Hard West

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, is not the kind of game that typically stresses modern flagship hardware, but the measured data for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination reveals a clear and consistent scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. The dataset shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at high resolutions and settings, yet one that also exposes the CPU's significant headroom as the resolution drops to 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is potent enough to push frame rates well beyond the refresh rates of most high-end monitors, even at 4K, making it a formidable setup for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates where the performance bottleneck lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo delivers a massive 307 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 207 FPS, a 32.6% decrease, and then to 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 109 FPS, a further 47.3% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep curve indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads having ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern shifts when looking at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 155 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 98 FPS, a reduction of 36.8%. Finally, at 4K Ultra, the average is 51 FPS, which is a 48.0% reduction from the 1440p result. The percentage drop from 1440p to 2160p is larger at Ultra settings than at Low settings, indicating that the more demanding visual fidelity at Ultra settings places a heavier load on the RTX 4080, making the GPU bottleneck more pronounced at every resolution.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136, helps maintain incredibly high frame rates. However, the game still scales well with the GPU, as evidenced by the 307 FPS Low to 155 FPS Ultra delta at 1080p. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is likely a non-factor at these settings, as the game's 2015 release date suggests it does not require large memory buffers. The resolution scaling data confirms that this is a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, a balanced scenario at 1440p, and a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p where the GPU is not fully utilized.

FAQ

Q: How many frames per second does this combo average at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS is 269, with a measured minimum of 228 FPS and a maximum of 309 FPS.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 the average is 131 FPS, while at 3840x2160 it is 69 FPS. That is a 62 FPS reduction, or a 47.3% drop.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 the limiting component at 1080p Low settings?

A: No, the data suggests not. With a 307 FPS average at 1080p Low, the load is shifted to the CPU. The i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136, allows it to drive frames high enough to reveal that the GPU has spare capacity at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combos for Hard West?

A: The combo ranks 213th out of 3722 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 5.7% of all configurations.

Q: Does the RTX 4080's 16 GB of VRAM show any signs of being a limitation in this game?

A: There is no evidence of a VRAM limitation in the data. The game is from 2015 and is a turn-based tactics title, so the 16 GB GDDR6X frame buffer is far more than likely required. The FPS scaling is consistent with compute and geometry load rather than memory capacity.

Q: How does the core count of the i7-13700K relate to its performance in this game?

A: The i7-13700K has 16 cores (8 performance and 8 efficiency) and 24 threads. While the game may not use all 24 threads, the data shows that the CPU's single-thread performance is the key factor. For instance, a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4333 indicate capability, but the game's age means it likely cannot effectively use all cores, so the high clock speed is more important.

How This Combo Ranks

In the aggregate ranking for Hard West, the Intel Core i7-13700K plus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination places 213rd out of 3722 tested combos. This percentile is 89 for the CPU and 86 for the GPU, indicating that both components are well above average. The data shows that the combo is in the top 5.7% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing, but it is not at the very top. A rank of 213 suggests that there are 212 other combos that perform better in this specific game.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score that is 0.1% higher, making them effectively identical in terms of overall benchmark performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% lower. This close grouping of scores indicates that the RTX 4080's performance is well-known and that the 4080 SUPER offers a negligible advantage. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, is 0.2% lower in average score, making the i7-13700K a fraction faster in general benchmarks.

In the context of this specific game, the combination's performance is a reflection of the CPU's high single-thread score and the GPU's robust performance. The rank of 213 out of 3722 is more impressive when considering that there are many lower-end configurations that would struggle to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. The data shows that this combo is overkill for 1080p, where it can exceed 300 FPS on Low, but it is also sufficient for a smooth experience at 4K with High settings, which is the threshold for AAA gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows that the combo is capable of high frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average is 307 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 269 FPS, with a minimum of 228 and a maximum of 309. High settings reduce the average to 206 FPS, and Ultra settings pull it down to 155 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 49.5% reduction, indicating that the graphical settings have a significant impact on performance, but the absolute numbers are so high that the game is always playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear drop-off as resolution increases. Low settings produce an average of 207 FPS, Medium drops to 170 FPS with a minimum of 144 and maximum of 195, High yields 131 FPS, and Ultra drops to 98 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 109 FPS, or 52.7% lower, which shows that the GPU is more heavily loaded at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo still delivers playable frame rates. Low settings see an average of 109 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 and maximum of 103, High averages 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only one in the entire dataset that falls below 60 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4080 is near its limit at this resolution and settings.

The data reveals that the combo is best suited for 1440p and 1080p gaming, where it can easily exceed 100 FPS on average even at High settings. At 4K, users may need to adjust settings from Ultra to High to maintain a smooth experience, as the 51 FPS average at Ultra might be too low for some. The minimum FPS figures, where provided, show that the frame times are stable, with the lowest minimum being 76 FPS at 4K Medium, which is still above a 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is based on the AD103 chip and uses the Ada Lovelace architecture. It has 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with a memory clock of 1400 MHz and an effective 22.4 Gbps. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

In the context of Hard West, the GPU's role is to handle the rasterization demands of the game. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as frame rates can exceed 200 FPS on average. At 4K, the GPU's load increases, and the frame rate drops to a point where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings at the same resolution is an indication of how the GPU is handling the increased shader and geometry load.

The 16 GB of VRAM is a significant resource, but the game is from 2015 and is a turn-based tactics title, so it is unlikely to use even a fraction of that memory. The memory's bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s is more than sufficient for the game's needs. The GPU's performance percentile is 86, meaning it is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 54247. Its closest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER, which is 0.1% higher in average score, making the 4080 a very strong performer in this game.

The GPU's performance in this game is strong but not top-tier. The 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS average proves that the GPU is not a weak point, but the 1080p results show that the game is not demanding enough to push the GPU to its limits. The data indicates that the GPU is a high-end component that can handle this game easily, with the main challenge being the 4K resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU has a TDP of 125 W. These specifications are more than sufficient for a game like Hard West, which is a turn-based tactics title that likely doesn't utilize all threads.

In the benchmarks, the CPU's single-core performance is strong. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 and the passmark_single_thread score of 4333 show strong per-core capability. The CPU also has a high multi-core performance, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 30745 and a passmark_multithread score of 45887. This indicates that the CPU is able to handle a wide range of tasks.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and the main game loop. The game is turn-based, so the CPU load may not be as high as in real-time games. However, the high single-thread performance helps a lot in maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor in the system, as the GPU is not fully loaded at those settings.

The CPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which is 0.2% lower in average score, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, which is 0.3% lower. The CPU's high clock speed and 16 cores make it a versatile processor, but for a game like Hard West, the most important factor is the CPU's ability to run a few threads quickly, and the i7-13700K excels at that.

The CPU's role is to provide the data that the GPU needs to draw. At 1080p, the CPU can provide a lot of data, but the GPU cannot keep up, resulting in high frame rates and a CPU bottleneck. At 4K, the CPU has no issues, and the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The CPU's 30 MB of L3 cache and its 5.40 GHz boost clock are key to its performance in this game.