Rust

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Rust with this combination of components shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 173 FPS, which drops to 119 FPS at 1440p and further to 70 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 41% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at 1080p Low, the game is heavily CPU-limited, as the frame rate of 173 FPS is exceptionally high and the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern shifts. At 1080p Medium, the average is 116 FPS, dropping to 80 FPS at 1440p and 47 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops here are steeper: 31% from 1080p to 1440p, then 41% from 1440p to 4K. This consistent scaling pattern across settings indicates that the GPU begins to take a more dominant role as resolution climbs, but the CPU still contributes significantly at lower resolutions.

At High settings, the averages are 98 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31%, and from 1440p to 4K is 41%. This pattern is remarkably uniform across all three settings levels, suggesting that the bottleneck shifts smoothly from CPU-bound at 1080p Low to GPU-bound at 4K Ultra. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 75 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and just 30 FPS at 4K, with the same 31% and 41% reduction pattern.

The data indicates that at 1080p, even the Ultra preset maintains a playable 75 FPS average, which is respectable for a survival game that often involves complex base building and large player counts. The limiting component at 1080p is clearly the CPU, given that the Intel Core i5-14600K has 14 cores and 20 threads but the game appears to benefit from high single-thread performance. At 4K, however, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with the RX 6750 XT's 12 GB of VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth being challenged by the higher pixel count.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combination?

A: The highest measured average is 173 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the ceiling for this hardware configuration in Rust, and it indicates that the system can handle very high refresh rate monitors at 1080p when visual quality is minimized.

Q: Is this combination better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows that at 1440p with Medium settings, the average is 80 FPS, which is still smooth for most players. At 1080p Medium, the average rises to 116 FPS. Both resolutions are viable, but the 1440p Medium preset offers a balanced experience with 80 FPS average and a minimum of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold many players consider minimum for comfortable play.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 30 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer, and the low minimum frame rate of 40 FPS on Medium at 4K suggests that Ultra at 4K would likely experience noticeable stutter during intense moments such as raids or large-scale combat.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution?

A: At 1080p, the difference between Low (173 FPS) and Ultra (75 FPS) is 98 FPS, meaning Ultra delivers only 43% of the frame rate of Low. At 1440p, the difference is 68 FPS (119 FPS Low versus 51 FPS Ultra), and at 4K it is 40 FPS (70 FPS Low versus 30 FPS Ultra). This shows that the performance cost of higher settings remains significant at every resolution.

Q: Does the RX 6750 XT have enough VRAM for Rust at high resolutions?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus width and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured data shows that at 4K Medium, the average is 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, suggesting that the VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands at this resolution, as the frame rates are limited by compute performance rather than memory capacity.

Q: How does the minimum frame rate compare to the average at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values. At 1080p, the minimum is 99 FPS against an average of 116 FPS, meaning the minimum is 85% of the average. At 1440p, the minimum is 68 FPS against an average of 80 FPS (85% of average), and at 4K, the minimum is 40 FPS against 47 FPS (85% of average). This consistent 85% ratio indicates stable frame pacing across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of presets for this hardware combination. For players prioritizing high frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 173 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or very high refresh rate displays. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity in a game where seeing distant players and environmental details can matter.

The Medium preset represents the best balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, it delivers 116 FPS average with a minimum of 99 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides headroom for demanding scenes. The 1440p Medium preset is particularly compelling: 80 FPS average with a 68 FPS minimum. This is the only resolution at Medium where the minimum frame rate stays above 60 FPS, making it the recommended configuration for players who want a smooth experience on a 1440p monitor.

The High preset offers a moderate step up in visual quality at the cost of performance. At 1080p, the average drops from 116 FPS on Medium to 98 FPS on High, a 16% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 80 FPS to 68 FPS (15% reduction), and at 4K from 47 FPS to 40 FPS (15% reduction). The consistent 15% penalty for moving from Medium to High suggests that this is a reasonable trade for players who value visual quality but still want playable frame rates.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination. At every resolution, the average frame rate drops below what most players would consider comfortable: 75 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra configuration at 30 FPS is particularly problematic, as it sits at the edge of playability and would likely cause noticeable stuttering during busy scenes. For players who insist on maximum visual quality, the 1080p Ultra preset with 75 FPS average is the only viable option, though the Medium preset at 1440p offers a superior experience with 80 FPS average and better visual fidelity than 1080p Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1700 out of 3723 tested combinations in Rust. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested hardware configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the combinations in the database. The rank is based on the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, which shows that this system is capable of smooth 1080p and 1440p gameplay but struggles at 4K Ultra.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 (versus all CPUs) indicates that the processor is in the top 10% of all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 48618. The GPU's percentile ranking of 71 (versus all GPUs) places it in the top 29% of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26011. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-to-upper-tier GPU explains the rank: the CPU provides excellent single-thread performance for Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay, while the GPU limits the system at higher resolutions and settings.

In terms of nearest rivals, the CPU sits close to the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.2% behind), AMD EPYC 4345P (0.3% ahead), Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (0.7% ahead), and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% behind). These small deltas confirm that the i5-14600K is positioned at a performance plateau where many processors deliver similar average benchmark scores. The GPU's nearest rivals are all older or mobile parts: AMD Radeon R9 M395X (0.5% ahead), AMD FirePro W7100 (0.6% ahead), AMD FirePro D700 (0.7% ahead), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (1.1% ahead). This suggests that in the GPU benchmark hierarchy, the RX 6750 XT is clustered with parts that are significantly less capable in modern gaming workloads, but the benchmark averages do not fully capture gaming performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. In Rust, the measured data shows that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 173 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU's strong single-thread performance (evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064 and Geekbench single-core score of 2491) is well-suited to the game's single-threaded rendering and simulation loops.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a Passmark multithread score of 38682, are less relevant to Rust's gameplay. The game's performance at higher resolutions is dominated by GPU throughput, as shown by the consistent 31% and 41% frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 1440p to 4K respectively. However, at 1080p, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics updates becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 173 FPS ceiling at Low settings.

The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks while gaming, such as streaming or running communication software. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is particularly relevant for Rust, as the game benefits from high clock speeds rather than sheer core count. The Passmark single-thread score of 4270 confirms that this processor has excellent per-core performance, which is critical for maintaining high minimum frame rates in crowded server environments where many players and structures are present.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers 173 FPS on Low, 116 FPS on Medium, 98 FPS on High, and 75 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 134 FPS, representing a tight frame time distribution. The gap between Low and Ultra is 98 FPS, which is the largest absolute difference across all resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 119 FPS on Low, 80 FPS on Medium, 68 FPS on High, and 51 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 68 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p gap but smaller in absolute terms.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 70 FPS on Low, 47 FPS on Medium, 40 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset's minimum is 40 FPS and maximum is 54 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 40 FPS. Notably, the 4K Low preset at 70 FPS is the only 4K configuration that approaches the 60 FPS target, while the 4K High preset at 40 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are both below comfortable playability thresholds.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset provides the most complete data with minimum and maximum values, showing that the frame rate variance is consistent at approximately 85% of the average for the minimum and 117% for the maximum. This pattern holds across all three resolutions, indicating that the game's performance scaling is stable and predictable with this hardware.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, with a boost clock of 2600 MHz and a game clock of 2495 MHz. Its 40 ray tracing cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing, though Rust does not heavily utilize this feature.

The GPU's role in Rust becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU limits performance, but at 1440p and 4K, the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth become the primary constraints. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Rust at all tested settings, as the game's textures and world data fit comfortably within this allocation. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth provides enough throughput for the game's asset streaming at 4K, though the 30 FPS Ultra result suggests that compute performance, not memory bandwidth, is the limiting factor at this resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores indicate it performs well for its class: a Passmark G3D score of 20700, a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2548, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 98089. These scores place it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable for a mid-range part. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.31 TFLOPS is adequate for Rust's DirectX 12 rendering pipeline, though the game's complex shading and dynamic lighting at Ultra settings push the GPU to its limits at higher resolutions.

The GPU's TDP of 250 W and suggested PSU of 600 W mean that this combination with the 125 W TDP CPU requires a moderately powerful power supply. The 12 GB VRAM is a notable advantage over GPUs with 8 GB, as it allows for higher texture quality settings without stuttering due to memory swapping. However, the measured data shows that even with ample VRAM, the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Medium (47 FPS average) or High (40 FPS average), indicating that rasterization throughput, not memory capacity, is the primary limitation at this resolution.