Hard West

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a stark contrast in a turn-based tactics title like Hard West. The data shows a combination where a high-end, modern CPU is paired with a low-power integrated GPU, yielding frame rates that are heavily constrained by the graphics solution across all tested settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to characterize the scaling behavior, the distinct roles of the processor and graphics chip, and the practical implications for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a severe sensitivity to resolution, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant performance limiter in this configuration. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the "High" preset drops the average frame rate from 49 FPS to 31 FPS, a reduction of 18 FPS or approximately 37%. The subsequent jump to 3840x2160 on the same preset is even more punishing, with the average falling to 16 FPS, which is less than a third of the 1080p performance. This pattern of substantial losses with each step up in resolution indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput is being saturated, and the workload is scaling directly with pixel count.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all quality presets. On "Low" settings, the average FPS drops from 79 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p and finally to 26 at 4K. The proportional decline is steep, suggesting that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the integrated GPU lacks the raw fill rate and shading power to maintain playable performance at higher resolutions. The data points to a component that is fundamentally a 1080p solution; at 1440p, performance is roughly halved, and at 4K, it becomes largely unplayable for any real-time interaction.

The 4K results are particularly telling. With "Ultra" settings, the average frame rate plummets to 12 FPS, and even on "Low" settings, it only reaches 26 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth, which is system-dependent, and its execution resources are overwhelmed. The scaling from 1440p to 4K on "Medium" settings, for instance, shows a drop from 41 FPS to 21 FPS. This halving of performance suggests a near-linear scaling with the pixel count increase, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU is operating at its absolute limit, with no headroom for the CPU to compensate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a Raptor Lake Refresh processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, featuring a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU's role is primarily to manage game logic, unit pathfinding, and AI decision-making, tasks that are not typically frame-rate bound at these low GPU performance levels. The benchmark results for this CPU are exceptionally strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

Given the extremely low FPS figures measured, the data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The processor's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, which often dictate turn-based game responsiveness, are handled with ample speed. However, the measured FPS never exceeds 79 frames per second even at 1080p "Low", which is a scenario where a powerful CPU could theoretically push a weak GPU to its limits. The fact that the frame rate is so low indicates that the GPU is unable to utilize the CPU's processing capacity, leaving the i7-14700F largely idle.

The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache are more than sufficient for this game's data sets. The high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 41317, would be beneficial for loading times and any background tasks, but it does not translate to higher frame rates in this specific benchmark. The data strongly suggests that the CPU's role is passive; it is ready to feed frames, but the Intel Arc B370 cannot keep up, making the CPU's performance headroom irrelevant to the final FPS output.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear limiting factor in this configuration. With a TDP of just 25 W and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, it is an integrated graphics solution designed for low power consumption. Its performance class is reflected in its benchmark scores; it achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and AMD Radeon HD 7650M, are over a decade old, confirming its entry-level positioning.

The GPU's memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory for graphics data. This is a critical constraint, as the memory bandwidth is "System Dependent." In Hard West, the data shows that this shared memory configuration contributes significantly to the performance ceiling. The GPU has 1280 shading units and 40 texture mapping units, but its pixel rate and texture rate are limited by its 20 ROPs and 96.00 GTexel/s fill rate. These specifications are the reason why the frame rates collapse so dramatically at higher resolutions.

The measured FPS data directly reflects the GPU's limitations. At 1080p, the Arc B370 can manage 79 FPS on "Low" settings, but this drops to 37 FPS on "Ultra," showing that even at a modest resolution, the graphical preset has a massive impact. The GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for the increased shader load of Hard West at 1440p and 4K. The results show a component that is only viable for low-resolution, low-detail gaming, and its performance in this test is consistent with its low percentile ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed picture of this combo's capabilities across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

1920x1080: This is the only resolution where the combo approaches playable frame rates. At "Low" settings, the average FPS is 79, which is smooth and responsive. "Medium" settings yield 64 FPS on average, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, showing a stable experience. "High" settings drop the average to 49 FPS, which is still acceptable for a turn-based game. "Ultra" settings result in an average of 37 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for smooth camera panning.

2560x1440: Performance takes a significant hit at this resolution. "Low" settings produce an average of 50 FPS, which is a steep drop from the 79 FPS at 1080p. "Medium" settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. "High" settings fall to 31 FPS. "Ultra" settings are nearly unplayable, with an average of just 23 FPS.

3840x2160: The 4K resolution is where the combo fails to deliver a usable experience. "Low" settings only average 26 FPS. "Medium" settings average 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS. "High" settings average 16 FPS. "Ultra" settings are the worst, with an average of 12 FPS. All 4K results are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides consistently playable frame rates. At this resolution, the average FPS ranges from 37 on "Ultra" to 79 on "Low," making it the only viable choice for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the "Ultra" preset affect performance compared to "Low"?

A: The impact is substantial. At 1080p, selecting "Ultra" over "Low" reduces the average frame rate from 79 FPS to 37 FPS, a drop of more than half. At 1440p, the drop is from 50 FPS to 23 FPS, and at 4K, it is from 26 FPS to 12 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No, the data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The measured frame rates are extremely low, even at 1080p "Low," which suggests the Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's performance headroom, as indicated by its high benchmark scores, is not being utilized.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p on "High" settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 49 FPS at 1920x1080 to 31 FPS at 2560x1440. This 18 FPS reduction represents a significant performance penalty for moving to a higher resolution.

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

A: The data shows that 4K gaming is not viable. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 26 FPS on "Low" settings, and it falls to 12 FPS on "Ultra." These frame rates are too low for a smooth experience.

Q: How does this GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, has an average score of 1186, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, a delta of -0.7%. This indicates the Arc B370 is in the same performance class as these older, entry-level cards.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points strongly to prioritizing resolution over graphical fidelity. The most balanced recommendation is to play at 1920x1080 with "Medium" settings. This configuration yields an average of 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. This provides a stable and responsive frame rate for a turn-based strategy game, ensuring smooth camera movement and unit animations without the visual noise of "Low" settings.

If a higher frame rate is desired, dropping to "Low" at 1080p provides 79 FPS on average, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. This is the optimal choice for maximizing smoothness. Conversely, if visual quality is the primary concern, "High" at 1080p is the maximum viable setting, averaging 49 FPS. "Ultra" settings at 1080p are not recommended, as the 37 FPS average dips into a range where camera panning can feel less fluid.

At 1440p, the data suggests that only "Low" settings, with an average of 50 FPS, are acceptable. "Medium" at 1440p averages 41 FPS and is borderline, while "High" and "Ultra" fall below 31 FPS and should be avoided. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even "Low" settings cannot consistently maintain 30 FPS, and the average FPS for all presets is below 26.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hard West, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2721 out of 2949 combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the low performance of the integrated GPU. The ranking reflects that while the CPU is a top-tier component, the overall system performance is dragged down by the graphics solution's inability to render the game at competitive frame rates.

The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs. The data indicates that this is a system built for productivity or general use, not for gaming. The high CPU scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122, do not contribute to a higher combo ranking because the game's frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU. The benchmark results show a system where the performance is strictly bounded by the weakest link, resulting in a final ranking that reflects the GPU's limitations rather than the CPU's strengths.