory runs at 17 Gbps effective across a 128-bit bus, yielding 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is more than adequate for the game’s textures and geometry, even at Ultra settings. The GPU’s boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz are high for a 115 W card, and the Ada Lovelace architecture’s efficiency is evident in the frame rates achieved.

The benchmark scores support the GPU’s role. The RTX 4060 has a PassMark G3D score of 19545 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302. It ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals in the database are unexpected: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (score 17666, delta -0.2%), the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, delta 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, delta 0.5%). These deltas are all under 1%, meaning the RTX 4060 is statistically tied with these older or integrated parts in aggregate benchmark scores. This is a reminder that synthetic benchmarks do not always translate to gaming performance, as the measured FPS in Hard West is far above what those rival GPUs would likely produce.

The GPU’s 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs are sufficient for the game’s 2D sprites and simple 3D environments. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are the key specifications driving the resolution scaling observed. At 4K, the pixel rate becomes the limiting factor, explaining why the FPS drops below 60 at High settings. The GPU is clearly the component that determines whether the game runs at 30 FPS or 170 FPS, with the CPU only mattering at the lowest resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, Medium settings at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice. The measured average of 96 FPS with a min of 82 FPS and max of 111 FPS provides a smooth, tear-free experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This preset retains enough detail to appreciate the game’s art style while avoiding the performance penalty of Ultra settings. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 22 FPS (96 to 74), which is a 23% reduction for a marginal visual improvement in a turn-based tactics game where motion is less critical.

At 1920x1080, High settings at 117 FPS is the recommended preset. The CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as evidenced by the Low setting hitting 172 FPS. However, the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 29 FPS (117 to 88), which is a 25% drop. For a game where players spend time examining the map, the extra detail from Ultra might be worth it, but the data suggests High is the efficiency sweet spot. The Medium setting at 1080p (152 FPS) is overkill for most displays that refresh at 60-144 Hz.

For 4K users, Low settings at 62 FPS is the only way to maintain playability. Medium at 4K (51 FPS) is acceptable but the min FPS of 43 suggests occasional stutter. High and Ultra at 4K should be avoided, as 39 FPS and 29 FPS respectively fall below the threshold for smooth turn-based gameplay. The data strongly indicates that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: No. At 4K, the highest average FPS recorded is 62 at Low settings. Medium drops to 51 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. The GPU cannot sustain 60 FPS at 4K on any preset above Low.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 172 FPS, and at High it reaches 117 FPS. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz are sufficient for this title at 1080p, as the GPU is still the limiting factor at higher settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 2560x1440 provides the best balance. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 96 with a min of 82, which is smooth. At High, it drops to 74 FPS, still playable. 1080p offers higher frame rates but does not utilize the GPU as effectively.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588 (delta 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551 (delta 0.5%). All are within 1% of the RTX 4060 in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Should I use Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: It is not recommended. The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. High settings at 74 FPS or Medium at 96 FPS are better choices, as the visual difference between High and Ultra is not worth the 26% performance hit.

Q: Does the game use more than 6 CPU threads?

A: The data does not specify thread utilization, but the i5-9400 has 6 threads total. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 172 FPS, indicating the CPU is not a limiting factor. The game is likely single-threaded or lightly threaded, given the 2015 release date.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2066 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 55th percentile of all combinations, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of tested systems. The rank is surprising given the GPU’s power, but it reflects the fact that Hard West is a lightweight title that does not stress modern hardware. Many older or lower-end combos can achieve similar frame rates because the game is not demanding.

The ranking is more a measure of the CPU’s age than the GPU’s capability. The i5-9400, with a percentile rank of 47 among all CPUs, holds the combo back in the aggregate ranking. Its nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2259, delta -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, delta 0.4%), are all within 0.5% of the i5-9400’s average score of 2254. This means the CPU is firmly in the mid-range tier, and its 6-core/6-thread configuration is adequate but not exceptional.

The GPU’s rank of 61st percentile among all GPUs is higher than the combo’s overall rank, which confirms that the CPU is the weaker link. However, in Hard West, this does not manifest as a significant bottleneck. The data shows that the combo’s rank is likely inflated by the GPU’s ability to push high frame rates at 1080p, but the CPU prevents it from reaching the top tiers at lower resolutions where other combos with faster processors excel.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 plays a supporting role in this setup. Its 6 cores and 6 threads run at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient for Hard West. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 indicate a mid-range processor that is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor until very high frame rates. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 172 FPS. This is close to the CPU’s practical limit for this game, as further gains would require a faster processor. However, at High settings (117 FPS) and Ultra (88 FPS), the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU has headroom to spare. The Geekbench multicore score of 5141 and single-core score of 1389 are consistent with a processor that can handle turn-based tactics without issue.

The CPU’s TDP of 65 W and Socket 1151 interface are irrelevant to game performance, but its 14 nm process node and Coffee Lake architecture are dated. The nearest CPU rival, the Intel Core i7-10710U, has an average score of 2248, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-9400’s 2254. This tight grouping of rivals shows that the i5-9400 sits in a crowded mid-range segment. For Hard West, the CPU’s 4.10 GHz boost clock is the most important spec, as the game likely relies on single-thread performance for AI and turn calculations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance: Low averages 172 FPS, Medium averages 152 FPS with a min of 129 and max of 175, High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 88 FPS. The 1080p results are all above 60 FPS, making this resolution entirely playable on any preset.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low averages 118 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS with a min of 82 and max of 111, High averages 74 FPS, and Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The 1440p results show that High is the highest preset that maintains 60+ FPS, with Ultra falling just short. The Medium preset provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is the recommended choice for consistent smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. Low averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 51 FPS with a min of 43 and max of 58, indicating noticeable dips. High averages 39 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS. The 4K data shows a clear cliff: Low is barely playable, Medium is borderline, and High/Ultra are not recommended for a smooth experience. The min FPS values at 4K Medium (43 FPS) highlight the variance that can occur, making even the playable presets risky for frame-time consistency.