Rust

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 12 MB shared L3 cache. This configuration places it in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs in the database, indicating that its multi-threaded capabilities are adequate for modern gaming workloads. In Rust, which is known for its server-side simulation and physics calculations that can be demanding on the CPU, the i5-10400F's 12 threads are likely to be fully utilized. The processor's benchmark results support this: it scores 10,297 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,324 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, showing moderate scaling from its six physical cores. The single-thread performance, however, is more modest, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,453, which may become a limiting factor in Rust's more lightly-threaded rendering tasks. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface is a standard figure for this class of processor and should not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios, though Rust's large world streaming could benefit from lower latency memory.

Looking at the combo's overall ranking, this specific pairing of the i5-10400F with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 609th out of 1,717 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the top 35.5% of all combinations, which is a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank suggests that while the system is capable of producing playable frame rates, it is not among the top-tier configurations for this game. The data indicates that the CPU is likely holding back the GPU in certain scenarios, as the RX 9070 is a much more powerful component relative to the CPU's standing in its own percentile rankings. The delta between the CPU's percentile (73rd) and the combo's rank suggests that other pairings with stronger processors achieve higher frame rates. In the database's nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14,115 (0.4% ahead), while the Intel Core i5-8500 scores 14,332 (1.1% ahead), indicating that the i5-10400F is in a tightly contested performance bracket where small differences in IPC can affect overall game performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings in Rust?

A: The measured average FPS is 118 at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is a strong result, indicating the system can handle the game at this resolution and preset comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14,168. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 7552, scores 14,115, which is 0.4% lower. Conversely, the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14,277, which is 0.8% higher than the i5-10400F, showing the CPU is near the middle of its performance bracket.

Q: Is the RX 9070's 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for Rust at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is more than adequate for Rust's texture and asset streaming needs. At 3840x2160 Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 40.1 FPS, suggesting the VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor at this preset, but rather the overall processing power.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 133.6 on Low settings to 65.8 on Ultra settings. This represents a 50.8% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset, which is a significant trade-off for visual fidelity.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 34,780. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA A2, scores 34,866, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 34,511, which is 0.8% lower, indicating the RX 9070 is essentially on par with its immediate competitors in raw compute benchmarks.

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

A: The combo ranks 609th out of 1,717 tested combinations. This places it in the upper third of all results, indicating that while it is not a top-tier setup for Rust, it outperforms the majority of tested hardware pairings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Rust shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 150.2 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations. Moving to Medium settings at this resolution yields 128.3 FPS, a 14.6% decrease from Low. High settings reduce the average further to 118 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 95 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 55.2 FPS, representing a 36.8% performance penalty for maximum visual quality. This indicates that the CPU and GPU combination has enough headroom at this resolution to maintain high frame rates even at the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but show a more pronounced drop. Low settings produce 133.6 FPS, which is 11.1% lower than the equivalent 1080p result. Medium settings average 99.3 FPS, High settings drop to 81.7 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 65.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 50.8% reduction, which is steeper than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck as resolution increases. The system still maintains an average above 60 FPS on Ultra at this resolution, which is a playable threshold for most users.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly, reflecting the increased pixel count. Low settings average 88.9 FPS, which is still a smooth experience. Medium settings produce 60.5 FPS, High settings drop to 50.9 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 40.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48.8 FPS, a 54.9% reduction, which is the largest percentage drop across all resolutions. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, as 4K Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold, and even High settings at 4K only achieve 50.9 FPS. The 8.3 million pixels at 4K place a heavy load on the RX 9070, and the i5-10400F's processing power becomes less relevant as the GPU-bound workloads dominate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a 4 nm process from TSMC, featuring 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die. It has 3,584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation units, along with 56 ray tracing cores. The GPU has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 36.13 TFLOPS, which places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for high-resolution textures and complex scenes in Rust. The GPU's benchmark scores show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,290 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 165,532, with a Passmark G3D score of 25,381.

In Rust, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering of the game's large open world, including terrain, building structures, and dynamic lighting. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is capable of pushing high frame rates at lower resolutions, with 150.2 FPS at 1080p Low. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially, leading to the frame rate drops seen at 4K. The RX 9070's performance is well above its nearest rival, the NVIDIA A2, which has an average benchmark score of 34,866 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400, which scores 34,511 (0.8% lower). This indicates that the RX 9070 is a high-end GPU that can handle Rust's graphical demands, but its performance is still subject to the CPU's ability to feed it data. At 4K Ultra, the combo only achieves 40.1 FPS, which may indicate that the CPU's single-thread performance or memory bandwidth is limiting the GPU's full potential in certain scenes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the system can comfortably run Ultra settings with an average of 95 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. This makes 1080p Ultra the recommended preset for users who prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. The data shows that even at the highest settings, the combo has 35 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a stable experience. For users who prefer higher refresh rates, dropping to High settings yields 118 FPS, a 24.2% increase over Ultra, which could be beneficial for 144 Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. Ultra settings produce 65.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a viable option for users who want maximum quality. However, the margin is slim, and frame rate drops in busy scenes could push it below 60 FPS. High settings at 1440p produce 81.7 FPS, providing a more comfortable buffer while still delivering excellent visual quality. This makes High the recommended preset for 1440p as it balances performance and fidelity. Medium settings at 99.3 FPS are also an option for users who prefer higher refresh rates, but the visual difference between High and Medium is often more noticeable than the frame rate gain.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that Ultra settings are not recommended, as the average of 40.1 FPS is well below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. High settings at 50.9 FPS are also below this threshold, making the experience potentially stuttery in fast-paced situations. Medium settings at 60.5 FPS just barely meet the 60 FPS target, but the margin is thin. Low settings at 88.9 FPS provide a much more comfortable experience, but this comes at the cost of significant visual downgrades. For 4K gaming, the recommendation is to use Low or Medium settings, with Medium being the best compromise for playability. Users with 4K displays may also consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to achieve higher quality settings, as the performance difference is substantial.