Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust performance profile in Rust, with measured frame rates that span from demanding 4K Ultra settings to high-refresh 1080p play. The data shows a clear scaling pattern where resolution and preset quality significantly impact the average FPS, positioning this combo as a strong performer for high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K remains viable only at reduced settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the benchmark results indicate a steep performance curve across presets. The Ultra preset averages 37.1 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold of 60 FPS and indicates a heavy load on the GPU. Dropping to High improves the average to 48.9 FPS, still short of the target. The Medium preset reaches an average of 60.9 FPS, crossing the playable line, while the Low preset delivers a much higher average of 85.8 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 48.7 FPS, showing that graphical settings have a dominant impact on performance at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands considerably. The Low preset averages 145.6 FPS, providing a high-refresh experience. Medium averages 102.8 FPS, and High averages 84 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still maintains an average of 62.3 FPS. This demonstrates that at 1440p, the combo has enough headroom to handle the highest settings while remaining above the 60 FPS threshold, with a spread of 83.3 FPS between Low and Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the data shows exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 205.9 FPS, delivering an extremely smooth experience for competitive play. Medium averages 148.1 FPS, and High averages 123.5 FPS. Even the Ultra preset, the most visually intensive option, maintains an average of 94.3 FPS. The performance range from Low to Ultra is 111.6 FPS, indicating that even the heaviest settings leave substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which achieves an exact average of 60.9 FPS. While Low provides a higher frame rate, Medium offers the best visual quality that still clears the playable threshold. At this resolution, High and Ultra presets fall short of the 60 FPS target, with averages of 48.9 FPS and 37.1 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 62.3 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available, and the data confirms it remains playable. The High preset averages 84 FPS, Medium averages 102.8 FPS, and Low averages 145.6 FPS, so all settings at 1440p exceed the 60 FPS requirement, allowing users to prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is again the best setting, with an average of 94.3 FPS. Every preset at this resolution—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—stays well above 60 FPS, with the lowest average being 94.3 FPS. This means users can select the highest graphical settings and still benefit from a frame rate that supports smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz displays or even higher refresh rate monitors.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 4K with the highest settings?

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 37.1, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset also fails to reach 60 FPS, averaging 48.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming on this hardware?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 62.3 FPS, making it the best settings choice that stays above 60 FPS. All other presets at this resolution, including High, Medium, and Low, also exceed the threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 perform at 1080p with this CPU?

A: At 1920x1080, the performance is very strong. The Low preset averages 205.9 FPS, Medium averages 148.1 FPS, High averages 123.5 FPS, and even Ultra averages 94.3 FPS, all comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the 4K Medium preset provide a playable experience?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average of 60.9 FPS, just clearing the 60 FPS threshold. This makes it the most demanding preset that remains playable at 4K.

Q: Which resolution offers the highest frame rate headroom?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution offers the highest headroom. The Low preset reaches 205.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset still averages 94.3 FPS, indicating that the hardware is not heavily stressed at this resolution.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 1440p a stable option?

A: The data indicates an average of 62.3 FPS for Ultra at 2560x1440, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. While this is the lowest average among 1440p presets, it still meets the playability criterion.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1031 out of 3723 tested combos for Rust. This places it in the upper third of all configurations tested, indicating that it performs well relative to a broad field of hardware pairings. The percentile data for the individual components reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, and the GPU is at the 68th percentile against all GPUs. The combo’s rank reflects a balanced pairing where both components contribute solidly to the game’s performance, though it is not at the absolute top tier of tested systems. The measured FPS data supports this ranking, showing strong results at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance limited to lower presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400 include the AMD EPYC 7643, which has an average score 0.1% lower, the Intel Core i7-1355U at 0.3% lower, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at 0.7% lower, and the Intel Core i3-14100F at 0.9% higher. These processors would behave similarly in terms of overall computational performance, though the i5-12400’s specific core configuration and cache layout may yield slight differences in gaming workloads.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X. The P106-100 has an average score 0.3% higher, the Radeon Pro Vega 16 is 0.3% higher, the RX 6600M is 0.4% higher, and the R9 M290X is 0.4% higher. These GPUs would produce comparable frame rates in Rust, though architectural differences could influence performance in specific scenes. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are key factors, but the rival GPUs have their own memory configurations that may affect 4K performance differently.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear: this PC can run Rust, but the playable settings vary significantly. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best preset at an average of 60.9 FPS. High and Ultra presets do not clear the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets—High, Low, Medium, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra being the best at 62.3 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 94.3 FPS. The data confirms that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1440p Ultra is the ceiling, while 1080p allows for maximum settings with substantial headroom. For 4K, users must compromise on settings to maintain playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

In Rust, the data reveals a shifting balance between CPU and GPU influence depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the performance is high across all presets, with the Low preset reaching 205.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 111.6 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is the primary driver at this resolution, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed the graphics card at lower settings. The high frame rates indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra is 83.3 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 62.3 FPS. The reduction in frame rates compared to 1080p indicates that the GPU’s workload is increasing, but the CPU still keeps up adequately. The fact that Ultra remains above 60 FPS suggests that while the GPU is more stressed, the CPU still provides sufficient support.

At 3840x2160, the scaling from Low to Ultra is 48.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 37.1 FPS. This significant drop at higher settings points to the GPU becoming the dominant limiting factor. The CPU’s role diminishes at 4K, as the GPU’s rendering load becomes the primary constraint. The data shows that the RTX 3080’s performance at 4K is the bottleneck, particularly at High and Ultra settings, while the i5-12400’s capabilities are more than sufficient to drive the GPU at lower resolutions. Overall, the GPU matters more at higher resolutions and presets, while the CPU’s contribution is most visible at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high.