Rust

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a classic mid-range desktop combination from different eras. For Rust, a demanding survival title, the recorded measurements reveal a system that can handle the game at 1080p with the right settings, but struggles at higher resolutions. This analysis relies on measured FPS data and benchmark scores from the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), no settings preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest average FPS recorded is 31.5 FPS at Low settings. This falls far short of the 60 FPS target, so 4K is not viable for this combination in Rust.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation is similar. No preset achieves 60 FPS. The best average is 48.6 FPS at Low settings, which remains below the playable threshold. Even with the lowest settings, the system cannot maintain smooth performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), there is exactly one playable configuration. The Low preset delivers an average of 74.8 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the best settings preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 52.2 FPS, and High falls to 42.8 FPS, so those do not qualify. The data shows that only Low settings at 1080p provide a playable experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 1080p with high settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 42.8, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only playable setting at 1080p is Low, which averages 74.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this PC to run Rust?

A: Based on the recorded data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where any settings preset clears 60 FPS. At both 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, no settings combination reaches the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much faster is Low settings compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 74.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 30.3 FPS. Low is more than double the frame rate of Ultra in this scenario.

Q: Is the RX 580's performance sufficient for 1440p gaming in Rust?

A: The data indicates no. At 2560x1440, the best average FPS is 48.6 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS requirement. Higher presets such as Medium and High yield 32.4 and 30.1 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the game scale well with settings changes at 4K?

A: The measurements show a noticeable scaling. At 3840x2160, Low settings produce 31.5 FPS, Medium produces 21.2 FPS, High produces 17.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 15.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is roughly 15.6 FPS, indicating a significant performance cost for higher visual quality.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use for a 60 FPS target at any resolution?

A: The only preset that achieves 60 FPS or higher is Low at 1920x1080, with an average of 74.8 FPS. No other preset at any resolution meets the playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset. Minimum and maximum FPS values are not recorded for this game.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 15.9 FPS. High settings produce 17.3 FPS. Medium settings yield 21.2 FPS. Low settings deliver 31.5 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with Ultra being roughly half the speed of Low.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. High settings produce 30.1 FPS. Medium settings yield 32.4 FPS. Low settings deliver 48.6 FPS. The gap between Medium and Low is larger than the gap between High and Medium, suggesting a significant performance jump when dropping to Low.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 30.3 FPS. High settings produce 42.8 FPS. Medium settings yield 52.2 FPS. Low settings deliver 74.8 FPS. This is the only resolution and settings combination where the average FPS exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The scaling from Ultra to Low shows a large improvement of 44.5 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: lower resolutions and lower settings both increase FPS. However, the system is unable to reach 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K, regardless of preset. At 1080p, only the Low preset achieves the target.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution from the database is clear. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings; the best average is 31.5 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings, with the best average being 48.6 FPS at Low. At 1920x1080, there is exactly one playable setting: Low, with an average of 74.8 FPS.

This means the system can run Rust, but only at 1080p with the lowest visual quality preset. The combo cannot maintain a 60 FPS experience at 1440p or 4K. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p is the only viable option. The data indicates that this setup is a 1080p low-settings machine for Rust, not a high-refresh or high-resolution solution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have nearby rivals based on average benchmark scores. These alternatives would be expected to behave similarly in Rust, barring any game-specific quirks.

The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, which has an average score of 13492, a delta of 0 percent. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, a delta of 0.3 percent. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7 percent higher. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, a delta of 1.1 percent. These CPUs are all within a narrow band of performance, so swapping between them would likely produce very similar FPS in Rust.

The GPU AMD Radeon RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 12928. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which scores 12940, a delta of -0.1 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986, a delta of -0.4 percent. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, a delta of 0.5 percent. The AMD FirePro W5100 scores 12847, a delta of 0.6 percent. The small deltas indicate that these GPUs deliver very similar raw performance, so similarly, they would likely produce the same FPS in Rust.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 3378 out of 3723 tested combinations for Rust. This places it in the lower portion of the database, roughly in the bottom 9 percent of all tested systems. The rank reflects the measured performance across all resolutions and settings. Given that the only playable configuration is Low at 1080p, this ranking is consistent with the data. Many other combinations are capable of hitting 60 FPS at higher settings or resolutions, placing them above this one.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data allows for some interpretation of which component matters more for Rust at each resolution. The CPU i3-12100F has a passmark single thread score of 3444 and a multithread score of 14015. The GPU RX 580 has a passmark G3D score of 8813. The game is known to be demanding on both the CPU and GPU.

At 3840x2160, the highest FPS is 31.5 at Low. The GPU is likely the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the pixel workload is heavy. The difference between Low and Ultra is about 15.6 FPS, which is relatively small compared to the total FPS range, indicating that the GPU simply cannot handle the high resolution load, regardless of settings.

At 2560x1440, the best FPS is 48.6 at Low. The scaling from Low to Medium is about 16.2 FPS, while the scaling from High to Ultra is about 5.1 FPS. The larger drop from Low to Medium suggests that the GPU becomes more stressed as settings increase, but the CPU might still be capable of keeping up with the lower settings.

At 1920x1080, the best FPS is 74.8 at Low. The scaling from Low to Medium is 22.6 FPS, from Medium to High is 9.4 FPS, and High to Ultra is 12.5 FPS. The large jump from Low to Medium indicates that the GPU is being pushed harder at Medium, but the fact that only Low clears 60 FPS suggests the GPU is the main limitation. The CPU, with a single thread score of 3043, appears sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p Low, but the GPU simply runs out of performance at higher settings.

The data shows that the GPU is the more significant bottleneck at all resolutions. The CPU has enough headroom to produce higher FPS, but the GPU cannot deliver the required frame rate at 1440p or 4K. At 1080p, the CPU is likely not the limiting factor, but the GPU still prevents the system from exceeding the 60 FPS threshold on anything but Low. The measured FPS scaling, where lower resolutions and lower settings both improve FPS, points to the GPU being the primary constraint for this game. The CPU's performance does not scale as strongly with resolution changes, while the GPU's workload changes dramatically. Thus, the RX 580 is the component that determines playable settings, while the i3-12100F provides enough power to avoid being the main bottleneck in this specific configuration.