Hard West

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a commanding performance profile in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015. This combination ranks 214th out of 3,722 tested combos in the database, placing it in the top percentile of all systems assessed for this game. The benchmark results, which are measured rather than estimated, show that this hardware pairing is overwhelmingly capable of pushing high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, though the data also reveals a clear shift in performance bottlenecks depending on the configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 214 out of 3,722 tested combinations places it firmly in the upper echelon of systems evaluated for Hard West gameplay. This top-tier standing is supported by the raw hardware capabilities on both sides of the equation. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 69,355 places it in the 94th percentile against all processors, while the GPU’s average score of 54,209 puts it in the 86th percentile against all graphics cards. These high percentile standings indicate that neither component is a weak link in this pairing.

Examining the CPU’s nearest rivals provides context for its performance tier. The Intel Core i7-14700K sits within a tightly clustered group of high-end processors. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115, but trails the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX by 0.7%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F by 0.9%. These deltaPct values are minimal, suggesting that the i7-14700K is effectively in the same performance class as these competitors, with differences that would be imperceptible in most gaming scenarios, especially one as undemanding as Hard West.

Similarly, the GPU’s rival list shows a tight grouping. The RTX 4080 SUPER is 0.1% behind the standard RTX 4080, but ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.7%, and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.8%. This places the SUPER variant at the top of its immediate comparison group, reinforcing its position as a high-end performer. The data suggests that this combo is overqualified for Hard West, providing a massive performance buffer that ensures smooth gameplay even under the most demanding settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 14th-generation desktop processor based 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 processor has a 125W TDP and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU also integrates UHD Graphics 770, though the presence of a discrete GPU renders this irrelevant for gaming performance.

In the context of Hard West, a turn-based tactics game, the CPU’s role is less about raw multi-core throughput and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing and handling game logic. The processor’s multi-threaded performance is substantial, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33,440.5 and Geekbench multi-core score of 20,767. However, single-thread performance is often more critical for older game engines. The i7-14700K’s single-core scores are also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,160 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,569.

The benchmark data indicates that the CPU is never the limiting factor in this pairing. Even at 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU workload is lightest and CPU overhead is most likely to surface, the combo still achieves an average of 316 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the 20-core processor, with its high boost clock, is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4080 SUPER with enough data to maintain maximum performance. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all processors further confirms that it will not bottleneck the GPU in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features the AD103 chip. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2,295 MHz with a boost clock of 2,550 MHz, and its memory operates at 1,438 MHz, which translates to 23 Gbps effective. The card has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. It also includes 80 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores, making it a fully featured modern GPU.

For Hard West, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The game is not graphically intensive by modern standards, but the RTX 4080 SUPER’s massive compute power ensures that even at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS remains playable at 51. The GPU’s performance is benchmarked across several tests, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 260,075. Its Passmark G3D score of 34,245 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1440p, the RTX 4080 SUPER still delivers over 100 FPS on High settings, and at 1080p it exceeds 200 FPS on High. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, which was released in 2015 and does not require substantial memory for textures. The GPU’s high texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s further demonstrate its ability to handle the game’s rendering demands with ease.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1080p, the combo achieves exceptional frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 316. Medium settings yield an average of 267 FPS, with a minimum of 227 and a maximum of 307. High settings produce an average of 205 FPS, while Ultra settings still deliver a robust 154 FPS average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-limited in the sense that the CPU can easily push far beyond what the GPU can render, yet the GPU itself is so powerful that even the most demanding settings result in triple-digit frame rates.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains very high but shows the expected scaling. Low settings average 206 FPS, Medium settings average 169 FPS with a range of 144 to 194, High settings average 130 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 97 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent frame rate reduction of roughly 30-40% across all settings, which is typical for a resolution increase that roughly doubles the pixel count.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance is still very playable. Low settings average 108 FPS, Medium settings average 89 FPS with a range of 75 to 102, High settings average 68 FPS, and Ultra settings average 51 FPS. The 4K results show a more pronounced drop, but even the lowest average of 51 FPS at Ultra is above the threshold for smooth gameplay in a turn-based strategy title. The data shows that this combo can handle Hard West at any resolution and setting combination without significant compromise.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial but consistent with what is expected from a high-end GPU. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 316 at 1080p to 206 at 1440p and then to 108 at 4K. This represents a 34.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47.6% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is similar at High settings, where the averages are 205, 130, and 68 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The percentage drops are 36.6% and 47.7% for the respective transitions.

This scaling behavior indicates that the system is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. As the pixel count increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The CPU’s performance remains constant, so the limiting factor shifts entirely to the GPU. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU may introduce minor limitations, but the data shows that the GPU is still the dominant factor. The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the game’s rendering load scales predictably with resolution.

The fact that the RTX 4080 SUPER can maintain an average of 51 FPS at 4K Ultra confirms its raw power. For a turn-based tactics game, this level of performance is more than sufficient, as the gameplay does not require the same rapid frame updates as a first-person shooter. The resolution scaling data confirms that this combo is well-balanced for 1440p and 4K gaming, with 1080p being almost overkill.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. At 1080p, all settings are viable, but Medium settings offer a balanced experience. The average of 267 FPS at Medium is only 15.5% lower than the 316 FPS at Low, while providing a noticeable improvement in visual quality. High settings at 205 FPS are also excellent, and even Ultra at 154 FPS is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. For users with high refresh rate monitors, Medium or High settings would be the best choice to maximize frame rates while maintaining good visuals.

At 1440p, Medium settings provide the best balance, with an average of 169 FPS and a minimum of 144 FPS. This ensures that the game remains fluid even during intense moments. High settings at 130 FPS are also perfectly playable and offer better visual quality. Ultra at 97 FPS is still above 60 FPS, but the jump from High to Ultra may not be worth the 25% frame rate reduction for most users. Low settings at 206 FPS are unnecessary unless the user has a very high refresh rate display.

At 4K, the recommendation changes. High settings at an average of 68 FPS provide a good balance between visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 89 FPS are even smoother and are likely the best overall choice for 4K gaming, as the visual difference between Medium and High may be less noticeable at this resolution. Ultra at 51 FPS is playable for a turn-based game, but the frame rate dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be undesirable. Low settings at 108 FPS are an option for users who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual compromise is likely too severe for a modern GPU.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this combo for Hard West?*

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 214th out of 3,722 tested combos for this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69,355, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X’s score of 69,515.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 316, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the frame rate at 4K Ultra settings playable?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 51, which is playable for a turn-based tactics game.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, using 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: At 1440p, which settings provide a minimum FPS above 60?

A: All measured settings at 2560x1440 provide an average FPS above 60. The lowest average is 97 FPS at Ultra settings, and the only setting with a reported minimum is Medium, which has a minimum of 144 FPS.