Rust

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 presents a classic high-GPU, mid-range-CPU combination in Rust. The benchmark data reveals a system where the graphics card is clearly the dominant component at higher resolutions, but the processor’s capabilities become increasingly relevant as resolution drops. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examines the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides actionable settings guidance based strictly on the observed data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 121 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 66 FPS at 4K. This represents a significant 45% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering workload scales heavily with pixel count.

The Low preset exhibits similar behavior but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 149 FPS average, which falls to 131 FPS at 1440p, and then to 110 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 26%, which is proportionally smaller than the High preset’s drop. This suggests that at Low settings, the bottleneck shifts somewhat away from the GPU, allowing the CPU to maintain a higher floor.

The Medium preset shows the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS figures. At 1080p Medium, the average is 128 FPS with a min of 109 and max of 147. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 113 FPS (min 96, max 130), and at 4K Medium, the average falls to 79 FPS (min 67, max 90). The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 12% reduction, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a 30% reduction. This non-linear scaling is typical for GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel throughput requirement grows faster than the linear resolution increase.

The Ultra preset delivers the lowest frame rates across all resolutions. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 109 FPS, dropping to 85 FPS at 1440p, and then to 50 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS average is the only sub-60 FPS figure in the entire dataset, highlighting the extreme demand of the highest settings at native 4K.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely becoming partially CPU-limited, particularly at Low and Medium settings where the FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p is relatively small (e.g., 149 to 131 FPS on Low). At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as evidenced by the dramatic FPS drops when moving from Medium to High to Ultra settings. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of VRAM and 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient to handle the data throughput, but the raw compute requirements of 4K Ultra push the card to its limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread 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 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor’s benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance: it achieves a 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and a multi-thread score of 4735, alongside a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and single-core score of 1451.

In Rust, the CPU’s role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 149 FPS average, which is the highest figure across all measured configurations. However, the gap between 1080p Low (149 FPS) and 1440p Low (131 FPS) is only 12%, whereas the gap between 1440p Low and 4K Low (110 FPS) is 16%. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU up to a point, but the processor’s single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 688) becomes a limiting factor when trying to maintain very high frame rates.

The processor’s 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate for Rust’s multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by the PassMark multi-thread score of 12115 and the Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 4318. The data shows that at 1080p High, the system still achieves 121 FPS, which is only 8% lower than the Low preset result. This indicates that the CPU can handle the increased draw calls and physics calculations associated with higher settings without a dramatic FPS penalty, as long as the resolution remains moderate.

However, compared to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the i5-10400F holds a mid-pack position. It sits at the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its closest competitor, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores 14163 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277 (0.6% higher). The processor’s performance is tightly clustered with these rivals, indicating that its gaming capability is representative of its class rather than exceptional.

At 4K resolution, the CPU’s influence diminishes significantly. The FPS difference between 1080p Ultra (109 FPS) and 4K Ultra (50 FPS) is 54%, which is almost entirely attributable to GPU workload. This pattern confirms that the i5-10400F’s role is to provide a stable foundation for the RTX 4080, but it does not become the primary bottleneck until frame rates approach the 150 FPS range at 1080p Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and manufactured on TSMC’s 5 nm process, this GPU features 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. It operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209 (just 0.1% lower), while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% higher). The RTX 4080’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and PassMark G3D score of 34457 demonstrate its raw compute capabilities.

In Rust, the GPU’s influence is most pronounced at 4K resolution. The data shows a clear hierarchy: at 4K, the Low preset achieves 110 FPS average, Medium drops to 79 FPS, High falls to 66 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 50 FPS. This represents a 55% reduction in performance from Low to Ultra at 4K, demonstrating that the GPU’s shading units and texture units are heavily taxed by the game’s visual effects at higher presets.

The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of VRAM is a notable asset for Rust, which is known for its large texture sets and long session memory usage. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and asset loading do not become bottlenecks, even at 4K resolution. The data supports this: at 4K Medium, the system maintains a minimum FPS of 67, which is only 15% below the average, indicating stable frame delivery without VRAM-related stutters.

The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is interesting. The RTX 4080 SUPER is nearly identical in average score (54209 vs 54247), which suggests that the two cards would perform within 1% of each other in Rust. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, despite having a higher average benchmark score (55698), is a different class of card with less VRAM, so its higher score may not translate to better Rust performance at 4K.

At 1080p, the GPU’s role is less critical. The FPS difference between Low (149) and Ultra (109) at 1080p is 27%, which is smaller than the 55% difference at 4K. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and game engine’s simulation logic begin to constrain performance, allowing the RTX 4080 to operate below its full potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves 149 FPS average, Medium hits 128 FPS, High reaches 121 FPS, and Ultra manages 109 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset offers the best frame rate headroom, while the Ultra preset still provides a smooth experience for immersive gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot. It delivers 113 FPS average with a minimum of 96 FPS and maximum of 130 FPS. The High preset at 106 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 96 ensures more consistent frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is playable but begins to show the GPU’s workload, and the Low preset at 131 FPS sacrifices visual quality for marginal gains over Medium.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It provides 79 FPS average with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 66 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 50 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience. The Low preset at 110 FPS is surprisingly strong, suggesting that Rust’s visual effects at Low settings are not overly demanding on the RTX 4080 at 4K.

The data shows a clear pattern: Medium settings offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system maintains 128 FPS average, which is only 14% lower than Low but provides significantly better visuals. At 1440p Medium, the 113 FPS average is 14% lower than Low but still well above 100 FPS. At 4K Medium, the 79 FPS average is 28% lower than Low but remains playable, whereas High and Ultra presets suffer from diminishing returns.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset’s 149 FPS average is the clear winner. However, for most users, the Medium preset at 1440p or 4K offers the best combination of smoothness and visual quality, as evidenced by the consistent minimum FPS figures above 90 FPS at 1440p and above 65 FPS at 4K.

FAQ

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

A: The system achieves an average of 121 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 capable of running Rust at 4K Ultra?

A: The data shows 50 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings at 4K provide 79 FPS average.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, putting it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163) and 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 131 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 85 FPS average, a 35% reduction.

Q: Does the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM cause any issues in Rust?

A: The data shows no VRAM-related stutters. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 67, which is 15% below the average of 79 FPS, indicating stable performance.

Q: Which resolution and preset combination yields the highest average FPS?

A: The 1920x1080 Low preset yields the highest average FPS at 149, followed by 1080p Medium at 128 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 110 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average (min 67, max 90)
• High: 66 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 131 FPS average
• Medium: 113 FPS average (min 96, max 130)
• High: 106 FPS average
• Ultra: 85 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 149 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average (min 109, max 147)
• High: 121 FPS average
• Ultra: 109 FPS average

The full dataset reveals a consistent hierarchy: Low > Medium > High > Ultra at every resolution. The performance gap between Medium and High is relatively small (e.g., 128 to 121 FPS at 1080p), while the gap between High and Ultra is larger (121 to 109 FPS at 1080p). At 4K, the gap between Medium and High grows to 16% (79 to 66 FPS), and the gap between High and Ultra reaches 24% (66 to 50 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces disproportionately expensive effects that tax the RTX 4080’s compute resources, making Medium the pragmatic choice for high-resolution gaming.