Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination in Rust presents a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds its own at 1080p. The benchmark data shows a classic scaling pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the RTX 4060’s 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface are working hard to feed the pixels.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve when moving from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the system delivers 92 FPS average, which is already a solid playable number. Dropping to 1440p with the same High preset reduces the average to 64 FPS, a 30% decrease. Pushing further to 4K at High settings yields just 38 FPS average, which is a 59% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the RTX 4060’s memory bandwidth (272.0 GB/s) and 8 GB VRAM become limiting factors at higher pixel counts.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 163 FPS average, which drops to 112 FPS at 1440p and 66 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent: 31% from 1080p to 1440p, and another 41% from 1440p to 4K. These figures indicate that even when the graphics load is reduced, the GPU still struggles to maintain frame rates at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data set with min/max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 110 FPS with a range of 93 to 126 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 75 FPS with a range of 64 to 87 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 44 FPS with a range of 38 to 51 FPS. The narrowing of the min/max range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently hitting its limits rather than experiencing occasional spikes.

Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 1080p yielding 70 FPS average, 1440p dropping to 48 FPS, and 4K falling to 29 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for playable frame rates, indicating that this combination is not suitable for 4K Ultra gaming in Rust.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Low preset at 163 FPS average is ideal for competitive play, while Medium at 110 FPS average offers a balanced experience with better visual quality. High at 92 FPS average is also perfectly playable and provides additional visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. Ultra at 70 FPS average is the choice for those who prioritize graphics over frame rate, as it remains above the 60 FPS mark.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Low at 112 FPS average is the best option for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Medium at 75 FPS average offers a good balance between quality and performance. High at 64 FPS average is borderline for smooth gameplay, and Ultra at 48 FPS average is noticeably less fluid. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it keeps the average above 70 FPS while providing better visuals than Low.

For 4K, only Low at 66 FPS average is truly playable, while Medium at 44 FPS average is marginal and High at 38 FPS average is below the 40 FPS threshold many players find acceptable. Ultra at 29 FPS average is not recommended for any scenario. The 4K Medium min FPS of 38 and max of 51 indicate that even the average is not stable, with dips into the 30s during demanding scenes.

The recommendation is clear: 1080p Medium or High provides the best experience per the measured rows, offering a strong balance of visual quality and frame rate. For 1440p, Medium is the practical choice, while 4K should be reserved for Low settings only.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The card’s base clock is 1830 MHz with a boost clock of 2460 MHz, and it has 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The memory runs at 2125 MHz with 17 Gbps effective speed. These specifications directly explain the measured FPS results in Rust.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Rust, but at 4K, the frame buffer becomes a limiting factor. The 128-bit memory interface, while efficient for the card’s class, restricts bandwidth to 272.0 GB/s, which is modest for 4K workloads. This explains why the 4K results show such a dramatic drop compared to 1440p, as the GPU cannot feed data to the shading units fast enough.

The RTX 4060’s average benchmark score is 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with an average score of 17666, a delta of -0.2%, indicating they perform nearly identically in synthetic tests. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 is 0.5% ahead. These tight margins suggest that the RTX 4060 sits in a competitive mid-range position, but its real-world performance in Rust is more dependent on the specific workload characteristics.

The 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for high transistor density (118.9M / mm²) and efficient power consumption, with a TDP of only 115 W. This efficiency is reflected in the card’s ability to maintain consistent performance across different settings, as seen in the measured FPS data. However, the end-of-life production status indicates this is a mature product with no further optimizations expected.

FAQ

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

A: 1080p is the clear winner, with all settings presets delivering playable frame rates. The Low preset reaches 163 FPS average, Medium hits 110 FPS, High achieves 92 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 70 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (112 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) are recommended, while 4K should be limited to Low settings (66 FPS).

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, while its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a delta of -0.2%. This means the two GPUs are effectively tied in synthetic performance, with the RTX 4060 being slightly behind. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 is 0.5% ahead.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Rust at all resolutions?

A: The data suggests that 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, as the frame rates remain playable. However, at 4K, the frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are limiting factors. The 4K High preset only achieves 38 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS, both of which are below acceptable thresholds.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance percentile and how does it compare to similar processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a score of 19047, a delta of 0%, meaning they perform identically. The Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% behind, and the Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% ahead.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 1440p produce 48 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. While this is technically playable, the frame rate is not stable enough for competitive scenarios. Medium settings at 75 FPS or Low at 112 FPS are better choices for 1440p.

Q: What does the 4K Medium min FPS of 38 indicate?

A: The 4K Medium preset has an average of 44 FPS with a min of 38 and max of 51 FPS. The min FPS of 38 indicates that during demanding scenes, the frame rate can dip below the 40 FPS threshold, which may cause noticeable stuttering. This makes 4K Medium a marginal experience at best.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration and uses the Intel Socket 1700. The 10 nm process node from Intel results in a 163 mm² die size.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 12380 multicore and 1680 singlecore. In Geekbench, it achieves 9472 multicore and 1964 singlecore. The PassMark multithread score is 19433, and the single thread score is 3481. These numbers place the 12400F in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039.

In Rust, the CPU’s role is evident from the 1080p Low preset result of 163 FPS average. This high frame rate at low resolution indicates that the CPU can keep up with the game’s physics and simulation workloads when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock provide sufficient processing power for Rust’s server-side and client-side calculations.

The nearest rival comparisons show that the 12400F is well-matched against similar processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS has an average score of 19047, a 0% delta, meaning they perform identically. The Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% ahead with a score of 18982, and the AMD EPYC 7773X is 0.3% behind with a score of 18979. This suggests that the 12400F holds its own in its performance class.

The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is modest, and its memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 gives builders flexibility. The 18 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with the large data sets common in Rust’s persistent world. The 3DMark multi-threaded scores, including 5895 for 16 threads and 5912 for max threads, indicate that the CPU scales well with additional threads, which is beneficial for Rust’s background processing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system delivers the following average FPS: Low 163, Medium 110, High 92, and Ultra 70. The Medium preset has a min FPS of 93 and max of 126, showing good consistency. All settings at 1080p are above 60 FPS, making this resolution fully playable with any preset.

At 1440p, the average FPS values are: Low 112, Medium 75, High 64, and Ultra 48. The Medium preset ranges from 64 to 87 FPS. The Low and Medium presets are the only ones that maintain an average above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below that threshold.

At 4K, the average FPS values drop significantly: Low 66, Medium 44, High 38, and Ultra 29. The Medium preset has a min of 38 and max of 51 FPS. Only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, while all others fall below 45 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

The combination rank in game is 2008 out of 3723 total combinations, placing this system in the 54th percentile of tested configurations. This mid-pack ranking reflects the balance between the capable CPU and the mid-range GPU, with the GPU being the clear limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data confirms that this system is best utilized at 1080p, where it can fully leverage the CPU’s performance, while 1440p requires compromises and 4K is only viable with the lowest settings.