Rust

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B390 combination in Rust?

A: This combo ranks 3312 out of 3723 tested combinations in the database, placing it in the lower tier of systems for this game.

Q: Can this system run Rust at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 76 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS, which falls below that threshold.

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

A: None. At 2560x1440, even the Low preset averages only 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 (0.2% higher). The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher). Performance differences are under half a percent across all four rivals.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. The closest rival, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463 (1.3% lower). The other three rivals score between 1443 and 1460, meaning the Arc B390 leads them by 1.5% to 2.7%.

Q: What is the FPS range at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the system averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. The maximum value just barely misses the 60 FPS playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B390 system at rank 3312 out of 3723 tested combinations for Rust. That places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the measured frame rates. The GPU sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database, and the CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs. The wide gap between those percentiles indicates the graphics solution is the primary constraint.

For context, the combo rank reflects the overall gameplay experience across all resolutions and presets. The system only achieves a playable result at one resolution and one preset: 1080p Low. At every other tested resolution and settings combination, the average FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold. This places the combo firmly in entry-level territory for Rust. The measured data shows a system that can handle the game at minimal settings on a 1080p display, but nothing beyond that.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data clearly shows the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution. The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The Core i5-9400, meanwhile, sits at the 47th percentile for CPUs. The GPU's relative weakness dominates the measured results.

Looking at the scaling between resolutions, the pattern reveals heavy GPU dependency. At 1080p Low, the system averages 76 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, that drops to 53 FPS, a 30% reduction. Moving to 4K Low, it drops further to 31 FPS, another 41% reduction. These steep drops as resolution increases point to the GPU being the bottleneck, since the CPU workload per frame does not scale nearly as much with pixel count.

The settings scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, going from Low to Medium drops the average from 76 to 51 FPS (a 33% decrease). Going from Medium to High drops it from 51 to 43 FPS (a 16% decrease). From High to Ultra, it drops from 43 to 33 FPS (a 23% decrease). These preset changes primarily affect GPU workload, and the frame rate responds accordingly.

The CPU's role is more visible at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU has less work per frame. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 76 FPS, which is close to what the CPU can feed the GPU. At 4K Ultra, the system averages just 13 FPS, where the GPU is almost certainly the sole constraint. The fact that the CPU percentile (47th) is far higher than the GPU percentile (9th) reinforces that the GPU is the dominant limiting factor for this game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.4% of the Core i5-9400's average score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246. Any of these processors would deliver effectively identical performance in Rust when paired with the same GPU. The differences are so small that they would not change the playable settings at any resolution.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts, and all score lower than the Arc B390. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). These GPUs would produce slightly lower frame rates than the Arc B390, but the difference is small enough that the overall verdict would remain the same: playable only at 1080p Low. The data shows that swapping in any of these near-identical parts would not move the system across the 60 FPS threshold at any other settings combination.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the database records no playable settings. The highest average FPS at 4K is 31 FPS on Low settings, which is far below the 60 FPS threshold. The best settings field is listed as null, meaning no preset reaches the playable mark.

At 2560x1440, the same situation applies. The highest average FPS is 53 FPS on Low settings, still below the 60 FPS threshold. The best settings field is null, indicating no playable preset exists at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable option. It delivers an average of 76 FPS, which is 16 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset falls to 51 FPS, meaning the step from Low to Medium crosses below the playable line. The best settings at 1080p is therefore Low, with a measured average of 76 FPS.

The Verdict

This system can run Rust, but only under a narrow set of conditions. The verdict by resolution shows that at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings; the highest average is 31 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings; the highest average is 53 FPS on Low. At 1920x1080, one setting qualifies as playable: Low, which averages 76 FPS.

The 60 FPS playable threshold is only cleared at 1080p Low. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 51 FPS, and at 1080p High it drops to 43 FPS. For anyone using a 1080p display, the game is technically playable but only at the lowest quality preset. For 1440p or 4K displays, the system does not deliver a playable experience at any tested setting.

The data indicates this is a marginal configuration for Rust. It will run, but with significant compromises. The GPU's low percentile ranking (9th) is the primary reason for the limited playability. The CPU, while not strong, is adequate enough to support the frame rates the GPU can produce.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured frame rates are as follows. On Low settings, the average is 31 FPS. On Medium, the average is 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. On High, the average is 18 FPS. On Ultra, the average is 13 FPS. None of these come close to the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the results are higher but still below playable. Low averages 53 FPS. Medium averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 41. High averages 30 FPS. Ultra averages 23 FPS. The Low preset comes within 7 FPS of the threshold but does not cross it.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best results. Low averages 76 FPS, which is the only playable reading in the entire dataset. Medium averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. High averages 43 FPS. Ultra averages 33 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 59 FPS is notable: it just misses the 60 FPS mark, confirming that the playable boundary sits between Low and Medium at this resolution.

The min and max values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the 44 to 59 FPS range shows consistent performance without severe drops. At 1440p Medium, the 30 to 41 FPS range is similarly consistent. At 4K Medium, the 18 to 24 FPS range shows the system is heavily taxed. The lack of min or max data for other presets means the database only provides average frame rates for those configurations.