Rust

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a dominant performance profile in Rust, decisively clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution and preset combination except for one notable outlier. The data confirms this is a high-refresh-rate machine for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K remains highly playable with quality settings dialed in. The combination ranks 205th out of 3723 tested combos for this title, placing it in the top percentile of systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data paints a clear picture of a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset produces an average of 213 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. Moving up through the presets, Medium delivers 184.6 FPS, High achieves 172.9 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains a robust 133 FPS average. This means that at 1080p, the system is never below 133 FPS, making it ideally suited for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 190.1 FPS, which is still remarkably high. Medium drops to 143.4 FPS, and High settles at 120.2 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding configuration, still manages an average of 89.3 FPS. This indicates that 1440p gaming with maxed-out settings is not only playable but remains well above the 60 FPS threshold, with headroom for smooth gameplay.

The 3840x2160 resolution results show the first signs of significant strain on the system. The Low preset averages 122.4 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K. Medium follows at 83.8 FPS, and High achieves 70.4 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold, averaging just 53 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset where the system fails to maintain 60 FPS, indicating that 4K Ultra is too demanding for this specific pairing.

The scaling pattern is clear: from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drop across presets is roughly 30-40%, while moving from 1440p to 4K results in an additional 40-50% reduction. The gap between Low and Ultra presets widens as resolution increases, from a 80 FPS difference at 1080p (213 vs 133) to a 69.4 FPS difference at 4K (122.4 vs 53). This suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while at 1080p, the CPU may be constraining the upper frame rate ceiling.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a nuanced division of labor between the Intel Core i5-13400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in Rust. At 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the system achieves 213 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU's practical limit for this game engine. The Core i5-13400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. These scores indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay, but the frame rate ceiling at 1080p appears to be CPU-bound.

Evidence for this CPU limitation comes from the scaling between presets at 1080p. The difference between Low and Medium is only 28.4 FPS (213 vs 184.6), and between Medium and High is just 11.7 FPS (184.6 vs 172.9). This relatively small drop suggests that the CPU is already near its maximum throughput, and the GPU has headroom to spare. The larger drop to Ultra (172.9 to 133 FPS) indicates that the Ultra preset introduces GPU-intensive effects that finally engage the RTX 5080 more fully.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more prominent role. The RTX 5080, with its 10752 shading units and 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, has ample compute power. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction across all presets, but the system still delivers 190.1 FPS on Low and 89.3 FPS on Ultra. This suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck for higher presets, while the CPU still manages to feed it adequately at lower settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unquestionably the dominant factor. The RTX 5080's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but the sheer pixel count at 4K overwhelms it. The Ultra preset's 53 FPS average demonstrates that even this powerful GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at maximum settings in 4K. The CPU's role diminishes significantly at this resolution, as the GPU is fully saturated. The 122.4 FPS on Low at 4K compared to the 213 FPS at 1080p Low shows a 42.5% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to GPU workload.

The transition between resolutions reveals that the i5-13400F is a capable partner for the RTX 5080, but the pairing is most balanced at 1440p where both components contribute meaningfully to performance. At 1080p, the CPU limits the GPU; at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The 89.3 FPS at 1440p Ultra represents the sweet spot where the system's combined capabilities are best utilized.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-13400F provide context for its performance tier. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS has an average benchmark score of 25284, which is essentially identical to the i5-13400F's 25292, with a deltaPct of 0. This means that in general computing workloads, these two processors are interchangeable in performance. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, a negligible -0.3% difference, placing it in the same performance bracket. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365, also -0.3% relative to the i5-13400F, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, which is +0.4% faster.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080's nearest rivals show similar performance levels. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, which is 0.6% lower than the RTX 5080's 56083. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a 0.7% deficit. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 2.3% behind. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, which is 2.2% higher than the RTX 5080 in this benchmark.

In practice, this means that a system using the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS or the Intel Core 5 120 would produce nearly identical frame rates in Rust when paired with the same GPU. The differences are within the margin of error for benchmark testing. Similarly, swapping the RTX 5080 for an AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB or an AMD Radeon 8060S would result in performance within 1% of what is measured here. The RTX 5080's position at the 87th percentile of all GPUs, coupled with the i5-13400F's 77th percentile ranking, confirms that this is a high-end pairing, but alternatives exist within a few percentage points.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the High preset averages 70.4 FPS, Medium averages 83.8 FPS, and Low averages 122.4 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 53 FPS, so 4K Ultra is not playable at the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 89.3 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset that maintains smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F appears to be the limiting factor at 1920x1080. The Low preset achieves 213 FPS, and the scaling from Low to Medium (213 to 184.6 FPS) and Medium to High (184.6 to 172.9 FPS) shows relatively small drops, indicating that the CPU is nearing its maximum frame output before the GPU becomes fully engaged.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 overkill for 1080p gaming?

A: The benchmark results indicate that at 1080p, the system's performance is likely constrained by the CPU rather than the GPU. The 133 FPS average on Ultra at 1080p is very high, but the GPU is not being pushed to its limits, as evidenced by the smaller frame rate differences between presets compared to higher resolutions.

Q: What is the system's overall ranking for Rust performance?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 205th out of 3723 tested combinations for Rust, placing it in the top 5.5% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the Ultra preset at 4K compare to other resolutions?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 53 FPS, which is the only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS. This is 36.3 FPS lower than the 1440p Ultra average of 89.3 FPS and 80 FPS lower than the 1080p Ultra average of 133 FPS, showing a steep performance cliff at 4K with maximum settings.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 can absolutely run Rust, and run it exceptionally well. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving 133 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra delivering 89.3 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High, Medium, and Low presets are all playable, with High being the best quality option at 70.4 FPS. The only failing configuration is 4K Ultra at 53 FPS.

This system is a high-performance machine for Rust. The 1080p and 1440p results are excellent for competitive play and high-refresh-rate displays. The 4K results are respectable, allowing for a great visual experience at High settings. The system's rank of 205th out of 3723 combos underscores its elite status for this title. Data indicates that the RTX 5080 is a very strong GPU for Rust, and the i5-13400F provides sufficient CPU throughput for most scenarios, with the only caveat being a potential bottleneck at very high frame rates in 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 133 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that is more than double the playable threshold. All lower presets also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra offers the best experience.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the optimal selection, achieving an average of 89.3 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and provides the full visual experience that the game offers. The High preset at 120.2 FPS is an alternative for players who prioritize higher frame rates over maximum quality.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best option, with an average of 70.4 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold and delivers significantly better visuals than the Medium preset at 83.8 FPS or the Low preset at 122.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is not playable at the 60 FPS standard, so High is the recommended maximum for 4K gaming.