Hard West

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a performance profile in Hard West that is heavily dictated by resolution. The data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, with the most significant frame rate drops occurring at the highest pixel counts. This analysis breaks down the measured results to identify the bottlenecking component at each setting tier.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 274 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 173 FPS, a reduction of 101 FPS or roughly 37%. At 4K Low, the average further falls to 91 FPS, which is nearly half the 1440p figure and about one-third of the 1080p result.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At High settings, the progression is 172 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic absolute drop: 129 FPS at 1080p falls to 82 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 43 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count grows.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU are well-balanced, as the frame rates are exceptionally high even at Ultra settings. However, the transition to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is the lowest measured value, and the 4K High result of 57 FPS is only marginally better. This sharp decline implies that the RTX 5070's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor at 4K, especially with higher graphical fidelity settings. The turn-based nature of the game does not demand the same frame rate responsiveness as an action title, but the scaling data clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this pairing for Hard West at higher resolutions. Its memory configuration includes 12 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This memory subsystem is sufficient for the game's demands, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset does not appear to be constrained by VRAM capacity in the measured results. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2512 MHz, with a base clock of 2325 MHz, and it is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rival in the benchmark database is the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which scores 40318, a delta of only 0.1%. This indicates that the RTX 5070's raw compute performance is average for its class, but its real-world gaming results in Hard West show a strong ability to push high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes more critical. The measured FPS at 4K High (57 FPS) and 4K Ultra (43 FPS) are the only results that dip below the 60 FPS threshold. This suggests that the GPU's shading units (6144) and texture mapping units (192) are fully utilized at this resolution, particularly with the increased geometric complexity and texture detail of the High and Ultra presets. The data indicates that while the card is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, users targeting 4K will need to compromise on settings to achieve higher frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in this game, as the benchmark results show it is not the bottleneck at any tested resolution. This CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It is built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. The CPU's benchmark data shows it performs in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995.

Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196, a delta of -0.4%, indicating near-identical performance. The CPU also sits close to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (-0.5%) and is slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.6%). These scores suggest the Core Ultra 5 245 provides ample processing power for Hard West's turn-based logic and AI calculations.

The CPU's influence on the measured FPS is most evident at 1080p Low, where the frame rate reaches 274 FPS. This high figure suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at lower resolutions. However, the data does not show evidence of CPU limitation at any point. Even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate of 129 FPS is well within the CPU's capability, as it is likely the GPU that is handling the increased graphical load. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 192 KB per-core L1 cache are more than adequate for this game's data requirements, ensuring that the GPU is fed with a steady stream of draw calls and geometry data.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 492nd out of 2949 tested combos for Hard West. This places it in the top 17% of all tested systems, indicating a strong overall performance level.

This ranking is influenced by both components' high percentile scores. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is well above average for gaming. The rank of 492 out of 2949 combos suggests that while there are many systems with faster GPUs or CPUs, this pairing offers a balanced approach that performs well across the board.

The ranking also reflects the game's moderate hardware requirements. Hard West is a turn-based tactics title released in 2015, and its engine does not appear to be particularly demanding on modern hardware. As such, this combo's rank is likely higher than it would be in a more graphically intensive game, as the CPU and GPU can easily handle the game's workload. The data shows that this combination is a capable performer, but it is not at the top of the charts, indicating there is headroom for more powerful components to achieve higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Here is a detailed breakdown of the exact numbers.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 274. Medium settings produce an average of 224 FPS, with a minimum of 191 FPS and a maximum of 258 FPS. High settings yield 172 FPS on average. Ultra settings, the most demanding, still achieve an average of 129 FPS. These figures indicate that the combo is more than capable of handling the game at 1080p, with even the most demanding preset offering smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clear decline. Low settings produce an average of 173 FPS. Medium settings average 142 FPS, with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS. High settings yield 109 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop to an average of 82 FPS. The data shows that at 1440p, the combo still provides excellent performance, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a playable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance begins to show strain. Low settings produce an average of 91 FPS. Medium settings average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High settings yield 57 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop to an average of 43 FPS. The 4K results indicate that while the combo can handle the game, users will need to lower settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience.

The data also shows that the Medium preset has the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 191 to 258 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 121 to 163 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 63 to 86 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is the most stable in terms of frame time consistency, likely due to a balance between CPU and GPU load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution.

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the best choice. The average FPS of 129 is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the visual fidelity improvements are worth the performance cost. Even with the most demanding settings, the combo maintains a high frame rate, making 1080p Ultra the recommended configuration.

For 1440p displays, the High preset offers the best balance. The average FPS of 109 is excellent, and the visual quality is significantly better than Medium. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also playable, but the High preset provides a more comfortable margin for demanding scenes. Users with high refresh rate monitors may prefer High to maximize frame rates.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The average FPS of 74 is above 60, and the minimum FPS of 63 ensures that frame drops are rare. The High preset at 57 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 43 FPS is not ideal for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, making it the best option for 4K gaming.

The Low preset is not recommended for any resolution, as it significantly reduces visual quality without providing a proportional performance benefit, especially at 1080p and 1440p where the frame rates are already high.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS is 129.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 57, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the difference in performance between 1440p Medium and 1440p Ultra?

A: The Medium preset averages 142 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, a difference of 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the frame rates drop significantly at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 63.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: It ranks 492nd out of 2949 tested combos.