Rust

# Rust with Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 9060

This combination pairs a six-core Intel Coffee Lake CPU from 2018 with a modern RDNA 4.0 GPU, and the benchmark data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings, with CPU headroom becoming apparent only at low settings. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveal a predictable scaling pattern: the AMD Radeon RX 9060 carries the load at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K Ultra pushes the combo to the edge of playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides 6 cores and 6 threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This is a Coffee Lake Refresh part on the 14 nm process, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache and 64 KB L1 plus 256 KB L2 per core. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2259, delta -0.2%), Intel Core i7-10710U (avg score 2248, delta 0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (avg score 2246, delta 0.4%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the i5-9400 is essentially performance-neutral against those alternatives in synthetic tests.

In Rust specifically, the CPU's influence on frame rates is most visible at low settings where the GPU is less burdened. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 142 FPS average, which is 40 FPS higher than 1080p High (86 FPS). That gap suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at higher frame rates when the graphical load is reduced, but the GPU still has a significant role even at low settings. The i5-9400's single-core performance — Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935 and Geekbench single-core of 1389 — matters for Rust's simulation and world-update threads, but the frame data does not show a hard CPU bottleneck at any resolution. The 6-thread configuration is adequate, though not exceptional; modern survival games can use more threads, but the measured results indicate the CPU keeps pace with the GPU across most tested configurations.

The 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are standard for this generation. The CPU's PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes is older than the GPU's PCIe 5.0 interface, but the benchmark results show no signs of interface-related stalling. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking means it sits near the middle of all tested processors, and in Rust, that translates to a platform that does not artificially limit the GPU at 1080p Low or Medium, where the combo reaches 142 and 102 FPS respectively.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a Navi 44 chip on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's clocks are 1700 MHz base, 2400 MHz game, and 2990 MHz boost, with memory running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The 1792 shading units, 112 texture units, and 64 ROPs produce 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 334.9 GTexel/s texture rate.

The GPU benchmarks place it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 16014. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (avg score 16129, delta -0.7%), AMD Radeon R9 370X (avg score 15862, delta 1%), and AMD Radeon RX 7700 (avg score 15852, delta 1%). The RX 9060 is essentially on par with the RTX 3060 Ti, being 0.7% slower, and slightly ahead of the R9 370X and RX 7700 by 1%. In Rust, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions and presets. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 27 FPS average, which is a GPU-limited scenario where the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are likely constraining factors. The 4K Medium result of 41 FPS average (with a 35 FPS minimum) further confirms the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the CPU cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to maintain playable frame rates at that resolution.

At 1440p, the GPU shows more capability: 104 FPS on Low, 70 FPS on Medium, 59 FPS on High, and 45 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p results are stronger, with 142 FPS on Low, 102 FPS on Medium, 86 FPS on High, and 65 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (142 to 104 FPS, a 27% drop) suggests the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as the CPU would not typically degrade by that margin from a resolution increase alone. The GPU's 59th percentile ranking indicates it is a mid-to-upper-tier part, and the data shows it performs accordingly in Rust, with playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on most presets, but struggling at 4K Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, with the severity of the drop varying by preset. At Low settings, the combo goes from 142 FPS at 1080p, to 104 FPS at 1440p, to 62 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. The 4K Low result of 62 FPS is still playable, but the scaling indicates the GPU is being taxed heavily as pixel count rises.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 102 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The 1440p Medium result has a 59 FPS minimum and 80 FPS maximum, showing some frame time variance but remaining within a usable range. The 4K Medium result drops to 41 FPS average with a 35 FPS minimum, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. At High settings, the combo produces 86 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is clearly below the 60 FPS target, indicating this preset is not viable at that resolution.

The most dramatic scaling is at Ultra settings: 65 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the worst measured configuration, falling well below playable thresholds. The resolution scaling analysis reveals that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions, but the CPU becomes more relevant at lower resolutions and lower presets. At 1080p Low, the 142 FPS result suggests the CPU can push the frame rate higher than the GPU can at other settings, but the GPU still has headroom to deliver that level of performance. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K viable only at Low or Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1746th out of 2953 tested combinations in Rust, placing it in the 59th percentile of all combos (since 1746/2953 is roughly 59%). This ranking aligns closely with the GPU's 59th percentile standing, reinforcing that the RX 9060 is the primary determinant of overall performance in this pairing. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking is lower than the GPU's, but the combo's overall rank suggests the GPU lifts the system's standing relative to what the CPU alone would achieve.

Comparing to other combos in the database, the data indicates this pairing performs in the upper-middle tier. The rank of 1746 out of 2953 means there are 1745 combos that perform better, and 1207 that perform worse. This is a meaningful distinction: the combo is not in the top half, but it is also far from the bottom. The measured frame rates at 1080p High (86 FPS) and 1440p High (59 FPS) are respectable for a mid-range system, and the 1080p Low result of 142 FPS shows the combo can handle competitive or fast-paced play when settings are lowered. The 4K results are weak, but the 4K Low average of 62 FPS is the only 4K preset that approaches playability. Overall, the combo ranks in a position that reflects its balanced but not exceptional performance, with the GPU contributing more to the rank than the CPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset provides the best balance: 102 FPS average, with a 86 FPS minimum and 117 FPS maximum. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a substantial improvement over Low (142 FPS, but with less visual fidelity). The High preset at 1080p delivers 86 FPS, which is also good, but Medium gives a higher average with a narrower gap to High in visual quality for Rust's survival gameplay. For players who prioritize smoothness over visuals, 1080p Low at 142 FPS is the fastest measured configuration, but Medium provides a better experience per the data.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice: 70 FPS average, with a 59 FPS minimum and 80 FPS maximum. This is the only 1440p preset that sustains an average above 60 FPS, and the minimum of 59 FPS is close to the target. The High preset at 1440p averages 59 FPS, which is borderline, but the minimum is not recorded in the data, so Medium is safer for consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p (45 FPS) is not recommended, as the frame rate drops below playable levels for most users.

At 4K, the data shows that only Low is viable, with 62 FPS average. The Medium preset at 4K (41 FPS) and High (35 FPS) are below the playable threshold, and Ultra (27 FPS) is not acceptable. For 4K gaming, the recommendation is to use Low settings, which yields a playable experience but sacrifices visual quality. For the best overall experience, 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium are the optimal configurations, offering a balance of visual fidelity and frame rate that the hardware can sustain.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 bottlenecking the AMD Radeon RX 9060 in Rust?

A: No, the data does not show a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 142 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at high frame rates. The frame rates scale down consistently with resolution and preset increases, which is typical of GPU-limited performance.

Q: Can this combo run Rust at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produces 62 FPS average. All other 4K presets fall below 60 FPS: Medium at 41 FPS, High at 35 FPS, and Ultra at 27 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low is the only playable preset.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1080p and 1440p are the best resolutions. At 1080p, Medium yields 102 FPS and High yields 86 FPS. At 1440p, Medium yields 70 FPS and High yields 59 FPS. 4K is only playable at Low.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. It is 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129), 1% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862), and 1% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852).

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Rust?

A: The combo ranks 1746th out of 2953 tested combinations. This places it in the upper-middle tier, roughly matching the GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Q: Which preset provides the smoothest experience at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset provides the smoothest experience with a 102 FPS average and a 86 FPS minimum. The Low preset is faster at 142 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals while staying well above 60 FPS.