Hard West

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a mid-pack result in Hard West, ranking 1395th out of 1699 tested combinations. This places the combo in the 17th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while the setup is far from the weakest, it is decisively outpaced by the majority of configurations in the database for this specific turn-based tactics title. The data suggests a substantial bottleneck on the graphics side, as the CPU’s high computational standing does not translate into top-tier frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 1699 tested combinations, this pairing of an Intel Core i7-14700K and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 sits at rank 1395. This is a low position, placing it in the bottom 18% of all tested systems for Hard West. The ranking reflects the GPU’s performance ceiling; the RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, while the i7-14700K is at the 96th percentile among all CPUs. This stark contrast indicates a system where the processor’s potential is largely untapped by the graphics card in this game’s workload.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 16074 places it near rivals such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which scores 15996 with a 0.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which scores 15786 with a 1.8% delta. The RTX 2060 is slightly ahead of the RX 7600S and W5500, but it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700, both of which score 16351, representing a -1.7% delta. The measured frame rates in Hard West reflect this mid-tier GPU standing, with the combo failing to break into high-performance territory at any resolution or preset. The CPU’s high percentile rank does not boost the combo’s in-game rank, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Hard West?*

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 142.4 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 23.4 FPS on Ultra settings to 46.2 FPS on Low settings, with High and Medium presets yielding 32.9 FPS and 39.2 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the performance bottleneck?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 58th percentile. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

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

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 90 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average frame rate drops to 55.1 FPS, a decrease of 34.9 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average score of 16074. It is marginally ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786), but slightly behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which both score 16351.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 23.4 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a high-end desktop processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture. It features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU’s substantial cache configuration includes 33 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44534 and a single-core score of 6287, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, AI pathfinding, and unit turn calculations. The data, however, shows that this processor’s capabilities far exceed the demands of the game at the tested settings. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 70074 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70104 with a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, a -0.5% delta, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71056, a -1.4% delta. These scores show the i7-14700K is competitive with top-tier CPUs, yet the in-game frame rates do not reflect this high standing. This suggests that the game’s performance is not constrained by the processor’s computational throughput, but rather by the graphics card’s ability to render the scene.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo show a clear progression across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 67.4 on Ultra to 142.4 on Low. The Medium preset yields 118.5 FPS, while High is close behind at 90 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 75 FPS, indicating a significant performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates decrease notably. Low settings produce 90.2 FPS, which is a 52.2 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium yields 75.7 FPS, High produces 55.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.7 FPS. At this resolution, the RTX 2060 begins to show its limits, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening to 48.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 46.2 FPS, which is the only preset above 40 FPS. Medium produces 39.2 FPS, High drops to 32.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 23.4 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 2060’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, are insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay in Hard West, even at lower presets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 90 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a 38.8% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate drops further to 32.9 FPS, a 40.3% reduction from the 1440p result. This consistent and steep decline with increasing resolution is a classic sign of a graphics card that is saturated by pixel throughput demands.

The scaling pattern is similar across other presets. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 142.4 FPS at 1080p to 90.2 FPS at 1440p, and then to 46.2 FPS at 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 67.4 FPS at 1080p to 41.7 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 23.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions are substantial in all cases, reinforcing that the RTX 2060 is the primary limiting component. The CPU’s high benchmark scores and 96th percentile ranking do not mitigate the frame rate collapse at higher resolutions, as the rendering workload becomes increasingly dependent on the GPU’s processing power and memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the most balanced experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which yields an average frame rate of 118.5 FPS. This provides a high level of smoothness while maintaining a reasonable visual quality. For those prioritizing maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p produces 142.4 FPS, but this comes at the cost of reduced graphical detail. The High preset at 1080p, with 90 FPS, is also a viable option for a better visual experience without significant performance loss.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 75.7 FPS, which is a playable frame rate for a turn-based game, though it requires a compromise on visual fidelity. The High preset at 1440p, at 55.1 FPS, is acceptable but borders on the lower end of smoothness. At 3840x2160, all presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with Low settings being the only option that approaches playability at 46.2 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo in Hard West, and users should target 1080p or 1440p for a better experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it incurs a significant performance penalty—dropping to 23.4 FPS at 4K—without a proportional benefit in gameplay for a turn-based tactics title.