Rust

Rust is a demanding survival title where the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile produces a clear hierarchy of performance across resolutions. The measured frame rates show that this pairing scales predictably with graphical load, but the relationship between resolution and settings reveals where the bottleneck shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p, the system delivers high refresh rates, while 4K Ultra pushes the hardware to its limits, and the data indicates a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for a game that is known for its server-side and simulation overhead.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a significant drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, but the shape of that drop depends heavily on the quality settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 229 FPS at 1080p to 163 FPS at 1440p, a 28.8% reduction, and then to 96 FPS at 4K, a further 41.1% reduction from the 1440p figure. This aggressive scaling at Low settings indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises, since the CPU is capable of feeding the graphics card with enough data to maintain high frame rates at the lower resolutions.

At High settings, the scaling is more moderate. The average FPS drops from 134 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p, a 31.3% reduction, and then to 54 at 4K, a 41.3% reduction from 1440p. The pattern is similar for Medium settings, where frame rates fall from 159 at 1080p to 109 at 1440p and 65 at 4K. The Ultra preset tells the most interesting story: the average FPS is 102 at 1080p, 70 at 1440p, and 41 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, and the fact that the gap between 1440p and 4K at Ultra (41.4% reduction) is nearly identical to the gap at High settings suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated at these higher resolutions.

The data shows that this combo is not resolution-limited at 1080p, where even the Ultra preset achieves triple-digit frame rates. The shift from 1080p to 1440p produces a substantial but proportional drop across all settings, indicating a smooth transition into GPU-bound territory. The move from 1440p to 4K is where the system begins to struggle, particularly at Ultra, where the average FPS falls below 60. This indicates that at 4K, the RTX 5090 Mobile is the definitive limiting component, and the CPU's role diminishes as the resolution increases. The fact that the Low preset at 4K (96 FPS) is still higher than the Ultra preset at 1440p (70 FPS) highlights how much impact the graphical settings have on the final frame rate, even at a fixed resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the driving force behind the high-resolution performance in Rust, and its memory configuration is a key factor. With 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card offers 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Rust's texture-heavy environments at any resolution. The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 990 MHz and a boost of 1515 MHz, are relatively modest for a flagship mobile part, but the sheer number of shading units (10496) and texture mapping units (328) compensates for the lower clocks. The 112 ROPs ensure that pixel fill rate is not a bottleneck, which is reflected in the pixel rate of 169.7 GPixel/s.

The data shows that the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as the resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 229 is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU is capable of producing far more frames than the CPU can process. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 41 is clearly GPU-limited, as the card is struggling to maintain playable frame rates at the highest settings. The benchmark results for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 30034, which places it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This score is a general indicator of compute performance, but in Rust, the memory bandwidth and the ability to handle large textures are more relevant than raw compute. The 24 GB frame buffer ensures that the game never runs out of memory, even at 4K with Ultra settings, which is a common issue in other games but not here.

The relationship between the GPU's memory bus and the game's requirements is also visible in the measured FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 109, with a minimum of 93 and a maximum of 126. This variation suggests that the GPU is handling the workload consistently, but the frame time spikes are likely due to the game's simulation logic rather than the graphics card. The RTX 5090 Mobile's performance in Rust confirms its architecture, as it can deliver 54 FPS at 4K High, which is a demanding preset for any game. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, have an average score that is 0.8% lower, indicating that this mobile part is competitive with desktop-class hardware from the previous generation.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile pairing ranks 718th out of 3723 combos in Rust. This places the combo in the top 19.3% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mobile platform. The rank reflects the overall measured performance across all settings and resolutions, and it shows that this combo is capable of handling Rust at high settings with acceptable frame rates, but it is not at the top of the charts. The combo rank is influenced by the fact that Rust is a CPU-intensive game, and while the Ryzen 9 8945HX is a capable processor, it is not the absolute fastest available for this title.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for this ranking. The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which is only 0.1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which is 0.6% faster. This indicates that the CPU is a top-tier part for mobile systems, and its performance is nearly identical to the best desktop CPUs in synthetic benchmarks. However, in Rust, the CPU's performance is not the only factor, as the game's engine relies heavily on single-threaded performance and memory latency. The Ryzen 9 8945HX's single-core score of 6030 in Cinebench R23 is strong, but it is not the highest in the database, which explains why the combo does not rank higher.

The GPU's benchmark scores also contribute to the ranking. The RTX 5090 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 45152, which places it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which is 0.5% slower, and the Intel Arc A730M, which is 1% slower. This suggests that the GPU is a high-performance part, but it is not the fastest in the database, which is expected for a mobile component. The combo rank of 718 is a result of both the CPU and GPU being strong performers, but not the absolute best, and the data shows that there are 718 other combos that achieve higher average FPS in Rust. This is a realistic outcome for a mobile platform, as desktop systems with higher-power components will naturally outperform it.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 102 at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest average FPS at 1080p, but it still provides a smooth experience for most players.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 65, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74. This is a playable frame rate for a survival game, though it is not ideal for competitive play.

Q: What is the best performing settings and resolution combination in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 229, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is capable of producing more frames.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more of a bottleneck at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 70 at Ultra to 163 at Low. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rate scales significantly with settings, which is a characteristic of GPU-bound workloads.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 8945HX compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This shows that the CPU is highly competitive with the best available parts.

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

A: The combo ranks 718th out of 3723 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19.3% of all systems. This is a strong result for a mobile platform, considering the CPU and GPU are both high-performance parts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers the highest frame rates, with an average of 229 FPS at Low settings, 159 FPS at Medium, 134 FPS at High, and 102 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS, indicating a stable frame delivery. The 1080p results are all above 100 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, even at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 163 at Low, 109 at Medium, 92 at High, and 70 at Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, which shows a slightly wider variance than at 1080p. The 1440p results are still playable at all settings, but the Ultra preset falls to 70 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh displays. The data shows that 1440p is a good balance between visual quality and performance, but the GPU is beginning to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 96 at Low, 65 at Medium, 54 at High, and 41 at Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, which is the only 4K preset with min/max data. The 4K results show that the system is GPU-bound, as the frame rate drops sharply with each increase in settings. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding scenario in the dataset, and the 41 FPS average is not ideal for a fast-paced game. The Low preset at 4K still offers 96 FPS, which is respectable, but the Ultra preset is clearly the weakest point for this combo.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, which is a significant asset for Rust. The game is known for its heavy simulation and server-side logic, which can benefit from multiple cores, but the single-threaded performance is also crucial. The CPU has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is a high boost for a mobile part, and this allows it to handle the game's main thread effectively. The 64 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial for reducing memory latency, which is important in a game that frequently accesses the same data.

The CPU's benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. These scores place the CPU in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.6% of its average score. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is a top-tier processor, and its performance in Rust is likely to be limited by the game's engine rather than the CPU itself. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 229, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame rate for this game, as the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

The CPU's role is more defined at lower resolutions, where the frame rate is not limited by the GPU. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 127 FPS (229 vs 102), which shows that the GPU is still having an impact, but the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS (96 vs 41), which indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads ensure that the game's background processes, such as entity updates and server communication, do not cause frame rate drops, even when the GPU is heavily loaded. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced, with the CPU providing a solid foundation for the GPU to deliver high frame rates at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over as the resolution increases.