Hard West

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a combination that exhibits a clear and predictable performance curve in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The measured frame rates show a substantial dependency on both resolution and graphics presets, with the data indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rate gameplay, but 4K Ultra settings push the hardware to its limits, resulting in a playable but not ideal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is significant and reveals the bottleneck characteristics of this pairing. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 97.4 at 1080p to 60.3 at 1440p, and finally to 30.4 at 4K. This represents a 69% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling almost linearly with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are sufficient for the game's demands, but the raw compute power of the GPU is what limits 4K performance. The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets; for instance, at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 159.9 FPS at 1080p to 50.7 FPS at 4K. This suggests that the game is not heavily CPU-limited at any resolution, as the Intel Core i7-13700K with its 16 cores and 24 threads provides ample headroom. The 13700K's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4333, place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, confirming that it is not the constraining factor in this setup.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with the average FPS at High settings halving from 60.3 to 30.4. This indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER, which ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 19774, is simply not powerful enough to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K with demanding settings. The game becomes more playable at 1440p, where the High preset achieves just over 60 FPS, making it the sweet spot for this combination if visual fidelity is a priority.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with High settings is the optimal balance, delivering 60.3 average FPS. This provides a smooth experience while maintaining good visual quality. At 1080p, High settings yield 97.4 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors, but 1440p offers a better balance of image clarity and performance.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 50.7, which is playable. However, at 4K High, the frame rate drops to 30.4, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 26.7. These lower frame rates may be acceptable for a turn-based tactics game, where twitch reflexes are not required, but they are not ideal for smooth camera movement.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 159.9 on Low to 75.7 on Ultra, a difference of 84.2 FPS. At 1440p, the spread is from 99.5 on Low to 49.1 on Ultra. At 4K, the spread narrows to between 50.7 and 26.7, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor at high resolutions regardless of preset.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K holding back the RTX 2060 SUPER?

A: The data suggests not. The CPU's benchmark results, including a Geekbench multi-core score of 17731 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 45887, are far above what this game requires. The frame rate scaling with resolution and settings indicates a GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the high FPS at 1080p shows the CPU can feed the GPU effectively.

Q: What are the nearest rival GPUs to the RTX 2060 SUPER, and how do they compare?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (0.3% faster), RTX 2070 (0.5% slower), and Quadro K5200 (0.8% slower) based on average benchmark scores. This means the RTX 2060 SUPER is positioned very closely to these cards in raw performance, and in-game results would likely be similar.

Q: Is there a big difference between Medium and High settings?

A: Yes, but it is manageable. At 1440p, Medium yields 79.5 FPS while High yields 60.3 FPS, a difference of 19.2 FPS. At 1080p, the gap is 29.8 FPS (127.2 vs 97.4). The jump from Medium to High causes a noticeable performance hit, but High remains playable at 1080p and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Hard West, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1260 out of 1699 tested combos. This places it in the 26th percentile of all tested systems for this game, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range nature; the CPU is a high-end part, but the overall combo performance is dragged down by the GPU in this specific title.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 is close to that of the RTX 2070 (19680), which is a 0.5% difference. This suggests that in Hard West, the performance of this combo would be nearly identical to a system using an RTX 2070. The CPU's ranking is much higher, at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, but this does not translate to a high combo rank because the game is not CPU-intensive. The combo rank of 1260 of 1699 implies that a significant majority of tested systems perform better, likely due to the presence of more powerful GPUs.

For a turn-based tactics game, this rank is acceptable. The game does not require extremely high frame rates to be enjoyable, and the system can achieve playable performance at 1440p and even 4K at lower settings. The rank is a reflection of the GPU's limitations at high resolutions, not a commentary on the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. The Low preset achieves an average of 159.9 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate displays. Medium settings yield 127.2 FPS, while High settings produce 97.4 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 75.7 FPS. All of these numbers are well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p a very smooth experience regardless of the preset chosen.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings deliver 99.5 FPS, Medium settings produce 79.5 FPS, and High settings hit 60.3 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 49.1 FPS, which is still playable but may show some stutter on fast-scrolling maps. The data indicates that 1440p High is the highest quality setting that maintains a consistent 60 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings average 50.7 FPS, Medium settings drop to 41.4 FPS, High settings fall to 30.4 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 26.7 FPS. While the game remains technically playable at these frame rates due to its turn-based nature, the experience is not smooth. The step from 1440p to 4K at High settings represents a 50% drop in performance, highlighting the GPU's struggle with the increased pixel count.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that determines this combo's performance ceiling in Hard West. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's assets, as there are no signs of texture swapping or stutter that would indicate a VRAM limitation at 4K.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. The boost clock is relatively modest by modern standards, and this limits the raw compute throughput. With 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs, the card delivers 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This level of compute power is what causes the frame rates to drop significantly at 4K. The card's Passmark G3D score of 16462 and its 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirm its mid-range status.

The RTX 2060 SUPER features 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, but these are not utilized by Hard West, which is a non-ray-traced title from 2015. The card's DirectX 12 Ultimate support does not provide a benefit here, as the game is older and likely uses DirectX 11. The GPU's end-of-life production status means it is an older design, and its performance is what it is; there is no driver magic that will make it competitive at 4K Ultra settings in this game.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this combination, the measured data provides clear guidance on the best settings for a given resolution.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is recommended for the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 97.4 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience with good graphical fidelity. Ultra settings are also viable at 75.7 FPS, and for those with a 144Hz monitor, Medium or Low settings will push frame rates above 120 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the definitive choice, as it achieves 60.3 FPS. This is exactly at the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings provide a significant frame rate boost to 79.5 FPS, which is a good alternative if the player prefers higher frame rates over visual detail. Ultra settings at 49.1 FPS are not recommended, as the dip below 60 FPS is noticeable.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is to stick with Low or Medium settings. Low yields 50.7 FPS, which is the most playable option. Medium drops to 41.4 FPS, which is acceptable for a turn-based game but not ideal. High and Ultra settings fall to 30.4 and 26.7 FPS respectively, which are too low for smooth camera movement and should be avoided unless the player prioritizes visual fidelity over all else. For a turn-based tactics game, the 1440p High preset is the overall best experience, offering a perfect balance of clarity, detail, and frame rate.