Hard West

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The data shows that this combination is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with the CPU only becoming a meaningful factor as resolution drops to 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four quality presets, explaining what the numbers indicate about system balance and how to get the best experience from this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how this combo scales from 1080p to 4K, and the pattern is exactly what you would expect from a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range six-core CPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 172 FPS average, which drops to 147 FPS at 1440p and then to 119 FPS at 4K. That represents a 31% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the RTX 5090 D is still managing the load without being fully saturated at the lower resolution.

The High preset shows a tighter scaling curve: 145 FPS at 1080p, 125 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 34%, which is a larger relative decrease than the 14% drop from 1080p to 1440p. This suggests that at 4K High, the GPU is finally hitting its stride, with pixel throughput becoming the dominant factor. The RTX 5090 D's 512-bit memory bus and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are clearly sufficient for this game, as the frame rates remain playable even at 4K.

Medium settings produce 160 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p, and 108 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K here is a 33% reduction, nearly identical to the Low preset's 31%. This consistency across presets suggests that the game's rendering load scales predictably with resolution, with no sudden bottlenecks appearing at any particular setting level. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic drop: 131 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and just 62 FPS at 4K. The 53% reduction from 1440p to 4K on Ultra is the largest single-resolution jump in the entire dataset, indicating that Ultra settings at 4K push the GPU hard enough to halve performance.

The 4K Ultra result of 62 FPS is notable because it is the only measured point where the combo dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. At 4K Medium, the 108 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum shows that this combo has substantial headroom even at the highest resolution tested. The data indicates that the limiting component changes based on resolution: at 1080p, the i5-9400's six cores and six threads are likely capping frame rates, while at 4K, the RTX 5090 D's rendering pipeline becomes the primary constraint.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs tested on this database. This is a solid mid-range performer, but it is clearly not the strongest CPU available, as evidenced by its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower).

In Hard West, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates across presets are suspiciously close. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 172 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 131 FPS — a 24% difference. This is a smaller spread than the 48% difference seen at 4K (119 FPS Low vs. 62 FPS Ultra), which strongly suggests that at 1080p, the i5-9400 is becoming the limiting factor. The CPU's six threads are adequate for this turn-based tactics game, but they cannot fully feed the RTX 5090 D's massive 21760 shading units at lower resolutions where the GPU is otherwise capable of much higher output.

The 1440p results show a more balanced picture. The spread from Low (147 FPS) to Ultra (112 FPS) is 24%, which is similar to the 1080p spread. This indicates that at 1440p, the CPU is still exerting some influence, but the GPU is beginning to take on more of the load. At 4K, the spread grows to 48%, confirming that the RTX 5090 D is fully saturated and the CPU has ample headroom to keep up with the GPU's demands at that resolution.

The i5-9400's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for this game's requirements, but they are not exceptional. The processor's 65 W TDP and end-of-life production status indicate that it is not a modern flagship, and the data reflects this: at 1080p, the combo's performance is capped by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and manage game logic, not by the GPU's rendering power.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable frame rates, with Low at 172 FPS, Medium at 160 FPS, High at 145 FPS, and Ultra at 131 FPS. The step from High to Ultra costs 14 FPS (10% reduction), which is a reasonable trade for visual quality if you have a high-refresh-rate monitor. However, the data shows that Medium at 160 FPS or High at 145 FPS are the sweet spots, as they provide a comfortable margin above 144 Hz while still offering good visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the choice is clearer. High settings at 125 FPS and Medium at 137 FPS are both excellent, with Ultra at 112 FPS still being very playable. The 25 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra (from 137 to 112) is significant, and for a turn-based tactics game where frame rates are less critical than in fast-paced shooters, the visual upgrade to Ultra is likely worth the performance cost. The 1440p Ultra result of 112 FPS with no minimum FPS recorded suggests that the game maintains a stable frame rate even at the highest preset.

At 4K, the data strongly recommends Medium or High settings. Medium at 108 FPS with a 92 FPS minimum and 124 FPS maximum is the best balance of performance and quality, as it stays well above 60 FPS with minimal risk of drops. High at 83 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 62 FPS is borderline — it is technically playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. For a game like Hard West with turn-based gameplay, 62 FPS is acceptable, but the 46 FPS gap between Medium and Ultra (from 108 to 62) is substantial. The data suggests that High at 4K offers a good compromise: 83 FPS average, which is 34% lower than Medium but still comfortably above 60 FPS.

For players with 144 Hz monitors, the 1080p Medium preset at 160 FPS is the best choice, as it exceeds the refresh rate while providing better visuals than Low. For 60 Hz displays, 4K High at 83 FPS is overkill but leaves room for future driver optimizations or more demanding scenes. The overall recommendation is to use Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and Medium or High at 1080p, depending on whether you prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 767 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations. This is a strong result, though not exceptional, given that the RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among CPUs. The combo's rank reflects the fact that the GPU carries the performance load, but the CPU's mid-range standing prevents this pairing from reaching the top tier of results.

The RTX 5090 D's benchmark scores are impressive: a Passmark G3D score of 44065, a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376915, and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326. Its nearest GPU rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (1.1% lower avg score), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (2.1% and 2.4% higher). The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking confirms that it is a top-tier performer, but the combo's overall rank of 767 is dragged down by the CPU's 47th percentile position.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is in the upper quintile, which is respectable for a game released in 2015. The turn-based tactics genre is generally not demanding, and the data shows that even with a mid-range CPU, the RTX 5090 D can deliver high frame rates at all resolutions tested. The rank of 767 suggests that there are 766 combos that perform better, likely featuring newer high-end CPUs like the latest Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processors paired with similarly powerful GPUs. However, for a game like Hard West, the practical difference between rank 767 and rank 500 is minimal, as the frame rates are already well above playable thresholds.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock is 2407 MHz, and its FP32 performance is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS. These specifications are among the most powerful available, reflected in the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking and its Passmark G3D score of 44065.

In Hard West, the GPU's role is most clearly demonstrated at 4K, where the frame rates scale dramatically with settings. At 4K Low, the combo achieves 119 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 62 FPS — a 48% reduction. This shows that the game's Ultra preset at 4K is heavily GPU-bound, with the RTX 5090 D's rendering pipeline being the primary constraint. The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is far more than this game requires, so memory capacity is not a limiting factor; instead, the pixel fill rate and shader throughput are what determine performance at high resolutions.

The RTX 5090 D's 176 ROPs produce a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s, which is more than sufficient for a game like Hard West that likely uses simple lighting and shadowing techniques. The texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU can process textures without bottlenecking. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the 4K Medium result of 108 FPS with a 92 FPS minimum shows that the GPU has substantial headroom when settings are not maxed out.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database are all mobile or professional parts, which is unusual for a flagship desktop card. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 (1.1% lower), the RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (1.6% higher), and the Tesla P100 variants score 79396 and 79605 (2.1% and 2.4% higher). This suggests that the RTX 5090 D's benchmark scores are comparable to some high-end mobile GPUs, which confirms the efficiency of the Blackwell architecture. In practical terms, the GPU delivers playable frame rates at all tested settings and resolutions, with the only sub-60 FPS result being 4K Ultra at 62 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The data suggests yes, but only at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate spread between Low (172 FPS) and Ultra (131 FPS) is only 24%, indicating the CPU is limiting performance. At 4K, the spread grows to 48% (119 vs 62 FPS), showing the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: Medium settings at 4K provide the best balance, with an average of 108 FPS and a minimum of 92 FPS. High settings at 83 FPS are also viable, but Ultra at 62 FPS leaves little headroom and is only recommended if you prioritize visual quality over frame rate stability.

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

A: This pairing ranks 767 out of 3722 combos tested in Hard West, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations. This is a strong result, though the CPU's 47th percentile ranking prevents it from reaching the upper echelons of the rankings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the combo achieves 137 FPS, and at High settings it reaches 125 FPS. However, neither reaches the 144 FPS threshold, so you would need to use Low settings (147 FPS) to exceed 144 FPS at 1440p.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM necessary for this game?

A: No, Hard West is a turn-based tactics game from 2015 that likely requires far less than 32 GB of VRAM. The data shows that GPU performance, not memory capacity, is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the combo drops to 62 FPS.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 131 FPS with no minimum or maximum recorded. This is well above playable thresholds, but it is the lowest result at 1080p, indicating that the CPU is holding back the GPU at this resolution.