Rust

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a high-performance combination for Rust, with measured frame rates that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across nearly all tested configurations. The data shows that this system is capable of handling the game at 4K with high settings, and at 1440p and 1080p it can push to ultra settings while maintaining substantial headroom above the target. The benchmark results indicate a strong balance between the 10-core, 16-thread processor and the Ada Lovelace flagship GPU, though the scaling patterns reveal where each component becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 75.5 FPS on High settings, 85 FPS on Medium, 128.5 FPS on Low, and 56.8 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration in the entire dataset that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, with the average dipping to 56.8 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution represents a 24.7% performance reduction, from 75.5 FPS down to 56.8 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional graphical demands are substantial at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440, the measured averages are 127.8 FPS on High, 147.9 FPS on Medium, 192.8 FPS on Low, and 97.7 FPS on Ultra. All four settings clear the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 95.1 FPS, with Ultra delivering 49.3% lower frame rates than Low. The 1440p High result of 127.8 FPS is nearly double the 4K High figure, showing how strongly resolution scaling affects this title.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 174.7 FPS on High, 185.1 FPS on Medium, 217.5 FPS on Low, and 138.6 FPS on Ultra. Even the most demanding preset at 1080p produces an average of 138.6 FPS, which is more than double the 4K Ultra result. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 78.9 FPS, with Ultra delivering 36.3% lower performance than Low. Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently provides the highest frame rates, while Ultra imposes the heaviest load.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher pixel counts. Comparing 1080p to 4K on the same settings, the average FPS drops by 59.5% on High (from 174.7 to 75.5), by 55.6% on Medium (from 185.1 to 85), by 40.9% on Low (from 217.5 to 128.5), and by 59.0% on Ultra (from 138.6 to 56.8). These substantial reductions with each resolution step up demonstrate that the RTX 4090's workload scales heavily with pixel count, making the GPU the primary limiting factor at 4K.

The CPU's role is more evident at 1080p, where the frame rates reach 217.5 FPS on Low settings. At this point, the i5-14400F's performance becomes more relevant, as the GPU has less work to do per frame. The Core i5-14400F, with its Raptor Lake architecture and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, provides enough throughput to feed the RTX 4090 at these high frame rates. However, the data shows that even at 1080p, the GPU still drives most of the scaling between settings, with Ultra producing 36.3% lower FPS than Low.

The preset scaling at each resolution further clarifies the division of labor. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra reduces average FPS from 128.5 to 56.8, a 55.8% drop. At 1440p, the same preset change reduces performance from 192.8 to 97.7 FPS, a 49.3% drop. At 1080p, the reduction is from 217.5 to 138.6 FPS, a 36.3% drop. This pattern suggests that as resolution decreases, the CPU's ability to maintain high frame rates becomes more critical, while at higher resolutions, the GPU's rendering workload dominates the performance envelope.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU component, the nearest rivals to the Intel Core i5-14400F, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core i9-11900 with a delta of 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS with a delta of -0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-12800H with a delta of 0.5%. These deltas are all within one percent of the i5-14400F's average score of 32279, indicating that any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Rust when paired with the same GPU. The practical difference between these alternatives is negligible, with the closest rival, the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, matching the i5-14400F within 0.1%.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a delta of 0%, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with a delta of 0.3%, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a delta of -2.5%, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 with a delta of 2.9%. These alternatives are within 3% of the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347, meaning that swapping to any of these GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Rust. The Intel Arc Pro A60 is the closest match, with no performance difference according to the average scores. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 trails by 2.9%, which would translate to roughly 2-4 FPS difference at the frame rates measured in this dataset.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust successfully at all tested resolutions, with the sole exception of 4K Ultra settings. The verdict by resolution shows that at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best settings and delivering an average of 75.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 56.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable, with Ultra providing the best experience at an average of 97.7 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset clears the threshold, with Ultra achieving 138.6 FPS on average.

The data confirms that 60 FPS is achievable at 4K with High settings, leaving headroom of 15.5 FPS above the threshold. For players prioritizing maximum visual quality, 1440p Ultra offers a comfortable 97.7 FPS average, which is 37.7 FPS above the playable threshold. At 1080p, even the most demanding settings deliver over double the target frame rate, making this combination ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested hardware combinations for Rust, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 141st out of 3723 combos. This places the system in the top 3.8% of all tested configurations, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of setups in this game. The rank of 141 out of 3723 reflects the strong overall performance of this combo, though it does not reach the absolute top tier of results. The high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 4090's exceptional rasterization performance, as the i5-14400F, while capable, is not the fastest CPU available for gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Rust at 4K with 60 FPS?

A: Yes, the average frame rate at 3840x2160 on High settings is 75.5 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. However, the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 56.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best settings, delivering an average of 97.7 FPS. All four presets at this resolution are playable, with Low reaching 192.8 FPS, Medium at 147.9 FPS, and High at 127.8 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-14400F compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a delta of 0.1%, followed by the Intel Core i9-11900 at 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS at -0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-12800H at 0.5%. All of these are within one percent of the i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32279.

Q: Which component is more important at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, the frame rates range from 138.6 FPS on Ultra to 217.5 FPS on Low. The smaller performance drop between presets at 1080p compared to higher resolutions suggests the CPU plays a more significant role at this resolution, while the GPU still handles the majority of the rendering workload.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance similar to any other GPU?

A: The Intel Arc Pro A60 has a delta of 0% compared to the RTX 4090's average score of 60347, making it the closest rival. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% behind, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% behind.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p on Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 on Medium settings is 185.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience even on high-refresh-rate displays.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, with an average of 75.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops below the threshold to 56.8 FPS, so High is the recommended choice for 4K play.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 97.7 FPS, making it the best settings that clears the 60 FPS target. This provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 138.6 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the recommended settings at 1080p, offering maximal graphical fidelity without any risk of dropping below playable frame rates.