Rust

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a clear, resolution-dependent story in Rust. At 1920x1080, this setup has headroom to spare, but at 3840x2160 it struggles to maintain smooth gameplay except on the lowest preset. The measured data shows a system that is well-matched for mainstream gaming, though its limits become apparent at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Rust with this hardware is organized by resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 163 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded across all tested configurations. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium produces an average of 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. High settings yield an average of 92 FPS, while Ultra drops to an average of 70 FPS. Every preset at 1080p clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a comfortable margin above it.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains largely playable. Low settings average 112 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS, and High averages 64 FPS. Ultra falls short of the playable threshold, averaging only 48 FPS. This means that at 1440p, the three lower presets are viable, but Ultra is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The 3840x2160 results show a significant drop in performance. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 44 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset is playable, and even that is a marginal result. The data indicates that this combination is not well-suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Rust.

For the presets where min/max data is available, the range between minimum and maximum FPS is relatively tight. At 1920x1080 Medium, the spread from 93 to 126 FPS represents a 33 FPS variance, suggesting reasonably consistent frame times. At 2560x1440 Medium, the spread is from 64 to 87 FPS, a 23 FPS variance. At 3840x2160 Medium, the spread is from 38 to 51 FPS, a 13 FPS variance. These figures indicate that frame pacing is more stable at lower resolutions, where the system has more headroom.

The progression from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns. For example, High settings drop from 92 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, a 30% reduction, and then to 38 FPS at 4K, a further 41% reduction. Low settings drop from 163 FPS at 1080p to 112 FPS at 1440p, a 31% reduction, and then to 66 FPS at 4K, a further 41% reduction. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the workload increases with pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2008 out of 3723 tested combos for Rust. This places it in the middle of the pack, indicating that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is also far from the bottom. The rank of 2008 out of 3723 means that roughly 54% of tested combos perform better in this game, while 46% perform worse.

This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the hardware's standalone benchmark positions. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, sits at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs, which is a strong showing. Its closest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36945 and a deltaPct of 0, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with an average score of 37018 and a deltaPct of -0.2, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with an average score of 37093 and a deltaPct of -0.4, and the Intel Core i9-12900T with an average score of 37112 and a deltaPct of -0.5. These deltas are negligible, meaning the Ultra 5 225 performs essentially on par with these alternatives, within fractions of a percent.

The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, sits at the 61st percentile among all tested GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with an average score of 17666 and a deltaPct of -0.2, the AMD Radeon 780M with an average score of 17588 and a deltaPct of 0.3, the AMD Radeon Pro 560 with an average score of 17551 and a deltaPct of 0.5, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 with an average score of 17509 and a deltaPct of 0.7. Again, these deltas are small, indicating the RTX 4060 is closely grouped with these GPUs in overall benchmark performance.

The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a mid-range GPU explains the mid-pack ranking in Rust. At lower resolutions, the CPU's strength helps push frame rates higher, but at higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations become the limiting factor. The fact that the combo ranks near the middle of all tested configurations suggests that many other systems, particularly those with faster GPUs, will outperform it in Rust, especially at 1440p and 4K.

The deltaPct values for both CPU and GPU rivals are all within 1% of each other, which means the Ultra 5 225 and RTX 4060 are not outliers in their respective categories. For practical purposes, a builder choosing between the Ultra 5 225 and its nearest CPU rivals would see virtually identical CPU-bound performance. Similarly, the RTX 4060 is competitive with its nearest GPU rivals, though the overall GPU percentile of 61 indicates that there are many faster options available.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher is the recommended choice. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 70 FPS, making it the best option. This is the highest quality setting that remains playable, and it provides a 10 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Players at 1080p can maximize visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 64 FPS, which is the best playable option. This provides a slim 4 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 75 FPS and Low averages 112 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while still meeting the playability requirement. The 4 FPS margin is tight, so players who prefer more headroom might choose Medium instead, but High is technically viable.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 66 FPS. This provides a 6 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 44 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS, none of which meet the playability standard. At 4K, players are limited to Low settings for a smooth experience, and even then, the margin is modest.

The best settings per resolution follow a clear pattern. At 1080p, the system has enough performance to run Ultra. At 1440p, it drops to High. At 4K, it drops to Low. This progression highlights the GPU's role as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 3655 single-core and 25891 multi-core, is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Rust at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured FPS data shows an average of 70 FPS on Ultra at 1080p, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best playable preset at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: High settings, which average 64 FPS. Medium averages 75 FPS and Low averages 112 FPS, but High provides the best visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 48 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware in Rust?

A: Only on Low settings, which average 66 FPS. Medium averages 44 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS, all of which fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict data confirms that Low is the only playable setting at 3840x2160.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2008 out of 3723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the middle of the pack. The CPU is at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, which explains the mid-range overall ranking.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is 93 FPS. Low averages 163 FPS, while Ultra averages 70 FPS. This represents a 57% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset at 1080p.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to bottleneck this system in Rust?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Low settings hit 163 FPS, which indicates strong CPU performance. At 4K, even Low drops to 66 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS, showing that the GPU's limits are reached as pixel count increases.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in Rust is evident from the scaling between resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the CPU has a significant influence on performance. The Low preset hits 163 FPS, which is well above what most displays can show, indicating that the CPU can drive high frame rates. The Ultra 5 225's strong single-thread performance, demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is well-suited for Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay. The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, provide ample processing power for the game's AI, physics, and world simulation tasks.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a larger role. The FPS drops across all presets, but the relative differences between presets remain similar. Low drops from 163 to 112 FPS, a 31% reduction, while Ultra drops from 70 to 48 FPS, a 31% reduction. This consistent scaling suggests that both CPU and GPU are still contributing, but the GPU's workload is increasing. The RTX 4060's 3072 shading units and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are being tasked with rendering more pixels, which reduces overall frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings drop to 66 FPS, and Medium drops to 44 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37 FPS (66 vs 29), which is a larger absolute gap than at 1080p (93 FPS between Low and Ultra). However, the percentage reduction from Low to Ultra is 56% at 4K, similar to the 57% reduction at 1080p. This indicates that while the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, the scaling between presets is consistent across resolutions.

The memory bandwidth of the RTX 4060, at 272.0 GB/s, becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for Rust at 1080p, but at 4K, the demand for texture memory and bandwidth increases. The GPU's 128-bit memory bus is narrower than higher-tier cards, which contributes to the sharp FPS drop at 4K. The CPU, meanwhile, has a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support, which is not the limiting factor here.

The verdict data reinforces this analysis. At 1080p, all four presets are playable, with Ultra at 70 FPS. This suggests the CPU has enough headroom to support the GPU even on the most demanding preset. At 1440p, three presets are playable, but Ultra falls short. At 4K, only Low is playable. This progression shows that as resolution increases, the GPU's capabilities define the playable envelope, while the CPU's role diminishes relative to the GPU's workload.

For players who prioritize high frame rates, lowering resolution has the most significant impact. Moving from 4K Low (66 FPS) to 1440p Low (112 FPS) yields a 46 FPS increase, and moving to 1080p Low (163 FPS) yields a further 51 FPS increase. This indicates that the CPU can support much higher frame rates than the GPU can at higher resolutions, but only if the resolution is reduced.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The best playable setting is Ultra, which averages 70 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the playable threshold, making 1080p the optimal resolution for this hardware in Rust. Players can crank up the visual quality without worrying about frame rate drops.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on High, Low, and Medium presets. High averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the margin is thin. Medium averages 75 FPS, offering more headroom. Ultra is not playable, averaging 48 FPS. For players with 1440p monitors, High is the best choice if they want maximum quality, but Medium provides a safer buffer for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on Low settings, averaging 66 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 44, 38, and 29 FPS respectively. This means 4K gaming in Rust is technically possible, but only with significant visual compromises. The Low preset will look noticeably less detailed, and the 6 FPS margin above the threshold leaves little room for performance drops in complex scenes.

The verdict data confirms these findings. At 3840x2160, the playable settings list includes only Low, with an average FPS of 66. At 2560x1440, High, Low, and Medium are playable, with High being the best at 64 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra being the best at 70 FPS. The system is well-suited for 1080p gaming, acceptable for 1440p with settings adjustments, and marginal at 4K.

The mid-pack ranking of 2008 out of 3723 combos reflects this mixed performance. The CPU's strong benchmark scores, including a Passmark multi-thread score of 30459 and a single-thread score of 4412, are offset by the GPU's mid-range position. For Rust specifically, the game's optimization favors strong single-thread performance, which the Ultra 5 225 provides, but the RTX 4060's limitations at higher resolutions cap the overall experience.

In practical terms, a builder should pair this combo with a 1080p or 1440p monitor for the best experience. At 1080p, the system offers excellent performance with all presets playable. At 1440p, players can enjoy High settings with a slight risk of frame dips below 60. At 4K, the system is not recommended for Rust beyond Low settings. The hardware is balanced for mainstream gaming, but it is not a high-end configuration for this title.