Rust

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a mid-range combination that struggles to deliver smooth frame rates in Rust at higher resolutions. The combo ranks 1396th out of 1717 tested configurations, placing it in the lower portion of the field. While the CPU is a strong performer—sitting at the 88th percentile among all CPUs—the GPU, at the 58th percentile, becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. The measured data shows that only at 1080p can this combo achieve consistently playable frame rates across all settings, with the highest average of 122.8 FPS at Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1396 out of 1717 indicates that it outperforms only 321 other tested combinations in Rust. This places it in the bottom fifth of the database, a result driven primarily by the GPU’s modest capabilities. The CPU, however, is a bright spot: its average benchmark score of 32508 places it at the 88th percentile, and it sits within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446) and the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513). The GPU’s average score of 16074 is at the 58th percentile, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, scoring 15996—a 0.5% difference. The combination of a high-tier CPU and a mid-tier GPU results in a system that is CPU-bound at low resolutions but GPU-bound at higher ones, as the FPS data confirms.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, featuring 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1365 MHz, with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.451 TFLOPS, and it includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. These specifications are reflected in the measured FPS: at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 24.2 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 122.8 FPS. The steep decline at high resolutions and settings suggests that the 6 GB VRAM capacity and 192-bit memory interface are insufficient for the demands of Rust’s high-detail rendering. The GPU’s launch MSRP is 349 USD.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all settings, but the magnitude of the drop varies. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 122.8 at 1080p to 86.7 at 1440p and then to 49.4 at 4K—a reduction of roughly 60% from 1080p to 4K. At Medium, the numbers are 82.2, 55.9, and 37.1, respectively. High settings show 74.1, 50.4, and 27.7, while Ultra drops from 56.9 at 1080p to 34.4 at 1440p and 24.2 at 4K. The pattern indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the most severe degradation occurring between 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093) allows the GPU to operate near its potential, but at 4K the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute capacity are overwhelmed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average FPS values from the FACT PACK:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 27.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 49.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 37.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 24.2 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 50.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 86.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 55.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 34.4 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 74.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 122.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 82.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 56.9 |

At 1080p, all settings exceed 56.9 FPS, with Low reaching 122.8 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (86.7) and Medium (55.9) stay above 55 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 50.4 and 34.4, respectively. At 4K, even Low drops to 49.4 FPS, and Ultra is a mere 24.2 FPS. These numbers clearly show that the combo is only viable for smooth gameplay at 1080p, with 1440p requiring reduced settings and 4K being largely unplayable.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings achieve at least 56.9 FPS (Ultra). At 1440p, only Low and Medium exceed 55.9 FPS, and at 4K, only Low reaches 49.4 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the recommended resolution for a playable experience across all settings.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, which is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446) and 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 7 250 (32584) and Intel Core i7-13705H (32586). The Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32513, essentially identical.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16074. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, scores 15996, a 0.5% difference.

Q: What settings are recommended for 4K?

A: At 4K, only Low settings produce an average above 49.4 FPS. Medium yields 37.1, High 27.7, and Ultra 24.2. Low is the only playable option at 4K, and even then, the frame rate is below 50 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Rust?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core 3093) allows the GPU to reach 122.8 FPS, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become insufficient, causing FPS to drop sharply.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Rust?

A: The combo ranks 1396th out of 1717 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 19% of the database. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU’s mid-tier performance, despite the CPU’s high percentile.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings are playable. At 1080p, Ultra yields 56.9 FPS, which is acceptable for most players, while High (74.1) and Medium (82.2) offer higher headroom. Low (122.8) is the fastest but sacrifices visual quality. At 1440p, Medium (55.9) is the highest setting that maintains a playable frame rate, with Low (86.7) providing a comfortable margin. High (50.4) and Ultra (34.4) are not recommended. At 4K, only Low (49.4) is viable, and even that is borderline; Medium (37.1) and above are too demanding. The data suggests that players should prioritize 1080p with High or Ultra settings for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, or drop to 1440p Medium if a higher resolution is desired.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory and has a TDP of 65 W. Its benchmark results are strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 21914, single-core 3093; Geekbench multi-core 11209, single-core 2333; and Passmark multi-thread 25783, single-thread 3723. The CPU sits at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446), AMD Ryzen 7 250 (32584), and Intel Core i7-13705H (32586), all within 0.2% of its score. The CPU’s launch MSRP is $196.

In Rust, the CPU’s high single-thread performance is crucial for game logic and physics. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (122.8) demonstrates that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU’s advantage is not fully utilized. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; rather, the RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus constrain performance at 1440p and 4K. For players who upgrade the GPU in the future, the i5-14400F would likely continue to provide solid performance, given its strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores.