Rust

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 4K with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers an average of 66 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system run Rust at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 85, comfortably above the playable threshold. The recorded data shows all four tested presets at this resolution clear 60 FPS.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings?

A: The database includes minimum FPS only for Medium presets. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 128 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 113 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 67 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17120, a 0.3% difference. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-11400F.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's performance close to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, a 0.1% delta. The two GPUs are nearly identical in aggregate benchmark performance.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best playable preset, delivering an average of 124 FPS. All four tested settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data for Rust reveals a clear pattern in how the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 share the workload across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU side of the equation becomes more prominent, as the GPU has less pixel work to do. The FPS deltas between presets tell the story: moving from Low to Ultra at 1080p drops the average from 175 FPS to 124 FPS, a 29% reduction. This relatively modest spread suggests the CPU is holding back the GPU at lower settings, where the RTX 4080 could otherwise push even higher frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The spread between Low and Ultra widens: 154 FPS down to 85 FPS, a 45% reduction. This larger gap indicates that the graphics card is now the primary limiter, as the increased pixel count places more strain on the RTX 4080's rendering pipeline. The CPU still matters, but the GPU's role in determining final performance grows substantially.

At 3840x2160, the GPU dominates the performance picture. Low settings yield 117 FPS, while Ultra drops to 50 FPS, a 57% reduction. The RTX 4080 is clearly the bottleneck at 4K, with the i5-11400F providing enough headroom to let the GPU work at its full capacity. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (124 FPS to 50 FPS) shows a 60% performance drop, which is a typical GPU-bound pattern. The CPU's role is most visible at 1080p Low, where the 175 FPS result suggests the processor is near its practical limit for this game, but at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the deciding factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 557th out of 3723 tested combos in the database for Rust. This places the system in the top 15% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the CPU sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 86th percentile among all GPUs.

The rank suggests that the pairing is well balanced for Rust, despite the CPU being a generation older than the GPU. Many combos ranked above this one likely pair the RTX 4080 with a faster processor, but the measured FPS results show that this system still delivers smooth gameplay at all tested resolutions. The gap between the CPU's 71st percentile and the GPU's 86th percentile indicates a slight imbalance, but the game's engine appears to scale well with the available CPU threads, mitigating potential bottlenecks.

The rank of 557 out of 3723 also implies that the vast majority of combos in the database perform worse than this system. For a game like Rust, which can be demanding on both CPU and GPU due to its large persistent worlds and physics calculations, this combination sits in a comfortable performance tier.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-11400F, the AMD EPYC 7H12 is essentially a performance twin, with an average score of 17120 versus the i5-11400F's 17177, a 0.3% delta. The Intel Core i5-12450H is 0.4% faster, scoring 17239, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is 0.6% slower at 17278. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U is 0.6% faster at 17074. These four CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Rust when paired with the RTX 4080, as the differences are within measurement noise.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest match, with a 0.1% delta in average score. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower. The AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% slower. Any of these GPUs paired with the i5-11400F would behave similarly to the RTX 4080 in Rust, with the RTX 4080 SUPER being virtually indistinguishable in practice.

If a user were to swap the CPU to any of the four listed rivals, the measured FPS in Rust would stay within a few frames of the numbers recorded for the i5-11400F. Similarly, swapping the GPU to the RTX 4080 SUPER would yield nearly identical results. This means the performance profile described in this analysis applies broadly to these alternative configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following averages: Low settings produce 175 FPS, Medium settings produce 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173, High settings produce 141 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 124 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data at this resolution, showing a 45 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 154 FPS, Medium at 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152, High at 112 FPS, and Ultra at 85 FPS. The Medium preset again provides the only min/max data, with a 39 FPS spread.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 117 FPS, Medium at 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 90, High at 66 FPS, and Ultra at 50 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 23 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, which is the tightest range across all resolutions.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the absolute FPS drops, and the gap between Low and Ultra widens. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 51 FPS; at 1440p, it is 69 FPS; at 4K, it is 67 FPS. The 1440p and 4K gaps are similar, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint at both resolutions.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination can run Rust at all tested resolutions above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with one exception. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 50, which fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement. However, the same resolution with High settings delivers 66 FPS, which clears the threshold.

At 2560x1440, every preset is playable: Low at 154 FPS, Medium at 133 FPS, High at 112 FPS, and Ultra at 85 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset is also playable, with the lowest result being Ultra at 124 FPS. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable across all settings, while 4K is playable at High, Medium, and Low, but not at Ultra.

The practical takeaway is that this system is well suited for Rust at mainstream resolutions. Users with 1080p or 1440p monitors can enable any preset and enjoy smooth gameplay. For 4K displays, the High preset is the recommended ceiling, as it provides 66 FPS average with enough headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 124 FPS. This is the best visual quality available at this resolution, and the performance headroom is substantial.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best playable preset, with an average of 85 FPS. The visual fidelity of Ultra comes at a cost of 39 FPS compared to Low, but the result remains well above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is High, averaging 66 FPS. Ultra falls short at 50 FPS, so High is the recommended maximum for 4K. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is 16 FPS, which represents a 24% performance penalty for the extra visual detail.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low at 1080p produces 175 FPS, Low at 1440p produces 154 FPS, and Low at 4K produces 117 FPS. These settings would be suitable for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, though the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Medium preset offers a balanced option at all resolutions, with 150 FPS at 1080p, 133 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K, all clearing the 60 FPS threshold with margin.