Hard West

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a peculiar case in Hard West, a turn-based tactics title from late 2015. The benchmark data reveals a configuration heavily constrained by its graphics component, where even a modest 1080p resolution struggles to maintain high frame rates. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, scaling characteristics, and the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a dramatic and consistent collapse in frame rates, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck across all settings. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 55 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 20 FPS. Moving to 4K at High yields only 18 FPS, which is a 37 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput, rather than any CPU limitation, is the sole factor governing performance here.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low settings row. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 87 FPS, which is the highest score recorded in the entire dataset. However, this falls to 55 FPS at 1440p Low and then plummets to 29 FPS at 4K Low. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is approximately 67%, a figure that clearly demonstrates the GPU's inability to handle the pixel count increase. The data suggests that the Arc B390 is operating near its absolute limits even at the lowest graphical preset, with the resolution increase directly translating into proportional workload increases that the GPU cannot absorb.

For a game released in 2015, Hard West is not particularly demanding by modern standards, yet this integrated graphics solution still fails to provide a smooth experience at higher resolutions. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is especially punishing; at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 45 to 24, a 21 FPS reduction. This non-linear scaling, where the 4K penalty is disproportionately larger than the 1440p penalty, points to the GPU running out of raw shading and texture processing capacity. The Arc B390's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs, while sufficient for low-resolution tasks, are simply overwhelmed when the output resolution quadruples in pixel count from 1080p to 4K.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its clock speeds are notable: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The boost clock is relatively high for an iGPU, but the chip's modest 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs limit its practical output. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 places this GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a figure that contextualizes its performance in Hard West as below average for even entry-level discrete graphics.

The GPU's memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM. This means the Arc B390 relies on the host system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." In Hard West, this shared memory arrangement likely contributes to the performance ceiling, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The benchmark results in this game align with the GPU's low percentile ranking, showing that it performs closer to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (which has an average score of 1463, a 1.3% delta) than to any modern gaming GPU. The 3DMark score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than that of the GT 520MX, and the in-game FPS numbers reflect this narrow performance gap.

The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s provide theoretical limits that explain the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 14 suggests the GPU is utterly saturated, likely hitting both pixel and texture throughput ceilings. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is competent for compute tasks, but Hard West's rendering pipeline appears to be more dependent on fill rate and memory bandwidth, areas where this iGPU is severely lacking. The data indicates that the Arc B390 is the primary limiter in every tested configuration, with no evidence of CPU-induced frame drops at any resolution or settings level.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combos in Hard West. This places the system in the bottom 11% of all configurations, a poor result driven entirely by the GPU. The CPU, which ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, is clearly capable of far higher performance, but the iGPU holds the entire system back. This rank of 2614 means that approximately 335 tested combos perform worse, but the overwhelming majority of systems deliver better frame rates in this game.

The delta between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's low in-game rank highlights a severe imbalance. The Core Ultra 7 265K, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is a top-tier desktop processor, but its integrated graphics counterpart is decidedly entry-level. The combo rank of 2614 out of 2949 suggests that nearly 89% of all tested hardware configurations outperform this setup in Hard West, which is expected given the GPU's 9th percentile standing. The performance gap is so wide that even the weakest discrete GPUs from a decade ago, as indicated by the nearest rivals (GT 520MX, GT 625 OEM), would likely provide better results.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's specifications. The Arc B390's 24 ROPs are insufficient for modern resolutions, and its system-shared memory limits bandwidth. In a turn-based tactics game like Hard West, where frame rates above 60 FPS are desirable for smooth camera panning and unit animations, this combo fails to deliver. The data shows that the CPU's potential is entirely untapped, as the GPU saturates long before the CPU can become a limiting factor. Users seeking playable performance would need to consider a discrete GPU, as this iGPU-based configuration is simply not competitive.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only settings that provide a playable experience are at 1080p with Low or Medium presets. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 87 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS drops to 71, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating a stable experience that remains playable. The Medium preset at 1080p is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, as it offers improved visual quality over Low while maintaining an average frame rate that exceeds 60 FPS.

At 1080p High, the average FPS falls to 55, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable for a turn-based game. However, the jump to Ultra at 1080p yields only 41 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth. For users prioritizing visual fidelity, High at 1080p is a viable option, but Medium provides the best combination of performance and quality. The data suggests that any resolution above 1080p is not recommended for this configuration. At 1440p Low, the average FPS of 55 is borderline, but Medium drops to 45 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS. At 4K, all settings produce average FPS below 30, which is unplayable for any game genre.

The measured rows indicate that the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering 71 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This ensures no significant frame drops during gameplay, which is critical for turn-based tactics where smooth camera movement matters. The Low preset at 1080p, while producing 87 FPS, sacrifices visual fidelity unnecessarily, as the Medium preset still maintains high performance. Conversely, High at 1080p at 55 FPS is acceptable but leaves little headroom for complex scenes. The recommendation is clear: 1080p Medium is the optimal configuration for this hardware in Hard West.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 87 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating a stable range. High settings average 55 FPS, and Ultra settings average 41 FPS. These four data points show a clear inverse relationship between quality and performance, with a 46 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly across all settings. Low averages 55 FPS, which is the only 1440p setting above 50 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with each settings tier losing approximately 32 FPS on average. This indicates that the GPU's fill rate is the primary constraint, as the resolution increase directly impacts pixel throughput.

At 3840x2160, the performance is uniformly poor. Low averages 29 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS (with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. None of these averages reach the 30 FPS threshold, meaning 4K is entirely unplayable. The Medium setting at 4K has a minimum of 20 FPS, which would result in noticeable stuttering. The data shows a linear degradation from 1080p to 4K, with the GPU failing to maintain playable frame rates at any settings level beyond 1080p.

The complete dataset reveals that the system is only viable at 1080p. At 1080p Low and Medium, the average FPS exceeds 60, providing a smooth experience. At 1080p High, the average of 55 FPS is acceptable for a turn-based game. All other resolution and settings combinations fall below 55 FPS, with many falling below 30 FPS. The measured FPS breakdown confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is a low-power integrated solution that cannot handle resolutions above 1080p in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system in Hard West?*

A: The best experience is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which achieves an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. Low settings at 1080p achieve 87 FPS but offer reduced visual quality.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only achieve 29 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 14 FPS. All 4K presets fall below the playable 30 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), showing it performs at a similar level to decade-old entry-level GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS scaling with resolution confirms GPU limitation.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 87 FPS while Ultra settings average 41 FPS, a difference of 46 FPS. This shows a significant performance cost for maximum visual quality.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Hard West?*

A: The combo ranks 2614 out of 2949 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This is consistent with the GPU's low performance percentile.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2020. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core ensure that game logic and AI calculations in Hard West are handled with minimal latency. However, the benchmark data in this game shows no evidence of CPU limitation, as the frame rates are consistently GPU-bound.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35850, Geekbench multi-core of 23085, and Passmark multithread of 58594. These figures place the CPU in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Xeon 6511P (average score 71051, a -0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (average score 70163, a 1% delta). In Hard West, a turn-based tactics game that does not heavily utilize multi-threaded rendering, the CPU's 20 cores are largely idle, as the game's workload is primarily GPU-dependent.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 is theoretically sufficient for the game's needs, but the GPU's system-shared memory means both components compete for the same bandwidth. The CPU's ECC memory support and PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes are irrelevant to this iGPU configuration, as the Arc B390 uses the integrated graphics path. The data shows that the CPU's role in this pairing is to feed the GPU with data, but the GPU's limited throughput prevents the CPU from ever becoming a bottleneck. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (87 FPS) likely represents the GPU's maximum output, not the CPU's limit, as the CPU could easily push hundreds of frames per second in this older title.