Rust

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Rust. The data shows a configuration where the GPU is clearly the dominant force, but the older 6-core Comet Lake processor imposes a hard ceiling on performance at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the component roles, and ranks the combo against the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a classic scaling pattern, but with a distinct twist characteristic of Rust’s CPU-intensive nature. At 1080p, the combo delivers a robust 150.8 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 122.2 FPS on High. Moving to 1440p, these figures decline to 133.5 FPS and 106.6 FPS, respectively. The most significant drop occurs at 4K, where the average frame rate falls to 108.4 FPS on Low and 63.5 FPS on High.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is likely holding the system back, as the difference between Low and Ultra settings is a relatively modest 42.2 FPS (150.8 vs 108.6). This suggests the i5-10400F cannot fully feed the RTX 4080 SUPER at lower resolutions, where the GPU would otherwise be capable of much higher output.

However, the data also indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s immense power is not fully utilized until the resolution increases. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra settings expands to 55.8 FPS (108.4 vs 52.6), demonstrating that the GPU is now the dominant constraint. The transition from 1440p to 4K on Ultra settings results in a 32.3 FPS drop (84.9 to 52.6), a 38% reduction that underscores the GPU’s workload at 2160p.

The pattern suggests that for players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the CPU will be the bottleneck, while 4K enthusiasts will see the GPU’s capabilities more fully realized. The 1440p results represent a balanced midpoint, where the system’s components are more evenly matched, particularly on Medium and High settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a formidable piece of silicon, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. The chip, designated AD103, packs 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. Its memory subsystem is particularly noteworthy: 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for Rust’s large, procedurally generated worlds.

The GPU’s clock behavior is defined by a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2550 MHz, with memory running at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). This configuration delivers a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s. The raw compute capability is substantial, with FP32 performance rated at 52.22 TFLOPS. These specifications place the RTX 4080 SUPER in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610.

In the context of Rust, the GPU’s role becomes clear when examining the 4K results. The fact that Ultra settings at 3840x2160 yield 52.6 FPS, while Low settings produce 108.4 FPS, indicates that the GPU is handling a significant portion of the rendering workload. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is ample for Rust’s textures and draw distances, and the high memory bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame pacing in complex scenes.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which scores 53489 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M at 53414 (0.4% higher). This places the RTX 4080 SUPER in a competitive tier, though the data shows it is slightly behind these alternatives in average benchmark scores. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s strength lies in its ability to scale performance with resolution, as evidenced by the measured FPS figures.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 406th out of 1717 tested combos. This places it in the top 24% of all configurations, a strong showing that reflects the GPU’s high percentile ranking (88th) against the CPU’s more modest 73rd percentile.

The CPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its role in this pairing. The i5-10400F achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453. Its Passmark multithread score is 12115, with a single-thread score of 2541. These numbers indicate a capable processor, but one that is outclassed by the GPU paired alongside it. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% higher average score), the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% lower), and the Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% lower).

The disparity between the CPU’s 73rd percentile and the GPU’s 88th percentile explains the ranking. The combo is not in the top tier because the processor limits the system’s overall potential, particularly at lower resolutions. However, the combination is still highly effective, as the 406th rank out of 1717 demonstrates. The data suggests that this pairing is best suited for 1440p or 4K gaming, where the GPU can stretch its legs and the CPU’s limitations are less pronounced.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows that Medium settings at 2560x1440 produce 114.3 FPS, while High settings yield 106.6 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, High at 106.6 FPS is viable, but Medium offers a smoother experience with a 7.7 FPS advantage.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the system averages 63.5 FPS on High settings and 52.6 FPS on Ultra. Low settings push this to 108.4 FPS, making 4K playable, though not at maximum fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the limiting factor at 1920x1080. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is only 42.2 FPS (150.8 vs 108.6), suggesting the i5-10400F cannot fully utilize the RTX 4080 SUPER’s capacity at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 53610, placing it just behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (53489, 0.2% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (53414, 0.4% higher). It is ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (52505, 2.1% lower).

Q: What is the expected FPS on Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured average is 108.6 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is lower than the High preset’s 122.2 FPS, indicating that Ultra imposes a significant performance cost even at 1080p.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM matter for Rust?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for Rust’s large worlds and high-resolution textures, as evidenced by the playable 4K results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows, organized by resolution and settings:

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 108.4 FPS
• Medium: 75.5 FPS
• High: 63.5 FPS
• Ultra: 52.6 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 133.5 FPS
• Medium: 114.3 FPS
• High: 106.6 FPS
• Ultra: 84.9 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 150.8 FPS
• Medium: 127.3 FPS
• High: 122.2 FPS
• Ultra: 108.6 FPS

These figures reveal a consistent hierarchy, with Low settings always delivering the highest frame rates and Ultra the lowest. The most significant performance gap between settings occurs at 4K, where the difference between Low and Ultra is 55.8 FPS. At 1080p, this gap narrows to 42.2 FPS, while at 1440p it is 48.6 FPS.

The data also shows that the step from Medium to High settings incurs a noticeable FPS penalty across all resolutions. At 1440p, this transition costs 7.7 FPS (114.3 to 106.6), while at 4K it costs 12 FPS (75.5 to 63.5). The jump from High to Ultra is even more punishing, particularly at higher resolutions, where the visual fidelity gains may not justify the performance loss.