Rust

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is a solid 1080p and 1440p gaming combo for Rust, but it is not a 4K machine. Benchmark results show this system delivers a fully playable experience at 1920x1080 on the Ultra preset, averaging 63 FPS, and at 2560x1440 on Medium settings with an average of 67 FPS. At 3840x2160, the data shows no playable settings, as even the Low preset only reaches an average of 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The verdict is clear: target 1080p for maximum visual quality or 1440p for a balanced experience, and avoid 4K entirely with this configuration.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies significantly by resolution, with the data showing a clear performance ceiling for this laptop combo.

At 1920x1080, the system can handle the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding setting tested. The average frame rate at Ultra is 63 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. Lower presets also clear this bar comfortably: High averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS, and Low reaches 145 FPS. Since Ultra is both the most demanding and playable, it is the recommended setting for this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset drops to Medium. The average frame rate here is 67 FPS, which stays above 60 FPS. The High preset falls short with an average of 57 FPS, and Ultra averages only 43 FPS. Low is also playable at 100 FPS average, but Medium offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance, making it the best setting for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the data shows no preset achieves a playable average frame rate. The Low preset comes closest with an average of 59 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium averages 40 FPS, High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The verdictByResolution field confirms this, listing no playable settings and no best settings for 4K. Users should not expect a smooth experience at this resolution with this hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Rust at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 resolution. The benchmark data shows an average of 63 FPS on the Ultra preset at 1080p. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to an average of 43 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440 resolution?

A: The best settings for 1440p are Medium, which yields an average of 67 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS playability threshold, as High averages only 57 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and RTX 4060 Mobile combo?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets are significantly lower, with Ultra averaging just 25 FPS. The verdictByResolution data lists no playable settings for 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Mobile perform in Rust compared to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22729, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, and 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B580. It also sits 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 145 FPS, while Ultra averages 63 FPS. This represents a drop of 82 FPS when moving from the least to the most demanding preset, showing a significant performance cost for higher visual quality.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU in Rust at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate CPU bottlenecking. The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench R23 reaching 42713 points. The system maintains playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, suggesting the CPU is sufficient for this game's demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions and settings, with the data providing specific averages for each combination.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently below the playability threshold. The Low preset averages 59 FPS, with no min or max data recorded. Medium averages 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The frame time variance at Medium, spanning 34 to 46 FPS, indicates notable instability, making even this preset feel inconsistent.

At 2560x1440, the system shows improved performance. Low averages 100 FPS, making it the fastest preset at this resolution. Medium averages 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, meaning it dips below 60 FPS at times but holds an average above the threshold. High averages 57 FPS, just below playable, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset's min/max range of 57 to 77 FPS shows a 20 FPS swing, which may be noticeable during intense scenes.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable. Low leads with an average of 145 FPS. Medium averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS, showing a tighter 29 FPS range. High averages 82 FPS, and Ultra averages 63 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a small margin. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline: 145 to 98 to 82 to 63 FPS, representing a 56.6% drop from Low to Ultra.

The data also reveals how resolution scaling affects performance. At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 98 FPS at 1080p to 67 FPS at 1440p, a 31.6% decrease, and then to 40 FPS at 4K, a further 40.3% decrease. This indicates that resolution has a substantial impact on the GPU's workload, with 4K being particularly demanding for the RTX 4060 Mobile.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust, but the playable range is limited to 1080p and 1440p. The verdictByResolution data is explicit: at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning no preset reaches an average of 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best option at 67 FPS average. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra being the best at 63 FPS average.

For users prioritizing visual quality, 1080p Ultra is the way to go, as it delivers 63 FPS average, clearing the threshold by a narrow margin of 3 FPS. This suggests that while playable, there is little headroom for demanding scenes that might cause dips. For a smoother experience with more buffer, 1080p High at 82 FPS or 1440p Medium at 67 FPS are safer choices.

The 4K results are unequivocally negative. The best average at 3840x2160 is 59 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, combined with its 11.61 TFLOPS FP32 performance, are insufficient for the demands of Rust at 4K with this combination. Users with 4K displays should run the game at a lower resolution or accept a sub-60 FPS experience.

Overall, this combo is recommended for 1080p gaming with high settings or 1440p gaming with medium settings. It is not recommended for 4K gaming, as the data shows no playable configuration exists at that resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data shows that both the CPU and GPU play significant roles, but their importance shifts depending on resolution and settings. The Ryzen 9 8945HX is a high-end mobile processor with 16 cores and 32 threads, boosting up to 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 76212. The RTX 4060 Mobile, meanwhile, ranks in the 67th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 22729.

At 1920x1080, the GPU appears to be the primary determinant of performance, as the CPU has ample headroom. The frame rates scale predictably with settings: Low at 145 FPS, Medium at 98 FPS, High at 82 FPS, and Ultra at 63 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU's 16 cores and high single-thread performance are unlikely to bottleneck at these frame rates. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030 points further supports this, indicating strong per-thread performance.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The average frame rates drop significantly compared to 1080p, with Medium falling from 98 to 67 FPS and High from 82 to 57 FPS. This 30-35% reduction in performance across settings is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where increasing resolution adds more pixel work. The CPU's performance remains constant, so the frame rate decline is attributable to the GPU's rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The frame rates plummet across all settings, with Ultra averaging just 25 FPS and Medium at 40 FPS. The GPU's 128-bit memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for the massive pixel throughput required at 4K. The CPU, by contrast, would have no trouble keeping up, as its multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713) is more than adequate for the game's logic.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this division of labor. Going from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings reduces the average from 98 to 67 FPS, a 31.6% drop. Going from 1440p to 4K at Medium reduces it from 67 to 40 FPS, a 40.3% drop. This accelerating decline is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where each resolution increase imposes a greater relative burden on the graphics processor. Users should therefore focus on GPU settings like texture quality and anti-aliasing to manage performance, rather than CPU-related options.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Rust, this system ranks 2282 out of 3723 combos, placing it in the 61.3rd percentile of all tested configurations. This is a mid-tier ranking, indicating that while this combo is capable of running the game at 1080p and 1440p, there are many other systems that perform better.

The rank reflects the combination's overall performance profile. The CPU is a standout component, ranking in the 95th percentile among all CPUs and performing nearly identically to its nearest rivals. The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This places it in elite company for processing power.

The GPU, however, is more modest. The RTX 4060 Mobile ranks in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 22729. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 2080 (0.7% higher), the RX 7700 XT (0.8% lower), the Arc B580 (1.3% higher), and the RTX 5060 Mobile (1.3% lower). This mid-range GPU performance drags the overall combo rank down, as the CPU's strength cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

The ranking of 2282 out of 3723 suggests that users with this combo will get a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but they should not expect top-tier performance. The system is better suited for 1080p gaming, where the CPU and GPU are more balanced, than for 4K, where the GPU becomes a severe bottleneck. Compared to other combos in the database, this one sits in the upper-middle range, offering a capable but not exceptional Rust experience.