Hard West

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a performance profile in Hard West that is heavily dictated by resolution, with the CPU proving more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings. The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p, the system is almost certainly CPU-bound at lower presets, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, a classic shift for a turn-based tactics title with modest graphical demands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system’s bottleneck shifts as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 315.6 FPS. This high frame rate, relative to higher resolutions, indicates that the CPU (Intel Core i7-14700KF) is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p drops the average to 265.2 FPS, a reduction of 50.4 FPS, which is a 16% decrease. This is a significant drop, but the frame rate remains exceptionally high, suggesting that while the GPU workload is increasing, the CPU is still keeping pace.

At 2560x1440, the scaling pattern changes. With Low settings, the average FPS is 207.8, which is 107.8 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. This is a 34% reduction in performance, indicating that the GPU is starting to become a more significant factor. The jump to Medium settings at 1440p yields 171.1 FPS, a 36.7 FPS drop from Low. High settings at 1440p produce 132.4 FPS, and Ultra brings it down to 96.4 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 111.4 FPS, which shows the GPU’s rendering load scaling with preset quality.

The 4K results (3840x2160) confirm the GPU-bound nature of the system at this resolution. Low settings at 4K average 106 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 207.8 FPS at 1440p Low, a 49% reduction. Medium settings at 4K yield 88.1 FPS, while High produces 66 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K are the most demanding, with an average of just 53.9 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Low (315.6 FPS) to 4K Low (106 FPS) is a 66% reduction in frame rate, clearly illustrating the GPU’s increasing workload. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth, is the limiting component at 4K, while the 20-core, 28-thread i7-14700KF is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows offer clear guidance on the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance. For players targeting 4K, the data shows that Ultra settings are only playable at 53.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. High settings at 4K provide a more comfortable 66 FPS average, offering a 12.1 FPS improvement over Ultra while still delivering a high level of visual detail. For a consistently smooth experience at 4K, the Medium preset at 88.1 FPS is the safest choice, providing a significant performance buffer over High without dropping to Low’s visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the system has more headroom. Ultra settings average 96.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a high-fidelity experience without compromising on frame rate. High settings at 1440p are even smoother at 132.4 FPS, but the jump to Ultra is only a 36 FPS penalty, making Ultra a viable option for players with high refresh rate displays. For 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra averaging 157.1 FPS. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Medium preset at 265.2 FPS is a reasonable middle ground, though players could easily opt for Ultra and still enjoy a very high frame rate.

The best experience per the measured rows depends on the resolution. For 4K, the High preset (66 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a solid frame rate with high visual quality. For 1440p, the Ultra preset (96.4 FPS) is the best option, offering excellent visuals and performance. For 1080p, the Ultra preset (157.1 FPS) is the clear winner, as there is ample performance headroom to run the game at maximum settings. In all cases, the data shows that the system is capable of delivering playable frame rates, but the optimal preset varies with resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 65th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the top 3.8% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a very high-performing setup for this specific game. The combo’s rank reflects the strength of both components; the CPU alone is in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 88th percentile among all GPUs.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K (70074, a 0% delta). It is also very close to the AMD EPYC 9115 (69887, a 0.3% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420, a -0.4% delta). This indicates that the CPU’s performance is on par with other top-tier processors, and it is not a limiting factor in the game. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (53489, a 0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (53414, a 0.4% delta), with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti being 2.9% slower (52086). The RTX 4080 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 53610, which is slightly higher than these rivals, confirming its strong position.

The rank of 65 out of 1699 reflects the balance of this combo. It is not the absolute fastest, but it is very close to the top, and the data suggests that any performance deficit is likely due to the game’s optimization rather than a weakness in the hardware. The combo’s position is consistent with its component-level performance, as both the CPU and GPU are high-end parts that excel in their respective benchmarks.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 157.1 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming?

A: Yes, the data shows playable frame rates at 4K. High settings average 66 FPS, and Medium settings average 88.1 FPS, while Ultra drops to 53.9 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 65th out of 1699 tested combos in Hard West.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 207.8 FPS, while Ultra settings average 96.4 FPS, a difference of 111.4 FPS.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as frame rates drop significantly from 1440p, while the CPU has sufficient headroom.

Q: What are the CPU’s core and thread counts?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has 20 cores and 28 threads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER plays a critical role in determining the frame rates at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 256-bit memory bus provide a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is essential for handling the increased texture and geometry data at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz, combined with its 10240 shading units, allows it to process a substantial number of pixels per second, as evidenced by its pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s. This hardware is well-suited for rendering the game’s turn-based tactical environments, which often feature detailed character models and static backgrounds.

The GPU’s performance is directly observable in the data. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 106 FPS on Low to 53.9 FPS on Ultra, a 52.1 FPS reduction that highlights the increasing load on the GPU as settings are raised. This is in contrast to the 1080p results, where the frame rate only drops from 315.6 FPS to 157.1 FPS across the same preset range. The GPU’s role as the primary bottleneck at 4K is confirmed by the fact that the CPU is unlikely to be a limiting factor, given its high benchmark scores and percentile ranking.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 34245 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600, further support its strength in handling the game’s rendering requirements. While the game is not graphically intensive compared to modern AAA titles, the data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER has enough raw power to deliver high frame rates at 1440p and acceptable frame rates at 4K, even at higher presets. The GPU’s 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that it is a top-tier part, and its performance in Hard West is consistent with that ranking.