Hard West

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 lands at rank 330 out of 3,722 tested combos in Hard West. That places this configuration in the top 8.9% of all combinations tested for this game, a strong showing that reflects the hardware's capability in a turn-based tactics title. The combo rank of 330 is notable because it places the system well ahead of the median combo, but it also leaves room above for more exotic or newer hardware pairings.

What makes this ranking particularly interesting is the nature of Hard West itself. As a turn-based tactics game, the rendering demands are not as relentless as in fast-paced shooters or open-world action titles. Yet the data shows this combo still achieves a rank that puts it in the upper echelon, suggesting that the game can still stress high-end components at certain settings. The rank of 330 out of 3,722 means that roughly 3,392 other combinations perform worse, which underscores how much headroom this specific CPU-GPU pairing provides.

The percentile positioning of the individual components reinforces this picture. The Core i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4080 ranks at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. When combined, these two components produce a system that is neither bottlenecked by the processor nor the graphics card in most scenarios, which helps explain why the combo rank is so favorable. The pairing is well-balanced, with both components contributing to the overall performance in a way that avoids severe imbalances.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This memory capacity is more than sufficient for Hard West's textures and geometry, even at 4K resolution. The GPU's base clock sits at 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and it is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC. With 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs, the RTX 4080 has substantial raw compute resources to draw upon.

The benchmark data reveals that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 288 FPS, but at 4K with Ultra settings, it drops to 55 FPS. This dramatic scaling — a five-fold reduction — demonstrates that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting as resolution increases. The RTX 4080's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS provides the computational muscle needed to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, though Ultra settings at that resolution still push the card to its limits.

Interestingly, the RTX 4080's nearest rival in the benchmark database is the RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54,209 versus the 4080's 54,247 average benchmark score, a delta of just 0.1%. This near-identical performance suggests that the standard 4080 is not leaving much on the table compared to its SUPER variant. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% behind, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% behind. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 4080 is competitively positioned within its performance class.

The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are present, though Hard West is not a ray-traced title, so these features likely have minimal impact on the measured frame rates. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are more relevant here, as they directly influence how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with rendered frames.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and it carries 25 MB of shared L3 cache along with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, though the benchmark data does not specify which memory type was used in the measured results.

In the context of Hard West, the CPU's role is less demanding than in real-time strategy games or simulations with heavy AI calculations. The turn-based nature of the game means that CPU-bound scenarios are less frequent, but the 12 cores and 20 threads still provide ample headroom for any background tasks or game logic that may occur. The single-thread performance is particularly strong, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5. These numbers suggest that even if Hard West relies on a few fast cores for its game logic, the 12700K will handle it without breaking a sweat.

The CPU's benchmark scores paint a picture of a well-rounded performer. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19,784 and the Geekbench multicore score of 15,790 indicate strong multi-threaded capabilities, while the Passmark single-thread score of 4,013 shows that single-core performance is also competitive. The CPU's percentile rank of 84 among all CPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 35,287 is remarkably close to its nearest rivals — the Core i5-13600T at 35,305 (0.1% difference), the Core i7-12700KF at 35,365 (0.2% difference), and the Core i7-13700T at 35,403 (0.3% difference). This clustering suggests that the 12700K is right in the middle of a performance group where small deltas separate the contenders.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 288 FPS, which is likely high enough that even a faster CPU would not yield meaningful improvements, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at such frame rates. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz provides the single-thread speed needed to avoid becoming a bottleneck in less demanding scenes, while the 20 threads ensure that any multi-threaded workload is handled efficiently.

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank for this hardware in Hard West?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 330 out of 3,722 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.9% of all combinations.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247, which is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209, 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54,828, 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55,698, and 2.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S at 55,757.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS is 288, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the best-case scenario for frame rate in the measured data.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded, and under what conditions?

A: The lowest average FPS is 55, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This indicates that 4K Ultra is the most demanding configuration tested.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K ranks at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,287. Its nearest rival, the Core i5-13600T, scores 35,305, a difference of just 0.1%.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have, and what memory type is used?

A: The RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 288 FPS, which drops to 195 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 107 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 63% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At High settings, the scaling is similar: 195 FPS at 1080p, 128 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K — a 64% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The Medium settings row provides the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1920x1080 Medium, the combo delivers an average of 229 FPS with a minimum of 194 and a maximum of 263. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average falls to 149 FPS with a minimum of 127 and a maximum of 172. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings results in a 35% performance drop, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K results in a 45% drop.

This pattern suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 4080's compute resources are being taxed more heavily as pixel count increases, and the frame rate scaling is not linear. The jump from 1080p to 1440p increases pixel count by 78%, yet the FPS drop is only 35-37% depending on settings. The jump from 1440p to 4K increases pixel count by 125%, and the FPS drop is 45-47%. This non-linear scaling indicates that the GPU has some headroom at 1440p that allows it to absorb the additional pixel load more efficiently than at 4K.

At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 55, which is the lowest measured value across all configurations. This suggests that 4K Ultra is the point where the RTX 4080's capabilities are fully saturated, and further performance gains would require either a more powerful GPU or a reduction in settings. The data indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rate scaling is consistently tied to the GPU's workload.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how different settings affect performance, and the optimal choice depends on the user's priorities. For players seeking the highest frame rates, the Low settings at 1080p deliver 288 FPS, which is well beyond what any display can show, making this configuration more than sufficient for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1440p, the Medium settings offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, with an average of 149 FPS and a minimum of 127 FPS. This ensures a smooth experience even in demanding scenes, while the visual upgrade from Low to Medium is noticeable. The High settings at 1440p still provide an excellent 128 FPS average, making it a viable choice for those who prioritize visuals over maximum frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the Medium settings at 82 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum provide a playable experience that maintains good visual fidelity. The High settings at 4K drop to 70 FPS average, which is still smooth but leaves less margin for frame rate dips. The Ultra settings at 4K, at 55 FPS average, push the hardware to its limits and may result in occasional stuttering in demanding scenes, though the turn-based nature of Hard West means that even 55 FPS is perfectly playable for most players.

Based on the data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience for most users, providing high frame rates with solid visual quality. For 4K users, Medium is the recommended starting point, with High as an option for those who prioritize visuals and are comfortable with 70 FPS average. The Ultra preset is only recommended for players who have high-end displays and are willing to accept the lowest measured frame rates.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in Hard West is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K):

• High settings: 70 FPS average
• Low settings: 107 FPS average
• Medium settings: 82 FPS average, 70 FPS minimum, 94 FPS maximum
• Ultra settings: 55 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• High settings: 128 FPS average
• Low settings: 195 FPS average
• Medium settings: 149 FPS average, 127 FPS minimum, 172 FPS maximum
• Ultra settings: 100 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• High settings: 195 FPS average
• Low settings: 288 FPS average
• Medium settings: 229 FPS average, 194 FPS minimum, 263 FPS maximum
• Ultra settings: 152 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions, with Low settings yielding the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial at every resolution, with the most pronounced difference at 1080p where Low achieves 288 FPS versus Ultra's 152 FPS — a 47% difference. At 4K, the gap narrows to 49% (107 FPS vs 55 FPS), indicating that the GPU's workload at higher resolutions compresses the relative performance gap between settings.

The Medium settings rows include the only complete minimum and maximum FPS data, which provides insight into frame time consistency. At all three resolutions, the minimum FPS is roughly 85% of the average, while the maximum is approximately 15% above the average. This consistency suggests that the hardware maintains stable frame delivery without severe drops, which is beneficial for a turn-based tactics game where smooth camera movement and UI responsiveness matter more than raw frame rates.