Hard West

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a performance profile in Hard West that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, yet transitions to a more balanced workload at 4K. The benchmark data shows that this combination ranks in the 98.7th percentile of all tested combos (rank 39 out of 2,949), indicating near-top-tier capability. However, the game’s age and turn-based nature mean the RTX 5090 D is never fully stressed; instead, the i7-12700KF’s single-thread strength becomes the limiting factor at 1080p, where frame rates plateau well below the GPU’s theoretical maximum.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario at 1080p that gradually shifts toward GPU limitation at 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 239 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 High yields 158 FPS, a 33.9% drop, and at 3840x2160 High the average falls to 83 FPS, which is 65.3% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K indicates the RTX 5090 D is beginning to hit its rendering limits, but the relatively modest 1080p-to-1440p gap (from 239 to 158 FPS) suggests the CPU is capping performance at the lower resolution.

The Low preset tells a clearer story. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 282 FPS, but at 1440p Low it only drops to 242 FPS (a 14.2% reduction), and at 4K Low it falls to 131 FPS (a 53.5% reduction from 1080p). The 1080p-to-1440p scaling is far gentler than the 1440p-to-4K scaling, which is characteristic of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. The i7-12700KF’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043 and Passmark single-thread score of 3,984 suggest strong per-core performance, but even this processor cannot fully feed the RTX 5090 D at 1080p, where frame rates are likely limited by game engine logic and draw-call submission rather than pixel throughput.

Ultra settings exacerbate the GPU load. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 187 FPS, which drops to 118 FPS at 1440p (a 36.9% reduction) and then to 62 FPS at 4K (a 66.8% reduction from 1080p). The Ultra preset scales more consistently across resolutions, indicating that the additional graphical effects (likely shadows, ambient occlusion, and post-processing) are GPU-intensive. The 4K Ultra result of 62 FPS is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset, but with a minimum FPS not reported for that row, the average suggests the game remains playable even at maximum settings on this hardware.

FAQ

*Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for Hard West at 1080p?*

A: Yes. At 1080p High, the combo produces 239 FPS, and at Low it reaches 282 FPS. These numbers far exceed any display’s refresh rate, and the data indicates the CPU is the limiting factor. The i7-12700KF’s 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,065 and 4-thread score of 4,011 show strong multi-threaded performance, but the game’s turn-based engine likely uses only a few threads, capping frame rates below what the GPU could deliver.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hard West?*

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 158 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz threshold, while 4K High at 83 FPS is still smooth but leaves less headroom. The 1440p Medium preset provides 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS, ensuring no drops below 144 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 108 FPS (with a minimum of 92 FPS) is the most balanced option.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305). It also sits 0.2% above the Intel Core i7-12700K (35,287). These deltas are negligible, meaning the 12700KF performs essentially identically to its nearest rivals in general compute tasks.

*Q: Does the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB VRAM matter for Hard West?*

A: No. Hard West is a 2015 turn-based tactics game with relatively simple textures and geometry. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5090 D is vastly more than the game could ever utilize. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s and 512-bit bus are relevant for modern AAA titles, but for this game, the VRAM capacity is irrelevant to the measured frame rates. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 are the more relevant indicators of its compute capability.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 39th out of 2,949 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1.3% of all systems in the database. This is an exceptional ranking, but it is not first, indicating that other CPU-GPU pairings (likely with higher-clocked or newer processors) achieve slightly better results in Hard West. The ranking is influenced by the CPU bottleneck at 1080p, where a faster single-threaded processor could push frame rates higher.

Q: Should users enable Ultra settings for the best experience?

A: At 1440p, Ultra delivers 118 FPS, which is above 60 but below the 144 FPS threshold that High settings achieve (158 FPS). At 4K, Ultra drops to 62 FPS, which is just above 60. Given that High settings at 1440p provide a 40 FPS advantage over Ultra, the visual fidelity difference between High and Ultra in a 2015 title is unlikely to justify the performance cost. Users with 144Hz monitors should stick to High at 1440p, while 60Hz 4K users can safely use Ultra.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 D’s role in Hard West is defined by its raw compute power rather than its advanced features. With a boost clock of 2407 MHz and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, the GPU is capable of far more than this game demands. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory at 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is overkill for a title from 2015, but it ensures zero memory-related stutters. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 44,065 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 77,712 is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). These comparisons show the RTX 5090 D is at the top of the GPU hierarchy, but in Hard West, the limiting factor is rarely the GPU.

The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K. At 4K High, the combo achieves 83 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 131 FPS, a 57.8% improvement. This scaling indicates that the GPU’s pixel and texture processing capabilities are being taxed at 4K, especially with higher-quality settings. The RTX 5090 D’s pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are substantial, but Hard West’s rendering pipeline still creates enough load to reduce frame rates at 4K. At 1080p, however, the GPU is clearly not the constraint, as evidenced by the small FPS difference between Low (282) and High (239), which is only 18% despite a significant increase in graphical fidelity.

The GPU’s clock behavior is also relevant. The base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz indicate that the card operates at high frequencies under load, and the 575 W TDP suggests it is a power-hungry component. However, in a game like Hard West, the GPU likely downclocks due to low utilization, which is why the 1080p frame rates are not higher. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is not fully utilized by a 2015 game that likely uses DirectX 11 or earlier, further reducing the GPU’s workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 39 out of 2,949 places this configuration in the 98.7th percentile of all tested systems. This is an elite ranking, but it is not the absolute best, which means there are 38 other CPU-GPU combinations that achieve higher average FPS in Hard West. Given that the i7-12700KF has an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the RTX 5090 D has a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, the combo’s 98.7th percentile game ranking is higher than either component’s individual percentile. This suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for this specific game, despite the CPU bottleneck at 1080p.

The ranking is likely influenced by the 4K results, where the GPU’s strength is fully utilized. At 4K High, the combo’s 83 FPS is respectable, and at 4K Medium, the 108 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum demonstrates consistent performance. The i7-12700KF’s 12 cores and 20 threads, with a max-thread 3DMark score of 9,983, provide ample processing power for the game’s AI and logic, even if single-thread performance is the limiting factor at low resolutions. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and single-core score of 4,071 indicate strong all-around performance, but Hard West’s reliance on few threads means the multi-core advantage is underutilized.

Compared to other combos, this system’s strength lies in its consistency across settings. The data shows no sub-60 FPS results except for 4K Ultra (62 FPS), which means the combo can handle any settings combination users choose. The rank of 39 confirms the GPU’s raw power, as the CPU is a mid-range-to-high-end part from 2021 that is now outclassed by newer processors. Users with this combo can expect top-tier performance in Hard West, but they should be aware that the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p, and upgrading to a newer processor would yield diminishing returns.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 282 FPS, Medium averages 263 FPS (with a minimum of 223 and maximum of 302), High averages 239 FPS, and Ultra averages 187 FPS. The gap between Low and High is 43 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 52 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load. The Medium preset’s minimum of 223 FPS ensures no drops below 200 FPS, making it the most consistent option at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show more variation. Low averages 242 FPS, Medium averages 205 FPS (with a minimum of 174 and maximum of 236), High averages 158 FPS, and Ultra averages 118 FPS. The drop from Low to High is 84 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 40 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 174 FPS is still above 144Hz, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 4K results show the most significant scaling. At 3840x2160, Low averages 131 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS (with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 124), High averages 83 FPS, and Ultra averages 62 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS ensures no drops below 90 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming.

The data reveals that the Medium preset offers the best balance at every resolution. At 1080p, Medium is 24 FPS faster than High and only 19 FPS slower than Low, while providing better visual quality. At 1440p, Medium is 47 FPS faster than High and 37 FPS slower than Low. At 4K, Medium is 25 FPS faster than High and 23 FPS slower than Low. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS values (223 at 1080p, 174 at 1440p, 92 at 4K) are consistently high, making it the safest choice for maintaining smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for most users. At 1080p, Medium delivers 263 FPS, which is 24 FPS higher than High and only 19 FPS lower than Low. The visual difference between Medium and High in a 2015 game is negligible, but the performance advantage is substantial. At 1440p, Medium provides 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. At 4K, Medium achieves 108 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on 60Hz or 120Hz displays.

For users with 60Hz displays, the High preset is viable at all resolutions. At 4K High, the 83 FPS average is well above 60, and at 1440p High, the 158 FPS is more than double the 60Hz threshold. However, High does not offer a meaningful visual upgrade over Medium in Hard West, and the FPS penalty is significant (24 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p, 25 FPS at 4K). Users seeking maximum visual fidelity can use Ultra, but only at 1080p (187 FPS) or 1440p (118 FPS). At 4K Ultra, the 62 FPS average is just above 60, but the lack of a reported minimum FPS suggests potential dips below 60.

The Low preset is only recommended for users with high-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz or higher) who prioritize frame rate over visuals. At 1080p Low, the 282 FPS is the highest result in the dataset, and at 1440p Low, the 242 FPS is also excellent. However, Low settings will noticeably reduce visual quality, and the performance gain over Medium is marginal (19 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p). For the vast majority of users, Medium at 1440p is the optimal configuration, offering 205 FPS with a 174 FPS minimum, which is smooth on any current display. The data clearly indicates that Medium is the best balance of performance and visual fidelity across all resolutions.