Hard West

Hard West is a turn-based tactics title from 2015 that, on paper, should be trivial for a modern flagship GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 to run. However, the measured frame rates from this specific combination with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 reveal a more nuanced story about where the bottlenecks lie. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly powerful, yet the scaling patterns across resolutions and settings indicate that the game's engine and the CPU's architecture play a significant role in the final experience, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate trajectory from 1080p to 4K is a textbook demonstration of GPU load scaling, but with an unusual twist at the top end. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 228 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 144 FPS, a 37% reduction in performance as pixel count increases. At 4K (3840x2160), the average falls to 76 FPS, which is a 67% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K is a clear sign that the RTX 4090 is finally being tasked with a substantial workload, as the pixel throughput demand quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The pattern across Low settings is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the system pushes 312 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it still manages 229 FPS. Yet at 4K Low, the average plummets to 120 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings is a 48% drop, which is steeper than the 37% drop seen between 1080p and 1440p. This suggests that while the GPU is the primary driver of performance at 4K, the CPU is still providing enough headroom to keep frame rates high until the resolution becomes extremely demanding.

The most telling data point comes from the Medium settings, where the only min/max frame data is available. At 1080p Medium, the average is 291 FPS with a minimum of 247 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 188 FPS with a minimum of 160 FPS. But at 4K Medium, the average is 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS. The consistency of the minimum frame rates relative to the averages indicates that frame pacing remains stable even as the GPU load increases. The limiting component at 1080p and 1440p is clearly not the RTX 4090, as it is capable of far higher output than the game engine or CPU can feed it, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, particularly on Ultra settings where it averages just 57 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its performance profile is closely matched by rivals such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores nearly identically with a 0% deltaPct, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which is only 0.2% slower on average.

For a game like Hard West, which is turn-based and likely not heavily threaded, the single-core performance of the Ultra 5 225 is more relevant than its multi-core capabilities. The Passmark single-thread score of 4412 indicates strong per-core performance, which should handle game logic and AI calculations efficiently. However, the data suggests that even this capable CPU cannot fully saturate the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 312 FPS average is likely near the engine's ceiling or the CPU's limit for draw call processing, given that the GPU is vastly overqualified for this workload.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate data throughput for the game's assets. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting drops to 57 FPS while 4K High delivers 76 FPS indicates that the GPU's shading and rasterization workload is the primary constraint at higher settings, not the CPU. In contrast, the 1080p Ultra score of 171 FPS versus 1080p High at 228 FPS demonstrates that even at lower resolutions, the GPU's performance is being throttled by other factors, likely a combination of the game's single-threaded nature and the CPU's ability to issue draw calls.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 65 out of 2949 total combinations. This puts it in the top 2.2% of all tested systems, which is expected given the RTX 4090's position as one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. The GPU itself holds an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, so the combination of two high-tier components naturally results in a top-tier overall score.

However, the rank of 65 is not higher, which is interesting given the hardware on hand. This suggests that other combinations, likely with more powerful CPUs, are able to extract higher frame rates from the RTX 4090, particularly in lower-resolution scenarios where the CPU bottleneck is more pronounced. The data shows that the Ultra 5 225 is not a weak processor by any means, but it is not the absolute fastest for gaming, and its 85th percentile ranking means there are CPUs that can push the RTX 4090 harder. For a game like Hard West, which is not graphically intensive, the CPU's role becomes disproportionately important, and this combo's rank reflects that the processor is holding back the GPU's full potential in some scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. On Low, it averages 312 FPS, which is the peak performance for this combination. Medium settings see a slight drop to 291 FPS, with a minimum of 247 FPS and a maximum of 335 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 228 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 171 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 141 FPS, or 45%, indicating that the GPU is still the primary driver of performance differences at this resolution, even though it is not fully utilized.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings produce 229 FPS, which is a 27% decrease from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 188 FPS, with a minimum of 160 FPS and a maximum of 216 FPS. High settings drop to 144 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 108 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear with pixel count, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more of a factor, but the CPU still has headroom to spare.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090 is finally pushed to its limits. Low settings average 120 FPS, which is a 48% drop from 1440p Low. Medium settings average 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings deliver 76 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 57 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings is a 47% reduction, which is consistent with the increased pixel load. The minimum frame rate of 84 FPS at 4K Medium is still well within playable territory, but the 57 FPS average at 4K Ultra indicates that this setting is the most demanding configuration tested.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows a 67% reduction in average FPS from 228 at 1080p High to 76 at 4K High. This is due to the RTX 4090 having to render four times as many pixels at 4K, which increases the GPU workload substantially. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, so the frame rate is limited by other factors, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 312 FPS, which is likely near the engine's or CPU's limit, as the RTX 4090 is capable of far higher output. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and its performance similarity to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F suggest it is adequate, but it may limit the GPU in low-resolution, low-settings scenarios.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hard West at with this hardware?

A: If the goal is maximum smoothness, 1080p Medium at 291 FPS or 1440p High at 144 FPS both offer excellent experiences. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 4K Medium at 99 FPS is a strong choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while providing the sharpness of 4K resolution.

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

A: This combination ranks 65th out of 2949 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.2% of all systems in the database. This is consistent with the high individual rankings of both the CPU and GPU, which are in the 85th and 88th percentiles, respectively.

Q: Are the minimum frame rates stable across settings?

A: The only min/max data available is for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 247 FPS against an average of 291 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 160 FPS against an average of 188 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 84 FPS against an average of 99 FPS. The minimums are consistently about 15-18% below the averages, indicating stable frame pacing.

Q: Does the game benefit from the RTX 4090's high-end features?

A: Hard West is a turn-based tactics game from 2015 with relatively simple graphics. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system averages 57 FPS, which is still playable, but the game does not appear to push the GPU to its limits in terms of modern rendering techniques. The RTX 4090's power is more evident in the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance priorities. For 1080p displays, the Medium preset at 291 FPS is the sweet spot, as it offers a 4% performance increase over Low settings while providing better visual quality. The jump to High at 228 FPS is a 22% reduction, and Ultra at 171 FPS is a 41% reduction from Medium, making Medium the best balance of speed and fidelity.

For 1440p displays, High settings at 144 FPS are recommended for users with 144Hz monitors, as this matches the refresh rate perfectly. Those with higher refresh rate displays can opt for Medium at 188 FPS, which provides a significant 30% performance boost over High with a modest visual compromise. Ultra at 108 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays, but the 43% drop from Medium makes it less appealing unless visual fidelity is the primary concern.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 99 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it delivers a smooth experience on 100Hz displays while maintaining good visual quality. High settings at 76 FPS are acceptable for 60Hz displays, but the 23% reduction from Medium is noticeable. Ultra at 57 FPS is the most demanding configuration and should only be used if the user prioritizes graphics over frame rate, as it dips into the territory where motion smoothness can be compromised. The Low preset at 120 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the visual downgrade is significant and the frame rate gain over Medium is only 21%.