Rust

The benchmark data for this Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing in Rust shows a system that is heavily dependent on resolution and graphical presets to maintain smooth gameplay. While the combination delivers exceptional performance at standard 1080p and solid results at 1440p, it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where only the lowest settings remain viable for a fluid experience. The data suggests a capable 1080p and 1440p machine, with clear limitations at 4K Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combination handles Rust across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system excels, producing an average of 186.3 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p, the average drops to 123.5 FPS, and High settings yield 103.1 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p maintains an average of 80.7 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down noticeably but remains playable across most presets. The Low preset delivers a strong 125.7 FPS average, while Medium settings produce 87.5 FPS. High settings at 1440p achieve 70.5 FPS, which is still above the playable threshold, but Ultra settings dip to 57.7 FPS, falling just short of the 60 FPS target. This represents a clear boundary for the system at 1440p, where the Ultra preset becomes borderline.

The 3840x2160 results show significant strain on the hardware. At 4K, the Low preset manages 73.6 FPS, which is playable, but Medium settings drop to 52.5 FPS, and High settings fall further to 44.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K produces a mere 30.3 FPS average, which is nearly half the playable threshold and indicates a very heavy graphical load. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on the same preset is substantial; for instance, High settings drop from 103.1 FPS at 1080p to 44.4 FPS at 4K, a decline of over 56%.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings in Rust?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 80.7 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: According to the verdictByResolution data, the best playable setting at 2560x1440 is High, which achieves an average of 70.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls below 60 FPS with a 57.7 FPS average.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware in Rust?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is considered playable, with an average of 73.6 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 4K all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 52.5, 44.4, and 30.3 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's score of 17083. This indicates nearly identical performance in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings at 1080p produce 186.3 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 80.7 FPS, representing a performance gap of 105.6 FPS between the two extremes.

Q: Does the data include minimum or maximum FPS values?

A: No, the measured FPS data for Rust only includes average FPS values. The minFps and maxFps fields are all listed as null in the dataset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets in Rust reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU in this pairing. The Intel Core i3-12100F is a modest 4-core, 8-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, and its benchmark scores place it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU's capabilities are sufficient to feed the GPU effectively. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are very high across all presets, with Low settings hitting 186.3 FPS, indicating that the RTX 3070 is the primary bottleneck even at this resolution.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rate drops proportionally across all settings, suggesting that the GPU's rendering load is increasing and becoming more dominant. The RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely being taxed more heavily at this resolution. At 3840x2160, the performance collapse is dramatic, particularly at Ultra settings where the average drops to 30.3 FPS. This pattern indicates that at 4K, the GPU is entirely overwhelmed, and the CPU is no longer the limiting factor.

The scaling between presets at each resolution provides further insight. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium reduces FPS by 62.8, while the jump from High to Ultra reduces it by 22.4. At 1440p, the Low-to-Medium gap is 38.2 FPS, and the High-to-Ultra gap is 12.8 FPS. At 4K, the Low-to-Medium gap is 21.1 FPS, and the High-to-Ultra gap is 14.1 FPS. This suggests that the relative cost of each preset level remains consistent across resolutions, with Low to Medium being the largest single step. The data implies that for this game, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution rises, with the CPU maintaining a consistent baseline performance level.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components provides context for what other hardware might behave similarly in this system. For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the closest competitors by average benchmark score include the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13492 with a delta of 0%, and the Intel Core i5-9500, which scores 13452 with a delta of 0.3%. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, making it 0.7% faster, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% slower. These processors would likely produce similar CPU-bound performance in Rust at lower resolutions.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has an average score of 17083, just 0.7% behind the RTX 3070's 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M also appear in the rival list, with scores of 17037 and 17019 respectively, showing deltas of 1% and 1.1%. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% ahead with a score of 17468. It is important to note that the GTX 690 and HD 7970M are much older architectures, but their synthetic benchmark scores are close to the RTX 3070, suggesting they might deliver comparable frame rates in Rust, though likely with different feature support. A system built with an RX 7600 XT instead of the RTX 3070 would likely produce nearly identical FPS numbers in this game, given the 0.7% benchmark delta.

The Verdict

The verdict for this PC is that it can run Rust effectively, but with important caveats depending on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset runs at 80.7 FPS, and even the most demanding settings provide a smooth experience. This is the optimal resolution for this hardware, offering the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the system remains viable but with restrictions. The High preset is the most demanding playable option, achieving 70.5 FPS. The Low and Medium presets also clear 60 FPS with 125.7 and 87.5 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls just short at 57.7 FPS, which means users must choose between High settings for playability or Ultra settings for visual fidelity at the cost of a slightly sub-60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which achieves 73.6 FPS. All other presets at 4K fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings produce 52.5 FPS, High settings produce 44.4 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 30.3 FPS. This makes 4K gaming in Rust a limited proposition, requiring significant compromises in visual quality. The data clearly indicates that this PC is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1574th out of 3723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all systems tested. This ranking reflects the balance of the CPU and GPU pairing, where the quad-core processor is a modest performer but the RTX 3070 is a strong mid-range GPU. The rank suggests that while this system is not at the top tier for Rust, it outperforms a majority of tested configurations.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 68th for all CPUs indicates that the i3-12100F is above average in overall synthetic performance, but its 4-core design limits its multi-threaded capabilities. The GPU's percentile ranking of 61st for all GPUs shows that the RTX 3070 is also above average, but not in the top tier. The combination of these two components results in a system that is well-matched for 1080p gaming, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, but the CPU's limitations become more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high.

In the context of Rust specifically, the combo rank of 1574 out of 3723 indicates that there are many faster configurations available, but also a large number of slower ones. The data shows that this pairing is a capable mid-range option, with the RTX 3070 providing the bulk of the gaming performance and the i3-12100F supporting it adequately.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 80.7 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while still delivering a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, with an average of 70.5 FPS. While the Ultra preset offers better visuals, its 57.7 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making High settings the optimal choice for a playable experience at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, achieving an average of 73.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 52.5 FPS, which is below the threshold, so Low settings are the only viable option for maintaining smooth gameplay at this resolution. This represents a significant visual compromise, but it is the only way to achieve playable frame rates at 4K with this hardware.