Hard West

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 1391 out of 1699 tested combos for Hard West, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. That rank of 1391 means roughly 82% of all tested CPU-GPU combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this turn-based tactics title. This is a notable result for a CPU that sits in the 89th percentile against all processors, suggesting the graphics card is the primary constraint in this pairing.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 35684 puts it within a razor-thin margin of its nearest rivals: it trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 by just 0.3%, edges out the Intel Core i7-13700T by 0.6%, and sits 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-14500HX while leading the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.8%. These deltas are so small that the CPU is effectively interchangeable with its competitors in this context. Yet the combo's rank remains low, which points directly at the GPU as the bottleneck.

The GPU itself holds only the 58th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 16074. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around it: the AMD Radeon RX 7600S is 0.5% faster, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 are both 1.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 1.8%. For a game like Hard West, which is turn-based and not graphically demanding by modern standards, this rank implies the RTX 2060 is being pushed to its limits at higher settings and resolutions.

# GPU Role

The RTX 2060 brings 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the core operates between a 1365 MHz base and 1680 MHz boost clock. These specifications are modest by contemporary standards, and the data reflects that in Hard West's measured performance.

At 1080p, the GPU can stretch its legs. The jump from Low to Ultra settings shows a clear pattern: Low delivers 144.1 FPS, Medium drops to 116.4 FPS, High comes in at 93 FPS, and Ultra falls to 67.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 53.3% performance hit, which is substantial but still leaves playable frame rates. The GPU's 1920 shading units and 120 texture mapping units handle the game's sprite-based visuals without obvious strain at this resolution.

However, the 6 GB VRAM capacity becomes a concern at higher resolutions. At 1440p, the same settings ladder shows 91.7 FPS on Low, 71.9 FPS on Medium, 57.6 FPS on High, and 41.3 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the numbers compress further: 46.7 FPS on Low, 38.1 FPS on Medium, 31.4 FPS on High, and 24.5 FPS on Ultra. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth and 6 GB frame buffer appear insufficient for smooth 4K Ultra operation, where the card dips below 25 FPS.

# Resolution Scaling

The frame rate degradation from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 144.1 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 91.7 FPS (a 36.4% reduction); and at 4K Low, it falls to 46.7 FPS (a 67.6% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at the lowest settings—the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads are not the constraint here.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At High, the drop from 1080p (93 FPS) to 1440p (57.6 FPS) is 38.1%, and then to 4K (31.4 FPS) is 66.2% from 1080p. At Ultra, the descent from 67.3 FPS at 1080p to 41.3 FPS at 1440p (38.6% drop) and finally to 24.5 FPS at 4K (63.6% drop) tells the same story. The consistent ~36-39% penalty from 1080p to 1440p, followed by another ~27-30% penalty from 1440p to 4K, is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput dominates.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 76.8 FPS; at 1440p, it grows to 50.4 FPS; at 4K, it shrinks to 22.2 FPS. This compression at 4K suggests that even Low settings overwhelm the GPU's fill rate at that resolution, making the settings choice less impactful than at lower resolutions.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset shows 12 measured configurations. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 144.1 FPS, Medium 116.4 FPS, High 93 FPS, and Ultra 67.3 FPS. These are the only configurations that exceed 60 FPS at all settings, with Low even surpassing the 144 Hz refresh mark.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more stratified: Low 91.7 FPS, Medium 71.9 FPS, High 57.6 FPS, and Ultra 41.3 FPS. Only Low and Medium maintain 60+ FPS here, while High falls just below the smooth-playability threshold and Ultra requires a compromise.

At 3840x2160, the numbers drop precipitously: Low 46.7 FPS, Medium 38.1 FPS, High 31.4 FPS, and Ultra 24.5 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, and even Low struggles to maintain a consistent 30+ FPS experience. The 4K Ultra result of 24.5 FPS is barely above the threshold for cinematic frame rates.

The data shows a linear relationship between settings and FPS at each resolution, with no anomalous spikes or dips. The RTX 2060's 80.64 GPixel/s pixel rate and 201.6 GTexel/s texture rate are the likely throughput limits at 4K, where the 3840x2160 resolution demands over 8.3 million pixels per frame.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake processor with a 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 25 MB shared L3. Benchmarks show strong multi-threaded capability: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 29241, PassMark multithread hits 34404, and 3DMark max threads reaches 9979. Single-thread performance is equally solid, with Cinebench R23 singlecore at 4128 and PassMark single thread at 4013.

In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game from 2015, the CPU's role is primarily game logic, pathfinding, and AI calculations rather than rendering. The game's release date of 2015-11-17 means it predates this CPU by six years, so the i7-12700K's architecture is more than capable of handling the computational load. The 89th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms this processor is not the weak link.

The data reveals this clearly: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 144.1 FPS, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the display's refresh ceiling. The CPU's excellent single-thread performance (1043 in 3DMark single thread, 2561 in Geekbench singlecore) ensures that the game's turn-based logic never becomes a bottleneck. Even at 4K, where FPS drops to 24.5 at Ultra, the limitation is the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU's processing power. The 125 W TDP and 10 nm process node are irrelevant to this game's performance, as the CPU idles well below its boost capabilities during turn-based play.

# FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Hard West?

A: At 1080p, all settings exceed 60 FPS, with Low reaching 144.1 FPS and Ultra at 67.3 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (91.7 FPS) and Medium (71.9 FPS) stay above 60 FPS, while High drops to 57.6 FPS.

Q: Why does the CPU rank so high but the combo rank so low?

A: The i7-12700K sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs with an average score of 35684, while the RTX 2060 holds only the 58th GPU percentile with an average score of 16074. The combo's rank of 1391 out of 1699 indicates the GPU limits overall frame rates.

Q: What is the playable 4K configuration for this pairing?

A: At 3840x2160, only Low settings (46.7 FPS) approach smooth playability. Medium (38.1 FPS) and High (31.4 FPS) are marginal, while Ultra (24.5 FPS) falls below acceptable thresholds.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 16074 is 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, 1.7% behind both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700, and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: Does the CPU's multi-threading matter for this game?

A: Hard West's turn-based mechanics likely benefit from the i7-12700K's 12 cores and 20 threads, but the 2015 release date means the game may not fully utilize them. The CPU's 29241 Cinebench R23 multicore score provides ample headroom.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low?

A: The drop is from 144.1 FPS at 1920x1080 Low to 46.7 FPS at 3840x2160 Low, representing a 67.6% reduction in average frame rate.

# Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, Ultra settings are the clear choice. The 67.3 FPS average at 3840x2160? No—at 1920x1080 Ultra, the combo delivers 67.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. Medium (116.4 FPS) and High (93 FPS) are also excellent options if players prefer higher refresh rates, but Ultra offers the complete experience.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 71.9 FPS represent the best balance. High dips to 57.6 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz monitors. Low (91.7 FPS) is viable for competitive play but sacrifices visual fidelity in a game where atmosphere matters. Ultra at 41.3 FPS is playable but not recommended for extended sessions.

For 4K, the data presents a difficult trade-off. Low settings at 46.7 FPS are the only configuration that approaches consistency, but even this falls short of 60 FPS. Medium at 38.1 FPS is a compromise that retains some visual detail. High (31.4 FPS) and Ultra (24.5 FPS) are best avoided unless the player prioritizes screenshots over gameplay. Given that Hard West is turn-based, the lower frame rates at 4K are more tolerable than in action genres, but the 24.5 FPS Ultra result suggests the RTX 2060 simply lacks the pixel throughput for this resolution at high settings.

The most sensible recommendation is 1080p Ultra for the full experience, or 1440p Medium if the display supports it. The 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p but become strained at 4K, where the 3840x2160 resolution demands more memory bandwidth than this GPU can provide. Players with 4K displays should accept Low settings or consider this combo insufficient for that resolution in Hard West.