Rust

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination represents a specific point in the performance spectrum for Rust, a survival game known for its demanding simulation and rendering loads. The data places this pairing at rank 3188 out of 3723 tested combos, indicating it sits in the lower half of tested hardware configurations. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to understand where the bottlenecks lie and how the components interact with the game's settings and resolutions.

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 58 W. The processor features a 12 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 4051 in the 16-thread test. Its Cinebench R23 scores are 1674 for single-core and 11860 for multi-core, while Geekbench reports 1932 single-core and 7252 multi-core. These figures place the processor at the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494.

The nearest rivals for this CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with a deltaPct of 0, the Intel Core i5-9500 at 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core 7 1250U at 1.1% higher. The Core i3-12100F also sits 0.7% above the Intel Core 5 120UL. This grouping shows the processor delivers a level of performance that is tightly clustered with several other mid-range parts, meaning its 4-core/8-thread configuration is competitive in this segment.

For Rust, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the FPS data across resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 106 FPS, which is the highest measured average. As resolution increases to 1440p Low, the average drops to 73 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 43 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that while the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU begins to limit performance as pixel count rises. The processor's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 893, is likely beneficial for Rust's game logic and world simulation, which often rely on a few heavily loaded threads. However, the 4-core limitation may become a factor in densely populated server areas, though the measured data does not isolate this scenario.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU116 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz with a boost clock of 1785 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective. The card has 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units, delivering a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 5.027 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 12699 in Passmark G3D and 52490 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 12986.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 0.4% higher, the AMD Radeon RX 580 at 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon 740M at 0.9% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 sits 0.7% below. This places the GTX 1660 SUPER in a performance tier where it trades blows with several other mid-range options, making its 6 GB VRAM a distinguishing feature.

In Rust, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM appears sufficient for the tested settings, as the data shows playable frame rates even at 4K Low. The card's memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s is likely a critical factor in handling the game's large textures and draw distances. The measured FPS reveals a clear GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. For instance, at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 46, while at 1080p Low it is 106. This 60 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution shows that the GPU's compute and memory resources are heavily taxed by the game's visual effects. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 19 FPS, indicating the card is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low achieves the highest average FPS at 106, while 1080p Medium provides 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. For a balanced experience, 1080p Medium offers a solid frame rate with improved visual quality over Low.

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

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492, which is a 0% delta, the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 at 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core 7 1250U scores 13351 at 1.1% higher. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher than the i3-12100F.

Q: What is the GPU's synthetic benchmark standing relative to its peers?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 12986. The RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940 at 0.4% higher, the Radeon RX 580 scores 12928 at 0.4% higher, and the Radeon 740M scores 12870 at 0.9% higher. The Tesla M2090 scores 13075, which is 0.7% higher than the GTX 1660 SUPER.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1440p or 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings is 70.75 (averaging 106, 71, 60, and 46 for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra). At 1440p, the average is 48.5 FPS (73, 49, 41, and 31). The 1080p results are consistently higher, showing a clearer performance advantage at the lower resolution.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 19, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. The next lowest is 24 FPS at 4K High, followed by 29 FPS at 4K Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Rust?

A: The combo ranks 3188 out of 3723 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 14.3% of all tested combos. This indicates that while it can run the game, it is not positioned for high-end performance relative to other hardware pairings.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 106 FPS on Low settings, 71 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 82, 60 FPS on High, and 46 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 60 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 73 FPS on Low, 49 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 42 and maximum of 56, 41 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 42 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming a limiting factor as resolution increases. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium is 42, which is above the 30 FPS threshold often considered minimally playable.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls further: 43 FPS on Low, 29 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 25 and maximum of 33, 24 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results show that only Low settings achieve an average above 30 FPS, making higher settings impractical for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium minimum of 25 FPS indicates noticeable stuttering potential.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the bottleneck characteristics of this combo. At Low settings, performance drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 73 FPS at 1440p (a 31.1% decrease) and then to 43 FPS at 4K (a further 41.1% decrease from 1440p). This linear degradation pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's rendering throughput directly limits frame rates as pixel count multiplies.

At Medium settings, the averages are 71 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (a 31.0% drop), and 29 FPS at 4K (a 40.8% drop). The consistent percentage decreases across resolutions suggest the CPU is not introducing a significant bottleneck, as the GPU's workload scales predictably. If the CPU were the primary limiter, the FPS would show a smaller drop when moving to higher resolutions, because the GPU would still be waiting on the processor.

High settings show a similar pattern: 60 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p (a 31.7% drop), and 24 FPS at 4K (a 41.5% drop). Ultra settings yield 46 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p (a 32.6% drop), and 19 FPS at 4K (a 38.7% drop). The slightly smaller percentage drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings (38.7% vs. over 40% for other settings) hints that the GPU is nearing its absolute limits, where additional resolution scaling has diminishing returns on FPS loss. Overall, the data indicates the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting component across all tested resolutions and settings, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to avoid constraining performance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, Low settings provide the highest average FPS at 106, but Medium settings offer a better balance with 71 FPS average and a 60 FPS minimum. For players with a 60 Hz monitor, Medium settings at 1080p are the recommended choice, as the minimum FPS of 60 ensures consistent frame delivery without drops below the refresh rate. High settings at 1080p also achieve a 60 FPS average, but the lack of a reported minimum FPS means there is no guarantee of a stable 60 FPS floor.

At 1440p, Low settings yield 73 FPS, which is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p produce 49 FPS average with a minimum of 42, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. For a smoother experience, Low settings at 1440p are recommended, as they provide the highest frame rate without the risk of dropping below 60 FPS.

At 4K, only Low settings achieve an average above 30 FPS at 43 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 29 FPS with a minimum of 25, which may be borderline playable for slower exploration but not for combat scenarios. Given the data, 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo, and players should prioritize 1080p Medium for the best balance of visual quality and performance, or 1080p Low for maximum frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 3188 out of 3723 tested combinations for Rust. This places it in the lower 14.3% of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that it is not a high-performance configuration relative to what has been benchmarked. The rank of 3188 means there are 535 tested combos that perform worse, while a significant majority of 3187 combos achieve higher average FPS in this game.

This ranking aligns with the measured FPS data, which shows the combo can handle 1080p Medium at a stable 60 FPS minimum but struggles at higher resolutions and settings. The 4K Ultra result of 19 FPS is particularly low, reinforcing the GPU's limitations. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is a mid-range processor, while the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking places it slightly above the median. When combined, the overall system performance is dragged down by the GPU, which becomes the primary bottleneck in Rust at higher workload levels.

In the context of the nearest rival comparisons, the CPU and GPU both perform within 1% of their respective peers, meaning this combo is not an outlier in either direction. The rank of 3188 is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-tier standing and the demanding nature of Rust, which requires substantial graphics resources to maintain high frame rates. Players using this combo should expect to run the game at lower settings and resolutions to achieve smooth gameplay, as the data shows that the sweet spot is 1080p Medium or Low.