Rust

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers playable performance in Rust across most common resolutions, but the data shows clear limits at 4K. At 1080p, this combo runs every preset above 60 FPS, making it a strong match for high-refresh monitors. At 1440p, the system maintains smooth gameplay on Medium and High, while 4K requires dropping to Low settings to stay fluid. The following sections break down the measured results in detail.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records three resolutions with four preset levels each, and the playable threshold is set at 60 FPS.

1920x1080: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 75 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available in the test suite, and the system clears the threshold by a comfortable 15 FPS margin. All other presets (High, Medium, Low) also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra represents the best visual experience without sacrificing fluidity.

2560x1440: The most demanding playable preset is High, with an average of 67 FPS. This sits just 7 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving a modest buffer. Medium also qualifies at 80 FPS, and Low runs at 119 FPS, but High is the optimal choice for visual fidelity while maintaining playability. Ultra falls short at 51 FPS, so it is not recommended at this resolution.

3840x2160: The only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 70 FPS. Medium dips to 47 FPS, High drops to 40 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant visual compromises, and even Low barely clears the threshold with a 10 FPS margin.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the AMD Radeon RX 7700.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates range from 75 FPS on Ultra to 142 FPS on Low, showing that the GPU has headroom to render more frames as settings drop. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, appears sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset holds above 75 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 67 FPS, indicating a strong GPU dependency on preset scaling.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU load increases noticeably. High settings produce 67 FPS, down from 98 FPS at 1080p, a drop of 31 FPS. Medium falls from 116 to 80 FPS, and Low from 142 to 119 FPS. The consistent reduction across all presets suggests that the GPU is becoming more stressed as pixel count rises. The CPU still keeps pace, but the margin for error narrows, as evidenced by the 51 FPS result on Ultra, which falls below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor. Low settings yield 70 FPS, but Medium drops to 47 FPS, High to 40 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS. The steep decline between Low and Medium (23 FPS) indicates that the RX 7700's 16 GB of memory and bandwidth are stretched thin at 4K. The CPU's role diminishes here, as the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates even with reduced geometry and shading demands. The recorded data shows that the CPU has minimal influence on the 4K results; the GPU is the clear constraint.

Comparing the resolution scaling, the transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces average FPS by roughly 30% across presets, while the transition from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by roughly 45% on Low settings. This pattern confirms that the RX 7700 is the component that determines playability at higher resolutions, while the i5-9400 remains adequate for feeding frames at lower pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data comes directly from the recorded measurements for this specific CPU and GPU combination.

1920x1080:

• Low: 142 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 116 FPS average, with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 133 FPS. The 34 FPS spread between min and max indicates some frame pacing variability, but the minimum stays well above the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: 98 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 75 FPS average, no min/max recorded.

2560x1440:

• Low: 119 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 80 FPS average, with a minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS. The 24 FPS spread is tighter than at 1080p, suggesting more consistent frame delivery under heavier GPU load.
• High: 67 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 51 FPS average, no min/max recorded. This falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

3840x2160:

• Low: 70 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 47 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS. The 14 FPS spread shows that even the best-case scenario (54 FPS) does not reach the playable threshold.
• High: 40 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 30 FPS average, no min/max recorded.

The Medium preset measurements at each resolution provide the only complete min/max data. At 1080p, the minimum of 99 FPS offers a 39 FPS buffer over the playable threshold. At 1440p, the minimum of 68 FPS still clears 60 FPS, but the buffer shrinks to 8 FPS. At 4K, the minimum of 40 FPS is well below the threshold, confirming that 4K Medium is not viable.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 75 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold by 15 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: High settings provide the highest visual quality at 2560x1440 while maintaining playability, with an average of 67 FPS. Ultra settings at this resolution drop to 51 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Only at Low settings. The measured average at 3840x2160 with Low is 70 FPS, which clears the threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 47, 40, and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: On High settings, the average FPS drops from 98 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p, a reduction of 31 FPS. On Medium, the drop is from 116 to 80 FPS, a reduction of 36 FPS.

Q: Does the RX 7700 or the i5-9400 limit performance more at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The steep FPS decline across presets, from 70 on Low to 30 on Ultra, indicates that the RX 7700 cannot sustain high frame rates at this resolution, regardless of CPU capability.

Q: What are the minimum recorded FPS values?

A: The only min/max data available is for Medium settings: 99/133 FPS at 1080p, 68/92 FPS at 1440p, and 40/54 FPS at 4K. The 1440p minimum of 68 FPS is the closest any recorded minimum comes to the 60 FPS threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400 are processors with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400's average of 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% higher, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% lower. These four CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates in Rust when paired with the same GPU, as their processing power falls within a tight 0.8% band.

The nearest rivals for the AMD Radeon RX 7700 show a slightly wider spread. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, 0.1% higher than the RX 7700's average of 15852. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, 1% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, 1.1% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, 1.7% higher. The RTX 3060 Ti is the most notable alternative, as it delivers the highest average score in this group. Users considering the RX 7700 could expect comparable Rust performance from any of these GPUs, with the RTX 3060 Ti potentially offering a slight edge.

It is important to note that these rival comparisons are based on aggregate benchmark scores, not direct Rust measurements. The actual in-game FPS could vary due to driver optimizations, but the close score deltas suggest minimal practical differences.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks 1895th out of 3723 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the 49th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly half of the configurations in the database while trailing the other half.

This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the measured FPS results. The combo handles 1080p and 1440p well, but struggles at 4K beyond Low settings. The percentile ranking of the CPU alone is 47th, while the GPU ranks in the 58th percentile, indicating that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing. The combo's overall rank of 1895 reflects the balance between a mid-range CPU and a slightly above-mid-range GPU.

For context, the top-ranked combos in the database would likely deliver 4K Ultra performance well above 60 FPS, which this system cannot achieve. The 1895th position makes sense given that the combo only reaches 70 FPS on 4K Low and 75 FPS on 1080p Ultra.

The Verdict

This system can run Rust, but the playable settings depend heavily on the chosen resolution.

At 1920x1080: The combo runs every preset above 60 FPS. Ultra settings average 75 FPS, High averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 116 FPS, and Low averages 142 FPS. This is the ideal resolution for this hardware, offering the full range of visual options with smooth performance.

At 2560x1440: Three of four presets are playable. High settings average 67 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS, and Low averages 119 FPS. Ultra falls short at 51 FPS, so users should avoid the highest preset at this resolution. The 67 FPS on High is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160: Only Low settings are playable, with an average of 70 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fail to reach 60 FPS, with averages of 47, 40, and 30 FPS respectively. The minimum recorded FPS on Medium is 40, which would cause noticeable stuttering. 4K gaming is technically possible but requires significant visual compromises.

In summary, the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a capable 1080p and 1440p gaming combo for Rust. It delivers excellent frame rates at 1080p across all presets and maintains playability at 1440p up to High settings. At 4K, users must settle for Low settings to stay above 60 FPS. The recorded data suggests this system is best suited for 1080p or 1440p monitors, where it provides a smooth and responsive experience.