Hard West

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a clear performance hierarchy in Hard West, with the data showing a predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the combination is exceptionally strong, pushing frame rates well beyond what most displays can refresh. Moving to 1440p maintains high fluidity, but the jump to 4K introduces a significant drop, indicating a shift in system bottleneck. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the ranking among other tested combos, and offers practical settings guidance based strictly on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 133 FPS. Stepping up to 2560x1440 at High sees this figure fall to 84 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. The most substantial decline occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160), where the High preset average drops from 84 FPS to 44 FPS, a 48% reduction. This steep falloff strongly indicates that at 4K, the RTX 3070 is the primary bottleneck, struggling to maintain the performance headroom seen at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this trend. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 211 FPS at 1080p to 133 FPS at 1440p and then down to 70 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result of 70 FPS is still lower than the 1440p Ultra result of 63 FPS, showing that even reducing graphical fidelity at 4K cannot match the performance of higher settings at a lower resolution. The data suggests that for this game, the RTX 3070’s compute and memory bandwidth are sufficiently taxed at 4K that the CPU’s high core count and clock speeds have little influence on the final output. Conversely, at 1080p, the very high frame rates (211 FPS at Low) suggest the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU fast enough, but the GPU is no longer the sole constraint; the system is likely hitting a more balanced state where both components contribute to the result.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 1725 MHz, and the card has 5888 shading units. In Hard West, a turn-based tactics title, the GPU’s role is less about raw geometry throughput and more about consistent frame delivery. The benchmark results show that the GPU handles the game’s visual load effectively up to 1440p, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity and bandwidth become a limiting factor at 4K. The 4K Ultra preset averages only 33 FPS, while 4K Medium achieves 57 FPS, suggesting that the memory pressure and fill rate requirements at that resolution are pushing the card to its limits.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile versus all GPUs is 61, indicating it sits in the mid-to-upper range of tested hardware. Its average benchmark score of 17208 places it in close competition with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, a delta of 0.7%. This proximity shows that the RTX 3070’s performance in synthetic tests is comparable to that newer competitor, yet in Hard West, the measured FPS shows no direct comparison data for that rival. The card’s DirectX 12 benchmark score of 85 and DirectX 11 score of 182 from PassMark provide context for its API performance, but the game’s measured results are the primary evidence of its capability. The GPU’s TDP of 220 W and dual-slot design are relevant for system integration, but the performance data alone shows that it delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring reduced settings to remain fluid.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a combo rank of 1225 out of 2949 total combos. This places it in the 42nd percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 58% of other combos perform better in this game. The ranking reflects the balance between a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU. The CPU alone is in the 96th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003, putting it just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX. However, the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking drags the overall combo down, as the RTX 3070’s average score of 17208 is only 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT.

This rank of 1225 suggests that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU prevents this combo from reaching the upper echelons of performance in Hard West. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly higher rank, as the CPU’s headroom is not fully utilized by the RTX 3070, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is less of a constraint. The combo’s position in the middle of the pack is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range standing, and the measured FPS numbers corroborate this, showing strong performance at 1080p but a notable decline at 4K that keeps it from competing with top-tier configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently high: Low settings average 211 FPS, Medium averages 173 FPS with a minimum of 147 FPS and maximum of 198 FPS, High averages 133 FPS, and Ultra averages 99 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 112 FPS, showing that the game is highly scalable at this resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum frame rate of 147 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains a smooth experience, well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop predictably: Low hits 133 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS (min 93, max 126), High averages 84 FPS, and Ultra falls to 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p still provides a minimum of 93 FPS, which is excellent for a high-resolution experience. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS line, but the lack of a reported minimum suggests it may dip lower in some scenes. At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit: Low averages 70 FPS, Medium averages 57 FPS (min 49, max 66), High averages 44 FPS, and Ultra drops to 33 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 49 FPS indicates occasional stutter, while High and Ultra are likely to feel less fluid. The data shows that 4K is only viable with Low settings for a consistently smooth experience, as even Medium has a minimum below 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 133 FPS offers an excellent balance, providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium’s 173 FPS while still maintaining a frame rate far above what most 60Hz displays require. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or above), the Medium preset at 173 FPS is the better choice, as it maximizes smoothness without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 99 FPS is still playable, but the jump from High to Ultra yields a 34 FPS loss, which may not be worth the visual gains in a turn-based game where motion is less frequent.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 84 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it offers a solid frame rate with good detail. The Medium preset at 109 FPS is superior for those prioritizing fluidity, especially since its minimum of 93 FPS ensures no noticeable drops. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is borderline; it is playable but leaves little headroom for complex scenes. For 4K, the data strongly suggests using the Low preset at 70 FPS, as it is the only setting that maintains a consistently smooth experience. Medium at 57 FPS is acceptable if the user can tolerate occasional drops to 49 FPS, but High and Ultra are not recommended due to their lower averages of 44 and 33 FPS, respectively.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hard West?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with High settings achieving 84 FPS and Medium achieving 109 FPS. At 1080p, the performance is higher, but 1440p offers a better visual-to-performance trade-off.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which average 70 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, while High and Ultra dip to 44 and 33 FPS, respectively, making them less fluid.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 99 FPS, while High averages 133 FPS. This represents a 34 FPS loss for Ultra, suggesting that High is the more efficient choice for a high-refresh-rate experience.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1225 out of 2949 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack. The CPU is in the 96th percentile, but the GPU’s 61st percentile limits the overall ranking.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The frame rate drops significantly from 1440p to 4K (e.g., from 84 to 44 FPS at High), showing that the RTX 3070’s capabilities are the limiting factor.

Q: What is the minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has a minimum FPS of 93 and a maximum of 126, with an average of 109 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience without significant drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh codename and built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. Its L3 cache is 36 MB shared, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 51731 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile versus all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84003 is just 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX.

In Hard West, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, which is typically light for a turn-based tactics title. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (211 FPS) shows that the CPU is capable of driving extremely high frame rates, indicating that it is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. Even at 4K, where the GPU is the clear bottleneck, the CPU’s high single-thread performance (7303 in Cinebench R23) ensures that it does not introduce stutter or frame pacing issues. The CPU’s 24 cores and 24 threads are overkill for this game, as Hard West is unlikely to utilize more than a few threads, but the high boost clock of 5.80 GHz provides the necessary single-thread speed for consistent performance. The data shows that this CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its 96th percentile ranking, and its performance in this combo is constrained primarily by the GPU’s mid-range capabilities.