Rust

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB combination delivers a highly playable Rust experience across most settings, though the data reveals a clear ceiling at 4K Ultra. This analysis breaks down the component roles, measured performance, and optimal configurations based strictly on the benchmark results provided.

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 from the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, and it features a 20 MB shared L3 cache alongside per-core L2 and L1 caches. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its 65 W TDP positions it as a mainstream desktop part.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14400F achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. Its Geekbench multicore score is 11209, with a single-core score of 2333. The Passmark multithread score reaches 25783, while the single-thread score is 3723. These figures place the CPU in the 88th percentile among all tested processors, indicating strong overall performance.

The nearest rivals in the database show how tightly grouped this CPU is. The Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32513, which is essentially identical with a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 scores 32446, a 0.2% difference, and the AMD Ryzen 7 250 scores 32584, a -0.2% delta. The Intel Core i7-13705H also scores 32586, another -0.2% delta. This clustering means the i5-14400F's performance is effectively indistinguishable from these competitors in aggregate benchmarks.

For Rust specifically, the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample parallelism for the game's simulation and entity processing. The high boost clock of 4.70 GHz helps with single-threaded tasks, which Rust relies on for many gameplay systems. While the measured FPS data does not isolate CPU versus GPU bottlenecks, the strong single-core and multicore scores suggest the i5-14400F is well-suited to keep up with the RTX 4060 Ti in this title. The fact that the CPU's average benchmark score is 32508, nearly matching its closest rivals, reinforces that this is a balanced mid-range performer.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. The GPU features 4352 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 136 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2310 MHz, boosting to 2535 MHz, while the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at an effective 18 Gbps across a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 22.06 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 121.7 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 344.8 GTexel/s. The card has a TDP of 160 W and uses a single 16-pin power connector, with a suggested power supply of 450 W. It supports PCIe 4.0 x8 and DirectX 12 Ultimate, along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB scores 2913. This places it in the 17th percentile among all GPUs, which is notable given the card's target market. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M, which scores the same 2913 with a 0% delta, and the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, which scores 2907 with a 0.2% delta. The GT 650M scores 2893 (0.7% delta), while the GTX 860M scores 2959 (-1.5% delta). This suggests the benchmark database's GPU ranking is heavily influenced by other factors beyond pure rasterization, but the measured FPS in Rust tells a more practical story.

For Rust, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor. The game's open-world environments with many player-built structures and entities can consume significant memory. The measured FPS data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 30.8 FPS, suggesting the combination of high resolution and VRAM pressure limits performance. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the same GPU achieves 191.3 FPS, indicating that resolution and settings have a massive impact on the GPU's ability to keep up.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 191.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 30.8, which is the lowest recorded value in the dataset.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and High settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 128.8 FPS while High settings yield 75 FPS, a difference of 53.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i5-14400F scores 21914 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, has an average score of 32513, though this is a different benchmark aggregate.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how might it affect Rust?

A: The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB has a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p play but may limit 4K performance.

Q: What percentile does the CPU rank in among all tested processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F is in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo starts with 191.3 FPS on Low settings, drops to 128.1 FPS on Medium, 109 FPS on High, and 83.2 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear scaling pattern where each settings tier costs approximately 20-25% performance, though the gap between Low and Medium is larger at 63.2 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease as expected. Low settings deliver 128.8 FPS, Medium drops to 86.5 FPS, High reaches 75 FPS, and Ultra falls to 53.7 FPS. The relative performance loss from 1080p to 1440p is significant, with Low settings losing 62.5 FPS (from 191.3 to 128.8) and Ultra losing 29.5 FPS (from 83.2 to 53.7). The data indicates that 1440p remains playable at all settings, with even Ultra staying above 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops more dramatically. Low settings produce 78.4 FPS, Medium drops to 49.9 FPS, High falls to 41.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30.8 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K costs roughly 50 FPS on Low settings (from 128.8 to 78.4) and 22.9 FPS on Ultra (from 53.7 to 30.8). The 4K results reveal that only Low settings maintain a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, while Ultra dips below 31 FPS, likely due to the combination of GPU load and the 8 GB VRAM capacity being stressed at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB ranks 699th out of 1717 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the top 41% of all combinations in the database, which is a solid mid-tier result. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong synthetic performance (88th percentile) and the GPU's lower percentile ranking (17th), with the measured FPS showing the practical outcome of this pairing.

The rank of 699 out of 1717 suggests that while this combo is not near the top of the performance charts, it outperforms a majority of tested configurations. The CPU's high percentile ranking helps compensate for the GPU's lower standing, and the measured FPS data confirms that the combo handles 1080p and 1440p gaming well. The fact that the combo ranks in the middle of the pack indicates that many other combinations with higher-end GPUs or CPUs achieve better results, but this pairing offers a reasonable balance for its component class.

The data shows that the combo's performance is more limited by the GPU than the CPU, particularly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves strong frame rates even on Ultra (83.2 FPS), suggesting the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with Ultra falling below 31 FPS. This pattern is consistent with the GPU's 17th percentile ranking and the CPU's 88th percentile ranking, where the CPU has headroom that the GPU cannot fully utilize at higher loads.

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

For each resolution, the measured data indicates a clear optimal settings choice based on maintaining a smooth experience. At 1920x1080, all settings deliver playable frame rates, but the best balance between visual quality and performance is the High preset at 109 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while offering significantly better visuals than Low (191.3 FPS) or Medium (128.1 FPS). Ultra at 83.2 FPS is also viable, but High offers a safer buffer for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 86.5 FPS appears to be the sweet spot. High at 75 FPS is also playable, but Medium provides a larger performance cushion while still offering good visual quality. Low at 128.8 FPS is an option for competitive play, but Ultra at 53.7 FPS approaches the threshold where frame drops could become noticeable. The data suggests that players with 1440p monitors should choose Medium or High depending on their preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate stability.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. Low settings at 78.4 FPS is the only preset that maintains a clearly smooth experience above 60 FPS. Medium at 49.9 FPS is borderline playable, while High at 41.4 FPS and Ultra at 30.8 FPS are likely too demanding for consistent gameplay. The recommendation for 4K is to use Low settings, as the visual improvement from Medium to High (from 49.9 to 41.4 FPS) does not justify the 8.5 FPS loss, and Ultra's 30.8 FPS is below acceptable standards for most players.

Overall, the best experience across all resolutions is achieved by matching the settings to the resolution's capabilities. For 1080p, High provides the best quality-to-performance ratio. For 1440p, Medium offers the most stable experience. For 4K, Low is the only sensible choice. These recommendations are directly derived from the measured average FPS values, which show consistent scaling that allows players to anticipate performance based on their chosen settings.