Hard West

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 based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This configuration places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70104, a delta of 0%, meaning the two are effectively identical in synthetic performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, putting it 0.5% ahead, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71056, 1.4% ahead. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming terms.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining consistent frame pacing during AI turns and scene transitions rather than pushing raw frame rates. The game's genre typically involves modest per-frame CPU work, but the 14700K's high single-thread performance — evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287 and Geekbench single-core score of 2932 — ensures that even the most complex turn-based calculations don't bottleneck the GPU. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache helps with the repetitive data access patterns common in tactical game logic.

Benchmark results indicate that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 276.5 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most displays. This suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions where GPU load is lighter. The processor's multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44534 and Passmark multithread score of 52392, are more than sufficient for a game of this era, even with background tasks running.

The 14700K's 125W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory give it flexibility, but for Hard West specifically, the data shows that the CPU's headroom is vast. The bottleneck in this combo is clearly the GPU at higher settings and resolutions, as detailed in later sections. The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks all fall within 1.4% of its average score, indicating that swapping to any of them would yield imperceptible differences in this game's frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Across all three resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability. At 1080p, Medium delivers 230.2 FPS, which is 46.3 FPS lower than Low (276.5 FPS) but a substantial 100.8 FPS higher than Ultra (129.4 FPS). The jump from Medium to High costs 53.5 FPS (230.2 to 176.7), while the jump from High to Ultra costs another 47.3 FPS (176.7 to 129.4). This suggests that Medium is the sweet spot where the visual improvements over Low are meaningful but the performance cost is still manageable.

At 1440p, the same hierarchy holds. Medium produces 142.3 FPS, which is 32.2 FPS below Low (174.5 FPS) but 58.9 FPS above Ultra (83.4 FPS). High sits at 109.6 FPS, which is still smooth for a turn-based tactics game, but the step from Medium to High costs 32.7 FPS. For players with 144Hz displays, Medium at 1440p is the recommended choice, as it stays above the refresh threshold with room to spare.

At 4K, the picture changes. Medium delivers 74 FPS, which is playable but not exceptionally fluid. High drops to 59.7 FPS, which is borderline for a game that doesn't require fast reflexes. Ultra falls to 40.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider minimum for smooth gameplay. Low at 4K hits 94.6 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates that the GPU has significant headroom when graphical effects are minimized.

The data suggests that for the best experience, Medium is the default recommendation at all resolutions. At 1080p and 1440p, it provides frame rates well above 60 FPS with visual quality that should satisfy most players. At 4K, Medium's 74 FPS is the highest preset that stays comfortably above the playability threshold, making it the clear choice over High (59.7 FPS) or Ultra (40.4 FPS). Low is only recommended if the player prioritizes maximum frame rate over all visual fidelity, which is rarely necessary in a turn-based game.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the primary limiting component. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 230.2 FPS at 1080p to 142.3 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 87.9 FPS (38.2%). Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate falls to 74 FPS, another 68.3 FPS drop (48.0%). The total decline from 1080p to 4K is 156.2 FPS, representing a 67.9% reduction.

This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload doesn't change significantly with pixel count. The fact that the RTX 5070's performance degrades so sharply with resolution indicates that its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at higher pixel counts.

At High settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 176.7 FPS at 1080p, 109.6 FPS at 1440p, and 59.7 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 67.1 FPS (38.0%), and from 1440p to 4K is 49.9 FPS (45.5%). The percentage drops are similar to Medium, confirming that the GPU is the consistent bottleneck.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 129.4 FPS at 1080p, 83.4 FPS at 1440p, and 40.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 89 FPS, a 68.8% reduction. This mirrors the scaling seen at other presets, reinforcing that the limiting component is the GPU's rendering throughput rather than any CPU-side constraint.

The Low preset at 4K still achieves 94.6 FPS, which is 55.9% higher than Ultra at 4K (40.4 FPS). This wide gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution demonstrates that the RTX 5070's performance is highly sensitive to the graphical effects enabled by higher presets, further confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 296th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 17.4% of all combinations, which is a strong showing for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The rank reflects the combo's ability to deliver high frame rates across all settings and resolutions, with the CPU's top-tier synthetic performance (96th percentile) and the GPU's respectable standing (83rd percentile).

The GPU's average benchmark score of 41687 puts it close to several rivals: the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610 (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 41441 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 41991 (0.7% higher). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the RTX 5070's raw compute performance is comparable to these older or workstation-oriented cards, though its modern architecture and 12 GB VRAM give it advantages in other metrics.

The combo's rank of 296 out of 1699 suggests that while it's not at the very top of the leaderboard, it outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations. The top combos likely feature higher-end GPUs like the RTX 5090 or RX 7900 XTX, which would push frame rates even higher at 4K Ultra. However, for a game like Hard West that doesn't demand extreme graphical fidelity, this combo's 4K Medium result of 74 FPS is more than adequate.

The delta between this combo's rank and the CPU's individual percentile (96th) indicates that the GPU is the weaker link in the pairing. The CPU could theoretically drive a much more powerful GPU without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by its high single-thread scores and the fact that frame rates scale predictably with resolution. The combo's rank is therefore a reflection of the RTX 5070's mid-range positioning rather than any deficiency in the 14700K.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 in Hard West?

A: No. Benchmark results show that the CPU's performance is far above what the game requires. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 276.5 FPS, and the frame rate scaling across resolutions (from 1080p to 4K at any preset) follows a GPU-bound pattern, indicating the CPU has significant headroom.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 4K resolution?

A: Medium is the recommended preset at 4K, delivering 74 FPS. High drops to 59.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra falls to 40.4 FPS. Low achieves 94.6 FPS but sacrifices visual quality that is likely acceptable in a turn-based tactics game.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 41687. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610 (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 41441 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 41991 (0.7% higher). All rivals are within 1% of the RTX 5070's score.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the combo delivers 176.7 FPS at 1080p and 59.7 FPS at 4K, a drop of 117 FPS (66.2%). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU workload does not scale with resolution.

Q: Does the 14700K's synthetic benchmark performance translate to better frame rates in Hard West?

A: The 14700K ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival, the 14700KF, scores 70104 (0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420 (0.5% higher). These small deltas suggest that CPU choice has minimal impact on frame rates in this game, as the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 296th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the top 17.4% of all configurations. This rank reflects the strong but not top-tier performance of the RTX 5070, which sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 276.5 FPS
• Medium: 230.2 FPS
• High: 176.7 FPS
• Ultra: 129.4 FPS

The 1080p results show a clear performance hierarchy with a 147.1 FPS spread between Low and Ultra. Low delivers more than double the frame rate of Ultra, making it the choice for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium remains above 230 FPS, which is well beyond any practical refresh rate, while High still exceeds 170 FPS. Ultra at 129.4 FPS is the only preset that drops below 150 FPS, but it remains smooth for turn-based gameplay.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 174.5 FPS
• Medium: 142.3 FPS
• High: 109.6 FPS
• Ultra: 83.4 FPS

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high across all presets. Low and Medium both exceed 140 FPS, which is sufficient for 144Hz displays. High at 109.6 FPS is still above 100 FPS, and even Ultra at 83.4 FPS clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. The spread between Low and Ultra is 91.1 FPS, showing that the GPU still has headroom at this resolution.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 94.6 FPS
• Medium: 74 FPS
• High: 59.7 FPS
• Ultra: 40.4 FPS

At 4K, the frame rates drop significantly. Low is the only preset that exceeds 90 FPS, while Medium stays above 70 FPS. High falls just below 60 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40.4 FPS, which is below the playability threshold for most players. The spread between Low and Ultra is 54.2 FPS, and the data suggests that Medium is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable frame rate at this resolution.