Hard West

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B370 lands at rank 2721 out of 2949 tested combinations in Hard West. That places this combo in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a surprisingly low position for a modern CPU paired with a dedicated GPU. The data suggests this is not a configuration built for high-refresh-rate tactical play, but rather one that might struggle to maintain smooth frame pacing even in a turn-based strategy title.

The percentile positioning tells a stark story. The CPU itself sits at the 89th percentile among all processors, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of installed CPUs in general computing tasks. The GPU, however, sits at the 5th percentile among all graphics cards, a catastrophic mismatch. When a system's graphics component ranks in the bottom 5% while its processor ranks in the top 11%, the bottleneck is unambiguous. The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in direct competition with legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% faster) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% faster). This is not modern graphics performance; it is integrated-class throughput from a decade-old era.

The combination rank of 2721 out of 2949 means roughly 228 other tested combos perform worse, but that is faint praise. Hard West is a turn-based tactics game from 2015, not a demanding AAA title, yet this combo still manages to fall in the bottom decile. The implication is clear: the Arc B370 is the anchor dragging this system down, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for a GPU that ranks among the weakest ever tested.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 brings 14 cores and 14 threads to the table, a configuration that prioritizes multi-core throughput over simultaneous multithreading. Base clock sits at 3.40 GHz with a boost up to 5.00 GHz, giving the processor substantial single-thread headroom for games that rely on a few fast cores. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 per core provide ample on-die storage for game logic, pathfinding, and AI computations typical of turn-based tactics.

Benchmark results show this CPU is no slouch. Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085 indicate strong all-around performance. PassMark single-thread score of 4516 places it well above average for desktop processors. The avgBenchmarkScore of 46062 puts it in a dead heat with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% faster). In other words, the 235 trades blows with flagship mobile HX parts from previous generations, which is impressive for a desktop chip.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is significant because turn-based tactics involve complex decision trees, unit pathfinding, and environmental interactions. The single-core boost of 5.00 GHz should handle the game's primary simulation thread comfortably. The 14 cores provide ample parallel throughput for background tasks, though Hard West likely doesn't scale beyond a few threads given its 2015 release. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor here: the GPU percentile (5th) versus CPU percentile (89th) creates a 84-point gap that no software optimization can bridge.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the weak link, and the numbers confirm it. This GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, with 10 ray tracing cores. Base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 2400 MHz, producing a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which sounds respectable on paper but translates to a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of just 1184.

The memory configuration is system shared with no dedicated VRAM, meaning the GPU borrows from system memory over the bus. Bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice means it shares the CPU's DDR5 memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In Hard West, a game that predates this GPU by a decade, the shared memory architecture introduces latency that dedicated VRAM would avoid. The GPU's TDP of 25 W and IGP form factor (slot width "IGP," power connectors "None") reveal this is essentially an integrated graphics solution, not a discrete card, despite the "Arc" branding.

Nearest rival comparisons paint a bleak picture. The Arc B370's score of 1184 is within 1.4% of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168), a workstation GPU from over a decade ago. It is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770. These are parts that were mid-range in 2010. In a 2015 turn-based tactics game, this GPU operates at the edge of playability, which the measured FPS data confirms.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers playable frame rates at lower settings. Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is smooth for any genre. Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 74, a playable range. High averages 49 FPS, still acceptable for turn-based play where reaction time is not critical. Ultra drops to 37 FPS, which is borderline but serviceable for a game where the action pauses between turns.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates fall noticeably. Low averages 50 FPS, a 37% drop from 1080p Low. Medium averages 41 FPS with minimum 35 and maximum 47, which is playable but with visible stutter potential. High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra falls to 23 FPS. These numbers indicate the GPU is struggling to fill the additional pixels at this resolution.

At 4K, the situation becomes dire. Low averages 26 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (minimum 18, maximum 25), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. No preset at 3840x2160 achieves the 30 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for acceptable gameplay. The game becomes effectively unplayable at 4K regardless of settings, which is remarkable for a turn-based tactics title from 2015.

The data shows a clear pattern: the Arc B370 cannot handle the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions, even in a game this old. The CPU's 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost are irrelevant when the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p Low.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU bottleneck with mathematical clarity. At Low settings, 1080p averages 79 FPS, 1440p averages 50 FPS, and 4K averages 26 FPS. That is a 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K, while the pixel count increases by 400%. The scaling is not linear, but it shows the GPU is saturated well before 4K.

At High settings, the drop is even steeper: 49 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is 67% lower than 1080p, and the 1440p figure is 37% lower. These ratios suggest memory bandwidth constraints, consistent with the system-shared memory configuration. As resolution increases, the GPU must access more data per frame from shared system memory, and the bandwidth simply is not there.

The Medium preset shows the most complete data: 1080p averages 64 FPS (min 55, max 74), 1440p averages 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), and 4K averages 21 FPS (min 18, max 25). The minimum frame rates scale proportionally, indicating consistent performance degradation without sudden spikes. The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU could easily handle 4K rendering if paired with a capable discrete GPU; the Arc B370's 5th percentile ranking is the sole reason for these low numbers.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a single viable configuration for this combo. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 79 FPS average, which is the only preset that achieves consistently smooth gameplay. Medium at 64 FPS is also acceptable, with a minimum of 55 FPS that stays above the 30 FPS threshold. For players prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, High at 49 FPS is the highest playable setting at 1080p.

At 1440p, the recommendation narrows to Low at 50 FPS. Medium at 41 FPS is technically playable, but the 35 FPS minimum approaches the danger zone. High at 31 FPS and Ultra at 23 FPS are not recommended for any gameplay scenario.

At 4K, no setting is recommended. The highest average is 26 FPS at Low, which fails to reach the 30 FPS minimum standard. The game is effectively unplayable at 3840x2160 with this combo, regardless of preset.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Low, which offers the highest frame rate headroom for a turn-based tactics game where sudden camera pans and unit animations benefit from smoothness. Players who prefer Medium can accept a 15 FPS trade-off for improved visuals, but the data shows Low is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Hard West at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1080p Low the average FPS is 79, and at Medium it is 64 with a minimum of 55. High averages 49 FPS, which is still playable, while Ultra drops to 37 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution in Hard West?

A: No. The highest average at 3840x2160 is 26 FPS on Low settings, with Medium at 21 FPS, High at 16 FPS, and Ultra at 12 FPS. None reach the 30 FPS minimum.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The GPU. The Intel Arc B370 ranks at the 5th percentile among all GPUs with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, while the CPU ranks at the 89th percentile with an average benchmark score of 46062.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190).

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo?

A: 1080p Low provides the highest average FPS at 79, offering the smoothest experience. 1080p Medium at 64 FPS is the best visual compromise, but the data shows performance degrades significantly above that.