Rust

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 presents a striking asymmetry in Rust: a mid-range, 8-core Zen 3 processor from 2022 driving the current flagship Blackwell GPU. The measured frame rates across three resolutions reveal that this pairing is consistently capable, but the data also exposes where the CPU begins to constrain the GPU’s immense potential. At 1080p, the combo averages 193 FPS on Low settings, but this is the only preset that exceeds 190 FPS; the jump to Medium drops the average to 166 FPS, and High sits at 156 FPS. The 1440p results show a similar pattern, with Low hitting 170 FPS and Medium at 147 FPS. At 4K, the scaling shifts dramatically: Low produces 132 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 102 FPS, and High delivers 75 FPS. The Ultra preset is the outlier at 4K, falling to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Rust, using this CPU and GPU combination, provides a clear picture of performance scaling across resolution and quality settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the average frame rates are uniformly high. The Low preset yields an average of 193 FPS, which is the highest raw score in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop the average to 166 FPS, with a minimum of 141 FPS and a maximum of 191 FPS, indicating a variance of 50 FPS between the worst and best frames. High settings produce a 156 FPS average, while the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still manages a 140 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 53 FPS, showing that the GPU has ample headroom even when fully taxed by the highest quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but the scaling becomes more pronounced. The Low preset averages 170 FPS, a 23 FPS reduction compared to 1080p. Medium settings yield a 147 FPS average, with a minimum of 125 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. High settings average 127 FPS, which is a substantial 29 FPS drop from the 1080p High result. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 97 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold but represents a 43 FPS loss compared to the same preset at 1080p. The data shows that the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 15-20% of the average frame rate across all presets, with the largest absolute drop occurring at the High setting.

At 3840x2160, the performance ceiling becomes evident. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, which is a 38 FPS drop from the 1440p Low result. Medium settings average 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, showing a tighter frame time distribution than at lower resolutions. High settings average 75 FPS, which is still comfortably playable. The Ultra preset, however, averages 57 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only preset across all three resolutions that fails to maintain at least 60 FPS on average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 75 FPS, which is the largest spread in the dataset, indicating that the GPU’s rendering load at 4K Ultra is significantly higher than at lower resolutions.

The min and max FPS data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 141 FPS and the maximum is 191 FPS, representing a 26% variation from the average of 166 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 125 FPS and the maximum is 168 FPS, a 16% variation from the 147 FPS average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 76 FPS and the maximum is 102 FPS, a 15% variation from the 89 FPS average. This suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent as resolution increases, likely because the GPU becomes the bottleneck and the CPU’s frame generation variability is less impactful.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings for this combination are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves a 140 FPS average, which is the highest quality setting available and clears the threshold by a wide margin. There is no reason to use lower settings at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset delivers more than double the required frame rate. The data shows that the GPU is underutilized at this resolution, with the CPU likely limiting the maximum achievable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies as the best setting, with an average of 97 FPS. This is a 43 FPS reduction from the 1080p Ultra result, but it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p averages 127 FPS, which is also viable, but the Ultra preset offers the highest visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The data indicates that the GPU still has significant headroom at 1440p, as the 97 FPS Ultra result is only 31% lower than the 1080p Ultra result.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, which fails to meet the 60 FPS playable threshold. Therefore, the best settings are High, which averages 75 FPS. The High preset at 4K provides a 75 FPS average, which is 25% above the playable threshold, but it is a step down from the maximum quality available. The Medium preset at 4K averages 89 FPS, but High is the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS, making it the optimal choice for maximum visual quality. The data suggests that 4K Ultra is beyond the capabilities of this combination, requiring a reduction in settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Rust at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 75 FPS and is the highest quality setting that maintains playable frame rates.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Rust?

A: The highest average FPS is 193, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only test result that exceeds 190 FPS, and it is 27 FPS higher than the next best result of 170 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: How does the 4K Medium preset compare to the 4K High preset in terms of frame rate stability?

A: The 4K Medium preset has a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, with an average of 89 FPS. The 4K High preset has no min/max data recorded, but its average of 75 FPS is 14 FPS lower than Medium, indicating a 16% performance reduction for the higher quality settings.

Q: Is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p larger at High or Ultra settings?

A: The difference is larger at Ultra settings. At High, the average drops from 156 FPS at 1080p to 127 FPS at 1440p, a 29 FPS reduction. At Ultra, the average drops from 140 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p, a 43 FPS reduction.

Q: What happens to the minimum FPS when moving from 1080p Medium to 4K Medium?

A: The minimum FPS drops from 141 at 1080p Medium to 76 at 4K Medium, a 46% reduction. The maximum FPS drops from 191 to 102, a 47% reduction. The average FPS drops from 166 to 89, a 46% reduction.

Q: Does the 1440p Ultra preset provide a better frame rate than the 4K High preset?

A: Yes. The 1440p Ultra preset averages 97 FPS, which is 22 FPS higher than the 4K High preset’s 75 FPS average. This indicates that the resolution difference has a larger impact on performance than the settings difference between Ultra and High.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware might produce similar results in Rust. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 has an average benchmark score of 25517, placing it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitors are the Intel Xeon D-2752TER with an average score of 25530 (0.1% higher), the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H with an average score of 25550 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7640U with an average score of 25485 (0.1% lower). These CPUs are within a 0.3% performance delta, meaning any of them would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Rust when paired with the same GPU. The Ryzen 7 5825U has an average score of 25446, which is 0.3% lower, indicating it would be marginally slower in CPU-bound scenarios.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X with an average score of 80959 (1.4% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with an average score of 79605 (0.3% lower), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB with an average score of 79396 (0.6% lower). The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has an average score of 78940, which is 1.1% lower. When paired with a comparable CPU, these GPUs would produce frame rates within a small margin of the RTX 5090’s results. The Pro Vega 64X would be slightly faster, while the Tesla P100 variants would be marginally slower, but the differences are small enough that gameplay would feel identical in most scenarios.

For this specific game, the CPU’s influence is more pronounced at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 7 5700’s rivals, such as the Ryzen 5 6600H, would likely show a similar pattern of high frame rates at 1080p with diminishing returns as resolution increases. The GPU’s rivals, particularly the Tesla P100 variants, would show a similar performance curve across resolutions, with the 4K Ultra preset likely falling below 60 FPS. The data suggests that any of these alternative components would produce a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra would remain out of reach.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Rust at all three tested resolutions, but not at every preset. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 140 FPS average, making it fully playable at maximum quality. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 97 FPS, also clearing the threshold with significant headroom. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement, averaging 57 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 75 FPS and is the most demanding setting that remains playable. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p support Ultra settings, while 4K requires a reduction to High settings for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The combination of the Ryzen 7 5700 and RTX 5090 is a capable performer for Rust, but the 4K Ultra preset is the sole weak point in an otherwise strong showing.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 243rd out of 3723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the top 6.5% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the high performance of the RTX 5090, which is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, combined with the mid-range Ryzen 7 5700, which is in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. The ranking suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier component, the CPU holds the system back from reaching the absolute highest tier of performance. The 243rd position indicates that there are 242 other combinations that produce higher frame rates in Rust, likely those pairing the RTX 5090 with faster CPUs. However, the ranking still places this combo well above the median, and the measured FPS data confirms that it delivers playable performance at all resolutions except 4K Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Rust across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset hitting 193 FPS and the Ultra preset at 140 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 53 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference among the three resolutions. This suggests that the CPU is the primary bottleneck at 1080p, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames quickly regardless of settings. The Ryzen 7 5700’s 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient for Rust’s simulation and physics, but the single-threaded performance, as indicated by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 901, may limit the maximum frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the scaling shows a more balanced distribution. The Low preset drops to 170 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 97 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 73 FPS, which is larger than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a factor, as the increased resolution places more load on the rendering pipeline. The CPU still influences the maximum frame rate, but the GPU’s performance at higher settings is now more relevant. The 1440p Ultra result of 97 FPS is 43 FPS lower than the 1080p Ultra result, showing that the resolution increase has a significant impact on the GPU’s workload.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck. The Low preset averages 132 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 57 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 75 FPS, the largest in the dataset. This indicates that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary constraint at 4K, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU frames. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is 40 FPS below the 1440p Ultra result, showing a steep performance cliff when moving to the highest resolution. The data suggests that the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are insufficient for Rust’s 4K Ultra preset, likely due to the game’s draw call and shader complexity. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases, with the GPU taking over as the primary performance limiter at 4K.