Hard West

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 presents a striking imbalance in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The benchmark data shows that the GPU is overwhelmingly dominant, yet its performance is consistently capped by the older CPU, resulting in a scenario where resolution scaling and settings adjustments have a muted effect on frame rates. The measured FPS across all three resolutions and four settings presets reveals a system that is heavily CPU-bound, with the RTX 4080 rarely being allowed to stretch its legs. This analysis breaks down the specific performance characteristics of this combination, using only the measured data to explain what the numbers indicate about the role of each component.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is surprisingly shallow, which is a clear indicator of a CPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 145 FPS at 1920x1080 to 125 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 69 FPS at 3840x2160. While the 4K figure is a significant reduction, the 1080p to 1440p delta of only 20 FPS (a 13.8% drop) is far smaller than what would be expected if the RTX 4080 were the limiting factor. A GPU-bound system typically shows a much steeper decline when pixel count increases by 78% moving from 1080p to 1440p.

The pattern repeats across other presets. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 172 FPS at 1080p to 147 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 25 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings is 38 FPS (from 147 to 109), which is more pronounced but still not indicative of a pure GPU limitation. The most telling data point is the Ultra preset, which shows only a 33 FPS difference between 1080p (131 FPS) and 4K (51 FPS). This compression of performance across resolutions suggests that the CPU is hitting its ceiling early, preventing the GPU from scaling its output as the resolution demands more work.

The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is capable of producing high frame rates, but the i5-9400 cannot feed it data fast enough to maintain those rates as resolution increases. The bottleneck is particularly evident at 1080p, where the CPU must process a very high number of frames per second. The 172 FPS at Low settings is likely near the absolute limit of what the i5-9400 can push in this game, regardless of the GPU’s potential. The scaling behavior shows that the system is not a balanced performer; it is a high-end GPU constrained by a mid-range processor from an earlier generation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable piece of hardware, with specifications that should theoretically allow it to dominate a 2015 title. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, and the boost clock of 2505 MHz is exceptionally high. The 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs contribute to a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 54,247 on average, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and it sits within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER.

However, the measured FPS in Hard West does not reflect this raw power. The GPU’s role is effectively handicapped by the CPU. At 4K Ultra, the system manages 51 FPS, which is a playable frame rate but far below what the RTX 4080 could achieve if paired with a more capable processor. The GPU is likely spending most of its time idle, waiting for the CPU to deliver draw calls and game logic updates. This is a classic scenario where high-end graphics hardware is wasted on a CPU-intensive, older game engine.

The memory configuration of the RTX 4080 is also underutilized. The 16 GB VRAM is far more than Hard West would require, and the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth is irrelevant when the GPU is not receiving enough data to process. The benchmark results show that even at 4K High, the frame rate (69 FPS) is lower than the 1080p Low result (172 FPS), but the difference is not proportional to the workload increase. This indicates that the GPU’s performance is being capped by the CPU’s throughput, not by its own computational limits. The GPU is performing as a capable renderer, but it is not the component dictating the final frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is the primary constraint in this configuration. With 6 cores and 6 threads, a base clock of 2.90 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, it is a competent processor for its generation, but it is clearly outclassed by the RTX 4080. Its synthetic benchmark scores are modest: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. Its average benchmark score of 2254 places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (average score 2259), are within a 0.4% delta.

In Hard West, the CPU’s limitations are exposed by the frame rate data. The fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 172 FPS while the 1080p Ultra preset achieves 131 FPS shows that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU can handle the graphics load of Ultra without a proportional drop in performance. The difference of 41 FPS between Low and Ultra at 1080p is more likely due to increased CPU-side processing (e.g., more complex scene management) rather than GPU rendering load. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.10 GHz is its saving grace, allowing it to reach these triple-digit frame rates, but it cannot sustain higher performance.

The data suggests that the i5-9400 is saturated at around 172 FPS in this game. The fact that the 1440p Low preset (147 FPS) is only 25 FPS lower than 1080p Low, and the 4K Low preset (109 FPS) is 38 FPS lower than 1440p Low, indicates that the CPU is still the bottleneck even as the GPU workload increases. The CPU’s 6 threads are likely being fully utilized, and the game’s engine cannot effectively leverage more parallel processing. This is a common issue with older titles, where single-threaded performance is often more critical, and the i5-9400’s 4.10 GHz boost clock is not sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Why is the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p so small at High settings?

A: The average FPS only drops from 145 to 125, a 13.8% decrease. This small delta indicates a CPU bottleneck, as the RTX 4080 is not being fully utilized at 1080p, and the i5-9400 cannot process frames fast enough to take advantage of the GPU’s headroom.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 performing below expectations in this game?

A: Yes. The GPU’s synthetic benchmark average is 54,247, placing it in the 86th percentile, but in Hard West, it is limited by the CPU. For example, at 4K High, the average FPS is 69, which is lower than what the GPU’s raw capabilities would suggest if it were paired with a stronger processor.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p for a smooth experience?

A: The data shows that the High preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 125 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 98 FPS, while Medium offers 137 FPS. High provides a balance with a high frame rate and better visual quality than Medium.

Q: Does the CPU’s core count affect performance in this game?

A: The i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads, and its performance is the limiting factor. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is saturated, as frame rates do not scale significantly with resolution changes, suggesting that the game engine is not utilizing the cores efficiently beyond a certain point.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 983rd out of 3722 tested combinations, placing it in the top 26.4% of all combos. This ranking reflects the overall performance, which is dragged down by the CPU bottleneck despite the high-end GPU.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this setup?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 51 FPS. This is technically playable, but it is the lowest result in the dataset and shows that the CPU severely limits the GPU’s ability to handle the highest settings at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 172 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. High settings produce an average of 145 FPS, and Ultra drops to 131 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 41 FPS, which is relatively small, highlighting the CPU limit.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is again the fastest at 147 FPS. Medium settings yield 137 FPS, with a range of 117 to 158 FPS. High settings produce 125 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 98 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 49 FPS, which is slightly larger than at 1080p, but the overall trend is consistent with a CPU bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 109 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. High settings produce 69 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 51 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 58 FPS, which is the largest absolute spread, but the frame rates are still far lower than what the RTX 4080 could theoretically deliver. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings at 4K (76 FPS) is higher than the average for High settings, indicating that the preset scaling is not smooth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the High preset at 145 FPS is recommended over Ultra (131 FPS) because the 14 FPS difference is not worth the potential stability loss, and the Low preset (172 FPS) sacrifices too much visual quality for a frame rate that the display likely cannot show. The Medium preset (160 FPS) is also a strong choice if higher visual fidelity is desired.

At 1440p, the High preset (125 FPS) provides the best balance. The Ultra preset (98 FPS) is acceptable, but the drop below 100 FPS is noticeable. The Medium preset (137 FPS) is a good alternative for higher frame rates, but High offers a better visual experience at a still-smooth frame rate. The Low preset (147 FPS) is not recommended as it undermines the GPU’s capability.

At 4K, the situation is more complex. The Ultra preset (51 FPS) is borderline playable, but the High preset (69 FPS) is the recommended choice for a smoother experience. The Medium preset (89 FPS) is the best option if frame rate is the priority, as it stays above 76 FPS at minimum. The Low preset (109 FPS) is the only way to get a truly high frame rate at 4K, but it severely reduces visual quality. For most users, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best compromise between performance and fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 983rd out of 3722 total combos. This places it in the 73.6th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of other configurations. However, this ranking is misleading given the hardware involved. The RTX 4080 alone is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-9400 is in the 47th percentile of all CPUs.

The ranking of 983 is a direct result of the CPU bottleneck. The combo’s ranking is lower than the GPU’s individual percentile, which indicates that the processor is holding the system back. The data suggests that if the same GPU were paired with a more balanced CPU, the ranking would be significantly higher. The i5-9400’s performance is close to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% delta), but none of those rivals are capable of tapping the full potential of the RTX 4080 in this title. The combination’s rank of 983 out of 3722 confirms the fact that a powerful GPU cannot overcome a weak CPU in a CPU-bound scenario, and this system is a prime example of that imbalance.