Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a robust gaming experience in Rust, with benchmark data showing strong performance across all common resolutions. The measured results place this combo in the 925th position out of 3,723 tested configurations, putting it in the top quartile of systems. The data indicates the pairing is well balanced for this title, though the CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU’s 81st percentile ranking among all graphics cards suggest that the graphics card carries slightly more weight in determining overall frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies by resolution, reflecting the increasing load on both the CPU and GPU as pixel count rises.

At 3840x2160, the highest playable setting is Medium, which produces an average of 64.1 FPS. The High preset drops to 54.3 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra averages just 37.4 FPS. Low settings yield 90.1 FPS, but Medium is the optimal choice for visual fidelity while staying above the playable line.

For 2560x1440, the system can handle the Ultra preset, achieving an average of 65.6 FPS. This is the best visual quality available at this resolution. The lower presets all exceed 60 FPS comfortably, with High at 90.6 FPS, Medium at 103.2 FPS, and Low at 156.8 FPS, but Ultra represents the peak of what the hardware can deliver while remaining playable.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 96.5 FPS, making it the clear choice for maximum detail. The headroom is substantial; High averages 126.4 FPS, Medium averages 149 FPS, and Low averages 203.9 FPS. The data shows that 1080p Ultra is not only playable but leaves significant performance in reserve.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component is the limiting factor in Rust. The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Ultra settings shows a drop from 96.5 FPS to 65.6 FPS, a 31.4% reduction. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Ultra yields a further drop to 37.4 FPS, a 43.0% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline as resolution increases points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher pixel counts.

At lower settings, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent. At 1920x1080 Low, the system averages 203.9 FPS, which drops to 156.8 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 90.1 FPS at 3840x2160 Low. The 1080p Low figure is exceptionally high, suggesting that the i5-12400’s six cores and 12 threads are capable of feeding the RTX 4070 with ample data at lower graphical loads. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15,989 and single-core score of 2,257 support this, showing solid per-thread performance that translates well to game logic and draw calls.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is largely CPU-bound at lower presets, as the frame rates scale less dramatically with GPU load. At 1440p, both components contribute, with the GPU beginning to dominate. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are stretched by the higher pixel throughput. The RTX 4070’s 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is substantial, but the 4K Ultra preset demands more than it can deliver.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average frame rates shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 90.1 FPS, Medium averages 64.1 FPS, High averages 54.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 37.4 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 9.8 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16.9 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a disproportionately heavy load.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 156.8 FPS, Medium averages 103.2 FPS, High averages 90.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 65.6 FPS. The step from Medium to High is 12.6 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is 25 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the closest to the 60 FPS threshold, with just 5.6 FPS of headroom.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 203.9 FPS, Medium averages 149 FPS, High averages 126.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 96.5 FPS. The differences between presets are more uniform here, with a 54.9 FPS gap between Low and Medium, a 22.6 FPS gap between Medium and High, and a 29.9 FPS gap between High and Ultra. The 1080p results show that even the most demanding preset leaves a 36.5 FPS margin above the playable threshold.

The data shows no min or max FPS values, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The absence of frame time variance data means we cannot assess stutter or consistency, but the averages themselves are consistently high.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 925th out of 3,723 tested combos for Rust. This places it in the 75th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the configurations in the database. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s mid-range position and the GPU’s upper-mid-range position.

The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 18,683 places it at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests include the AMD EPYC 7643 with an average score of 18,697 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18,730 (0.3% slower), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at 18,811 (0.7% slower), and the Intel Core i3-14100F at 18,519 (0.9% faster). These rivals are clustered within a 1.6% performance band, indicating that the 12400’s CPU-level performance is highly competitive with several other processors.

The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score of 37,648 places it at the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 at 37,628 (0.1% faster), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 at 37,507 (0.4% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile at 38,135 (1.3% slower), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 at 37,157 (1.3% faster). The GPU’s rivals are also tightly grouped, with a maximum delta of 1.3%.

The composite ranking of 925 out of 3,723 is consistent with the individual component percentiles. The GPU’s higher percentile than the CPU suggests that the RTX 4070 contributes more to the overall gaming performance in Rust than the i5-12400 does.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Users considering this combo can look at the nearest rivals for both components to find comparable performance. The CPU’s closest match is the AMD EPYC 7643, which has an average score 0.1% lower than the i5-12400, making it effectively identical in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-1355U is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% slower. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% faster, which is the largest delta in the group but still well within a single percentage point.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA Tesla P4 is the closest match, with an average score 0.1% higher than the RTX 4070. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% lower. These deltas are all small, meaning a system with any of these GPUs paired with a comparable CPU would deliver very similar frame rates in Rust.

For a complete system swap, the combination of an i5-12400 with a Tesla P4 or a RX Vega 56 would be expected to produce nearly identical results to the tested combo. Similarly, pairing an i3-14100F with an RTX 4070 would yield marginally better CPU-bound performance. The tight clustering of both component rival groups suggests that the tested combo’s performance is not unique, and several alternative builds could match it within a few percentage points.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear from the measured data. At 3840x2160, the system can play Rust with the Medium preset, achieving an average of 64.1 FPS. The Low preset also works at 90.1 FPS, but Medium is the best visual setting that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High and Ultra presets are not playable at this resolution, with averages of 54.3 FPS and 37.4 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the system is fully capable, running the Ultra preset at 65.6 FPS. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — exceed the 60 FPS threshold, so users can choose any visual quality level without sacrificing playability. The Ultra preset is the recommended choice since it provides the best visuals while still maintaining a 5.6 FPS margin above the playable line.

At 1920x1080, the system excels, running the Ultra preset at 96.5 FPS. This is the strongest result in the dataset, with a 36.5 FPS buffer above the threshold. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for Rust at 1080p and 1440p, and can handle 4K with reduced settings. The overall verdict is that this PC can run Rust comfortably across all tested resolutions, with the caveat that 4K users must stick to Medium or lower presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for Rust at 3840x2160 on this system?

A: The Medium preset is the highest playable setting at 4K, averaging 64.1 FPS. The High preset drops to 54.3 FPS and Ultra to 37.4 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-12400 and RTX 4070 run Rust at 2560x1440 with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 65.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at this resolution exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested systems for Rust?

A: The combination ranks 925th out of 3,723 tested combos, placing it in the top 25% of all configurations in the database.

Q: Which component is more limiting at 1920x1080 in Rust?

A: At 1080p Low, the system averages 203.9 FPS, indicating the CPU is providing ample data. The GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase, with Ultra averaging 96.5 FPS.

Q: What is the average benchmark score of the RTX 4070?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37,648, ranking at the 81st percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the i5-12400’s performance close to any other CPUs?

A: The AMD EPYC 7643 is 0.1% slower, the Intel Core i7-1355U is 0.3% slower, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% slower, and the Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% faster, based on average benchmark scores.