Hard West

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2614 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. That places this configuration in the bottom 12% of all systems tested, a surprisingly low position given the CPU's pedigree. The combo rank suggests that the integrated graphics solution is the primary anchor, dragging down what would otherwise be a high-performing platform. The data indicates this is not a competitive gaming setup for this title, as the overwhelming majority of tested configurations deliver a better experience.

The CPU itself is a top-tier part, ranking in the 89th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971, a negligible 0.2% difference. This places the i7-13700K in elite company, with its performance essentially matching the Ryzen 9 5900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3%). The processor is clearly not the bottleneck in this pairing. However, the GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of just 1482, tells a different story. The Arc B390's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower) and the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), placing its raw compute capability in the same league as decade-old entry-level mobile parts. The massive gulf between the CPU's high standing and the GPU's low standing defines this combo's overall rank.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), and its role in Hard West is defined by severe limitations. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and must borrow from the system's main memory. Consequently, the memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," which introduces a significant variable into performance that is not present with discrete GPUs. The bus width is also "System Shared," further emphasizing that this part is not designed for high-end gaming workloads.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the architecture's 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units are modest numbers. The chip, built on Intel's 3 nm process (Panther Lake, Xe3-LPG architecture), posts a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. In Hard West, these specifications translate to playable framerates only at the lowest settings and resolution. The GPU's 9th percentile standing is reflected in the measured data, where even at 1080p Low, the combo produces an average of 87 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, that number collapses to 14 FPS. The lack of dedicated memory is a likely culprit for the steep performance cliffs as resolution and settings increase, as the shared memory interface struggles to keep up with the demands of higher pixel counts and more complex rendering.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a strong performer compared to similar CPUs?

A: Yes, the data shows it is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 46881 is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022) and only 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971), demonstrating that it is a top-tier processor.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390's raw compute performance compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), indicating its performance level is comparable to very old, entry-level graphics solutions.

*Q: What is the best-case scenario for this combo in Hard West?*

A: The best measured result is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the combo achieves an average of 87 FPS. This is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS average, making it the sole playable option for smooth gameplay.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hard West?*

A: Technically, yes, but the experience is poor. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 29 FPS at Low settings down to 14 FPS at Ultra settings. These numbers are well below the threshold for a smooth gaming experience.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile, while the GPU is in the 9th. The measured frame rates, which drop dramatically with resolution and settings, are characteristic of a graphics-bound scenario, not a CPU-bound one.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate is consistent?

A: The data shows that only the Medium settings rows include both min and max FPS values. At 1920x1080 Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 61 and 82 FPS, and at 2560x1440 Medium, it fluctuates between 38 and 52 FPS. The lack of min/max data for other settings suggests less consistency or that these were not tracked.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for Hard West show a clear and predictable pattern of degradation as both resolution and graphical fidelity increase. The most fluid experience is found at 1920x1080, where the Low preset produces an average of 87 FPS. Moving up the settings ladder at this resolution, the High preset drops to 55 FPS, the Medium preset to 71 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 41 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at 1080p with a recorded frame time variance, showing a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is playable, but High plummets to 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. This resolution presents a challenge, as only the Low setting maintains a playable average.

The 3840x2160 results are the most telling, as the integrated GPU struggles to cope. The Low preset averages just 29 FPS, Medium drops to 24 FPS (with a min of 20 and max of 27), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra is essentially unplayable at 14 FPS. The progression from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra represents a 73 FPS drop, highlighting the immense strain that higher resolutions place on this IGP.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It features a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game from 2015, the CPU's role is to ensure game logic, AI calculations, and frame pacing are handled without issue. The benchmark data indicates the CPU is more than capable of this task. Its multi-threaded performance is excellent, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19429.

However, the game's engine is likely not designed to utilize the full 24 threads this CPU offers. Its single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2529. This is crucial for older titles like Hard West, which often rely heavily on a single core for the main game loop. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and its near-identical performance to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971 vs 46881) confirm that it is not a source of bottleneck. The data strongly suggests that in this configuration, the CPU is sitting idle, waiting for the GPU to render frames, and is not the cause of the low frame rates seen at higher resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Hard West is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only setting that yields an average frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS (87 FPS), providing a smooth and responsive experience suited for the tactical gameplay. While the Medium preset at 1080p offers a higher visual quality with an average of 71 FPS, the data suggests this is a more demanding setting, with frames dipping to 61 FPS. For a game where strategic thinking is paramount, the smoother frame pacing of the Low preset is preferable.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 55 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but it represents a compromise on visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution are not recommended, as they fall to 35 FPS and 26 FPS respectively, which is below the threshold for a comfortable experience. At 3840x2160, no setting is recommended for a good experience. The highest average of 29 FPS (Low) is still far from smooth, and the Ultra preset at 14 FPS is a slideshow. The data indicates that users should stick to 1080p for any semblance of playability, and the Low preset is the clear winner for the best balance of performance and stability.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 87 at 1920x1080 to 55 at 2560x1440, a 63% retention, and then to 29 at 3840x2160, a 33% retention from 1080p. This steep decline is a hallmark of a graphics processor that is overwhelmed by pixel count. The trend is even more pronounced at High settings, where the average FPS falls from 55 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p and then to 18 at 4K. The performance at 4K High is just 33% of the 1080p High score, demonstrating that the Arc B390's rendering capabilities are severely taxed by the increase in resolution.

This scaling behavior tells a clear story about the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (logic, AI) does not change with resolution. The fact that performance nearly quarters from 1080p Low to 4K Low indicates that the system's shared memory bandwidth and the GPU's available processing power are completely saturated. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its high single and multi-thread scores, has no issues feeding the GPU with data; the GPU simply cannot process it fast enough. The data suggests that for users of this combo, the "sweet spot" is firmly at 1080p, and any attempt to push beyond that resolution comes with a disproportionate and severe penalty to frame rate.