Rust

The Intel Core i5-11400F pairs with the Intel Arc B580 to form a mid-range foundation for Rust, a survival game known for heavy server-side simulation and complex building physics. The measured data shows this combo is positioned in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations, ranking 1320 out of 1717 combos. This suggests that while the system is capable of playable framerates, it requires careful settings management to avoid dipping into unresponsive territory, particularly at higher resolutions and graphical presets.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers the highest average framerate at 134.7 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1920x1080 with High settings provides 76.9 FPS, while 2560x1440 with Low settings achieves 90.7 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181. This puts it virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (deltaPct 0) and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, while being 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1240U.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to other graphics cards based on its average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M and 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA P106-100, but it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by 0.7% and leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 1.3%.

Q: What is the performance drop when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average framerate falls from 76.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 51.4 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 30.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 60.8% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU appear to be the limiting factor in Rust based on the FPS data?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. While the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads provide a strong baseline, the framerate drops proportionally with resolution increases, indicating the Arc B580's workload is the limiting factor, especially at 3840x2160 where average FPS falls below 60 across all settings.

Q: What is the lowest average framerate recorded for this combo, and at which settings?

A: The lowest average framerate is 20.8 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only measured configuration where the average FPS drops below 30, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. In Rust, which is notoriously dependent on single-thread performance for its simulation and physics calculations, this processor's boost clock is critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029 and Geekbench single-core score of 1979 indicate solid per-thread performance.

The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 80 KB of L1 cache per core help maintain data locality, which is beneficial for Rust's complex entity interactions. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and max-thread score of 5652 show that while multi-threading is not the primary strength, the 12 threads provide adequate headroom for background tasks and server communication. The CPU sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it performs better than three-quarters of the tested processors, though its nearest rivals show it is a tightly contested mid-pack performer.

Benchmark results indicate the i5-11400F's performance is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, with a deltaPct of 0. This parity is interesting because the Ryzen 7 5700U is a mobile processor, suggesting the desktop i5-11400F's efficiency is on par with a low-power mobile part. In Rust, where the CPU must handle the game's tick rate and physics, the i5-11400F's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is likely the more important factor than its core count, as the game's engine often struggles to utilize more than a few threads effectively.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage), is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 20 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz, and its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at an effective speed of 19 Gbps across a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is substantial for Rust, which often experiences texture pop-in and large asset streaming.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.67 TFLOPS and texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s are mid-range figures. In Rust, the GPU's role becomes more prominent at higher resolutions and settings, as the game's draw distances and shadow quality require significant pixel-pushing power. The GPU sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 23021 places it directly between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (0.7% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (1.3% behind).

The benchmark data suggests the Arc B580 is not a top-tier performer but holds its own in the mid-range segment. The 12 GB VRAM is a notable advantage for Rust, as the game can consume large amounts of memory when loading a busy server's base structures. However, the measured FPS data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the GPU can only manage 20.8 FPS, indicating that the pixel throughput at this resolution is insufficient for demanding presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the user's resolution preference. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average framerate at 134.7 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1080p offers a still-smooth 76.9 FPS, making it the best choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance, as the Medium preset (92 FPS) and Ultra preset (55 FPS) either underutilize the visual upgrades or drop below the 60 FPS threshold.

For users with 2560x1440 monitors, the Low preset is the only configuration that maintains a high refresh rate, achieving 90.7 FPS. The High preset at 1440p yields 51.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced combat. The Ultra preset at 38.4 FPS is borderline, and the Medium preset at 61 FPS is the recommended setting for a playable experience with moderate visual enhancements.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that only the Low preset (56.4 FPS) approaches a playable framerate. The Medium preset drops to 38 FPS, High falls to 30.1 FPS, and Ultra becomes unplayable at 20.8 FPS. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the 56.4 FPS average suggests the system is heavily GPU-limited at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1320 out of 1717 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the 23rd percentile of all configurations. This rank indicates that the system is in the lower third of performance, which aligns with its mid-range component choices. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking and the GPU's 66th percentile ranking do not translate directly to a high combo rank, suggesting that Rust's specific engine requirements do not favor this pairing.

The data implies that the i5-11400F's single-thread performance, while adequate, may not be sufficient to fully feed the Arc B580 at lower resolutions. The combo rank of 1320 means that 397 other combos perform better, which is a significant number. This could be attributed to the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration being a bottleneck in Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay, or the GPU's driver overhead in certain scenarios. The rank suggests that users should not expect top-tier performance from this pairing, but rather a serviceable experience at 1080p with adjusted settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 134.7 at Low settings to 55 at Ultra settings. The Medium preset achieves 92 FPS, and High reaches 76.9 FPS. This shows a clear scaling pattern where each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops across all presets: Low delivers 90.7 FPS, Medium provides 61 FPS, High falls to 51.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 38.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is significant (29.7 FPS), suggesting that the Medium preset introduces a substantial increase in GPU workload. The 1440p data indicates that the system is still capable of smooth gameplay at lower presets but struggles to maintain high framerates at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS figures are dramatically lower: Low achieves 56.4 FPS, Medium drops to 38 FPS, High falls to 30.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 20.8 FPS. The 4K data reveals that the Arc B580 is overwhelmed at this resolution, with even the Low preset barely exceeding 60 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting shows a consistent reduction of roughly 50-60% in average FPS, indicating a GPU-bound scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling analysis reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 134.7 to 90.7, a 32.7% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 76.9 to 51.4 FPS, a 33.2% reduction. This consistent ~33% decrease from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU is handling the increased pixel count proportionally, but the CPU is not becoming a bottleneck at 1440p.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows a larger proportional drop. At Low settings, FPS falls from 90.7 to 56.4, a 37.8% reduction. At High settings, it falls from 51.4 to 30.1, a 41.4% reduction. This steeper decline indicates that the Arc B580's memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s and its 80 ROPs are insufficient to maintain throughput at 4K resolutions. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU's 12 threads are unlikely to be saturated at these low framerates.

The scaling pattern shows diminishing returns at higher resolutions, with the gap between presets narrowing. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 79.7 FPS (134.7 vs 55), while at 4K, the difference is only 35.6 FPS (56.4 vs 20.8). This compression of performance differences at 4K indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the settings-related workload becomes less impactful when the GPU is already saturated. For users seeking higher framerates, the data strongly recommends 1080p or 1440p with lower presets, as 4K only offers playable performance at the absolute lowest settings.