Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a bifurcated performance profile in Rust, heavily dependent on resolution and graphical preset. At 1920x1080, the combination is broadly capable, producing an average of 138.8 FPS on Low settings, 94.5 FPS on Medium, and 78.5 FPS on High, before dipping to 56.5 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates compress to 95.8 FPS (Low), 64.6 FPS (Medium), 55.9 FPS (High), and 43 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain fluid motion, with averages of 57.9 FPS on Low, 38.9 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and just 23.4 FPS on Ultra. The data indicates a playable experience (defined as 60 FPS or higher) is achievable at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across the three resolutions and four presets tested. At 1920x1080, the RTX 3060 Ti and i5-12400 combination demonstrates its strongest performance. The lowest preset yields an average of 138.8 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset maintains a robust 94.5 FPS, indicating significant headroom for visual enhancements without sacrificing smoothness. High settings still deliver a comfortable 78.5 FPS, making it the highest preset that clears the playability bar. The Ultra preset, however, falls short at 56.5 FPS, a 22 FPS drop from High, which suggests a steep cost for the final tier of graphical features.

At 2560x1440, the performance penalty from increased pixel count becomes evident. The Low preset averages 95.8 FPS, still well above the threshold, while Medium dips to 64.6 FPS, narrowly clearing 60 FPS. High settings drop to 55.9 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and Ultra falls further to 43 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30-40% of the average frame rate across presets, highlighting the GPU's role as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is 8.7 FPS, a smaller absolute difference than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming saturated.

At 3840x2160, the combination is clearly outmatched. Even the Low preset only manages 57.9 FPS, just under the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 38.9 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 23.4 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 34.5 FPS, which is a massive performance spread. The data shows that the RTX 3060 Ti's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering in Rust at acceptable frame rates, regardless of preset. The benchmark results indicate that 4K gaming with this hardware would require significant compromises, and even then, the experience would be borderline.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697 avg score, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i7-1355U (18730 avg score, -0.3% delta), AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811 avg score, -0.7% delta), and Intel Core i3-14100F (18519 avg score, 0.9% delta). These processors are within a narrow band of performance, with deltas not exceeding 0.9%. For gaming scenarios, the i3-14100F is the most relevant alternative, as it is a desktop part with similar single-thread capabilities; the benchmark data shows it would produce nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, though the i5-12400 holds a slight edge in multi-threaded workloads.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014 avg score, 0.7% delta), AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351 avg score, -1.4% delta), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (16361 avg score, -1.4% delta). The RX 5700 XT is a direct performance peer, meaning systems with that card would exhibit similar FPS numbers in Rust, though it lacks the RTX 3060 Ti's ray tracing and DLSS capabilities. The Radeon RX 9060 is slightly slower on average, but the delta is so small that real-world gaming differences would be negligible. A user upgrading from an RX 5700 XT would see minimal FPS changes in Rust, as the two GPUs sit at essentially the same performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 60 FPS on any settings at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The measured data shows average FPS of 78.5 on High, 94.5 on Medium, and 138.8 on Low, all above the 60 FPS threshold. Only the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, averaging 56.5 FPS.

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

A: Medium is the highest preset that maintains at least 60 FPS, with an average of 64.6 FPS. Low settings average 95.8 FPS, while High drops to 55.9 FPS, which is not playable by the 60 FPS standard.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combination in Rust?

A: No. The verdictByResolution data lists no playable settings at 3840x2160. The highest average is 57.9 FPS on Low, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, and all other presets are significantly lower.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-14100F?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, while the i3-14100F scores 18519, a delta of 0.9% in favor of the i5. This indicates nearly identical CPU-bound performance in gaming.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti is in the 59th percentile, meaning it performs better than 59% of all GPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 16129.

Q: Does the game favor the CPU or GPU at 2560x1440?

A: The performance drop from 1440p Low (95.8 FPS) to 1440p High (55.9 FPS) is 39.9 FPS, which shows the GPU is heavily taxed by preset changes. The CPU, with a 72nd percentile ranking, is less of a limiting factor at this resolution.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust, but the playable envelope is strictly limited to 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on Low (138.8 FPS), Medium (94.5 FPS), and High (78.5 FPS) presets. The best playable setting at this resolution is High, with an average of 78.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low (95.8 FPS) and Medium (64.6 FPS) are playable, with Medium being the best option. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings; the best average is 57.9 FPS on Low, which falls short. The verdictByResolution data confirms that 4K is not viable, and users seeking a smooth 4K experience would need more powerful hardware. The system is well-suited for 1080p high-refresh-rate displays and capable of 1440p at medium settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti shifts with resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU's single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 910) is sufficient to feed the GPU at high frame rates. The scaling from Low (138.8 FPS) to Ultra (56.5 FPS) shows a 82.3 FPS spread, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of FPS changes across presets. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are not a bottleneck here, as even the most demanding preset still delivers over 50 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's workload increases, and the CPU's influence wanes. The FPS spread between Low (95.8 FPS) and Ultra (43 FPS) is 52.8 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p. This compression indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor, as the same preset changes yield smaller absolute FPS gains. The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the 72nd percentile, showing it is not a weak component, but the RTX 3060 Ti's 59th percentile ranking suggests it is the weaker link in this pairing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The FPS range is narrow, from 23.4 FPS (Ultra) to 57.9 FPS (Low), and even the lowest preset cannot reach 60 FPS. The CPU's performance is largely irrelevant at this resolution, as the GPU's 8 GB memory and 256-bit bus are saturated by the pixel fill requirements. The data shows that resolution scaling has a greater impact on FPS than preset scaling, confirming that the RTX 3060 Ti is the component that determines playability in Rust.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Rust, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks 2523 out of 3723 combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile ranking and the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking. While the CPU is above average, the GPU's mid-pack position drags the overall combo down. The rank suggests that many other systems, particularly those with higher-tier GPUs, will deliver better performance in Rust. However, the combo still outperforms a significant portion of the field, and its 1080p and 1440p results are respectable for the hardware class.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 78.5 FPS. This provides a significant margin above the threshold, allowing for stable gameplay without reaching the 60 FPS floor. The Ultra preset, at 56.5 FPS, is not recommended for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Medium, averaging 64.6 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes. Low settings average 95.8 FPS, offering a more comfortable experience, but Medium provides the best visual quality while still meeting the playability standard.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The highest average is 57.9 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdictByResolution data explicitly lists no playable settings for this resolution, so users must either reduce resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance.