Rust

# Rust Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-12400F + AMD Radeon RX 9060

This combination pairs Intel's 6-core Alder Lake processor with AMD's RDNA 4.0 mid-range GPU for Rust, a survival title from 2018 that remains demanding on both CPU and GPU. The measured data shows this combo ranks 1665th out of 2953 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this game. The system delivers playable frame rates at 1080p across all settings, but struggles at 4K with higher presets, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at elevated resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Rust?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with average FPS ranging from 65 at Ultra to 151 at Low. At 2560x1440, averages drop to between 45 and 104 FPS depending on settings, while 3840x2160 only reaches playable levels at Low (62 FPS) or Medium (41 FPS).

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

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. It sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047), Intel Core 3 201E (19056), and Intel Core i5-1335U (18982), showing near-identical overall compute performance.

Q: What GPU does the RX 9060 compete with?

A: The Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.7% higher (16129), while the AMD Radeon R9 370X trails by 1% (15862).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. Frame rates plummet from 151 FPS at 1080p Low to 62 FPS at 4K Low, a 59% drop that far exceeds what CPU scaling alone would produce. The RX 9060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth struggle with higher resolutions.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings in Rust?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 65 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 27 FPS. The data indicates Ultra is only viable at 1080p for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance like?

A: The i5-12400F scores 3481 in Passmark single-thread tests and 909 in 3DMark single-thread. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1680 reflects the 4.40 GHz boost clock, which helps Rust's physics and world simulation at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a 2.50 GHz base clock and boosts to 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel configuration.

Benchmark results show this CPU delivers strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 12380, while Geekbench multicore reaches 9472. Single-thread performance is equally solid, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 1680 and Geekbench single-core at 1964. Passmark multithread tests score 19433, with integer math at 59995 and floating-point math at 46759. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all processors indicates it handles Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay well, particularly in scenarios with many entities or complex physics.

In Rust, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads manage the game's server-side calculations, entity tracking, and world persistence. The 4.40 GHz boost clock is crucial for maintaining frame pacing at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed. At lower resolutions, the CPU becomes relatively more important, as evidenced by the 151 FPS at 1080p Low compared to 104 FPS at 1440p Low. The 12 threads help with Rust's multi-threaded rendering and physics, though the game's legacy codebase still shows sensitivity to single-thread performance.

The i5-12400F's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0% delta), Intel Core 3 201E (-0.1%), and Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3%). These near-identical scores suggest the i5-12400F is well-positioned in its performance class, with no significant advantage or disadvantage over comparable processors. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a straightforward pairing with mainstream motherboards.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the Navi 44 chip using RDNA 4.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. It packs 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die, with 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU runs at a 1700 MHz base clock, 2400 MHz game clock, and 2990 MHz boost clock. Memory consists of 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s bandwidth at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Compute performance includes 21.43 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio), with 28 ray tracing cores. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and connects via PCIe 5.0 x16. Its 132 W TDP requires a 300 W suggested PSU and a single 8-pin power connector. The GPU's 59th percentile ranking places it in the middle of the pack, with its nearest rival being the RTX 3060 Ti at 0.7% higher average score.

In Rust, the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a constraint at 4K. The 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for the game's texture streaming and draw calls, but higher resolutions demand more bandwidth than this card can provide. The 2990 MHz boost clock helps maintain fill rates, though the 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 334.9 GTexel/s texture rate show limits at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 17631 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 indicate solid DirectX 12 performance, which Rust leverages for its rendering pipeline. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores of 88183 and 39476 respectively show compute capability that supports Rust's procedural world generation and vegetation rendering. The card's 64 ROPs handle the game's transparency and effects work, though at 4K the pixel throughput becomes a bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance. Low settings average 151 FPS, providing headroom for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. Medium averages 102 FPS with a range of 86 to 117 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with improved visuals. High settings average 86 FPS, still comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 65 FPS average, which remains playable but shows the GPU beginning to strain with maximum effects.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down notably. Low settings average 104 FPS, still excellent for 1440p. Medium averages 70 FPS with a range of 59 to 80 FPS, dipping near the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 59 FPS, right at the edge of smooth playability. Ultra averages 45 FPS, which is below what most players would consider acceptable for a survival game requiring quick reactions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 62 FPS, barely maintaining playability. Medium averages 41 FPS with a range of 35 to 47 FPS, showing significant frame pacing issues. High settings average 35 FPS, while Ultra drops to 27 FPS, making both presets nearly unplayable for serious gameplay.

The measured data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step up reduces average FPS by roughly 35-45% at the same settings. The 4K Medium result of 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS indicates the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are insufficient for sustained performance at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable scaling pattern. At Low settings, FPS drops from 151 to 104, a 31% reduction. Medium drops from 102 to 70, a 31% reduction. High drops from 86 to 59, a 31% reduction. Ultra drops from 65 to 45, a 31% reduction. This uniform scaling suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at every preset when moving between these resolutions.

The jump from 1440p to 4K shows more dramatic degradation. Low settings drop from 104 to 62 FPS, a 40% reduction. Medium drops from 70 to 41, a 41% reduction. High drops from 59 to 35, a 41% reduction. Ultra drops from 45 to 27, a 40% reduction. The steeper decline at 4K indicates the RX 9060's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are overwhelmed at this resolution.

The consistent percentage drops across settings at each resolution step reveal that the system is GPU-bound throughout the tested range. The CPU's performance, while sufficient at 1080p, does not compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The 4K Low result of 62 FPS versus 1080p Low of 151 FPS shows a 59% reduction, highlighting that even the lowest settings cannot overcome the GPU's resolution scaling limits.

This scaling pattern suggests that players wanting higher resolutions should prioritize reducing settings rather than expecting CPU upgrades to help. The i5-12400F's benchmark performance, including its 12380 Cinebench R23 multicore score, is adequate for Rust's CPU demands, but the RX 9060's 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM create a hard ceiling at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, Medium settings provide the best balance of performance and visual quality. The 102 FPS average with 86-117 FPS range ensures smooth gameplay while maintaining better textures and effects than Low. High settings at 86 FPS are also viable for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate headroom. Ultra at 65 FPS is acceptable but may cause occasional dips during intense combat or large base raids.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended choice, averaging 70 FPS with a 59-80 FPS range. This preset maintains playability while offering improved visuals over Low. High settings at 59 FPS are borderline, with the average right at the 60 FPS threshold, making them suitable only for less demanding scenarios. Low settings at 104 FPS provide the smoothest experience for competitive play, while Ultra at 45 FPS should be avoided.

For 4K, the data clearly shows that only Low settings at 62 FPS are recommended for playable performance. Medium at 41 FPS dips below acceptable thresholds, and High/Ultra are not viable at 35 and 27 FPS respectively. Players with 4K displays should either run Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The overall recommendation is to use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p for the best combination of frame rate and visual fidelity. The RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth handle these settings well, while the i5-12400F's 6 cores and 4.40 GHz boost clock provide sufficient CPU headroom. For players with high refresh rate monitors, Low settings at 1080p deliver 151 FPS, while competitive 1440p play benefits from Low's 104 FPS.