Rust

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a constrained gaming experience in Rust, with benchmark results indicating that the combination is heavily limited by the graphics subsystem. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the measured average frame rates place this combo in the bottom tier of recorded results, ranking 2710th out of 2953 tested combinations. The data shows a clear pattern: while the CPU provides sufficient processing power for the game's logic, the GPU's performance ceiling is reached quickly, resulting in sub-30 FPS averages at 4K and only modest gains when scaling down to 1080p. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling behavior, answers common questions, and breaks down the measured FPS data to characterize the system's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which points directly to the GPU as the limiting component in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 69 FPS, but this falls to 48 FPS at 1440p and then to 28 FPS at 4K. That represents a 59% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a scaling pattern typical of a GPU that is saturated even at lower resolutions. When the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, the workload on the graphics processor increases correspondingly, and the Arc B370's limited throughput becomes the dominant bottleneck.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at higher settings. With High settings, the average FPS drops from 39 at 1080p to 27 at 1440p, and then to 16 at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a 41% performance loss, whereas the drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 31%. This nonlinear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth, which is system-dependent and shared, becomes increasingly strained as resolution increases. At Ultra settings, the pattern continues: 30 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, with each step representing roughly a one-third reduction in frame rate.

What this data indicates is that the system is not CPU-limited in this game, because if it were, resolution changes would produce smaller FPS deltas. Instead, the consistent and substantial frame rate drops across all settings tiers confirm that the Arc B370's compute and memory resources are exhausted before the i5-9400's six cores reach their limits. The 1080p Low result of 69 FPS is the only configuration that approaches playability, and even that falls short of high-refresh-rate standards. For users targeting 1440p or 4K, the measured averages of 48 FPS and below at Low settings indicate that the GPU cannot maintain a fluid experience at those resolutions, regardless of the CPU's headroom.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p as the only resolution where average FPS exceeds 60, with the Low preset achieving 69 FPS. At 1440p, the highest average is 48 FPS (Low), and at 4K, the maximum is 28 FPS (Low), so 1080p is the only practical choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower.

Q: Is the i5-9400 CPU holding back performance in Rust?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's multi-core score of 6629 in Cinebench R23 and its 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggest adequate processing power. The steep FPS drops with resolution increases are characteristic of GPU saturation, not CPU bottlenecks.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. This is 23 FPS lower than the Low preset's 69 FPS average, showing a significant performance cost for the Medium preset's visual improvements.

Q: How does the i5-9400's single-core performance factor into Rust's results?

A: The CPU's single-core performance is modest relative to its multi-core capability, scoring 935 in Cinebench R23 single-core. However, since the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, the single-core scores do not appear to directly cap the measured FPS, as evidenced by the consistent resolution-based scaling.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Rust?

A: No, not at playable frame rates. The highest 4K average is 28 FPS on Low settings, with Medium at 19 FPS, High at 16 FPS, and Ultra at 12 FPS. All of these fall well below the 60 FPS target, and even the 30 FPS threshold is only barely reached at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's frame rate priorities. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the only average above 60 FPS, hitting 69 FPS. This is the clear choice for users who prioritize smoothness, as it provides a 23 FPS advantage over Medium (46 FPS) and a 39 FPS advantage over High (39 FPS). The Low preset sacrifices visual fidelity but ensures the game remains responsive, which is critical for a survival game where quick reactions matter.

For users who prefer higher visual quality at 1080p, the Medium preset offers a compromise at 46 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 39 FPS. This maintains playability while improving visuals over Low, but it is a significant performance hit. The High preset at 39 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are progressively less suitable, with Ultra dipping to the edge of playability. The data suggests that Medium is the highest preset that keeps average FPS above 45, making it the best balance for visual quality without sacrificing too much smoothness.

At 1440p, the situation changes dramatically. The Low preset's 48 FPS average is the only one above 30 FPS, with Medium at 32 FPS, High at 27 FPS, and Ultra at 20 FPS. Users at this resolution must accept Low settings for a playable experience, as the Medium preset's 32 FPS is marginal and the minimum FPS of 27 indicates stutters. For 4K gaming, no settings preset achieves a reliable playable experience; even Low's 28 FPS average is below the 30 FPS threshold, and Medium at 19 FPS is not viable. The recommendation is clear: use 1080p with Low for the best experience, or 1440p with Low if higher resolution is mandatory, but avoid 4K entirely.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2710th out of 2953 tested combinations in Rust, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested. This low ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's performance, as the Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184. The CPU, by contrast, ranks at the 47th percentile, meaning the processor is roughly average while the graphics card is far below average, creating a substantial imbalance.

In the context of the measured FPS data, this ranking translates to a system that struggles to maintain 60 FPS at any resolution and settings combination except 1080p Low. The 2710th rank out of 2953 combos indicates that nearly 92% of tested systems deliver better performance in Rust. This is not a surprising outcome given the GPU's limited specifications: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and only 20 raster output units. The GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is modest by modern standards, and its system-shared memory with dependent bandwidth further constrains performance in memory-intensive scenes.

Compared to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B370 is essentially on par with decade-old parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% higher score) and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% higher). This context explains the low ranking in Rust, as those older GPUs would also struggle with the game's demanding rendering. The combo's rank is not a reflection of the CPU, which performs adequately in synthetic tests, but rather a consequence of pairing a mid-range 2018 processor with a low-end 2026 integrated graphics solution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six physical cores and six threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture chip has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with a 65 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 in single-core, placing it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% higher average score) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% higher), indicating that the i5-9400 is a solidly average performer.

In Rust, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, but instead it drops significantly as resolution increases. This indicates that the i5-9400 can feed frames to the GPU faster than the Arc B370 can render them. The six cores and six threads are sufficient for Rust's single-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads, and the 4.10 GHz boost clock provides adequate single-thread performance for game logic and physics.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 in dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth is another factor that works in its favor. Rust is known to be memory-sensitive, and the dual-channel setup helps reduce stutter. However, the GPU's system-shared memory means that the CPU and GPU are competing for the same memory bandwidth, which could explain the sharp FPS drops at higher resolutions. The i5-9400's 47th percentile ranking suggests it has headroom, but the data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the measured FPS data shows a clear hierarchy across settings. Low settings produce an average of 69 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 30 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 57% reduction in frame rate, with each settings tier costing roughly 7-8 FPS on average.

Moving to 1440p, the performance takes a significant hit across all settings. Low settings average 48 FPS, which is a 21 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS. High settings average 27 FPS, and Ultra settings average 20 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 28 FPS, which is slightly smaller in absolute terms than at 1080p, but the percentage drop is similar at 58%.

At 4K, the performance becomes largely unplayable. Low settings achieve an average of 28 FPS, which is a 41 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and maximum of 22 FPS. High settings average 16 FPS, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. The Ultra 4K result of 12 FPS is the lowest in the dataset, representing an 83% reduction from the 1080p Low average. These numbers confirm that the combo is only viable at 1080p, and even then, only at Low settings for a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU clock runs at a base of 300 MHz and boosts to 2400 MHz, providing 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Its memory is system-shared, meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM and has bandwidth that is dependent on the system configuration. The TDP is just 25 W, reflecting its integrated nature.

In synthetic testing, the Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older discrete GPUs, with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scoring 1190 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scoring 1186. This positions the Arc B370 as a very low-end graphics solution, roughly equivalent to a mid-range GPU from 2009-2010. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with its limited ROP and TMU counts.

The GPU's role in Rust is the primary limiter. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 69 FPS, but this drops to 28 FPS at 4K Low, a 59% reduction that is directly attributable to the GPU's inability to handle higher pixel counts. The system-shared memory is particularly problematic for Rust, as the game's large world and dynamic environments require significant memory bandwidth. The 25 W TDP and integrated form factor mean that the GPU shares thermal and power resources with the CPU, further constraining performance. The data indicates that the Arc B370 is simply not powerful enough for Rust beyond 1080p Low settings, and even at that resolution, the 69 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.