Hard West

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in Hard West, with performance scaling that clearly favors lower resolutions. At 1080p, the combo is exceptionally fast, but 4K Ultra settings push it to the edge of playability. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at high resolutions and quality settings, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game's turn-based logic.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent with a GPU-bound workload. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 117 FPS at 1920x1080 to 74 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 43 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 39 FPS, representing a 78 FPS total loss from the 1080p baseline. This translates to a 67% performance reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 4070's rendering pipeline is heavily taxed by the pixel count at higher resolutions.

The pattern repeats across all quality presets. With Low settings, the frame rate plummets from 186 FPS at 1080p to 118 FPS at 1440p and then to 62 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is less than a third of the 1080p figure, which shows that even with minimal graphical load, the sheer number of pixels at 2160p overwhelms the GPU. Medium settings follow the same trend, dropping from 152 FPS at 1080p to 96 FPS at 1440p and 51 FPS at 4K.

Ultra settings are the most demanding, with the average falling from 88 FPS at 1080p to 55 FPS at 1440p and just 29 FPS at 4K. This 59 FPS drop between 1080p and 4K is the largest absolute decline of any preset, highlighting that the combination of high detail and high resolution creates a massive workload. The data suggests that for smooth 4K gameplay, users must significantly reduce settings, as even Medium yields only 51 FPS.

The scaling behavior points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is less prominent, as the frame rate deltas between resolutions are far larger than any potential CPU bottleneck would cause. The 1080p results, particularly at Low settings with 186 FPS, indicate that the processor can feed frames quickly enough, but the GPU cannot maintain that throughput as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 186 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the peak performance point in the measured data.

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium, the average is 51 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 117 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 39 FPS at 4K. This represents a 78 FPS total reduction from the 1080p baseline.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The 1080p Low result of 186 FPS suggests the processor can handle high frame rates, and the performance drops are consistent with GPU limitations as resolution increases.

Q: What is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low yields an average of 118 FPS, while Ultra yields 55 FPS. This is a 63 FPS difference, showing a significant impact from quality settings.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS a consistent experience?

A: The data shows an average of 29 FPS with no minimum or maximum values recorded for that preset. The average alone suggests inconsistent performance that may dip below 30 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant factor in this combo's gaming performance. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a game like Hard West that renders detailed scenes. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz, paired with 5888 shading units, drives the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The data shows that the GPU's raw compute power is sufficient for high refresh rates at lower resolutions.

The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. This allows for high efficiency, but the 200 W TDP indicates it draws significant power under load. The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 26927, places it in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, confirming its high-end positioning.

In Hard West, the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU delivers 186 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 29 FPS. This drastic scaling shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in high-demand scenarios. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with a deltaPct of 0.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a deltaPct of 0.1%, are closely matched in overall benchmark scores, but the RTX 4070's performance in this game is specific to its architecture.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K, as the frame rate drops are more attributable to compute load than memory limitations. The GPU's memory clock of 1313 MHz, with 21 Gbps effective speed, ensures that data transfer is not a bottleneck. The data indicates that the GPU's capabilities are well-matched to the game's requirements at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 186 FPS, which is the highest recorded value. Medium settings yield 152 FPS, with a minimum of 129 FPS and a maximum of 175 FPS, showing consistent performance. High settings reduce the average to 117 FPS, still well above 60 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 88 FPS, which remains smooth for most displays. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 98 FPS, indicating a significant quality impact.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows clear scaling. Low settings average 118 FPS, a 68 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium settings average 96 FPS, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 111 FPS. High settings yield 74 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach lower refresh rates. Ultra settings drop to 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 63 FPS, similar in proportion to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 62 FPS, which is the only 4K preset above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS, indicating some variability. High settings drop to 39 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 29 FPS, which is the lowest recorded result. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33 FPS, showing that quality settings have less absolute impact at this resolution due to the base load being higher.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates, 1440p offers a balance, and 4K requires reduced settings for playability. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 96 FPS, appears to be the best compromise between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 30 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and RTX 4070 combination ranks 1574 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all combinations, indicating that it performs better than a slight majority of systems tested. The rank is influenced by the game's modest system requirements, meaning that even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates, reducing the relative advantage of this high-end combo.

The rank of 1574 suggests that while this combo is capable, many other configurations deliver similar or better performance in this specific game. The combo's position is not a reflection of its absolute power but rather the game's scalability. Since Hard West is a turn-based tactics title with less demanding real-time rendering, the CPU and GPU are not always fully utilized, allowing lower-end parts to compete closely.

The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS, which is below the average for many other systems. At lower resolutions, the combo excels, but the rank considers all measured configurations. The data indicates that for this game, the combo's performance is adequate but not exceptional, as the game does not heavily tax the hardware. The rank of 1574 out of 2949 is a mid-pack result, suggesting that users with this combo will have a good experience but not a top-tier one in terms of relative performance.

The combo's rank can be contextualized by its components' individual benchmark percentiles. The CPU is in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. However, the game's low demand means these high percentiles do not translate to a high combo rank. The combo's performance is more consistent with its mid-pack rank, as the game does not require extreme hardware to run well.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H plays a supporting role in Hard West's performance, providing ample processing power without becoming a bottleneck. With 16 cores and 22 threads, the CPU has significant multi-threading capability, which is beneficial for the game's turn-based logic and AI calculations. The base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz ensure responsive single-threaded performance, which is crucial for game logic.

The CPU's architecture, Meteor Lake, is built on a 7 nm process from Intel, with a 24 MB shared L3 cache. This cache configuration helps reduce latency for frequently accessed data. The CPU's memory support for DDR5, with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, ensures that data can be fed to the GPU quickly. The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG 128EU, are not used in this discrete GPU setup but indicate a capable iGPU for other tasks.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 15028 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1743 in single-core, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14600T with a deltaPct of 0% and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 with a deltaPct of 0.1%, are closely matched in overall performance. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 24873 further confirms its capabilities.

In Hard West, the CPU's role is not heavily stressed, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low. The 186 FPS result shows that the CPU can handle the game's logic without limiting the GPU. The performance drops at higher resolutions are attributable to the GPU, not the CPU, as the frame rate scaling follows a typical GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's 28 W TDP indicates it is an efficient mobile part, but its performance is more than sufficient for this game.

The CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads provide headroom for background tasks and future games, but in Hard West, the game's turn-based nature means that even a less powerful CPU could likely achieve playable frame rates. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any measured configuration, with the GPU being the primary determinant of performance. The CPU's high single-thread score of 1743 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle the game's AI calculations without issue.