Rust

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks #22 out of 3,723 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the top 0.6% of all configurations measured. This is an exceptionally strong position, indicating that the combination delivers near-top-tier performance in the game. The CPU alone sits at the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards, so both components are individually high-end, and their pairing produces one of the fastest results in the database for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 22 out of 3,723 is striking because it suggests that only 21 other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average frame rates in Rust. Given that the GPU is a flagship Blackwell part and the CPU is a modern Arrow Lake desktop chip, this positioning is consistent with the hardware's tier. The data shows that the combo outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations, with the percentile gap between this pairing and the median being substantial. In practical terms, this rank means the system is effectively at the upper boundary of what is currently measurable in the benchmark database for Rust, with only a handful of exotic or newer combinations ahead of it.

CPU and GPU Roles

Across the three resolutions tested, the GPU dominates the performance curve, but the CPU's influence becomes more visible at lower resolutions where frame rates climb well past 200 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average is 61 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it jumps to 150 FPS — a 146% increase. This scaling pattern indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 D is the primary limiter, as the 61 FPS at Ultra is far below the 141 FPS at 4K Low. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 80 FPS, which is a 131% gain from Low to Ultra, demonstrating that the GPU's workload scales heavily with settings. At 1080p, the gap between Low (258 FPS) and Ultra (150 FPS) is 108 FPS, a 42% reduction, but even at Ultra the frame rate remains far above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that CPU headroom is ample.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same preset reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At Low settings, 1080p yields 258 FPS, 1440p yields 228 FPS, and 4K yields 141 FPS — a drop of 45% from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the progression is 150 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K — a 59% drop. The larger percentage decline at Ultra indicates that the GPU is more stressed by the combination of higher resolution and higher settings, while the CPU is capable of sustaining very high frame rates at lower resolutions. For Rust, the data shows that at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is still the main driver of performance differences between presets, but the CPU's single-threaded strength (evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655) ensures that even the lowest frame rates remain well above playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 produces an average benchmark score of 36,938, which is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945, delta 0%). The Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37,018, a 0.2% advantage, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093, a 0.4% advantage. The Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% ahead with 37,112. These deltas are all within 0.5%, meaning that swapping the Core Ultra 5 225 for any of these chips would yield nearly indistinguishable performance in Rust, assuming the same GPU is used. The practical takeaway is that any of these CPUs would produce similar frame rates in the game, with differences of less than 1% in synthetic benchmarks translating to negligible FPS changes.

For the GPU, the RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score is 77,712. The nearest rival, AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, 2.1% higher, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, 2.4% higher. These are all within a 4% band, so in Rust, a user with the RX 6650M XT could expect average frame rates within roughly a few FPS of the RTX 5090 D at the same settings. However, note that the nearest rivals are mostly mobile or datacenter parts, which may have different thermal and power characteristics, but the raw benchmark data indicates similar compute performance for this game's workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Rust?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + RTX 5090 D combination ranks 22nd out of 3,723 tested combos, placing it in the top 0.6% of all configurations.

Q: Can this system run Rust at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data lists Ultra as the best settings at 4K with that exact average.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 225's average benchmark score is 36,938, which is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T. Performance differences in Rust would be minimal.

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 258, which is the highest recorded for this combo across all resolutions and presets.

Q: Is the GPU's performance close to any other cards?

A: The RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77,712 is within 2.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, RX 6850M XT, and two Tesla P100 variants. The closest is the RX 6650M XT, which is 1.1% lower.

Q: Are all presets playable at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows that Low (228 FPS), Medium (161 FPS), High (136 FPS), and Ultra (103 FPS) all exceed 60 FPS at 2560x1440, with Ultra being the best preset at 103 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 258 FPS with no min/max recorded; Medium settings average 222 FPS with a minimum of 189 and maximum of 255; High settings average 197 FPS; Ultra settings average 150 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 108 FPS drop, with each preset tier reducing performance by roughly 20-25% compared to the previous one.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 228 FPS; Medium averages 161 FPS with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185; High averages 136 FPS; Ultra averages 103 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 125 FPS, and Medium shows the only recorded min/max values, with a 49 FPS spread between its minimum and maximum.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 141 FPS; Medium averages 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 109; High averages 80 FPS; Ultra averages 61 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 80 FPS, and the Medium preset's min/max range of 28 FPS is the largest variance recorded across all resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 150 FPS. This is far above the threshold, so even the highest settings leave substantial headroom. At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best choice, with an average of 103 FPS, maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra also clears the threshold, but only barely, with an average of 61 FPS. This means that at 4K, the Ultra preset is technically playable, but there is only 1 FPS of margin, so any demanding scene could dip below 60 FPS. For all resolutions, the data confirms that the highest preset is playable, but the 4K Ultra result is right at the edge.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust at all tested resolutions and presets, according to the verdict by resolution. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 61 FPS — this clears the 60 FPS threshold but with minimal headroom. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 103 FPS average, which provides a solid buffer. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 150 FPS, making even the most demanding settings highly fluid. Overall, the combo is more than capable for Rust, with the only caution being at 4K Ultra where the average sits just above the playable line. For users who prioritize maximum visual quality at 4K, the 61 FPS average is acceptable, but those who want more consistency might prefer High settings at 4K, which averages 80 FPS. The system's rank of 22nd out of 3,723 combos confirms that it delivers near-best-in-class performance for this title, and the 92nd percentile GPU ranking ensures that the graphics card is among the top tier for the game.