Hard West

The Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B570 pairing in Hard West lands at rank 2360 out of 2949 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of all configurations. This is a turn-based tactics title from 2015, and the benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable at 1080p. The measured FPS spans from 21 frames per second at 4K Ultra to 134 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the Arc B570’s 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit memory bus become the decisive factor as pixel count rises. This analysis breaks down exactly where the bottleneck sits, how the combo ranks against other pairings, and what each resolution and settings tier means for playability.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor built on Intel’s Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake Refresh generation. It runs on a 10 nm process node from Intel’s own foundry, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The chip’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support covers both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, and the processor includes UHD Graphics 770 as integrated graphics, though the Arc B570 handles all rendering in this test. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility are standard for this generation.

In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game from 2015, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic, which is rarely demanding by modern standards. The i7-14700K’s benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160. Geekbench results show a multicore score of 20767 and single-core 2569. Passmark multithread score is 52392, with single-thread at 4472. These numbers place the CPU in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 94% of processors in general compute tasks.

When looking at nearest rivals, the i7-14700K’s average benchmark score is 69355. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288, a delta of 0.1% (i.e., the Intel chip is 0.1% faster). The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K, so the Intel part is effectively tied. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, putting it 0.7% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, 0.9% ahead. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, especially for a turn-based title where frame pacing is not as critical as in fast-action genres.

For Hard West specifically, the CPU’s high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core 2569, Cinebench R15 single-core 313.5) ensures that game logic, AI pathfinding, and turn resolution are never a bottleneck. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 134 FPS, which is well beyond what a 2015 tactics game needs. Even at 1080p Ultra, the CPU can push 63 FPS, suggesting that the processor is not limiting the GPU at any settings tier. The 20 cores are largely idle during gameplay, but the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz means that even single-threaded tasks are handled with minimal latency. The data shows no evidence of CPU-bound behavior — the FPS drops are consistently tied to resolution and settings, not to CPU load. This is expected for a game of this era, where modern high-core-count processors are overkill.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B570 is a Battlemage-generation GPU (Arc 5 series) built on TSMC’s 5 nm process with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 18 ray tracing cores. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, while memory runs at 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. The memory configuration is 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card supports PCIe 4.0 x8, has a 150 W TDP, and requires a 450 W suggested PSU with a single 8-pin power connector. Display outputs include one HDMI 2.1a and three DisplayPort 2.1 connectors. The GPU’s API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In terms of raw performance, the Arc B570’s benchmark scores are moderate. It achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 83514, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844. Passmark G3D score is 14195, with G2D at 661. The GPU’s percentile against all GPUs is 65, meaning it outperforms 65% of graphics cards. Its average benchmark score is 20556. Nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with a score of 20534 (0.1% slower), the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1% faster), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% slower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (0.5% faster). These deltas are tiny, indicating that the Arc B570 sits in a very tight performance cluster.

For Hard West, the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 4K High, the combo delivers 28 FPS, which drops to 21 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is a clear sign that the Arc B570’s 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title, even one from 2015. The game’s art style and effects at Ultra settings likely exceed the GPU’s fill rate or memory capacity. At 1440p, the picture improves: High settings yield 53 FPS, Medium 69 FPS, and Low 85 FPS. These are playable framerates for a turn-based game, though not silky smooth. At 1080p, the GPU shows its true potential: Low settings hit 134 FPS, Medium 110 FPS, High 84 FPS, and Ultra 63 FPS. The 1080p results indicate that the Arc B570 can handle the game comfortably at mainstream resolutions, but the 4K numbers reveal its limitations.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is a key factor. At 4K, the game likely requires more than 10 GB of VRAM at Ultra settings, causing the GPU to spill over into system memory or reduce effective bandwidth. The 160-bit bus width is narrower than many competitors, which further constrains high-resolution performance. The 2500 MHz boost clock is decent, but the pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are modest for 4K workloads. In short, the Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU that excels at 1080p but struggles beyond that, and the benchmark data confirms this pattern.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo averages 84 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, this drops to 53 FPS, a reduction of 37%. At 4K High, the average is 28 FPS, which is 67% lower than 1080p High. For Low settings, the progression is 134 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K — a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K as well. Medium settings show 110 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 63 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K, representing a 67% loss from 1080p to 4K.

These scaling patterns are consistent with GPU-bound behavior. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is nearly identical across all settings (around 67%), which indicates that the GPU’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see smaller drops at higher resolutions because the GPU would be waiting on the processor. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with pixel count, which is the classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, reinforces this. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 93 FPS with a maximum of 126. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 59 FPS with a maximum of 80. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 31 FPS with a maximum of 42. The min-to-max spread widens at lower resolutions, suggesting that the GPU has headroom at 1080p but is saturated at 4K. The fact that 4K Medium averages 36 FPS, barely above the minimum of 31, indicates that the GPU is consistently near its limit.

The data also shows that settings have a significant impact at each resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 71 FPS (from 134 to 63), a 53% reduction. At 1440p, the cost is 45 FPS (from 85 to 40), also a 53% reduction. At 4K, the cost is 23 FPS (from 44 to 21), again a 52% reduction. This consistent percentage across resolutions suggests that the settings sliders are affecting the same GPU resources (shader load, texture quality, etc.) regardless of pixel count. The Arc B570’s 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the ceiling here, and raising settings or resolution pushes against that ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-14700K + Intel Arc B570 combo ranks 2360 out of 2949 tested combinations in Hard West. This places it in the 80th percentile from the bottom, or to put it another way, only 589 combos perform worse. The ranking is based on measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and this pairing’s performance is dragged down by its 4K results. At 1080p, the combo would rank much higher, but the aggregate score includes the sub-30 FPS 4K numbers, which penalize it heavily.

Given that the CPU is in the 94th percentile and the GPU is in the 65th percentile, the combo’s rank of 2360/2949 suggests that the GPU is the weak link. A more balanced pairing (e.g., a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU) would likely rank higher because the GPU would not be the limiting factor. The data shows that the i7-14700K is capable of far more than the Arc B570 can deliver, especially at 4K. The nearest rival combos are not listed in the fact pack, but based on the GPU’s nearest rivals (RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750, etc.), this combo would likely sit in the same performance tier as those pairings.

The combo’s rank of 2360 out of 2949 means that about 80% of tested combos outperform it. This is a poor showing for a system with a high-end CPU, but it is entirely due to the GPU’s limitations. In a turn-based tactics game where frame rates above 30 FPS are generally acceptable, the 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS is the worst case. At 1080p, the combo performs admirably, but the benchmark database’s ranking weights all resolutions equally, so the 4K failures hurt. The takeaway is that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, and it will struggle at 4K in any demanding title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K + Intel Arc B570 combo averages 84 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is a smooth framerate for a turn-based tactics game.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rival in average benchmark score?

A: The Arc B570’s average benchmark score is 20556. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534 (0.1% lower), the Intel Arc A750 scores 20582 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662 (0.5% higher). These deltas are all within 0.5%.

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

A: The lowest measured average FPS is 21 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only setting/resolution combination that falls below 25 FPS.

Q: Does the i7-14700K bottleneck the Arc B570 at any resolution?

A: No. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent (about 67%) across all settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core 2569) ensures it is not a bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2360 out of 2949 tested combos, putting it in the lower third of all configurations. This rank is primarily due to sub-30 FPS results at 4K.

Q: How much FPS is gained by switching from Ultra to Low at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 85 FPS while Ultra averages 40 FPS. That is a gain of 45 FPS, or a 112.5% improvement, when dropping from Ultra to Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table summarizes all measured FPS data from the fact pack. Note that minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for Medium settings; other settings only have average FPS.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 134 FPS average
• Medium: 110 FPS average, 93 FPS minimum, 126 FPS maximum
• High: 84 FPS average
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 85 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum
• High: 53 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 44 FPS average
• Medium: 36 FPS average, 31 FPS minimum, 42 FPS maximum
• High: 28 FPS average
• Ultra: 21 FPS average

At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 80 FPS, making this the sweet spot for the combo. Low settings at 134 FPS are particularly fluid, and even High at 84 FPS is more than sufficient for a turn-based game. Medium settings provide a balanced experience with a minimum of 93 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutter. Ultra at 63 FPS is still playable, though it may not be as smooth as lower settings.

At 1440p, the combo remains playable but with more variance. Low at 85 FPS is excellent, Medium at 69 FPS is good, and High at 53 FPS is acceptable. Ultra at 40 FPS is borderline; for a turn-based game, 40 FPS is functional, but the minimum FPS data (only available for Medium) shows 59 FPS, so Ultra likely dips lower. The 1440p results suggest that the Arc B570 can handle the game at mid-to-high settings without major issues.

At 4K, the combo struggles. Low at 44 FPS is the only playable option, Medium at 36 FPS is marginal, High at 28 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold, and Ultra at 21 FPS is nearly unplayable. The minimum FPS for 4K Medium is 31 FPS, which means the GPU is consistently at its limit. These numbers confirm that 4K is not a viable resolution for this pairing in Hard West, at least not with the default settings tested. The 4K Low result of 44 FPS is the only way to get a smooth experience at that resolution, and even then, it is not ideal.

The data shows a clear pattern: the Arc B570 is a 1080p-class GPU with some 1440p capability, but it lacks the bandwidth and VRAM for 4K. The i7-14700K is more than capable of supporting the GPU at any resolution, but the GPU’s 380.0 GB/s bandwidth and 10 GB VRAM are the deciding factors. For gamers with a 1080p monitor, this combo delivers strong performance across all settings. For 1440p, it is acceptable with settings tuned down. For 4K, it is only playable at Low settings, and even then, the 44 FPS average is not ideal. The rank of 2360 out of 2949 reflects this mixed performance, with the 4K results dragging down an otherwise decent 1080p showing.