Rust

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a pairing that mixes a 2018 six-core processor with a modern Ada Lovelace GPU. For Rust, a game known for CPU-heavy simulation and frequent updates, the data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but hits a clear wall at 4K with higher presets. The recorded measurements show a wide spread of performance, from a comfortable 133.3 FPS at 1080p Low to a demanding 30.8 FPS at 4K Ultra, making the choice of settings and resolution the defining factor for the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains 12 distinct measurements for this combination, spanning three resolutions and four quality presets. All figures are average FPS, as no minimum or maximum values were recorded for any configuration.

1920x1080 (1080p):

At the most common gaming resolution, this combo delivers strong results. The lowest preset tested, Low, produces an average of 133.3 FPS. Moving to Medium increases the visual load but still yields a very playable 111.1 FPS. High settings bring the average down to 91.5 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still manages to stay well above the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 71.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop of 61.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU is being stressed progressively, but the CPU does not bottleneck the frame rate at this resolution.

2560x1440 (1440p):

Stepping up to 1440p shows a predictable performance decline. Low settings average 114.6 FPS, which remains exceptionally smooth. Medium settings follow at 72.9 FPS. High settings produce an average of 67.1 FPS, still clear of the 60 FPS line. Ultra, however, falls below the playable threshold to 46.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 68.3 FPS, showing a steeper drop than at 1080p, which suggests the GPU is becoming a more significant limiting factor as pixel count rises.

3840x2160 (4K):

At 4K, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings are the only preset that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 69.1 FPS. Medium settings drop to 45.1 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by the 60 FPS standard. High settings fall further to 35.7 FPS. Ultra is the worst performer, averaging just 30.8 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 38.3 FPS, a smaller absolute gap than at lower resolutions, but the baseline is much lower, making every preset above Low feel compromised.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Comparing the components to their nearest rivals in the database helps contextualize the results. The CPU, AMD Ryzen 5 2600, has an average benchmark score of 21484. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, which scores 21440, a negligible 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900H is also nearby with 21367, just 0.5% lower. On the other side, the Intel Xeon D-1746TER scores 21635, which is 0.7% higher, and the AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223, 1.2% lower. These deltas are all within a couple of percentage points, meaning any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing in Rust when paired with the same GPU, assuming no other bottlenecks.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666, a difference of only 0.2%. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind with 17588. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 trail by 0.5% and 0.7%, with scores of 17551 and 17509, respectively. In practical terms, these GPUs would produce frame rates in Rust that are within a few frames of the RTX 4060, though the RTX 4060 does offer modern feature support that these older cards lack.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows how the balance of responsibility shifts between the Ryzen 5 2600 and the RTX 4060 as resolution changes. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all presets. The drop from Low to Ultra is 61.5 FPS, which is substantial, but even the lowest result, 71.8 FPS, shows the GPU is not being overwhelmed. The CPU, with a PassMark multithread score of 13160 and a single-thread score of 2239, appears sufficient for Rust's simulation logic at this resolution.

At 1440p, the GPU starts to take on more work. The frame rates for Low and Medium (114.6 and 72.9 FPS) are still high, but the Ultra preset falls to 46.3 FPS. This 46.3 FPS result is 35.5% lower than the High preset's 67.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor when settings are maxed. The CPU is likely still keeping up, but the GPU is no longer able to maintain 60 FPS under the heaviest load.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The Low preset at 69.1 FPS is the only playable option, and the Ultra preset at 30.8 FPS is less than half of that. The scaling from 1080p Low (133.3 FPS) to 4K Low (69.1 FPS) is a 48% reduction, which aligns with the roughly fourfold increase in pixel count. The CPU, which scored 75th percentile among all CPUs in the database, is not the bottleneck here; the RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus, simply cannot render Rust at 4K with higher settings while maintaining fluid motion.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Rust? Yes, but the answer depends entirely on the target resolution and settings. The database's playable threshold is 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on Low settings, with an average of 69.1 FPS. Any higher preset fails to reach 60 FPS, with Medium at 45.1, High at 35.7, and Ultra at 30.8.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low, Medium, and High settings. Low averages 114.6 FPS, Medium 72.9 FPS, and High 67.1 FPS. Ultra is not playable, averaging 46.3 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable on all four presets. Low averages 133.3 FPS, Medium 111.1 FPS, High 91.5 FPS, and Ultra 71.8 FPS. This is the only resolution where the user has full freedom to max out the game and still stay above 60 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users who want the highest visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS average, the database identifies the best preset for each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Low, which yields 69.1 FPS. This is the only preset that clears the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, averaging 67.1 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (72.9 FPS) and Low (114.6 FPS) while still staying above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, averaging 71.8 FPS. This allows the user to enable all graphical features without sacrificing smoothness, as the frame rate remains 11.8 FPS above the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Rust, this pairing sits at rank 2075 out of 3723 total combos. This places it in the 55.7th percentile, meaning it outperforms more than half of all tested systems but is also behind a significant number of higher-end configurations. The rank reflects the balance of the Ryzen 5 2600's age and the RTX 4060's mid-range positioning. While the GPU is modern, the CPU's single-thread performance, which is crucial for Rust, is not top-tier by current standards. The rank suggests that for 1080p gaming, this combo is competitive, but for 4K, it falls behind systems with more powerful GPUs and newer CPUs.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 4K with High settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 35.7, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only Low settings at 4K, with an average of 69.1 FPS, are considered playable.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: High settings is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at 2560x1440, with an average of 67.1 FPS. Ultra falls to 46.3 FPS, which is not playable by the database's standard.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p. While the CPU has a PassMark multithread score of 13160, the frame rate drops from 133.3 FPS at Low to 71.8 FPS at Ultra, showing the GPU's workload increases with settings. The CPU can feed the GPU fast enough at this resolution, as the minimum recorded average is still above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 2600 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V's score of 21440. This difference is negligible, so the two CPUs would perform nearly identically in Rust when paired with the same GPU.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 4K?

A: Low is the only playable setting at 3840x2160, with an average FPS of 69.1. Medium (45.1), High (35.7), and Ultra (30.8) all fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does this combo rank in the top half of tested systems for Rust?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 2075 out of 3723 tested combinations, which places it in the upper 55.7% of all systems in the database. It is above the median but not near the top performers.