Hard West

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a robust, high-refresh-rate experience in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. The benchmark data shows this combination ranks 410th out of 1699 tested combos, placing it in the top quarter of all configurations. The measured frame rates reveal that the CPU’s strong single-thread performance and the GPU’s substantial memory bandwidth combine to handle the game’s requirements with ease, even at 4K resolution, though the scaling patterns indicate where each component’s influence begins to wane.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in Hard West?*

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 410th out of 1699 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations tested.

Q: How does the RTX 4070’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37283, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38008), and 2.2% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135). It also sits 2.5% above the AMD Radeon RX 5300M (36371).

Q: What is the best measured performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 254.1 FPS. With Medium settings, it drops to 207.4 FPS, and with High settings, it reaches 162.7 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still delivers 123.1 FPS.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 40.2. This is the lowest recorded figure in the measured data, indicating a significant performance hit at maximum resolution and quality.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to its closest rival in average score?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282. It is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334) and 0.5% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 (47527), but it is 0.3% faster than the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131) and 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900F (47081).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The memory clock operates at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 plays a central role in determining Hard West’s frame rates, particularly as resolution and settings scale upward. The GPU’s memory subsystem, comprising 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, provides ample headroom for the game’s textures and geometry at all tested resolutions. The core clocks, with a base of 1920 MHz and a boost of 2475 MHz, drive the 5888 shading units, and the resulting pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s are more than sufficient for a turn-based tactics title.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance ceiling is not reached until the highest settings are applied. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is dramatic, with the average FPS dropping from 254.1 to 123.1. This 131 FPS spread indicates that the GPU is heavily utilized when visual quality is maximized. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 40.2, a figure that suggests the GPU is now the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s strong single-thread score of 1136 in 3dmark_single_thread is unlikely to be the limiting factor at this resolution.

The GPU’s 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs, coupled with its average benchmark score of 37283, places it in a competitive position. However, its nearest rival data shows a tight cluster: the RX Vega 56 is only 0.6% ahead, and the MX570 A is 1.9% ahead, indicating that the RTX 4070 is not a class leader but sits comfortably in the mid-to-high tier. In Hard West, this translates to playable frame rates even at 4K, though the 40.2 FPS average at 4K Ultra is below the 60 FPS threshold often sought for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 410 out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places the pairing in the 76th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all configurations tested. The rank reflects the synergy between a CPU that scores in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs and a GPU in the 81st percentile. The CPU’s high percentile is driven by its 16 cores and 24 threads, which, while not fully utilized in a turn-based tactics game, contribute to a strong average benchmark score of 47282.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context: the i7-13700KF is 0.1% faster, the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is 0.5% faster, while the EPYC 4364P is 0.3% slower and the i9-12900F is 0.4% slower. These deltas are minimal, and in Hard West, the i7-13700K’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz and single-thread capability ensure that it does not hold back the GPU. The GPU’s rivals, meanwhile, show a wider spread in average scores, but the RTX 4070’s performance is consistent with its placement. The rank of 410 suggests that while this is a high-performing combo, there are 409 other configurations that deliver higher average FPS in this specific title, likely featuring more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread scores.

The measured FPS data corroborates the rank. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 254.1 FPS, a figure that would place it well above the average. At 4K Ultra, the 40.2 FPS average is a significant drop, but it is still playable for a turn-based game. The rank of 410 out of 1699 is a strong showing, indicating that this combo is well-suited for Hard West without being an overkill configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest frame rates: 254.1 FPS on Low, 207.4 FPS on Medium, 162.7 FPS on High, and 123.1 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a clear progression, with each settings tier reducing the average FPS by roughly 20-30%. The jump from Low to Medium is a 46.7 FPS drop, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 39.6 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU’s workload scales consistently with visual complexity.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong but sees a noticeable reduction. Low settings yield 161.8 FPS, Medium drops to 134.1 FPS, High falls to 99.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 78.8 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at Low settings, where the FPS falls from 254.1 to 161.8, a 36% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 123.1 to 78.8, a 36% reduction as well, showing that the scaling is consistent across settings.

At 4K, the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings still deliver 84.6 FPS, but Medium drops to 67.9 FPS, High falls to 55.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40.2 FPS. The 4K data reveals that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, particularly at Ultra settings where the average FPS is below 60. The difference between 1440p Ultra (78.8 FPS) and 4K Ultra (40.2 FPS) is a 38.6 FPS drop, representing a 49% reduction. This suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, while ample for lower resolutions, becomes a limiting factor at 4K with the highest settings.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling analysis shows how the combo’s performance degrades as pixel count increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 36-39%. For example, at High settings, the FPS falls from 162.7 to 99.6, a 38.8% reduction. This scaling is relatively uniform, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at these resolutions, with the CPU’s 3.40 GHz base clock and 5.40 GHz boost clock providing consistent support.

The jump from 1440p to 4K is more severe. At High settings, the FPS drops from 99.6 to 55.6, a 44.2% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 78.8 to 40.2, a 49% reduction. This steeper decline at 4K points to the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput becoming the limiting factor. The RTX 4070’s 504.2 GB/s bandwidth and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are substantial, but Hard West at 4K Ultra demands more than the GPU can sustain for a 60 FPS experience.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads, combined with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 and a cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 5505, ensure that it can feed the GPU adequately. The scaling pattern, where FPS drops are proportional to pixel count increases, is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the 254.1 FPS average is well above what a 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor can display, suggesting the CPU has more headroom. At 4K Ultra, the 40.2 FPS average is the first sign of the GPU’s limitations, and the 84.6 FPS at 4K Low confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint in this title. This analysis shows that for users targeting 4K Ultra, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo provides ample performance.