Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a benchmark profile in Rust that is defined by the GPU’s overwhelming dominance at lower resolutions and the CPU’s growing influence as resolution climbs. This combination ranks 96th out of 2,953 tested combos in the game, placing it in the top percentile of configurations. The data reveals a system capable of high frame rates across all settings, though the relationship between the six-core processor and the flagship graphics card shifts predictably as work moves from the CPU to the GPU.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache. This specification set places the CPU in the 73rd percentile among all tested processors, according to the benchmark database’s aggregate scoring.

In Rust, the CPU’s role is most visible at 1080p, where the measured frame rates are at their highest. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 205 FPS, and at High settings it reaches 166 FPS. These numbers suggest that the CPU is capable of feeding the RTX 5090 D with enough data to sustain very high frame rates, even when the GPU is not heavily tasked. The processor’s multi-threaded performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12,380 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 9,472, provides the headroom needed for Rust’s simulation and world-tick logic, which often scales with core count and thread availability.

The single-thread performance is also relevant. A Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,680 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1,964 show that the i5-12400F handles lightly threaded workloads efficiently. This matters in Rust, where certain frame-critical tasks, such as network processing and input handling, are not perfectly parallelized. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz helps here, as it allows the processor to ramp up frequency when fewer cores are active.

However, the CPU’s relative standing against its nearest rivals is narrow. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19,047 on average, a 0% delta, while the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19,056, a -0.1% delta. The Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18,982, a 0.3% delta, and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18,979, also a 0.3% delta. This clustering indicates that the i5-12400F performs in a tightly packed band with these alternatives in general benchmarks. In Rust specifically, the measured FPS data shows that this level of CPU performance is sufficient to avoid being the primary bottleneck at 1080p, but the situation changes at higher resolutions where the GPU takes over the frame rate ceiling.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a formidable graphics card, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC. It houses 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, with 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation units. The memory subsystem is a key feature: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The card’s clocks are set at a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, with the memory operating at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

In the context of Rust, the RTX 5090 D’s massive memory pool and bandwidth are likely overkill for the game’s typical VRAM usage, but the raw compute power translates directly into higher frame rates at every resolution except where the CPU limits. The GPU’s benchmark scores are impressive: a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 310,674 place it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904 average score, 1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940 average score, -1.6% delta), and two NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (79,396 and 79,605 average scores, -2.1% and -2.4% deltas respectively). These deltas are small in percentage terms, but the RTX 5090 D’s absolute scores are far above what any integrated or mid-range part could deliver.

In Rust, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 61 FPS average, which is a substantial fall from the 1080p Ultra score of 150 FPS. This is a direct consequence of the GPU’s workload scaling with pixel count. The card’s texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s are more than sufficient for most scenes, but Rust’s draw calls and shader complexity at Ultra settings still demand a significant portion of the GPU’s resources. The 32 GB VRAM ensures that texture streaming and large world assets are never a constraint, even at 4K with the highest settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend: frame rates decline as resolution rises, and the rate of decline varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the combo averages 205 FPS at 1080p, 181 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K. This represents a drop of 24 FPS from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40 FPS from 1440p to 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 31% (from 205 to 141), which is significant but not catastrophic, indicating that the GPU still has headroom even at 4K with Low settings.

At High settings, the averages are 166 FPS at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 80 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 30 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 56 FPS. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 86 FPS, a 52% reduction. This is a much steeper decline than at Low settings, which suggests that High settings place a heavier load on the GPU, making it the limiting component earlier in the resolution ladder.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 176 FPS at 1080p, 155 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 81 FPS, a 46% reduction. Ultrawide resolution data is not present, but the Ultra preset at 4K shows the lowest average at 61 FPS, compared to 150 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This is a 59% drop, the largest relative decline among all settings.

The interpretation is straightforward: at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rates are high but not drastically different between settings (205 FPS Low vs 150 FPS Ultra). The GPU has spare capacity, so increasing settings does not cause a proportional drop. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the frame rate differences between settings are more pronounced (141 FPS Low vs 61 FPS Ultra). The CPU’s influence wanes as the GPU takes longer to render each frame, allowing the CPU to stay ahead of the workload.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers an average of 176 FPS with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 202. This is only 29 FPS below the Low preset but provides a substantial visual quality upgrade. At 1440p Medium, the average is 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 and a maximum of 179, which remains highly playable on high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K Medium, the average is 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 109, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The High preset is a reasonable alternative if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate. At 1080p High, the average is 166 FPS, which is still very high, and at 1440p High it drops to 136 FPS, which is acceptable for most users. However, at 4K High, the average falls to 80 FPS, which may be borderline for those seeking a locked 60 FPS experience, though it is technically above that threshold.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 150 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that dips close to the 60 FPS line, and the lack of min/max data for this row makes it harder to assess stability. The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates (205 FPS at 1080p, 181 FPS at 1440p, 141 FPS at 4K), sacrifices too much visual quality for the marginal gains over Medium, especially at 1080p where the difference is only 29 FPS.

The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, as it maintains a consistent 60+ FPS at 4K and exceeds 150 FPS at 1440p and 1080p. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or above), the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p is the best choice, as the measured averages are comfortably above those refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 96th out of 2,953 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the top 3.3% of all configurations tested. The rank is impressive given that the CPU is not a top-tier part; it sits in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs. The high rank is largely driven by the GPU, which is in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

The rank also reflects the balance of the combo. Many of the 2,857 combos ranked above this one likely feature higher-end CPUs (such as the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series) paired with the same or similar GPUs, but the data shows that the i5-12400F does not hold the system back significantly in Rust. The 96th rank is a strong showing, and the measured FPS numbers confirm that this combo can deliver competitive performance at all settings and resolutions.

It is worth remembering the rank is specific to Rust, as the game’s engine and optimization can favor certain CPU architectures. The i5-12400F’s Alder Lake architecture, with its hybrid design (though this specific model lacks the efficiency cores found in some variants), provides a good balance of single-thread and multi-thread performance. The 18 MB L3 cache is also beneficial for games that have large working sets, like Rust’s procedural maps.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data is as follows, with all values representing average FPS unless otherwise noted.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves the following averages across settings:

• Low: 205 FPS
• Medium: 176 FPS (minimum 149, maximum 202)
• High: 166 FPS
• Ultra: 150 FPS

At 2560x1440, the averages are:

• Low: 181 FPS
• Medium: 155 FPS (minimum 132, maximum 179)
• High: 136 FPS
• Ultra: 103 FPS

At 3840x2160, the averages are:

• Low: 141 FPS
• Medium: 95 FPS (minimum 81, maximum 109)
• High: 80 FPS
• Ultra: 61 FPS

The data shows a consistent ordering: Low > Medium > High > Ultra at every resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra grows as resolution increases, from 55 FPS at 1080p to 80 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU’s workload scales more than linearly with resolution, particularly at higher settings. The Medium preset’s min/max data provides insight into frame time consistency: at 1080p, the range is 53 FPS (149 to 202), at 1440p it is 47 FPS (132 to 179), and at 4K it is 28 FPS (81 to 109). The narrower range at 4K suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded, reducing the variance in frame times.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Rust?

A: The highest average FPS is 205, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The second highest is 181 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of running Rust at 4K with a 60 FPS minimum?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 95 with a minimum of 81, so it exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K with Low settings, the average is 141 FPS. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 61 FPS, which may not guarantee a consistent 60 FPS minimum.

Q: How does the CPU rank relative to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19,039. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19,047 (0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19,056 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18,982 (0.3% delta), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18,979 (0.3% delta). The deltas are all within 0.4%, indicating very similar aggregate performance.

Q: What is the GPU’s VRAM capacity and how does it affect Rust?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This is far more than Rust requires, ensuring that texture loading and large map data are never constrained by memory capacity or bandwidth.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality?

A: The Medium preset appears optimal. It delivers 176 FPS at 1080p, 155 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K, with all values well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS at 4K, and the Low preset sacrifices too much visual quality for a 29 FPS gain over Medium at 1080p.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in Rust at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is more likely the limiting factor, as the frame rates are high but do not vary drastically between settings (205 FPS Low vs 150 FPS Ultra). The GPU has headroom, as evidenced by the relatively small drop in FPS when increasing settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, with a much larger spread between Low (141 FPS) and Ultra (61 FPS).