Hard West

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Hard West shows a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, with the RTX 4070 and Core i7-12700K combo delivering 256 FPS at 1080p Low but dropping to 85 FPS at 4K Low. This 3x reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the Low preset indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, even in a turn-based tactics title that is not typically considered graphically demanding.

At the High preset, the scaling pattern is similar: 161 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 47%. This accelerating decline as resolution increases is classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, is not the bottleneck here; the data shows that even at 1080p High, the system achieves 161 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most displays.

The Medium preset tells a similar story: 210 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 37% and 47%, respectively, mirroring the High preset almost exactly. This consistency across presets suggests that resolution scaling is largely independent of quality settings in this game. The Ultra preset, however, shows a more aggressive decline: 121 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop is 47%, but the 1080p to 1440p drop is 37%, same as the others.

What is notable is that at 4K, even the Low preset only achieves 85 FPS, while the Ultra preset dips to 40 FPS. This range of 40 to 85 FPS at 4K suggests that Hard West's rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. The game was released in 2015, and its engine appears to place a significant burden on the GPU at 4K, regardless of the quality preset. The data indicates that for 4K gaming, users should expect to sacrifice quality settings to maintain playable frame rates, with Medium at 70 FPS being a reasonable target.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In Hard West, this memory configuration appears sufficient even at 4K, as the game does not show signs of VRAM capacity limiting performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1920 MHz provide the computational throughput needed for the frame rates observed.

The RTX 4070's benchmark scores place it in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with a delta of 0.4%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile with a delta of -1.3%. These close deltas indicate that the RTX 4070 sits in a competitive performance tier, though the specific Hard West results show it handling the game's demands comfortably.

The GPU's 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs contribute to its pixel throughput of 158.4 GPixel/s. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where scenes may involve complex lighting and shadow effects, these specifications matter. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present, though Hard West, being a 2015 title, likely does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS features. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support is forward-looking, but the game's own API requirements are more modest.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, where even the Low preset drops to 85 FPS from 256 FPS at 1080p. This 171 FPS difference cannot be attributed to CPU limitations, as the Core i7-12700K's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1043) is more than adequate for a turn-based title. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is likely the key constraint at higher resolutions, where the increased pixel count demands more memory traffic.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 829th out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the top 22% of all configurations. This ranking reflects a strong pairing that delivers high frame rates across most resolution and settings combinations, though it is not at the very top tier.

The CPU component of this combo sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-13600T with a delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-12700KF with a delta of -0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-13700T with a delta of -0.3%. These sub-0.5% deltas show that the i7-12700K is essentially performance-equivalent to its closest competitors, meaning the combo's ranking is largely driven by the GPU's contribution.

The GPU's 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648, is slightly lower than the CPU's percentile. This suggests that in Hard West, the GPU is the more limiting component, consistent with the resolution scaling analysis. The combo's 829th rank out of 3722 means that 2893 other configurations perform worse, while 828 perform better. Given that this is a turn-based tactics game where high frame rates matter less than in fast-paced shooters, the 829th ranking is more than acceptable.

At 1080p, the combo achieves 256 FPS on Low and 161 FPS on High, which would place it well above the needs of most displays. At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 162 FPS, and High delivers 102 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 40 FPS, which is the only configuration where the combo falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth. This ranking data confirms that the combo is well-suited for Hard West at all but the most demanding settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. This configuration ensures smooth gameplay with no frame rate dips below 60 FPS, and the 133 FPS average provides headroom for any scene complexity.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 161 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a 60 FPS improvement over the Medium preset's 210 FPS, but the High preset still exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 121 FPS is also viable, though the visual difference between High and Ultra in a turn-based tactics game may not justify the 40 FPS reduction.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the best option, as it provides a playable experience with a minimum of 59 FPS. The High preset at 54 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 85 FPS is an alternative, but the visual quality loss may be significant in a game that relies on atmospheric environments.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 210 FPS; at 1440p, 133 FPS; and at 4K, 70 FPS. The minimum FPS values for Medium are 178, 113, and 59, respectively, ensuring no dips below 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, and only a single-frame dip at 4K. For users with high-refresh-rate displays, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 256 FPS, which is suitable for competitive play, though Hard West's turn-based nature makes this less relevant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average frame rates across settings: Low preset achieves 256 FPS, Medium preset achieves 210 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS, High preset achieves 161 FPS, and Ultra preset achieves 121 FPS. The 135 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the significant impact of quality settings on performance.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low preset at 162 FPS, Medium preset at 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS, High preset at 102 FPS, and Ultra preset at 76 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 86 FPS, which is less than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low preset at 85 FPS, Medium preset at 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS, High preset at 54 FPS, and Ultra preset at 40 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45 FPS, further confirming the GPU-bound nature of the system at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum of 59 FPS is the only measured value below 60 FPS in the entire dataset, aside from the High and Ultra presets at 4K which average below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Hard West?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 256, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 210 FPS, and the High preset delivers 161 FPS.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 4K, the Medium preset averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, so it is borderline. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets average 54 FPS and 40 FPS, respectively, which fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The combo ranks 829th out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the top 22%. The CPU ranks in the 84th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs.

Q: What type of cooling is required for this CPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a TDP of 125 W and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The data does not specify cooler requirements, but the 125 W TDP indicates that a capable air or liquid cooler is necessary for sustained performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Hard West?

A: The measured FPS data shows no evidence of VRAM capacity limiting performance, even at 4K Ultra. The 12 GB GDDR6X memory with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for this 2015 title.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: At 1080p, the difference is 135 FPS (256 vs 121). At 1440p, the difference is 86 FPS (162 vs 76). At 4K, the difference is 45 FPS (85 vs 40). The decreasing delta at higher resolutions indicates GPU-bound scaling.