Rust

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 348th out of 3723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the top ~9% of all configurations evaluated. This is a strong showing for a pairing that combines an entry-level quad-core processor with a flagship-tier graphics card. The rank reflects Rust's peculiar hardware appetite: the game is known for heavy CPU load in its survival sandbox, yet the i3-12100F's strong single-thread performance (893 in 3dmark single-thread) and the RTX 4080 SUPER's massive compute headroom clearly push this combo into the upper echelon of tested systems.

The percentile data reinforces the split personality of this build. The CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at the 86th percentile among all graphics cards. When combined, the pairing overachieves relative to the CPU's modest standing — the benchmark results suggest the RTX 4080 SUPER carries much of the load, but the i3-12100F does not bottleneck as severely as one might expect. The combo's rank of 348 indicates that Rust's rendering workload scales well with the GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the CPU's 8 threads handle the game's simulation and networking layers adequately.

# CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor that shifts with resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence is most visible: Low settings produce 201.4 FPS, but Ultra settings drop to 123.3 FPS — a 38.8% reduction that suggests the CPU must feed more draw calls and physics updates as visual complexity rises. The GPU is barely taxed at this resolution, evidenced by the fact that even Ultra settings stay far above the 60 FPS threshold. The i3-12100F's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 4.30 GHz boost clock appear sufficient to keep the RTX 4080 SUPER fed at 1080p, though the gap between Low and Ultra (78.1 FPS) hints at growing CPU pressure.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. Low settings yield 178.3 FPS, while Ultra still manages 86.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 51.4% drop, larger than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is starting to feel the resolution increase. However, the RTX 4080 SUPER's 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 16 GB of GDDR6X VRAM keep frame rates comfortably above 60 even at Ultra. The CPU's role here is more about maintaining minimum frame pacing than raw throughput, and the data suggests it holds up well.

At 3840x2160, the GPU dominates entirely. Ultra settings fall to 47.6 FPS — below the 60 FPS threshold — while High settings recover to 66.9 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to clear 60 FPS, and it is a GPU-bound failure. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 320-bit memory bus and 10240 shading units are pushed to their limits at 4K Ultra, while the i3-12100F has ample headroom. Low settings at 4K produce 117 FPS, proving the CPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

The preset scaling tells a consistent story: the i3-12100F provides a stable baseline, but the RTX 4080 SUPER dictates the ceiling. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU's headroom means the CPU is the more consequential component; at 4K, the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck.

# FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Rust at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 on Ultra is 86.7 FPS, well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best settings preset available at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, High settings are the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 66.9 FPS. Medium settings achieve 78.9 FPS, and Low settings reach 117 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 47.6 FPS, below the playable threshold.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to nearby CPUs in raw benchmark scores?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13492 (0% difference). The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% ahead), while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (0.7% behind) and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (1.1% ahead of the i3).

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER significantly faster than the RTX 4080?

A: The data shows they are nearly identical. The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, while the RTX 4080 scores 54247 — a delta of just -0.1%. In practice, the two cards would perform within the margin of error in Rust.

Q: Does Rust benefit more from the CPU or GPU in this pairing?

A: The evidence points to the GPU being the primary driver. At 4K, dropping from High to Low settings increases FPS from 66.9 to 117 — a 74.9% improvement. At 1080p, the same preset change only boosts FPS from 160 to 201.4 (25.9% improvement), suggesting the CPU begins to limit at lower resolutions when the GPU is underutilized.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 348th out of 3723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the top 9.3% of all configurations. Given that the CPU sits at the 68th percentile and the GPU at the 86th percentile, the combo outperforms what the individual component percentiles might suggest.

# Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores are all within a narrow band. The Intel Core 3 N355 matches the i3-12100F almost exactly at 13492 (0% delta), making it a direct substitute in synthetic workloads. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 (0.3% delta) and would behave nearly identically in Rust's CPU-bound moments. The Intel Core 5 120UL is slightly faster at 13594 (-0.7% delta), while the Intel Core i7-1250U trails at 13351 (1.1% delta). In practice, all four rival CPUs would deliver similar frame rates when paired with the RTX 4080 SUPER, since the GPU dominates most Rust scenarios.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the closest match, with an average score of 54247 versus the 4080 SUPER's 54209 — a negligible -0.1% difference. Users with an RTX 4080 would see virtually identical FPS in Rust. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (-1.1% delta), and while it is a workstation card, its performance would land within the same ballpark. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (score 55698, -2.7% delta) and AMD Radeon 8060S (score 55757, -2.8% delta) are slightly faster in raw benchmarks, but their different driver stacks and memory configurations could alter real-world Rust behavior. For the purposes of this game, any of these GPUs would produce comparable results at 1080p and 1440p, with the 4K Ultra preset remaining the only potential struggle point.

# Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, delivering an average of 123.3 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and leaves substantial headroom above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the answer is again Ultra, with an average of 86.7 FPS. This preset clears the 60 FPS bar comfortably, though the margin shrinks compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is High, averaging 66.9 FPS. Ultra falls to 47.6 FPS, so users targeting 4K must settle for High unless they accept sub-60 performance. Medium (78.9 FPS) and Low (117 FPS) are also playable, but High offers the best visual quality while maintaining the 60 FPS threshold.

# The Verdict

This PC can run Rust, and it can do so at high quality across most resolutions. The verdict data is unambiguous: at 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 123.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true, with Ultra hitting 86.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, three of four presets are playable: Low (117 FPS), Medium (78.9 FPS), and High (66.9 FPS). Only Ultra fails the 60 FPS test, dipping to 47.6 FPS.

The combination of the i3-12100F and RTX 4080 SUPER is a surprisingly capable pairing for Rust. The CPU's modest core count is offset by strong single-thread performance and the game's ability to leverage the GPU's immense resources. The result is a system that handles 1080p and 1440p with ease, and 4K with only the most extreme settings requiring compromise. The data indicates that users should target High at 4K and Ultra everywhere else for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The full measured FPS dataset for the Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER in Rust is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 201.4 FPS average
• Medium: 172.4 FPS average
• High: 160 FPS average
• Ultra: 123.3 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 178.3 FPS average
• Medium: 133.8 FPS average
• High: 114 FPS average
• Ultra: 86.7 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 117 FPS average
• Medium: 78.9 FPS average
• High: 66.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 47.6 FPS average

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: each step up in quality costs a predictable amount of performance. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 78.1 FPS; at 1440p, it widens to 91.6 FPS; at 4K, it grows further to 69.4 FPS. Interestingly, the 4K gap is smaller than the 1440p gap, which suggests that at 4K the GPU is so heavily loaded that preset changes have diminishing returns on frame rate — the rendering pipeline is saturated regardless of quality level. The 1080p and 1440p data show more linear scaling, indicating that the CPU and GPU are both contributing to the frame rate, with neither fully dominating until the resolution reaches 4K.