Rust

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a robust performance profile in Rust, with measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong: Low settings produce an average of 251.7 FPS, Medium reaches 167.9 FPS, High hits 140.2 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a smooth 106.5 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain high, with Low at 169.7 FPS, Medium at 116.1 FPS, High at 95.9 FPS, and Ultra at 75.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K become evident, as the average drops to 100.6 FPS on Low, 67.7 FPS on Medium, 57.6 FPS on High, and 43.5 FPS on Ultra. The data confirms that this system is capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires careful settings selection to stay fluid.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across the three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows its peak capability, with the Low preset delivering an average of 251.7 FPS, which is more than four times the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 167.9 FPS and High at 140.2 FPS both provide substantial headroom for high-refresh monitors, while Ultra at 106.5 FPS remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop of approximately 145 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate at this resolution, with the CPU providing enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking even at the lowest settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain impressive but show the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset averages 169.7 FPS, which is still far above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium follows at 116.1 FPS, High at 95.9 FPS, and Ultra at 75.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is about 94 FPS, slightly less than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU workload is becoming more balanced with the CPU’s capabilities. The Ultra preset, while playable, has less headroom than at 1080p, with an average that is just 15.9 FPS above the 60 FPS line.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limits become apparent. The Low preset averages 100.6 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset drops to 67.7 FPS, narrowly above the 60 FPS threshold. High falls below the threshold at 57.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 43.5 FPS, which is not playable for smooth gameplay. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a drop of 57 FPS, the smallest absolute difference among the three resolutions, indicating that the GPU is heavily saturated at this resolution and that the CPU’s influence on frame rate diminishes significantly. The data shows that 4K play is limited to Low and Medium presets, with Medium being the highest playable option at 67.7 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, delivering an average of 67.7 FPS. The High preset at 57.6 FPS falls short of the threshold, so Medium is the recommended choice for 4K. This provides a playable experience with some visual fidelity, though the frame rate is close to the threshold, leaving limited headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best playable option, with an average of 75.9 FPS. This is the most demanding preset at this resolution, and it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by a margin of 15.9 FPS. All four presets—Low at 169.7 FPS, Medium at 116.1 FPS, High at 95.9 FPS, and Ultra at 75.9 FPS—are playable, but Ultra offers the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is also the best playable option, averaging 106.5 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, with 46.5 FPS of headroom. The system is clearly not strained at 1080p, as even the most demanding preset maintains a high average frame rate. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 251.7 FPS or Medium at 167.9 FPS would be better choices, but for maximum visual quality, Ultra is the recommended setting.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in this game’s performance, with the CPU playing a supporting role that becomes less significant as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra shows a large drop of 145 FPS, from 251.7 to 106.5 FPS. This steep decline suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as lowering settings reduces GPU load and yields substantial gains. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU at this resolution, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra is less steep, with a drop of 94 FPS from 169.7 to 75.9 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more heavily loaded, and the CPU’s influence on frame rate is diminishing. The absolute frame rates are lower than at 1080p, but the system still performs well across all presets. The CPU is not the limiting factor here, as the GPU is doing more work per frame.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant component. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop of only 57 FPS, from 100.6 to 43.5 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference among the three resolutions. This suggests that the GPU is saturated at 4K, and the CPU has little impact on performance. The frame rates at High and Ultra are below the playable threshold, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the workload at these settings. The CPU’s role is minimal at 4K, as the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the data shows that the system’s performance is limited by the RTX 4070 SUPER’s capabilities rather than the i5-14600K’s processing power.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides context for how this combo compares to other hardware. The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, placing it at the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the i5-14600K is effectively tied with it. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, a delta of 0.3%, showing the i5-14600K is marginally ahead. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a delta of 0.7%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, a delta of -0.8%. These rivals would behave similarly in CPU-bound scenarios, though the game’s performance is more dependent on the GPU.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43223, placing it at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which scores 43262, a delta of -0.1%, indicating they are nearly identical. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also a delta of -0.1%, and the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 scores 43301, a delta of -0.2%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, a delta of -1%, showing it is slightly faster. These GPU rivals would produce similar frame rates in Rust, with the RTX 4090 Mobile being marginally ahead, but the differences are within a few percentage points, meaning the overall experience would be comparable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 547th out of 3723 combos for Rust. This places it in the top 14.7% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a strong performer for this game. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for performance across all resolutions and settings, and the high placement reflects the system’s ability to maintain playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as well as its capability at 4K with reduced settings. The combo’s rank is driven by the GPU’s strong overall benchmark score and the CPU’s solid performance, which together provide a balanced system for Rust.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Rust effectively across most resolutions and presets, with clear limitations only at 4K. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 106.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 75.9 FPS, providing a smooth experience even at the highest settings. At 3840x2160, the system is limited to Low and Medium presets, with Medium averaging 67.7 FPS, which is the highest playable setting; High at 57.6 FPS and Ultra at 43.5 FPS fall below the threshold. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combo delivers excellent performance with headroom for high refresh rates. For 4K, the system is capable of playable frame rates only on lower presets, and users should expect to compromise on visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay. Overall, the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a strong combination for Rust, ranking in the top 15% of all tested combos and providing a playable experience at all resolutions with appropriate settings.