Hard West

# Hard West — Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from 2015, presents an interesting benchmark scenario for this modern high-end pairing. The measured data reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, yet transitions to a more balanced workload as resolution increases. With the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 providing 20 cores and 20 threads, and the RTX 5090 bringing 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, the system delivers frame rates ranging from 58 FPS at 4K Ultra to 333 FPS at 1080p Low. The combination ranks 32nd out of 2,949 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 1.1% of all configurations tested. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, examining the roles of both the GPU and CPU in shaping the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior in Hard West is stark and revealing. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows a consistent and expected drop in average FPS, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly by settings preset. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 333 FPS at 1080p to 235 FPS at 1440p, a 29.4% reduction, and then to 123 FPS at 4K, a 47.7% reduction from 1440p. This steep decline from 1440p to 4K at Low settings suggests the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom at these high frame rates.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more gradual. The average FPS drops from 304 at 1080p to 192 at 1440p (a 36.8% decline), then to 101 at 4K (a 47.4% decline). The presence of min and max FPS data for Medium settings provides additional insight: at 1080p, the range is 258 to 350 FPS, a 92 FPS spread; at 1440p, it narrows to 163 to 221 FPS (58 FPS spread); and at 4K, it tightens further to 86 to 116 FPS (30 FPS spread). This narrowing range with increasing resolution indicates that frame time consistency improves as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, reducing CPU-induced variability.

High settings show a similar pattern: 234 FPS at 1080p, 148 FPS at 1440p (a 36.8% drop), and 78 FPS at 4K (a 47.3% drop). Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across the board: 175 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p (a 36.6% drop), and 58 FPS at 4K (a 47.7% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets—approximately 37% from 1080p to 1440p and 47% from 1440p to 4K—strongly indicates that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. This uniform scaling pattern suggests that Hard West's rendering pipeline scales predictably with pixel count, and the RTX 5090's 512-bit memory bus and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are being exercised heavily at 4K.

The limiting component analysis is clear: at 1080p, the system is CPU-bound, as evidenced by the 333 FPS ceiling at Low settings—a number that likely approaches the game engine's or CPU's practical limit. At 4K, the GPU becomes the constraint, with Ultra settings yielding just 58 FPS. The transition point appears to be around 1440p, where the system balances between the two components.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 32 out of 2,949 tested configurations in Hard West. This places the pairing in the top 1.1% of all tested combos, which is remarkable for a game that relies heavily on CPU performance due to its turn-based mechanics and potentially complex AI calculations. The rank reflects the combined capability of both components, and the data suggests that the CPU's strong single-threaded performance is particularly valuable here.

To contextualize this rank, consider the CPU's position among all processors. The Core Ultra 7 265 sits in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P (average score 64,823, delta -0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438, delta +0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202, delta +0.7%), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65,104, delta -0.7%). These deltas are all within 0.7% of the Core Ultra 7 265's score, indicating that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, delta +0.3%), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, delta +0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, delta +1.1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959, delta -1.4%). The GPU's performance is consistent with its expected tier, and the combination rank of 32 suggests that neither component is dragging the other down in this particular game.

The rank of 32 out of 2,949 is particularly impressive given that Hard West is not a graphically demanding title by modern standards. The high rank implies that the system's raw CPU power is being fully utilized, likely for AI pathfinding, turn resolution, and game logic, while the GPU handles the relatively modest rendering load with ease. This combination demonstrates that for CPU-intensive turn-based tactics, a top-tier processor matters as much as a top-tier graphics card.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays a nuanced role in Hard West's performance. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the card has a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for this game's texture and geometry requirements. The GPU's base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz are high for a large Blackwell 2.0 chip, and the 21,760 shading units provide substantial compute throughput (104.8 TFLOPS FP32). However, the measured data suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is often idling relative to the CPU's capabilities.

The memory configuration is worth examining. Hard West, being a 2015 title, would rarely need more than a few gigabytes of VRAM at any resolution. The RTX 5090's 32 GB is vastly overprovisioned for this game, meaning memory capacity is never a limiting factor. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, however, does contribute to the smooth scaling observed across resolutions, as the memory subsystem can feed the GPU's cores without bottlenecks at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 18,355; Geekbench OpenCL scores 334,370; and Geekbench Vulkan scores 376,728. The PassMark G3D score of 39,650 and GPU Compute score of 26,756 further indicate strong general and compute performance. These scores, combined with the 92nd percentile ranking, position the RTX 5090 as a top-tier GPU that is barely challenged by Hard West's rendering demands at lower resolutions.

At 4K Ultra, the GPU is finally pushed to its limits, achieving 58 FPS. This is the only measured configuration where the GPU's performance ceiling is clearly reached. The fact that 4K Ultra produces a sub-60 FPS result indicates that even the most powerful consumer GPU available cannot fully saturate the game's Ultra preset at 4K, likely due to the game's lack of modern optimization for high-resolution rendering effects.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data provides clear guidance for each resolution tier.

At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates. Low settings achieve 333 FPS, Medium 304 FPS, High 234 FPS, and Ultra 175 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or higher), Medium settings at 304 FPS provide an excellent balance, though even Ultra at 175 FPS exceeds 144 Hz. The Medium preset's min FPS of 258 ensures no drops below 240 Hz, making it the recommended choice for competitive or fast-paced play. For maximum visual fidelity at 1080p, Ultra at 175 FPS is still far above any typical refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. Low settings yield 235 FPS, Medium 192 FPS, High 148 FPS, and Ultra 111 FPS. The Medium preset, with its min FPS of 163 and max of 221, is ideal for 144 Hz displays, offering a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. High settings at 148 FPS also work well for 144 Hz, and Ultra at 111 FPS is acceptable for 120 Hz displays. The sweet spot is Medium, which provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability.

At 3840x2160, the choices narrow. Low settings achieve 123 FPS, Medium 101 FPS, High 78 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. For 4K 60 Hz displays, High settings at 78 FPS provide a smooth experience with good visual quality. Medium at 101 FPS offers a better frame rate for 100 Hz displays, and Low at 123 FPS is the only preset that enables 120 Hz operation. Ultra at 58 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays, with frame pacing that may cause visible stutter. The recommended preset for 4K is High, balancing the 78 FPS average with the visual enhancements over Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolution and settings combinations.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS values are: Ultra 58 FPS, High 78 FPS, Medium 101 FPS (with min 86 and max 116), and Low 123 FPS. The progression from Ultra to Low shows a 112% increase in frame rate, demonstrating the significant impact of settings at 4K. The Medium preset's min-max range of 86 to 116 FPS indicates a 30 FPS spread, which is the tightest at this resolution, suggesting better consistency than the other presets (which lack min/max data).

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the values are: Ultra 111 FPS, High 148 FPS, Medium 192 FPS (min 163, max 221), and Low 235 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 58 FPS spread (163 to 221), which is wider than at 4K but still provides consistent performance. The jump from Ultra to High is 37 FPS, from High to Medium is 44 FPS, and from Medium to Low is 43 FPS, showing a fairly linear scaling with settings changes.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the values are: Ultra 175 FPS, High 234 FPS, Medium 304 FPS (min 258, max 350), and Low 333 FPS. The Medium preset's 92 FPS spread (258 to 350) is the widest in the entire dataset, indicating significant frame time variability at this resolution. This variability is likely due to CPU limitations, as the GPU is not the bottleneck at these high frame rates. The difference between Medium and Low is only 29 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is approaching its maximum frame delivery capability around 333 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 333 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded in any measurement is 350, observed at 1080p Medium.

Q: Does this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 58, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. However, at 4K High settings, the average rises to 78 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 scores 5,960 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, has an average score 0.3% lower overall, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is 0.3% higher in average benchmark score.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming on a 144 Hz monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 192 average FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS, which fully saturates a 144 Hz display with no drops below the refresh rate. High settings at 148 FPS also work but leave less margin.

Q: Is the system CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The data indicates CPU-bound behavior at 1080p. The 333 FPS ceiling at Low settings and the wide frame time spread at Medium (258 to 350 FPS) suggest the CPU limits performance, as the GPU would be capable of higher frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's average benchmark score compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79,605, a delta of +0.3%, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, a delta of -1.4%.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265's role in Hard West is critical, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is underutilized. With 20 cores and 20 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, the CPU operates at a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boosts to 5.30 GHz. This boost clock is essential for the game's single-threaded performance demands, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960 reflects strong per-core capability.

The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for game logic and AI state. The 17,800 million transistors on a 3 nm TSMC process (243 mm² die size) deliver high efficiency, with a 65 W TDP that is modest for a 20-core processor. Memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, though the game's data requirements are relatively low.

In Hard West, the CPU's performance is directly observable in the 1080p results. The 333 FPS ceiling at Low settings represents the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability for this game. The fact that increasing settings from Low to Medium at 1080p only reduces FPS from 333 to 304 (an 8.7% drop) while increasing from Medium to Ultra reduces it to 175 (a 42.4% drop from Medium) indicates that the CPU maintains high throughput until GPU load becomes significant. PassMark multithread score of 49,682 and single-thread score of 4,689 confirm the CPU's balanced performance profile.

The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64,640, places it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rivals—all within 0.7% in average score—are enterprise EPYC processors, highlighting the Core Ultra 7 265's competitive position. For Hard West specifically, the CPU's ability to sustain high frame rates at 1080p is the key differentiator, and the 32nd overall combo rank out of 2,949 is largely attributable to this CPU strength, as the GPU alone would not achieve such a high rank in this CPU-sensitive title.