Hard West

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Hard West with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 186 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 118 FPS, a reduction of 68 FPS, while 4K Low yields 62 FPS, which is 124 FPS below the 1080p figure. This scaling curve is steep, indicating that the rendering workload grows substantially as pixel count increases.

When examining High settings, the trend continues. The 1080p High average is 117 FPS, 1440p High is 74 FPS, and 4K High is 39 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 43 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 35 FPS. Interestingly, the absolute FPS loss between resolution steps is not constant; the 1080p-to-1440p transition costs more frames than the 1440p-to-4K transition at High settings.

The Medium preset provides the only complete data with min and max FPS figures. At 1080p Medium, the average is 152 FPS with a minimum of 129 and maximum of 175. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 96 FPS with min/max of 82/111. At 4K Medium, the average is 51 FPS with min/max of 43/58. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the spread between min and max, remains relatively tight at each resolution, suggesting stable performance rather than erratic spikes.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling. The 1080p Ultra average is 88 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 55 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 29 FPS. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for smooth gameplay. This suggests that at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU is the limiting component, as the frame rate collapses to nearly half of the 1440p result.

The data indicates that as resolution increases, the performance penalty per pixel grows disproportionately. From 1080p to 1440p, the pixel count increases by 1.78 times, yet the FPS at High settings drops by 36.8%. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 2.25 times, and the FPS drops by 47.3%. This non-linear relationship points to the GPU becoming progressively more saturated at higher resolutions, with the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory buffer and 128-bit bus width likely playing a role in the 4K performance ceiling.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Hard West?

A: The highest average FPS is 186, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Hard West at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The data shows a 4K Ultra average of 29 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered playable. Users seeking 4K should consider Medium settings, which yield 51 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, deltaPct -0.2), 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M (17588), and 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551).

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 118 FPS average, while Ultra produces 55 FPS. This 63 FPS difference represents a 53.4% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the 186 FPS result is very high, but the i7-14700KF with 20 cores and 28 threads has substantial headroom. Given that the GPU is rated in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, the RTX 4060 is likely the limiting factor even at 1080p, though the game's turn-based nature means high frame rates are less critical than in action titles.

Q: Does the data include frame time consistency information?

A: Only the Medium preset includes minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 129 to 175 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 82 to 111 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 43 to 58 FPS. These ranges indicate stable performance with no major stuttering.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The GPU contains 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 118.9 million per square millimeter. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 2125 MHz with a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's base clock is 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz.

In Hard West, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p Low, the 186 FPS average suggests the GPU is delivering frames quickly, but the game's turn-based tactical nature means that even modest frame rates are acceptable. The RTX 4060's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs handle the game's 2D-heavy visual style efficiently at lower resolutions.

The GPU's memory configuration is notable. With 8 GB of VRAM, the card has enough capacity for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Hard West, but 4K Ultra at 29 FPS suggests that memory bandwidth becomes a constraint at higher pixel counts. The 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is a bottleneck when pushing 8.3 million pixels at 4K with Ultra-quality textures and effects.

The RTX 4060's synthetic benchmark scores provide context for its in-game performance. Its PassMark G3D score is 19545, and it achieves 95057 in Geekbench OpenCL and 48643 in Geekbench Vulkan. The card's percentile rank of 61 among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, which aligns with the measured FPS results showing playable but not exceptional performance at 4K.

The 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability is sufficient for Hard West's DirectX 12 rendering path. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with the game's API requirements. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but likely underutilized in a turn-based tactics game that does not emphasize ray tracing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 186 FPS. Medium settings yield 152 FPS average with a minimum of 129 and maximum of 175. High settings follow at 117 FPS average. Ultra settings complete the 1080p picture with 88 FPS average. The step-down from Low to Medium is 34 FPS, from Medium to High is 35 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 29 FPS. All 1080p presets remain well above 60 FPS, making this resolution comfortable for any display refresh rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings average 118 FPS, which is 36.6% lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 96 FPS with min/max of 82/111. High settings average 74 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 55 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 63 FPS, representing a 53.4% performance penalty for maximum quality. All 1440p presets except Ultra remain above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 begins to struggle. Low settings average 62 FPS, just above the 60 FPS mark. Medium settings average 51 FPS with min/max of 43/58. High settings average 39 FPS. Ultra settings average 29 FPS, falling below the playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33 FPS, a 53.2% reduction. The 4K Medium result of 51 FPS is the highest preset that maintains acceptable smoothness at this resolution.

Comparing across resolutions at the same preset, the data shows consistent scaling. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 186 to 118 to 62 as resolution increases. At High settings, the progression is 117 to 74 to 39. At Ultra, it is 88 to 55 to 29. The pattern reveals that the GPU's performance scales roughly linearly with pixel count, but the absolute frame rates at 4K indicate that this combination is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-14700KF demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44167, and single-core is 6235. Geekbench multi-core reaches 21462 with single-core at 2578. PassMark multi-thread scores 52425, while single-thread scores 4480. The CPU's percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs places it in the top 6% of processors.

For Hard West, a turn-based tactics game released in 2015, the CPU requirements are modest. The game's genre does not demand high thread counts; turn-based logic and AI decision-making are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded. The i7-14700KF's single-core performance, evidenced by the 4480 PassMark single-thread score, is more than sufficient for the game's computational demands.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with a deltaPct of 0.2%, meaning the Intel chip is 0.2% faster. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% slower, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% slower. These tiny deltas indicate that the i7-14700KF is at the top of its performance tier.

Given the measured FPS results, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck in Hard West at any tested resolution. The 186 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the game engine is not CPU-limited at that setting. The consistent frame rates across resolutions, with the GPU clearly becoming the limiting factor at 4K, confirm that the i7-14700KF provides ample processing headroom for this title. The CPU's 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a straightforward pairing with the RTX 4060.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable performance, with the lowest being Ultra at 88 FPS. Players with high-refresh-rate displays can choose Low or Medium to exceed 150 FPS, while those prioritizing visual quality can select Ultra without dropping below 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation narrows. High settings at 74 FPS provide a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. Ultra at 55 FPS remains playable but may exhibit slight judder on 60 Hz displays. Medium at 96 FPS is the best choice for players who prefer higher frame rates, while Low at 118 FPS is ideal for competitive play, though Hard West's tactical nature reduces the need for extreme FPS.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Low settings at 62 FPS barely clear the 60 FPS mark and represent the only preset above that threshold. Medium at 51 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but High at 39 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are likely too choppy for comfortable play. For 4K, the Medium preset offers the best experience, providing a 51 FPS average with a minimum of 43 FPS, which maintains reasonable consistency.

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p stands out. The 74 FPS average is smooth, and the visual quality is high. At 1080p, Ultra at 88 FPS is the strongest recommendation, as it delivers maximum quality without sacrificing frame rate. For 4K users, Medium at 51 FPS is the recommended choice, as it balances visual quality with playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 2013 out of 3722 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 54% of tested combos perform worse and 46% perform better. The mid-pack ranking reflects the RTX 4060's position as a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU.

The ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's top-tier status. The i7-14700KF's 94th percentile among all CPUs indicates it is one of the most powerful processors available. However, the RTX 4060's 61st percentile among GPUs drags the overall combo ranking down. In a game like Hard West, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, the GPU still dictates performance at higher resolutions.

The combo's rank of 2013 suggests that while the system is capable of playing Hard West comfortably at 1080p and 1440p, there are many combinations that deliver superior 4K performance. The data indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus limit its 4K capabilities, which is likely the primary factor preventing a higher ranking.

Given the game's 2015 release date and turn-based gameplay, the ranking may also reflect that many modern GPUs, even mid-range ones, can exceed the RTX 4060's performance in this title. The measured FPS at 1080p Ultra of 88 FPS is respectable, but newer GPUs with higher memory bandwidth would likely achieve higher frame rates. The combo's overall standing in the database confirms that it is a solid mid-range option for Hard West, with the CPU providing ample headroom and the GPU serving as the performance limiter at higher resolutions.