Rust

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 brings a 6-core, 12-thread configuration based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne) built on TSMC's 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz place it as a mid-range desktop part, with a 16 MB L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth over a dual-channel DDR4 interface. The processor's PCIe Gen 3 connection is a notable constraint when paired with a modern GPU, though for Rust specifically, the benchmark data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at most settings.

Looking at the synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 836 in 3dmark single-thread and 5411 in 3dmark max-threads. The Cinebench R23 results show 2319 single-core and 16429 multi-core. These numbers indicate a balanced processor for gaming workloads, where single-thread performance often matters more than raw multi-core throughput. Rust is known for its server-side simulation and world persistence logic, which can stress CPU performance, but the measured FPS data in this combo shows the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The processor's percentile ranking sits at 79 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20875. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20897 — a delta of -0.1%, meaning the Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially tied with that Intel part. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE matches at 20900 (-0.1%), while the AMD EPYC 7J13 trails by 0.1% at 20845. This tight clustering confirms the Ryzen 5 5500 delivers expected performance for its class, neither overperforming nor underperforming its direct competition.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features the AD107 chip on Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and boosts to 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) across an 8 GB GDDR6 interface on a 128-bit bus. This yields 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, a figure that becomes critical when analyzing Rust's performance scaling at 4K.

The RTX 4060's FP32 throughput is 15.11 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. The GPU's 115 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 12-pin power connector suggest modest power requirements, with a suggested PSU of 300 W. In synthetic benchmarks, the card scores 19545 in Passmark G3D and 2302 in 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 23181.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23321 (0.6% higher), while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti reaches 23338 (0.7% higher). The Intel Arc B580 trails at 23021 (0.7% lower), and the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% behind at 22999. These small deltas indicate the RTX 4060 sits in a crowded performance band, where generational differences and driver optimizations can flip the order. For Rust, the GPU's memory bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM capacity directly influence how the game scales across resolutions and quality presets.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases, but with notable CPU involvement at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 164.8 FPS, which drops to 111.5 FPS at 1440p (a 32.3% reduction) and then to 65.1 FPS at 4K (a 60.5% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput requirements outpace the CPU's ability to feed frames.

The High settings profile shows a similar trend: 92.7 FPS at 1080p, falling to 65.8 FPS at 1440p (29.0% drop), and further to 37.2 FPS at 4K (59.9% drop). The consistent ~60% reduction from 1080p to 4K across both Low and High settings suggests the RTX 4060's render throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU. However, the gap between Low and High settings at each resolution reveals the GPU's workload sensitivity — at 1080p, the difference between Low and High is 72.1 FPS, while at 4K it narrows to 27.9 FPS.

The Medium preset shows 111.9 FPS at 1080p, 75.2 FPS at 1440p, and 44.3 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the most demanding scenario: 73 FPS at 1080p, 47.3 FPS at 1440p, and 26.5 FPS at 4K. The Ultra 4K result of 26.5 FPS is below playable thresholds, confirming that this combo is not suited for maximum quality at 4K. The scaling factors from 1080p to 4K range from 0.36 (Ultra: 73 to 26.5) to 0.40 (Low: 164.8 to 65.1), indicating the GPU is consistently the bottleneck regardless of quality preset.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 954th out of 1717 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the middle of the distribution. This percentile position (approximately the 44th percentile) reflects a balanced mid-range pairing that delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K with higher quality settings. The rank suggests that while individual components perform adequately in isolation, the combination does not break into the upper echelon of gaming systems.

The ranking at 954 of 1717 means roughly 44% of tested combinations outperform this setup, while 56% trail behind. This position is consistent with the synthetic benchmark percentiles: the CPU sits at the 79th percentile while the GPU is at the 66th percentile, suggesting the GPU drags the overall combo ranking down slightly. In Rust specifically, the game's heavy use of draw calls and physics simulations can benefit from faster CPUs, but the measured FPS data shows the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, which is where the combo's ranking suffers most.

For context, the CPU's nearest rivals — the Intel Core i5-12500 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE — perform within 0.1% of the Ryzen 5 5500, so swapping the processor for those would not meaningfully change the combo's ranking. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals like the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% lower) or AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% higher) would shift the ranking by only a few positions. This indicates the combo occupies a stable, well-defined performance tier where incremental hardware changes yield marginal FPS differences.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 164.8 FPS average, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop to 111.9 FPS, still comfortably above 100 FPS. High settings yield 92.7 FPS, maintaining smooth gameplay for most users. Ultra settings bring the average down to 73 FPS, which remains playable but shows the GPU's limitations when pushed to maximum quality at 1080p. The spread from 164.8 to 73 FPS across settings demonstrates the RTX 4060's capability to handle 1080p gaming across the quality spectrum, though Ultra requires compromising on frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably downward. Low settings produce 111.5 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings deliver 75.2 FPS, a solid result for the resolution. High settings average 65.8 FPS, dipping below the 72 FPS threshold preferred by many players but remaining acceptable. Ultra settings drop to 47.3 FPS, which starts to feel less responsive for fast-paced survival gameplay. The 1440p results show a 32-35% performance penalty compared to 1080p across equivalent settings, consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the combo reaches its limits. Low settings produce 65.1 FPS, which is barely playable on a 4K display. Medium settings fall to 44.3 FPS, and High settings drop to 37.2 FPS. Ultra settings yield just 26.5 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. The 4K data reveals a clear pattern: only Low settings approach acceptable frame rates, and even then, the 65.1 FPS result is marginal. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth appear insufficient for Rust's 4K textures and rendering demands at higher quality presets, making this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming where it can leverage its strengths.