Rust

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is one of the strongest combinations in the database, and the measured Rust results confirm it: every resolution and preset tested clears the 60 FPS playability threshold except one — 4K Ultra, which lands at 56.2 FPS average. The CPU sits in the 95th percentile versus all tracked processors with an average benchmark score of 79097, while the GPU holds the 92nd percentile with an average benchmark score of 79842. Rust, released in early 2018 as a survival title, responds well to this hardware at every setting level the data covers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

All figures below are measured averages from the database for this exact pairing.

1920x1080:

• Low: 275.7 FPS
• Medium: 220.9 FPS
• High: 188.3 FPS
• Ultra: 140.4 FPS

At 1080p the combo never drops below 140 FPS, even at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 135.3 FPS, which indicates settings still matter at this resolution — but even the worst case is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440:

• Low: 227.3 FPS
• Medium: 153.6 FPS
• High: 132.1 FPS
• Ultra: 97.5 FPS

1440p shows a similar pattern with everything shifted downward. Ultra drops 42.9 FPS compared to 1080p Ultra, yet it still clears 60 FPS comfortably. Every preset is playable here.

3840x2160:

• Low: 137.2 FPS
• Medium: 90.3 FPS
• High: 75 FPS
• Ultra: 56.2 FPS

4K is where limits appear. Ultra averages 56.2 FPS — below the 60 FPS playable threshold — while High holds 75 FPS. Dropping from High to Ultra costs 18.8 FPS at this resolution, the single most expensive settings step in the dataset.

The database does not record minimum or maximum frame rates for these runs, so all analysis is based on averages.

FAQ

**Q: Can the i9-14900K + RTX 5090 run Rust at 4K Ultra?

A:** Not at the 60 FPS threshold. The measured average is 56.2 FPS, which falls short. Dropping to High raises the average to 75 FPS, clearing the threshold with room to spare.

**Q: What is the best playable setting at each resolution?

A:** At 1920x1080 it's Ultra at 140.4 FPS. At 2560x1440 it's Ultra at 97.5 FPS. At 3840x2160 it's High at 75 FPS.

**Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 4K at the same preset?

A:** At Ultra, the average falls from 140.4 FPS to 56.2 FPS — a drop of 84.2 FPS. At Low, it falls from 275.7 FPS to 137.2 FPS, a drop of 138.5 FPS.

**Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this pairing?

A:** The data does not show one. The i9-14900K posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, placing it in the 95th percentile of all tracked CPUs — and frame rates continue scaling upward at every resolution as load shifts to the GPU.

**Q: Which settings step costs the most FPS at 4K?

A:** High to Ultra. Medium runs 90.3 FPS, High runs 75 FPS (a 15.3 FPS step), and Ultra runs 56.2 FPS (an 18.8 FPS step). The final step is the priciest and pushes the game below the playable threshold.

**Q: Does this combination rank well in Rust specifically?

A:** Yes. It ranks 32nd out of 3723 tested combinations in this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling pattern across resolutions tells the story clearly. At 1080p Ultra the combo delivers 140.4 FPS; at 1440p Ultra it drops to 97.5 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it drops again to 56.2 FPS. Frame rate falls steadily as resolution rises — roughly 30 percent going from 1080p to 1440p and another large step to 4K — which is the signature of GPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were the limiter, frame rates would plateau across resolutions instead of declining.

Within each resolution, preset changes also have a large effect: 1080p spans 275.7 FPS at Low down to 140.4 FPS at Ultra, and 4K spans 137.2 FPS at Low down to 56.2 FPS at Ultra. That spread means both render load and resolution are the primary levers.

The CPU's role is to stay out of the way, and the i9-14900K does. With 24 cores and 32 threads, a 6.00 GHz boost clock, a PassMark single-thread score of 4697, and a Geekbench single-core score of 2655, it sits in the 95th percentile versus all CPUs. The data shows no plateau that would suggest a CPU ceiling at any tested resolution — even the 1080p Low result of 275.7 FPS scales logically with resolution changes. For Rust specifically, the GPU is the component that matters most at 1440p and 4K, and both components have headroom at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

Against the 3723 combinations tested in Rust, this pairing ranks 32nd. That places it in the top percentile of tested setups for this game — elite territory, with only a small handful of combinations above it.

The individual component rankings back this up. The i9-14900K's average benchmark score of 79097 puts it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, essentially tied with its nearest rivals: the Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79371 (just 0.3 percent apart), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (0.6 percent apart), the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (1.2 percent apart), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740 (1.7 percent behind). The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79842 puts it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355.

In short: this is a top-tier combination, and the rank of 32 out of 3723 in Rust reflects that. The measured frame rates are consistent with that standing — no tested configuration short of this tier is producing meaningfully higher Rust averages.

The Verdict

Yes — this PC runs Rust, decisively.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable: Low (275.7 FPS), Medium (220.9 FPS), High (188.3 FPS), and Ultra (140.4 FPS). Best setting: Ultra at 140.4 FPS.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable: Low (227.3 FPS), Medium (153.6 FPS), High (132.1 FPS), and Ultra (97.5 FPS). Best setting: Ultra at 97.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, three of four presets clear 60 FPS: Low (137.2 FPS), Medium (90.3 FPS), and High (75 FPS). Ultra misses at 56.2 FPS. Best setting: High at 75 FPS.

The single caveat in the entire dataset is 4K Ultra. Everything else — three resolutions, four presets, twelve measured data points — is not just playable but comfortably above threshold. A 4K player should drop one preset to High and gain 18.8 FPS average. A 1440p or 1080p player can max everything out without hesitation.

Best Settings per Resolution

• 1920x1080 — Ultra, 140.4 FPS average. The most demanding preset tested still delivers more than double the 60 FPS threshold. No compromise needed.
• 2560x1440 — Ultra, 97.5 FPS average. Max settings hold a 37.5 FPS cushion over the threshold. This is the sweet spot for the pairing.
• 3840x2160 — High, 75 FPS average. Ultra falls short at 56.2 FPS; High is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, with a 15 FPS margin.

The pattern is simple: Ultra everywhere except 4K, where one step down to High restores comfortable playability.