Rust

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS on average is Medium. The recorded average is 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. This puts the system right at the playable threshold, so Medium is the ceiling for 4K. Low averages 91 FPS, which is smoother, but Medium is the highest preset that still clears the 60 FPS mark. High falls short at 52 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 39 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves substantially. The highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 67 FPS. This means the system can run the game at maximum settings at 1440p while remaining comfortably playable. High averages 88 FPS, Medium 104 FPS, and Low 125 FPS, all well above the threshold.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best playable preset, delivering an average of 97 FPS. High averages 115 FPS, Medium 122 FPS, and Low 142 FPS. Every preset at 1080p is far above 60 FPS, so the player has full freedom to choose settings based on preference rather than performance constraints.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution drops, the system can push higher presets while maintaining playable frame rates. At 4K, Medium is the limit; at 1440p and 1080p, Ultra is achievable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1286 out of 3723 tested combos for Rust. That places it in the upper third of all configurations, roughly in the 65th percentile. The ranking reflects the balance between the six-core CPU and the high-end GPU.

The percentile data for the individual components helps explain this position. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all processors, meaning it is slightly below the midpoint in overall compute performance. The GPU, meanwhile, sits at the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, indicating it is well above average. The combo ranking of 1286 out of 3723 is a blend of these two: the GPU pulls the pairing upward, while the CPU holds it back from the top tier.

What this means in practice is that the system is not a top-1000 performer, but it is also far from the bottom. For a game like Rust, which is known to be sensitive to both CPU and GPU load, this mid-upper placement aligns with the measured FPS results: playable at high settings in most resolutions, but not capable of maxing out 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data covers four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions. Not all cells have min/max values; where they exist, they are listed.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: average 91 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 61 FPS, min 52, max 71
• High: average 52 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 39 FPS, no min/max recorded

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: average 125 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 104 FPS, min 88, max 120
• High: average 88 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 67 FPS, no min/max recorded

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: average 142 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 122 FPS, min 104, max 140
• High: average 115 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 97 FPS, no min/max recorded

The min/max data points that exist are instructive. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 52 FPS shows that even though the average clears 60, there are dips below the threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 88 FPS, which is still comfortably playable. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 104 FPS. This suggests that frame time consistency improves as resolution decreases, which is expected given the lower GPU load.

The scaling from 4K to 1440p is steep: for example, Medium goes from 61 FPS to 104 FPS, a 70% increase. From 1440p to 1080p, Medium goes from 104 FPS to 122 FPS, a 17% increase. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, but at 1440p and below, the CPU begins to play a larger role.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average at 1920x1080 Ultra is 97 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 4K?

A: Medium is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 3840x2160, with an average of 61 FPS. High and Ultra fall below the threshold at 52 FPS and 39 FPS respectively.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. These deltas are all within half a percent, meaning the CPU is essentially on par with its closest alternatives.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628, 0.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, 1.3% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, 1.3% lower. The GPU is within 1.3% of all four rivals.

Q: Is 4K Medium playable in practice?

A: The average is 61 FPS, but the minimum recorded is 52 FPS. This means there will be moments where the frame rate dips below 60, though the average stays above the threshold. Players sensitive to drops may prefer Low at 4K, which averages 91 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings recommendation for 1440p?

A: The verdict data lists Ultra as the best settings at 2560x1440, with an average of 67 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The frame rate drops sharply as settings increase: Low averages 91 FPS, Medium 61 FPS, High 52 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS. That is a 57% reduction from Low to Ultra, showing that the GPU is being pushed hard by the pixel count and effects. The CPU, with its six cores and six threads, is sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution without becoming the bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The frame rates are higher across the board: Low 125 FPS, Medium 104 FPS, High 88 FPS, Ultra 67 FPS. The scaling between presets is less severe than at 4K, which suggests the GPU is no longer the sole limiting factor. The CPU now has more headroom relative to the GPU load, allowing higher preset settings to remain playable.

At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes the more important component. The frame rates are high (Low 142, Medium 122, High 115, Ultra 97), but the differences between presets are smaller than at higher resolutions. This is a classic sign of CPU limitation: the GPU is capable of rendering frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls and process game logic. The CPU percentile of 47 places it below average, and at 1080p that weakness shows up as a ceiling on maximum FPS.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this interpretation. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 20-25% at each preset, which is a moderate GPU load increase. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is much larger, around 40-50%, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed at 4K. The CPU matters most at 1080p, the GPU matters most at 4K, and 1440p is a balanced middle ground.

The Verdict

This system can run Rust, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and settings. The verdict data is explicit:

At 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium. The best setting is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold, but just barely, and the minimum of 52 FPS means there are dips below the line. Players who prioritize smoothness over visual quality should consider Low, which averages 91 FPS.

At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The best setting is Ultra, with an average of 67 FPS. This is a strong result, as it means the system can run the game at maximum quality at 1440p without sacrificing playability.

At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable. The best setting is Ultra, with an average of 97 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this combo: maximum settings with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

In summary, the system is capable of running Rust at 60 FPS or higher in all tested resolutions, but the settings ceiling varies. At 4K, the player must compromise with Medium settings. At 1440p and 1080p, Ultra settings are within reach. The verdict is clear: this is a playable system for Rust, with the strongest experience at 1440p and 1080p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a useful reference for what other hardware would behave similarly.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the closest alternatives are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% higher average score), the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.4% higher). All four are within half a percent of the i5-9400 in average benchmark score, so in Rust their CPU-bound performance would be nearly indistinguishable. The i7-1068NG7 and i3-10305 are marginally faster, while the i7-10710U and Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 are marginally slower, but the differences are negligible for gaming.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (0.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (0.4% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (1.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (1.3% higher). The Tesla P4 and RX Vega 56 are essentially equivalent to the RTX 4070 in average score. The RTX 4080 Mobile is slightly faster, and the PRO W6400 is slightly slower, but again the deltas are small enough that in practice these cards would produce similar frame rates in Rust.

If a user were to swap the i5-9400 for any of its rivals, the FPS at 1080p might shift by a few frames, but the overall playability verdict would remain unchanged. Similarly, swapping the RTX 4070 for a Tesla P4 or RX Vega 56 would keep the same 4K Medium ceiling and 1440p/1080p Ultra capability. The combination of a mid-range CPU with a high-end GPU is what defines this system's performance, and the alternatives listed here would preserve that balance.