Rust

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Rust across the three tested resolutions reveal a clear picture of where the performance ceiling sits for this combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 200.4 FPS, but this drops to 178.1 FPS at 1440p and then to 109 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is doing more of the heavy lifting, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly.

Moving up the resolution ladder, the impact becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra settings, the frame rate falls from 114.6 FPS at 1080p to 78.4 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 47.8 FPS at 4K. This represents a drop of roughly 58% from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra, which is a substantial reduction that points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at the highest resolution. The RTX 4070 Ti, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 192-bit bus, is being pushed hard by the 4K resolution combined with Ultra settings.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 85.8 FPS (200.4 versus 114.6). At 1440p, this gap grows to 99.7 FPS (178.1 versus 78.4). At 4K, the gap becomes 61.2 FPS (109 versus 47.8). This non-linear behavior suggests that at 4K, both the CPU and GPU are struggling to maintain high frame rates, with the GPU being the more significant bottleneck given the massive pixel throughput required.

The data shows that 1440p represents a sweet spot for this combination. At High settings, the system delivers 101.9 FPS at 1440p, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, while at 4K High, the frame rate drops to 63.6 FPS, barely clearing that mark. The 4K Low setting at 109 FPS shows that the GPU is capable of high frame rates at 4K when settings are reduced, but the visual quality trade-off is significant.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results show a single-thread score of 910 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 5890 in the same test. In Cinebench R23, it achieves 2249 points in single-core and 15935 in multi-core. These numbers place the CPU at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19850.

The nearest rivals provide context for the CPU's position. The Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831, which is a 0.1% difference from the i5-12400. The Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19894, putting it 0.2% ahead. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928, 0.4% ahead, and the Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19771, 0.4% behind. This grouping shows that the i5-12400 sits in a tightly contested performance band where the differences are minimal.

In Rust specifically, the CPU role is evident when examining the frame rates at 1080p. At Low settings, the system produces 200.4 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. This suggests that the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and the max-thread score of 5890 indicate that the CPU has limited headroom for additional threads, which could impact performance in heavily populated Rust servers where physics and entity updates are CPU-intensive.

The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is relatively modest compared to higher-end parts, but the single-thread performance in Cinebench R23 (2249 points) shows solid per-core capability. This is important for Rust, which tends to favor strong single-thread performance for its core game logic. The L3 cache of 18 MB shared across all cores provides reasonable data locality, though it is not exceptional. The CPU's passmark single-thread score of 3456 reinforces that this processor handles single-threaded workloads competently, which is crucial for Rust's simulation-heavy nature.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It operates at a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a substantial amount for a mid-to-high-end GPU.

The GPU's benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 31624 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 18396. In Geekbench, it achieves 205028 in OpenCL and 186784 in Vulkan. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 5024. These figures place the GPU at the 85th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44900.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4070 Ti are interesting. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45152, which is 0.6% ahead. The Intel Arc A730M scores 45592, 1.5% ahead. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 44195, 1.6% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 45642, 1.6% ahead. This grouping is unusual because it includes mobile and professional parts, but the deltas are all within 1.6%, indicating that the RTX 4070 Ti's raw compute performance is comparable to these other products.

In Rust, the GPU's role becomes more prominent at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 47.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider playable. The GPU's 7680 shading units and 80 ROPs are being taxed heavily by the combination of 4K resolution and Ultra settings. The texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s are substantial, but Rust's large open-world environments with many dynamic objects can stress even high-end GPUs.

The GPU's 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present but do not play a significant role in Rust, as the game does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS in the measured configurations. The 12 GB of VRAM is adequate for the tested settings, as the frame rates do not indicate any memory-related stuttering or drops. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient throughput for texture streaming in Rust's large maps.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Rust with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1440p at High settings delivers 101.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the frame rate drops to 63.6 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom. 1440p offers a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-9700 at 19831 (0.1% difference), the Intel Core i7-8700 at 19894 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Core i5-11600K at 19771 (0.4% behind). The differences are minimal, indicating comparable performance.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti capable of running Rust at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Low settings, the system achieves 109 FPS, while at 4K High it drops to 63.6 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate falls to 47.8 FPS, which may be too low for some players. The GPU can handle 4K, but settings need to be adjusted.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 44900. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 5090 Mobile at 45152 (0.6% ahead), the Intel Arc A730M at 45592 (1.5% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 44195 (1.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT at 45642 (1.6% ahead). All deltas are within 1.6%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low setting produces 200.4 FPS, while the Ultra setting produces 114.6 FPS. This is a difference of 85.8 FPS, or roughly 43% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 200.4 FPS, suggesting CPU limitation, but at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 47.8 FPS, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck due to the increased pixel workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 200.4 FPS, Medium settings produce 172.6 FPS, High settings produce 150.2 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 114.6 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest drop occurring between High and Ultra, which is a 35.6 FPS reduction.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates are: Low at 178.1 FPS, Medium at 123 FPS, High at 101.9 FPS, and Ultra at 78.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 55.1 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in this resolution. The difference between High and Ultra is 23.5 FPS, showing a more gradual decline at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are: Low at 109 FPS, Medium at 72.8 FPS, High at 63.6 FPS, and Ultra at 47.8 FPS. The Low to Medium drop is 36.2 FPS, while the Medium to High drop is 9.2 FPS, and the High to Ultra drop is 15.8 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, indicating that this setting combination is too demanding for the hardware.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings, the Low setting shows a drop from 200.4 FPS at 1080p to 178.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 109 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop of 69.1 FPS is significantly larger than the 1080p to 1440p drop of 22.3 FPS, highlighting the GPU workload increase at 4K. At Ultra settings, the drops are 36.2 FPS from 1080p to 1440p, and 30.6 FPS from 1440p to 4K, showing a more even distribution of performance loss.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the High preset at 1440p provides the best overall experience for this hardware combination. The 101.9 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual quality is significantly better than Low or Medium settings. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 200.4 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play where responsiveness is key.

At 4K, the High preset at 63.6 FPS is the highest quality setting that maintains playable frame rates. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 47.8 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced situations. The Medium preset at 4K, producing 72.8 FPS, offers a good middle ground for players who want higher visual quality than Low but cannot tolerate the frame rate drop to Ultra.

The data shows that the Medium preset at 1440p (123 FPS) is also a strong choice for players with high refresh rate monitors, as it provides a substantial frame rate boost over High while maintaining reasonable visual quality. At 1080p, the High preset at 150.2 FPS is recommended for players who want a balance of quality and performance, as the Ultra preset at 114.6 FPS offers diminishing returns for the extra visual fidelity.

For players with 4K displays, the recommendation is to use the High preset at 63.6 FPS, as this provides the best visual quality while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 4K (109 FPS) is viable for players who prioritize smoothness over visuals, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided due to its sub-60 FPS performance of 47.8 FPS.