Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a formidable Rust experience, with measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. At 1080p, the combination is exceptionally fast, pushing well past 200 FPS at the lowest settings and maintaining a strong 141.1 FPS average even at the Ultra preset. Moving to 1440p, performance remains highly fluid, with the Ultra preset still averaging 98.7 FPS, while the High preset hits 131.6 FPS. The most demanding scenario, 4K Ultra, is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS playability threshold, averaging 58.4 FPS, though 4K High recovers to a solid 76.3 FPS. Benchmark results indicate this system is a top-tier performer for Rust, ranking in the 95.8th percentile of all tested combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination shows clear performance tiers across the three resolutions tested. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset yields an average of 205.6 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this setup. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 173 FPS, while High drops slightly to 166 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers a very playable 141.1 FPS average, showing that even the most demanding settings at this resolution leave substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from 1080p is moderate but noticeable. The Low preset averages 176.7 FPS, which is a decrease of 28.9 FPS compared to 1080p Low. Medium at 1440p averages 152.6 FPS, and High averages 131.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces an average of 98.7 FPS, which remains comfortably above the playable threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 78 FPS, indicating that the GPU still has significant performance to spare even when settings are maxed out.

At 3840x2160, the performance cost of 4K rendering becomes evident. Low settings average 134.4 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K gaming. Medium drops to 88.8 FPS, and High averages 76.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, averaging 58.4 FPS. This represents a 75.9 FPS difference between 4K Low and 4K Ultra, demonstrating that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of frame rate changes when settings are adjusted at this resolution. The data shows no min or max FPS values were recorded, so all analysis relies on average frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the i5-12400 and RTX 5090 share the workload in Rust. At 1080p, the CPU plays a more significant role, as evidenced by the relatively small frame rate differences between presets. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 64.5 FPS, which is the smallest relative gap among all resolutions. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the i5-12400’s six cores and 12 threads are more likely to become a limiting factor, though the CPU still manages to keep frame rates above 141 FPS even at Ultra settings.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The frame rate gap between Low and Ultra expands to 78 FPS, indicating that the RTX 5090’s rendering workload is growing. The i5-12400 still provides sufficient single-thread performance to feed the GPU, as shown by the 3dmark single-thread score of 910 and passmark single-thread score of 3456. However, the CPU’s influence diminishes relative to the GPU’s raw throughput at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The difference between Low and Ultra at 3840x2160 is 75.9 FPS, and the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are clearly being utilized to their full extent. The CPU’s role shifts to maintaining a stable frame pacing floor, which the i5-12400 achieves with its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same preset shows a consistent GPU-bound pattern: Low drops from 205.6 to 134.4 FPS, Medium from 173 to 88.8 FPS, High from 166 to 76.3 FPS, and Ultra from 141.1 to 58.4 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5090 is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions, while the i5-12400 becomes more relevant at 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 141.1 FPS. This is the optimal choice for players seeking maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, as the frame rate is more than double the playable threshold. The data shows that even at Ultra, there is significant headroom for future updates or more demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best option, averaging 98.7 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides the full visual experience at a high refresh rate. The High preset at 1440p offers 131.6 FPS for those who prefer higher frame rates, but Ultra is the recommended setting since it stays well clear of the playability threshold.

For 3840x2160, the best settings are High, which averages 76.3 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K falls short at 58.4 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent 60 FPS play. Medium at 4K averages 88.8 FPS and Low averages 134.4 FPS, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 157th out of 3,723 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the top 4.2% of all systems evaluated. This high ranking is driven primarily by the RTX 5090’s exceptional performance, as the GPU alone sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The i5-12400, while not a top-tier CPU, still ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, ensuring that it does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

The combination’s rank in the 95.8th percentile of tested combos indicates that it outperforms the vast majority of systems in Rust. This is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows playable performance at every resolution and preset except 4K Ultra. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 18,683 and the GPU’s average benchmark score of 79,842 contribute to this strong overall ranking, with the GPU accounting for the bulk of the system’s capability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400 performs within 1% of several other processors. The AMD EPYC 7643 has an average score of 18,697, which is 0.1% lower than the i5-12400’s 18,683. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18,730, a 0.3% difference, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18,811, a 0.7% difference. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519, which is 0.9% higher. These rivals would behave nearly identically in Rust, providing similar CPU-bound performance at 1080p.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090’s nearest rivals show comparable average scores. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, a 0.3% difference, while the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, a 0.6% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, a 1.1% difference, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, a 1.4% difference. These GPUs would deliver similar frame rates in Rust, though the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of VRAM gives it an advantage in memory-intensive scenarios that these rivals may not match.

A system with any of these CPU rivals paired with the RTX 5090 would produce nearly identical results to the tested combination. Similarly, swapping the RTX 5090 for one of its GPU rivals would result in frame rates within roughly 1.4% of the measured values, assuming the CPU remains unchanged. The data suggests that the RTX 5090 is the more critical component for Rust’s performance, so CPU alternatives have a smaller impact on overall FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust with excellent performance across most configurations. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—average above 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 141.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 98.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, three presets are playable: Low at 134.4 FPS, Medium at 88.8 FPS, and High at 76.3 FPS. The only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS is 4K Ultra, which averages 58.4 FPS, just below the playable threshold.

For players targeting 60 FPS as a minimum, the best 4K preset is High, which provides a comfortable 76.3 FPS average. The system is fully capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with even the Ultra presets at these resolutions exceeding 98 FPS. The combination of the i5-12400 and RTX 5090 is well-suited for Rust, delivering smooth performance in nearly all scenarios. The only compromise required is at 4K Ultra, where players must step down to High settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience. Overall, this is a high-end configuration that handles Rust with ease, ranking in the 95.8th percentile of all tested combos.