Rust

Rust with the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D presents a fascinating case of extreme component pairing. The data shows a combination where a flagship, 32 GB GPU is harnessed to a mid-range, six-core CPU from an older generation. The benchmark results reveal how this pairing behaves across resolutions and settings, offering clear insights into where the bottlenecks lie and how to configure the game for the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern as resolution increases, but the rate of decline is telling. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings, the average frame rate drops from 141 FPS to 125 FPS, a modest 11% reduction. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) is more severe, with the High preset falling from 125 FPS to 80 FPS, a 36% decrease. This steep drop at 4K strongly indicates that the graphics card is finally being pushed to its limits, whereas at lower resolutions, the CPU is holding the combo back.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. On Low settings, the frame rate goes from 175 FPS at 1080p, to 154 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 129 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is relatively small (21 FPS), but the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger (25 FPS). This suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the Intel Core i5-11400F is the primary limiting factor, preventing the RTX 5090 D from fully stretching its legs. The RTX 5090 D only becomes the dominant constraint when the pixel count at 4K demands more of its raw processing power.

This is further illustrated by the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (175 FPS) and Ultra (128 FPS) is 47 FPS. At 1440p, that difference shrinks to 51 FPS (154 vs 103). However, at 4K, the difference expands significantly to 68 FPS (129 vs 61). This widening gap at 4K confirms that the GPU's workload is scaling more rapidly with settings at that resolution, while the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions compresses the performance range. For a player targeting high refresh rates, the data suggests that 1080p and 1440p are where this combo shines, while 4K is viable for a smoother, more visually detailed experience but with a significant FPS cost.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this pairing of the Core i5-11400F and GeForce RTX 5090 D lands at rank 259 out of 2953 combos. This places it in the top 9% of all tested combinations, which is a strong showing, but it is not at the absolute top. The ranking reflects the fact that while the GPU is exceptionally powerful, the CPU's performance is a limiting factor that prevents the combo from reaching the absolute highest echelons of the database.

The CPU itself, the i5-11400F, holds a percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs. This means it performs better than 71% of all processors in the database, but it is far from the top. Its average benchmark score of 17177 puts it in close competition with the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 (a 0.3% difference), and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which scores 17239 (a -0.4% difference). This tells us that the CPU is a solid mid-range performer, capable of holding its own, but it is not the kind of high-end silicon that typically pairs with a GPU of the RTX 5090 D's caliber.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in a different league. The RTX 5090 D scores in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78940 (a -1.6% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79605 (a -2.4% delta). This confirms the GPU is a top-tier part. The combo's rank of 259 is therefore a direct consequence of the CPU's position in the hierarchy. It is a case where the sum is less than its parts; the GPU's potential is not fully realized due to the CPU's limitations, particularly in a CPU-intensive game like Rust.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how different presets affect performance. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low (175 FPS), High (141 FPS), Medium (150 FPS), and Ultra (128 FPS)—produce playable frame rates. The difference between Low and Ultra is 47 FPS, which is substantial. Given that the game is a survival title where visibility can be a competitive advantage, the Medium preset at 1080p (150 FPS) or High (141 FPS) offers a strong balance, providing a high refresh rate without sacrificing all visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the story is similar. The Low preset hits 154 FPS, while Medium and High achieve 133 and 125 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset drops to 103 FPS. For a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, the Medium preset (133 FPS) is the sweet spot, as it stays close to the refresh rate ceiling while providing better visuals than Low. The High preset is also viable if you prefer slightly better image quality and can tolerate a frame rate in the 120s.

The 4K resolution (3840x2160) is where compromises become necessary. The Ultra preset averages just 61 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset at 80 FPS is more comfortable, but it is the Medium preset that stands out. With an average of 95 FPS and a minimum of 81 FPS, it offers the best combination of smoothness and visual quality at this resolution. The data suggests that users with a 4K display should prioritize the Medium preset to maintain a high frame rate, as the visual jump to High or Ultra comes at a significant performance cost (15 FPS and 34 FPS respectively, compared to Medium). Low at 4K (129 FPS) is the only way to get a high refresh rate experience, but it will look stark.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in Rust?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests it is. The relatively small FPS gains when moving from 1080p to 1440p (e.g., from 141 to 125 FPS on High) indicate that the CPU is limiting performance at these resolutions. The GPU only becomes the primary limiter at 4K, where the frame rate drops sharply as the resolution increases.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Rust with this combo?

A: For the highest frame rates, 1920x1080 is the best choice, with all presets exceeding 128 FPS. For a balance of speed and visual quality, 2560x1440 on Medium or High settings is excellent, offering over 125 FPS. 4K is viable but requires the Medium preset to stay comfortably above 90 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Medium at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 103 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 133 FPS. This represents a 30 FPS (or roughly 23%) performance gain for Medium over Ultra, which is a significant trade-off for the extra visual details.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM necessary for Rust?

A: The fact pack does not include VRAM usage data for Rust. However, the GPU's 32 GB of memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are top-tier specs. The benchmark results show that the GPU is capable of high performance, but the CPU limits it at lower resolutions, so the VRAM is not being fully utilized in those scenarios.

Q: How does this combo's performance rank among all tested systems?

A: This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 259th out of 2953 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the top 9% of all systems in the database, which is a strong performance, but not the absolute best.

Q: What is the minimum FPS I can expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 95, with a minimum recorded FPS of 81. This indicates that frame pacing should be smooth, with no severe drops below the average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monster of a graphics card, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. Its specifications are staggering: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The card's base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting up to 2407 MHz. It has 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output pipelines. These specs translate into a raw compute capability of 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

In Rust, the data shows that this GPU has immense headroom. At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are likely higher than what the CPU can feed, meaning the GPU is often waiting for data. The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at 4K, where its raw power is needed to process the increased pixel count. The performance difference between Low and Medium presets at 4K (129 to 95 FPS) shows the GPU's ability to handle more complex rendering tasks. The jump to Ultra (61 FPS) is a heavy load, but the RTX 5090 D still manages a playable frame rate. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 77712 confirm its place among the fastest cards, but in this specific pairing, its full potential is often capped by the CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake generation, built on Intel's 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory. Its benchmark scores are respectable for a mid-range chip; for example, it scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core.

The CPU's role in Rust is critical, as it appears to be the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The FPS data shows that at 1080p, even on Low settings, the frame rate is 175 FPS. This is high, but a more powerful CPU might push this higher with such a fast GPU. In contrast, the GPU's performance headroom is wasted because the CPU cannot keep up with the game's simulation and draw call logic. The small FPS deltas between 1080p and 1440p (e.g., 141 to 125 FPS on High) are a classic sign of a CPU limit. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking and close benchmark scores to rivals like the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% delta) and Intel Core i5-12450H (-0.4% delta) show that it is a competent performer for its class, but it is not in the same league as the GPU. For Rust, this means that to get the most out of the RTX 5090 D, a user would need a significantly more powerful CPU, but with this pairing, the i5-11400F sets the ceiling for performance at lower resolutions.