Hard West

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics produces a fascinating, if constrained, performance profile in Hard West. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the undisputed bottleneck, but the CPU’s headroom is never fully utilized due to the graphics solution’s low standing. This combination ranks in the bottom tier of tested systems, yet the scaling patterns offer clear insights into what each component contributes to the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K in Hard West is steep and consistent, painting a clear picture of a system heavily limited by its graphics processor. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 55 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that figure falls to 35 FPS, a 36% reduction. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the average plummeting to 18 FPS, a further 49% decline from the 1440p result. This progression is a textbook example of GPU-bound scaling, where the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count.

The Ultra preset amplifies this effect. The 1080p Ultra average of 41 FPS drops to 26 FPS at 1440p and then to a nearly unplayable 14 FPS at 4K. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is less than a quarter of the 1080p High score, indicating that the Arc B390’s shading units and texture processors are saturated well before the CPU becomes a factor. The data suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock, is not the limiting component in any of these scenarios; the GPU’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for high-resolution rendering in this title.

Interestingly, the scaling between Low and Medium settings at each resolution is nearly linear, while the gap between High and Ultra is more substantial. For instance, at 1440p, the Low preset hits 55 FPS, Medium drops to 45 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS. This indicates that the graphical features toggled by the Ultra preset, likely including more demanding post-processing or shadow effects, impose a heavier load on the GPU than the incremental steps between Low and Medium. The 4K results reinforce this, with the 14 FPS Ultra score being less than half of the 29 FPS Low score, showing that the combination of high pixel count and maximum settings overwhelms the available graphics resources.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 strong enough for Hard West, or does it hold back the system?*

A: The CPU appears more than sufficient. Benchmark results show it sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46,062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, with performance deltas of only 0.1% and -0.1%, respectively. The measured frame rates are consistently low, which suggests the GPU is the performance ceiling, not the processor.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1080p for a playable experience?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers a strong balance, delivering an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This provides a smooth, consistent experience. The Low preset is faster at 87 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade for a moderate performance cost, making it the better choice for most users.

*Q: Can this combo run Hard West at 4K?*

A: Technically, yes, but the experience is poor. At 4K with Low settings, the average frame rate is 29 FPS. With High settings, it drops to 18 FPS, and with Ultra, it falls to just 14 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches playability, and it still falls short of a stable 30 FPS target.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The data shows it is virtually tied with its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 has an average score of 46,030, which is 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 5 235’s 46,062. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46,098, a -0.1% difference. This indicates the Core Ultra 5 235 is a mid-pack performer among high-end processors.

Q: What does the GPU’s low percentile ranking mean for gameplay?

A: The Intel Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which are over a decade old. This ranking directly correlates with the low frame rates observed, confirming that the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between the High and Ultra presets?

A: Yes, the jump to Ultra is costly. At 1080p, High averages 55 FPS while Ultra averages 41 FPS, a 25% drop. At 1440p, the difference is 35 FPS versus 26 FPS, and at 4K, it is 18 FPS versus 14 FPS. The Ultra preset demands substantially more from the GPU without a proportional benefit in the measured frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,614 out of 2,949 tested combos in Hard West, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This is a remarkably low position for a CPU that otherwise performs at the 89th percentile, underscoring the severity of the GPU bottleneck. The data indicates that the graphics processor is dragging the entire system down, as the CPU’s high synthetic scores are not translating into competitive frame rates.

The disconnect between the CPU’s strong benchmark standing and the combo’s poor game ranking is the central finding here. While the Core Ultra 5 235 posts an average benchmark score of 46,062, putting it in the same class as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, the Arc B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482 is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX. The deltaPct values for the GPU rivals (1.3% for the GT 520MX, 1.5% for the GeForce 800M) show that the Arc B390 is barely faster than these legacy parts. This pairing creates a massive imbalance, where a top-tier processor is paired with an entry-level graphics solution, resulting in a system that ranks near the bottom for gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates in Hard West are consistently low across all resolutions and settings, with the GPU clearly acting as the limiting factor. At 1920x1080, the highest average is achieved with the Low preset at 87 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 71 FPS, with a recorded range of 61 to 82 FPS. The High preset drops to 55 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls further to 41 FPS. These results show that even at the lowest resolution, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates on more demanding settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance declines noticeably. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which matches the 1080p High score, illustrating the cost of the resolution increase. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS (38-52 FPS range), High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. None of the 1440p presets achieve a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience.

The 3840x2160 results are marginal. The Low preset averages 29 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that approaches playability. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS (20-27 FPS range), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: every step up in resolution or settings has a significant negative impact on the frame rate, making high-fidelity play impossible with this combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,769 and a single-core score of 2,085. The PassMark multi-thread score of 37,816 and single-thread score of 4,516 further demonstrate its capability.

However, in Hard West, the CPU’s role is diminished due to the GPU bottleneck. The game’s frame rates are dictated by the graphics processor, not the processor’s ability to feed it data. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by the 2,085 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is more than adequate for a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, which typically does not require extreme multi-core scaling. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample headroom for any background tasks or game logic, but this headroom is never fully utilized because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to keep up.

The data implies that the CPU is not the issue. If the GPU were replaced with a stronger model, the Core Ultra 5 235 would likely be able to support significantly higher frame rates. The processor’s 89th percentile ranking and its close proximity to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX in benchmark scores suggest it is a capable performer that is being held back by its integrated graphics counterpart.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice. It provides an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring a smooth and consistent frame rate that is suitable for the game’s tactical gameplay. The Low preset is faster at 87 FPS, but the visual fidelity drop is likely not worth the extra performance, especially since the Medium preset already clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is also the most balanced option, delivering an average of 45 FPS. While this is below 60 FPS, it is still playable for a turn-based game, where reaction time is less critical. The Low preset at 55 FPS is another viable option, but the Medium preset offers a better balance between visual quality and performance. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, with averages of 35 FPS and 26 FPS respectively, are not recommended due to their lower frame rates.

At 4K, no preset provides a fully satisfying experience. The Low preset, with an average of 29 FPS, is the only option that approaches a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 24 FPS and the High preset at 18 FPS are too choppy for comfortable play. Users who prioritize 4K resolution over visual quality should use the Low preset, but the data suggests that dropping to 1440p with Medium settings will provide a better overall experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2,500 MHz. Its performance is quantified by a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, putting it on par with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which have scores of 1,463 and 1,460, respectively.

The GPU’s limited capabilities are the primary reason for the low frame rates observed in Hard West. Its FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is insufficient for the demands of modern rendering at high resolutions. The texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s are also low, which explains the significant performance drops when increasing resolution or preset quality. The GPU has 12 ray tracing cores, but this feature is unlikely to be a factor in a turn-based tactics game, and the overall graphics horsepower is simply too low.

The data shows that the GPU is the sole bottleneck in this system. The CPU is more than capable of handling the game’s logic, but the Arc B390 cannot render frames quickly enough. The result is a system that, despite having a high-end processor, performs like an entry-level laptop from a decade ago in gaming scenarios. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking versus the CPU’s 89th percentile ranking highlights the extreme imbalance of this pairing.