Rust

Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 form a combination that is heavily skewed toward CPU capability in Rust, with the integrated-class GPU acting as the primary limiter across all tested resolutions. The data shows a processor with strong multi-threaded capacity and a graphics solution whose benchmark percentile places it far below the CPU’s standing, resulting in frame rates that range from playable at 1080p Low to nearly unresponsive at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows, the role of each component, and what the numbers indicate about the bottleneck structure in this specific pairing.

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

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32279, which is notably higher than the GPU’s percentile ranking. In synthetic tests, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, while Geekbench results show 11268 multi-core and 2058 single-core.

Rust is a survival game that is known for heavy server-side simulation and entity updates, which typically stresses CPU throughput. The measured FPS data, however, shows that the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p, as the CPU’s multi-threaded performance is far above what the Arc B390 can render. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 76 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset, yet this is still constrained by the GPU rather than the CPU. The processor’s 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for Rust’s simulation logic, but the frame rate ceiling in this pairing is set by graphics rendering, not by CPU computation.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the Core i5-14400F sits very close in average score. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has an average score of 32233 with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the i5-14400F is essentially tied. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 (deltaPct 0.2), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354 (deltaPct -0.2), and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121 (deltaPct 0.5). These differences are minimal, suggesting that any of these CPUs would deliver similar CPU-bound performance in Rust, but the GPU still dominates the FPS outcome.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on a 3 nm process, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM, and bandwidth is system-dependent. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Arc B390’s benchmark presence is sparse, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (deltaPct 1.3), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (deltaPct 1.5), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (deltaPct 2.5), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (deltaPct 2.7). This places the Arc B390 just slightly above those legacy parts, indicating that its rendering capability is extremely limited by modern standards. In Rust, this translates to low average FPS across the board, with the highest measured value being 76 FPS at 1080p Low and the lowest at 13 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Because the GPU uses system-shared memory, its effective bandwidth depends on the CPU’s memory configuration, which for this pairing is dual-channel DDR4 or DDR5. The lack of dedicated VRAM means that texture-heavy scenes in Rust may cause additional performance degradation, but the measured FPS rows already reflect this limitation. The GPU’s 80 W TDP and IGP form factor indicate it is not designed for high-end gaming, and the data confirms this, as even at 1080p Low, the average FPS does not exceed 76, which is below the threshold for smooth competitive play in most titles.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and steep decline as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 76 FPS, which drops to 53 FPS at 1440p Low (a 30% decrease) and further to 31 FPS at 4K Low (a 59% decrease from 1080p). For High settings, the progression is 43 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K, representing a 58% drop from 1080p to 4K. Medium settings follow a similar pattern: 51 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K, with the 4K value falling to 41% of the 1080p value.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, with 33 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K, a drop of 61% from 1080p to 4K. These percentage declines are consistent across all settings, which indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the data shows a monotonic decrease that aligns with the GPU’s fill-rate and shading limitations. The Arc B390’s 24 ROPs and 60 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to handle higher resolutions, and the system-shared memory further compounds the issue as pixel throughput demands increase.

The fact that even at 1080p Low the FPS is only 76 suggests that the GPU is already near its maximum output at the lowest resolution and settings. This is corroborated by the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking, which indicates that it is among the weakest graphics solutions in the benchmark database. The CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking is irrelevant to the FPS outcome because the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU’s ability to feed frames. In practical terms, this means that any resolution above 1080p will result in sub-60 FPS, and even 1080p High dips below 45 FPS, making the experience marginal for fast-paced gameplay.

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

Based on the measured FPS rows, the only preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS is 1080p Low, with a value of 76 FPS. This is the only configuration where the frame rate exceeds the threshold commonly considered smooth for first-person games. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 51 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less responsive, especially in combat situations. 1080p High yields 43 FPS, and 1080p Ultra falls to 33 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users.

At 1440p, the best result is 53 FPS on Low, which is borderline acceptable but still below 60 FPS. 1440p Medium drops to 35 FPS, and 1440p High is 30 FPS, with Ultra at 23 FPS. At 4K, all presets are below 35 FPS, with Low at 31 FPS, Medium at 21 FPS, High at 18 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not viable for this combo, and 1440p is only marginally playable on the lowest preset.

Given these results, the recommended settings for this pairing are 1080p Low, which is the only configuration that provides a comfortable frame rate. If visual quality is a priority over frame rate, 1080p Medium offers a 51 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS, which is within a playable range but with noticeable dips. For users who prefer higher resolution, 1440p Low at 53 FPS is the only option above 50 FPS, but it comes with a 30% reduction in pixel count compared to 1080p. The data suggests that sacrificing resolution is necessary to maintain any semblance of smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3312 out of 3723 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This low ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU’s performance is well above average, but the Arc B390’s 9th percentile GPU ranking drags the overall result down. The combo’s rank of 3312 means that more than 89% of tested systems deliver higher average FPS in Rust, which is consistent with the measured FPS data showing sub-60 FPS at most settings.

The gap between the CPU and GPU performance is stark: the i5-14400F scores in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This imbalance means that the combo is severely GPU-limited, and the CPU’s capabilities are largely wasted in this game. In the benchmark database, combos are ranked by their overall performance in each game, and this pairing’s rank reflects the GPU’s inability to render Rust at competitive frame rates. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the GeForce GT 710, are all legacy parts, and their presence in the same percentile range confirms that the Arc B390 is not a viable gaming GPU for modern titles.

For context, the combo’s rank of 3312 out of 3723 means that only 411 tested combinations perform worse. This places it in the lowest tier of systems, suitable only for very low-resolution, low-settings gaming. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU would be the single most impactful change to improve Rust performance, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a much faster graphics card.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS values are as follows: Low averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59, High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 43 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact at this resolution, but even the highest preset cannot reach 60 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 44 FPS indicates that there are noticeable frame dips, which could lead to stuttering in busy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the values drop consistently: Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 41, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The Low preset is the only one above 50 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below 25 FPS, which is barely interactive. The Medium preset’s minimum of 30 FPS is critically low, making gameplay feel choppy.

At 3840x2160, the values are as follows: Low averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS. None of these are playable for a first-person survival game, as even the lowest preset is below 33 FPS. The Ultra preset’s 13 FPS is essentially a slideshow, and the Medium preset’s minimum of 18 FPS confirms that frame times are highly inconsistent.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the only min/max data, which allows for a more precise understanding of frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the 44-59 FPS range shows a 15 FPS variance, while at 1440p Medium, the 30-41 FPS range shows an 11 FPS variance, and at 4K Medium, the 18-24 FPS range shows a 6 FPS variance. This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that frame variance narrows, but the average FPS is too low to be useful.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 76, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo playable at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS, which is not playable for a survival game requiring fast reactions.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested systems in Rust?

A: This combo ranks 3312 out of 3723 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations.

Q: Which setting provides the best balance of FPS and visual quality?

A: Based on the measured rows, 1080p Medium offers an average of 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS, which is the only preset above 50 FPS that still provides some visual fidelity above the Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by the FPS dropping by 59% from 1080p Low to 4K Low, while the CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking is far above the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking.