Hard West

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF brings substantial processing headroom to this turn-based tactics title. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the processor operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, built on Intel's Raptor Lake-R architecture using a 10 nm process node. The cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 33 MB L3 cache, which helps feed the game's AI calculations and unit-turn logic efficiently.

In synthetic testing, this CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290, placing it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs tested. The multi-core strength is particularly relevant for Hard West's turn-based combat, where each enemy unit's decision-making can spawn multiple threads for pathfinding and line-of-sight checks. The PassMark multithread score of 52425 and integer math score of 183056 indicate that the processor can handle heavy simulation workloads without becoming a bottleneck, even when many units are active on screen.

The nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Core i7-14700K at 70074 (a delta of 0%), the AMD EPYC 9115 at 69887 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at 70420 (0.4% higher), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at 71056 (1.3% higher). These margins are tight, meaning the i7-14700KF sits in a performance band where game results will be dictated more by GPU and settings than by CPU choice. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier give it headroom for overclocking, though the measured FPS data below suggests that even at stock settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves a combo rank of 499 out of 1699 tested combinations in Hard West. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, which is a solid position for a turn-based tactics game that is not typically considered a demanding benchmark title. The rank reflects that while this pairing is strong, there are 498 other combos that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking makes sense when you consider that Hard West, released in 2015, has modest graphical demands compared to modern AAA releases. The RTX 3080's raw compute power — 29.77 TFLOPS FP32 and a PassMark G3D score of 25086 — is more than sufficient for this game's visual style. The GPU sits in the 80th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (delta of -0.2%), the AMD Radeon 880M (delta of 0.4%), the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (delta of -0.9%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (delta of 1%). These close margins suggest the RTX 3080 is still competitive, but the combo rank of 499 indicates that many other pairings leverage higher-end GPUs or CPUs to push frame rates further.

For context, combos that rank higher likely use GPUs with more VRAM or faster memory bandwidth, which can matter at higher resolutions. The i7-14700KF's 96th percentile CPU standing is not the constraint here; the GPU's 80th percentile position is the more limiting factor in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the bottleneck shifts as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers 156.3 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at High drops this to 100 FPS, a reduction of approximately 36% from the 1080p result. At 3840x2160 High, the frame rate falls to 50 FPS, which is a 68% drop from 1080p. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being stressed as pixel count increases, but the CPU maintains adequate throughput.

The resolution scaling is more dramatic at lower settings. At Low settings, the combo achieves 243.3 FPS at 1080p, 156.9 FPS at 1440p, and 84.7 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is only 34.8% of the 1080p Low figure, which shows that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor at 4K. This is expected behavior for a GPU with a 320-bit memory bus, which offers strong bandwidth but is outclassed by higher-end cards with wider buses.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the combo is often GPU-bound even at High settings, but the CPU's 20 cores provide enough headroom for the game's turn-based logic. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The scaling from Medium to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this: at 1080p Medium, the combo hits 199.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to 115.1 FPS — a 42% penalty for maxing out visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 243.3 FPS, Medium settings yield 199.9 FPS, High settings give 156.3 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 115.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 128.2 FPS, which represents a 52.7% reduction in performance for maximum quality. Even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 100 FPS, making this resolution comfortable for any display.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show a clear step down. Low settings deliver 156.9 FPS, Medium produces 126.7 FPS, High gives 100 FPS, and Ultra falls to 71.5 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 30-40%, with Ultra experiencing the largest absolute reduction of 43.6 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 71.5 FPS is still smooth for a turn-based game, but it shows that max settings at this resolution start to tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become the limiting factor for high refresh rate displays. Low settings deliver 84.7 FPS, Medium produces 68.3 FPS, High gives 50 FPS, and Ultra drops to 38.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46.3 FPS, which is a 54.7% reduction. The Ultra result of 38.4 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth, though it remains playable for a turn-based tactics title where reaction time is less critical. The 4K High result of 50 FPS is also borderline, suggesting that players targeting 4K should consider Medium settings (68.3 FPS) for a more comfortable experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the GA102 chip using Samsung's 8 nm process, with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz, with memory clocked at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus delivers 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Hard West's textures and effects but becomes strained at 4K Ultra as the data shows.

The GPU's 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs provide substantial rasterization power. With 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, the card is also equipped for ray tracing and DLSS, though Hard West — a 2015 title — does not leverage these features. The FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS gives the card strong compute capability, and the PassMark G3D score of 25086 places it in the 80th percentile among all GPUs. In OpenCL testing, the card scores 167014, and in Vulkan it reaches 145176, indicating solid API support for modern titles.

The RTX 3080's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the AMD Radeon Pro Duo at 35860 (delta of -0.2%), the AMD Radeon 880M at 35646 (delta of 0.4%), the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE at 36101 (delta of -0.9%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile at 35435 (delta of 1%). These tight deltas show that the RTX 3080 remains competitive with newer cards in synthetic benchmarks, though its 10 GB VRAM capacity is a limiting factor at higher resolutions in more demanding titles. For Hard West specifically, the GPU's role is to push frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, where it excels, and to maintain playable performance at 4K with adjusted settings.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s is a key factor in the resolution scaling observed. At 1080p, the game's texture streaming and draw calls fit comfortably within the 10 GB VRAM, allowing the GPU to operate at high efficiency. At 4K, the increased texture resolution and pixel count push against the memory bus limits, which explains the significant FPS drops at higher settings. The card's 320-bit bus is narrower than premium offerings, but it handles this game's requirements adequately outside of 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF strong enough for Hard West?

A: Yes. The CPU scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it provides far more processing power than this turn-based tactics game requires, and the measured FPS data shows the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: The combo delivers 115.1 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 38.4 FPS, but for a turn-based game, this remains playable.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in this system?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score is 35787, with the AMD Radeon Pro Duo at -0.2% delta, the AMD Radeon 880M at +0.4% delta, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE at -0.9% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile at +1% delta. These margins are all within 1%, indicating near-identical synthetic performance.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: At 1080p High, the combo achieves 156.3 FPS, but at 4K High it falls to 50 FPS — a 68% reduction. This is because the RTX 3080's 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 320-bit bus (760.3 GB/s bandwidth) become stressed as pixel count increases, making the GPU the limiting component at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this pairing?

A: The data shows 1440p Medium delivers 126.7 FPS, which offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. For higher fidelity, 1440p High gives 100 FPS, while 4K Medium provides 68.3 FPS if you prefer higher resolution over maximum settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Hard West?

A: The combo ranks 499 out of 1699 total combinations, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems. The CPU's 96th percentile standing and the GPU's 80th percentile standing combine to produce this solid but not top-tier ranking.