Rust

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT presents a fascinating study in balance and bottlenecking within Rust. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s substantial 16 GB memory buffer and modern architecture are frequently held in check by a six-core, six-thread CPU from the Coffee Lake generation. Across the measured resolutions, the frame rates tell a story of a component duo that scales predictably with graphical load but struggles to maintain high refresh rates at the most demanding settings, ultimately ranking in the 35th percentile of tested combinations for this survival title.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1080p to 4K in Rust with this hardware is highly illustrative of where the performance ceiling truly lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves a commanding 142 FPS average. This high figure suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames rapidly when the graphical workload is minimal. However, as resolution increases, the demand on the GPU escalates, and the frame rate begins to reflect the rendering pipeline's new constraints. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low drops the average to 99 FPS, a 30% reduction that indicates the GPU is starting to work harder. The leap to 4K Low yields 59 FPS, a further 40% decrease, showing that even at the lowest fidelity, the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 overwhelms the RX 7600 XT's capabilities.

The scaling pattern across all settings suggests that while the CPU is a limiting factor at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the primary constraint as pixel count rises. For instance, at High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 82 FPS down to 56 FPS, a 32% decline. The subsequent drop to 4K High results in 33 FPS, another 41% reduction from 1440p. This consistent scaling between 1440p and 4K, regardless of the preset, points directly to the GPU's pixel-pushing limits.

What is particularly telling is the performance gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (142 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) is a massive 80 FPS. This gap narrows to 56 FPS at 1440p (99 vs 43) and 34 FPS at 4K (59 vs 25). The shrinking delta at higher resolutions indicates that the CPU has more headroom to process the increased draw calls and physics at Ultra settings when the GPU is already saturated with pixel work. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck, preventing the frame rate from climbing even higher than 142 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. The data shows it sits close to rivals like the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% faster), indicating it is a mid-pack performer. In Rust, a game known for its heavy server-side and physics calculations, the processor's single-thread performance is often critical.

The measured FPS data suggests that the i5-9400's six physical cores without hyper-threading can become a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the 142 FPS average suggests the CPU is working near its limit, as the GPU is not heavily taxed at such low settings. The lack of a higher frame rate at this resolution implies that the CPU cannot feed the GPU with frames any faster. This is further supported by the fact that the CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score is 935, and its multi-core score is 6629, which are modest figures for modern gaming workloads.

The processor's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s with dual-channel DDR4 support is another potential constraint. In a game like Rust, where the world is persistently simulated and data is constantly streamed, this bandwidth could impact how quickly the CPU can access and process game state information. The 9 MB of shared L3 cache is also a factor; while not small, it may not be sufficient to keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, potentially causing stalls that translate into frame time spikes)Skip.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is a modern RDNA 3.0 graphics card built on a 6 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. With a base clock of 1980 MHz, a game clock of 2470 MHz, and a boost clock of 2755 MHz, it is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2348 and a Passmark G3D score of 17132, placing it at the 60th percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's performance in Rust is directly tied to its memory capacity and pixel throughput. The 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K, but the 128-bit memory interface limits the bandwidth available to feed the GPU cores. This is evident in the 4K results, where the average FPS drops to 33 at High settings and 25 at Ultra. The pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s are respectable, but the data clearly shows that the RX 7600 XT is not a 4K powerhouse for Rust.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 17083 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which is only 0.7% faster. This is an interesting comparison, as the RTX 3070 typically has a different memory configuration. The RX 7600 XT's strengths lie in its 16 GB VRAM and high clock speeds, which help it at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p High, it achieves 82 FPS, and at 1440p High, it manages 56 FPS. These figures suggest that for most gaming scenarios outside of 4K, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but at 4K, its 128-bit bus becomes a severe bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 97, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10710U?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U's score of 2248, making them statistically equivalent in performance.

Q: Is the RX 7600 XT able to achieve playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates that at 3840x2160, the highest average FPS achieved is 59 on Low settings. At Medium settings, it drops to 39 FPS, and at High, it is 33 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the FPS drop between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 62. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 43, representing a 31% decrease.

Q: How does the GPU's Passmark G3D score compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690?

A: The RX 7600 XT has a Passmark G3D score of 17132, which is 0.3% higher than the GTX 690's score of 17037, indicating the RX 7600 XT is slightly faster.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for any settings combination?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 34 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings Schuster.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Rust with this configuration provides a comprehensive look at performance across different presets.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 142.
• Medium: Average FPS of 97, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS.
• High: Average FPS of 82.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 62.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down:

• Low: Average FPS of 99.
• Medium: Average FPS of 67, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS.
• High: Average FPS of 56.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 43.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed:

• Low: Average FPS of 59.
• Medium: Average FPS of 39, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS.
• High: Average FPS of 33.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 25.

The data shows a clear trend: Medium settings provide a balanced experience with the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, suggesting stable frame pacing. The jump from Medium to High incurs a significant FPS penalty (15 FPS at 1080p, 11 FPS at 1440p, and 6 FPS at 4K), while the jump from Low to Medium is more moderate (45 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution. For players at 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an exceptional 142 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. However, the Medium preset still offers a very smooth 97 FPS with a minimum of 82 FPS, ensuring no significant stutters. Given the relatively small visual difference between Low and Medium in many games, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for 1080p, providing a 40% improvement in visual fidelity over Low while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. The Low preset, at 99 FPS, is the only option that guarantees a frame rate above 90. The Medium preset at 67 FPS is still smooth, but the minimum of 57 FPS suggests occasional dips that might be noticeable. For a consistent high-refresh experience, Low is the recommended choice at 1440p. The High and Ultra presets, at 56 and 43 FPS respectively, are playable but do not provide the fluidity expected from a modern setup.

For 3840x2160, the hardware is clearly pushed to its limits. The Low preset at 59 FPS is just shy of the 60 FPS target)Skip. The Medium preset at 39 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS, is the only other option that maintains a playable frame rate. The High and Ultra presets, at 33 and 25 FPS, are not recommended for a pleasant experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises, and the Low preset is the only viable option for a near-60 FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination ranks 2416 out of 3723 tested combos in Rust. This placement in the 64th percentile of combinations indicates that while this system is far from the top tier, it is also not at the bottom. The data shows that this combo outperforms roughly 35% of the other tested configurations, which include a wide range of CPUs and GPUs.

This rank is somewhat surprising given the individual component scores. The CPU's 47th percentile and the GPU's 60th percentile would suggest a higher combined ranking. The discrepancy is likely due to the CPU's six-thread limitation in Rust, which can cause frame rate drops in complex scenes with many entities. The combination's performance is highly dependent on the game's optimization, and the data indicates that the older CPU architecture is a significant bottleneck, preventing the modern GPU from achieving its full potential.

When compared to the nearest rivals of each component, the ranking makes more sense. The CPU is on par with the Intel Core i7-10710U, and the GPU is on par with the RTX 3070. However, the specific pairing with this CPU results in a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p but fails to deliver a high-quality 4K experience. The rank of 2416 reflects this inconsistency, positioning the combo as a competent mid-range solution for gamers who prioritize high frame rates at lower resolutions over maximum visual fidelity at 4K.