Rust

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing produces a starkly different experience depending on the resolution and settings selected in Rust. The data shows a clear pattern: this combo is firmly optimized for 1080p gaming, with performance falling off a cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a highly playable 106 FPS average, but this drops to 73 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 43 FPS at 4K Low. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings represents a 59% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. The frame rate curve steepens dramatically with graphical presets, moving from a 106 FPS average at 1080p Low to just 19 FPS at 4K Ultra, a drop of 82% from the highest to lowest performance point.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals that resolution scaling is the single most important variable for this hardware combination. At 1080p, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings, with the average dipping below 60 FPS only at the Ultra preset, where it hits 46 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay even at Low settings, where the 73 FPS average is still respectable but represents a 31% loss compared to the same settings at 1080p. The 1440p High preset yields 41 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play, while Ultra drops to an uncomfortable 31 FPS.

The 4K results paint a grim picture for this pairing. Even at Low settings, the average FPS falls to 43, which is below the 60 FPS threshold most players consider minimum for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K produces a 29 FPS average with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS, showing tight but low performance. High settings at 4K drop to 24 FPS, and Ultra becomes nearly unplayable at 19 FPS. The scaling pattern here suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are overtaxed at 4K, particularly with higher texture quality settings that demand more memory bandwidth.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU are more balanced, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gap between Low and Ultra settings—the 106 FPS to 46 FPS range suggests both components are being utilized effectively. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with the frame rate compression between Low (43 FPS) and Ultra (19 FPS) showing that the graphics card's compute and memory resources are exhausted regardless of preset. This is typical behavior for a mid-range GPU paired with a six-core CPU, where lower resolutions allow the processor to feed frames faster than the GPU can render them.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings six cores and six threads to the table, operating with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This Coffee Lake architecture processor, built on Intel's 14 nm process, has a 9 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. In Rust, which is known to be CPU-intensive due to its complex world simulation and entity processing, the i5-9400's six physical cores without hyper-threading provide adequate performance for 1080p gaming but may become a limiting factor at higher frame rates.

Benchmark results show the i5-9400 scores 2784 points in Cinebench R20 multi-core and 392 points in single-core, placing it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-10710U with a mere 0.3% higher average score, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 0.4% higher, indicating the i5-9400 sits in a highly competitive mid-range tier. The CPU's 65 W TDP and end-of-life production status suggest it was designed for mainstream desktop builds rather than enthusiast overclocking, as the multiplier is locked.

For Rust specifically, the CPU's role is most evident when comparing 1080p Low and 1080p Medium results. The jump from 106 FPS to 71 FPS between these settings shows that the processor can sustain high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, the single-core performance, reflected in the 935-point Cinebench R23 single-core score, may limit maximum FPS in scenarios with many connected players or complex base structures. The data suggests the CPU is capable of pushing well above 100 FPS in undemanding scenes, but the lack of additional threads could cause stutters in heavy multiplayer situations, though the measured FPS data does not include minimum frame rates for most presets to confirm this.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU116 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process by TSMC. It features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, running at a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz with a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This configuration gives the card a 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 12699 placing it in the mid-range segment.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 0.4% higher average score and the AMD Radeon RX 580 also at 0.4% higher, showing that the 1660 SUPER performs essentially on par with those cards in synthetic benchmarks. The 12 nm process node and 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die give this card a transistor density of 23.2M per mm², which is modest by modern standards but adequate for its intended performance tier.

In Rust, the GPU's limitations become apparent at 1440p and 4K. The measured FPS shows that at 1440p Medium, the card produces a 49 FPS average with a minimum of 42 FPS and maximum of 56 FPS, demonstrating that it cannot consistently maintain 60 FPS at this resolution. The 4K results are more telling: the jump from Low (43 FPS) to Medium (29 FPS) represents a 33% performance hit, while High (24 FPS) and Ultra (19 FPS) show incremental degradation. This pattern indicates that the 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p but becomes a constraint at 4K with higher texture settings, where the memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s is insufficient to feed the render pipeline efficiently.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 106 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings yield 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 82 FPS, showing consistent performance above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 60 FPS exactly, which is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings fall to 46 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold but still playable for less competitive players.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings produce 73 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 49 FPS (minimum 42, maximum 56), and High falls to 41 FPS. Ultra at 1440p yields only 31 FPS, which is choppy for most gameplay. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 58% performance drop, consistent with the GPU becoming the primary constraint.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal at best. Low settings produce 43 FPS, Medium gives 29 FPS (minimum 25, maximum 33), High yields 24 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 19 FPS. None of these 4K results meet the 60 FPS standard, and even the Low preset falls short of 45 FPS, which is often cited as the minimum for acceptable motion fluidity. The Medium preset's narrow range (25-33 FPS) suggests the system is consistently GPU-bound, with no significant CPU-related frame pacing issues.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Rust, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 3188 out of 3723 total combos. This places it in the bottom 14% of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the respectable 1080p performance. The low ranking likely reflects that Rust is a demanding game that benefits from more powerful GPUs and CPUs, and this mid-range combo is outclassed by the majority of systems that players use for this title.

The ranking suggests that while the combo is functional for 1080p gaming, it does not provide the high frame rates or high-resolution capabilities that many Rust players prefer. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking and the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking individually place them near the middle of their respective categories, but their combination in a game as demanding as Rust results in a below-average experience. The nearest rival combos in the database likely feature more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher core counts, which better handle Rust's simulation-heavy workloads.

For players considering this combination, the data indicates it is acceptable for 1080p Low to High settings, but it will struggle at higher resolutions. The 46 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 41 FPS at 1440p High show that this system cannot push maximum settings at mainstream resolutions while maintaining smooth gameplay. Those seeking a more robust Rust experience should look at combos near the top of the rankings, which would feature higher-end hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Rust?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces 106 FPS average, while Medium settings yield 71 FPS with a 60 FPS minimum. These are the only configurations that consistently exceed 60 FPS, making 1080p Medium the highest quality setting that maintains smooth gameplay.

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

A: No. The best 4K result is 43 FPS at Low settings, and all other 4K presets fall below 30 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus of the GTX 1660 SUPER are insufficient for 4K rendering in this game.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 scores 2254 in average benchmark score, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-10710U at 0.3% higher and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 0.4% higher. The CPU sits in the 47th percentile of all processors.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this hardware?

A: The only preset with a recorded minimum FPS is 1920x1080 Medium, showing 60 FPS minimum. The 2560x1440 Medium preset records a 42 FPS minimum, and the 3840x2160 Medium preset shows a 25 FPS minimum.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the 106 FPS result suggests the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU renders them, indicating a GPU bottleneck. The drop to 46 FPS at Ultra shows the GPU's limitations with higher graphical settings.

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo in the Rust database?

A: This combination ranks 3188 out of 3723 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 14% of all systems tested for Rust. This reflects the game's demanding nature and the mid-range positioning of both components.