Rust

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in Rust presents a study in contrasting computational priorities. The i5-9400, an end-of-life Coffee Lake desktop chip, brings 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz. This configuration, built on a 14 nm process, is the older component in this pairing, and its benchmark scores reflect a mid-pack position, sitting at the 50th percentile among all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 show a processor that is competent but not class-leading. In Rust, a survival title known for its demanding simulation and physics, this CPU is tasked with feeding a much more powerful GPU.

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, by contrast, is a modern powerhouse. Built on the 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture with a massive 45,900 million transistors, it operates with a base clock of 2340 MHz and a boost of 2610 MHz. The GPU's benchmark data places it at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 31811. This asymmetry between the CPU's mid-range standing and the GPU's high-end standing is the defining characteristic of this combo. The measured FPS data for Rust shows that the system achieves playable frame rates, but the balance of load between the two components shifts significantly depending on resolution and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400’s role in Rust is to manage the game’s world simulation, entity logic, and draw calls. With 6 cores and 6 threads, it lacks the hyper-threading of its more expensive siblings, meaning it has a finite pool of processing resources. The base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient to provide a stable foundation. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 indicate that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from a bottleneck in all scenarios.

The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 139.9 FPS. When settings are raised to Ultra at the same resolution, the FPS drops to 102.7, a 26.6% reduction. This scale of performance drop is significant, but it is not as severe as the drop seen at higher resolutions, suggesting that the CPU is working hard to maintain frame rate. The data shows that the i5-9400, with its 9 MB of shared L3 cache, can keep the GPU fed at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s potential is not fully unleashed.

The CPU’s performance in this context is more about consistency than peak throughput. The i5-9400’s 50th percentile standing among all CPUs means that half of all processors tested are faster, but in Rust, the combination of 6 physical cores and a 4.10 GHz boost clock provides enough headroom to avoid severe stuttering. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305 with an average score of 2300 (0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i3-1125G4 at 2299 (0.2% delta), show that the i5-9400 is firmly in the mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 2305 puts it just above these competitors, but the gap is marginal, meaning that any performance difference in Rust is likely due to other system factors.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested system configurations in Rust?

A: The combo of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 524th out of 1717 tested combinations in Rust. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, indicating a solid but not elite position.

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

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300, a delta of 0.2% slower. The Intel Core i7-8809G is 0.6% faster with a score of 2319. These tiny deltas show that the i5-9400 is essentially performance-equivalent to its immediate competitors.

Q: What is the best-case FPS scenario for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is achieved at 1080p with Low settings, where the combo produces 139.9 FPS. This is the only configuration where the system approaches the 144 Hz refresh rate commonly targeted by gamers.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance rank relative to other GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score of 31811 places it well above the median, with its nearest rival, the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, scoring 49071 in the aggregate benchmark, a 0.7% difference.

Q: What is the impact of switching from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo delivers 114.4 FPS. At 4K High, this falls to 60 FPS, a 47.6% reduction. This indicates a major shift in system load from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases.

Q: Is the GPU’s memory bandwidth sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. The 4K High average of 60 FPS and 4K Medium average of 70.7 FPS show that this bandwidth is adequate to maintain playable frame rates, though not high refresh rates, at 4K.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear narrative about which component is constraining performance. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 139.9 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire set. Moving to 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 127.7, a 8.7% decrease. Finally, at 4K Low, the average is 104.3 FPS, representing a 25.4% drop from the 1080p Low result. This relatively shallow decline suggests that at Low settings, the system is still partially CPU-bound, as the GPU has enough headroom to handle the increased pixel count without a dramatic FPS loss.

The picture changes dramatically when settings are increased. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 102.7 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, this falls to 80 FPS, a 22.1% drop. At 4K Ultra, the average plummets to 45.4 FPS, a 55.8% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score. This steep decline is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, despite its 86th percentile ranking, is being pushed to its limits at 4K with Ultra settings, and the frame rate collapses accordingly.

The data shows that the CPU’s influence wanes as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 37.2 FPS (139.9 vs 102.7), demonstrating that the CPU can still assert its influence on performance. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 58.9 FPS (104.3 vs 45.4). This widening gap indicates that the GPU becomes the overwhelming bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the rendering load eclipses the CPU’s ability to feed it. The i5-9400, while not a top performer, is clearly not the limiting factor at 4K; the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo’s rank of 524 out of 1717 tested configurations places it in the 30th percentile of all systems tested in Rust. This is a respectable position, given that the CPU is a mid-range part from 2018 and the GPU is a high-end part from 2024. The rank suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for the game, but it is far from the top of the leaderboard. To put this in perspective, the top 10% of combos likely feature much newer, higher-core-count CPUs that can better keep up with the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s capabilities.

The rank of 524 means that 1,193 other combos are slower, while 523 are faster. This places the combo in the upper-middle tier of performance. The data shows that the combo is capable of delivering a solid 60 FPS experience at 4K High settings, but it cannot reach the high refresh rates that would be possible with a more powerful CPU. The i5-9400’s 50th percentile standing among CPUs is the limiting factor here; if paired with a CPU in the 90th percentile, the combo would likely rank much higher.

The measured FPS data confirms this assessment. At 1440p High, the combo achieves 100.9 FPS, which is a strong result for that resolution. At 1080p High, it hits 114.4 FPS. These numbers are competitive, but they are not exceptional. The combo rank reflects this: it is a good, solid performer that will satisfy most gamers, but it does not offer the headroom for extreme refresh rates or the highest quality settings at 4K.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain why. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is critical for Rust, which can be memory-hungry at high resolutions and settings. The 16 GB capacity ensures that the GPU does not run out of VRAM at 4K Ultra, even if the frame rate is low. The GDDR6X type and 256-bit bus provide enough bandwidth to handle the game’s textures and geometry without causing stutters.

The GPU’s clocks are also a key factor. With a base clock of 2340 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is running at very high frequencies. The 5 nm process node from TSMC, with 45,900 million transistors, allows for this high clock speed without excessive power draw (the TDP is 285 W). The GPU’s FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS is substantial, and its Passmark G3D score of 31811 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. This raw power is what allows the combo to achieve 60 FPS at 4K High settings.

The GPU’s role is most evident in the resolution scaling data. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 45.4, which is a playable but not smooth experience. This shows that the GPU is being fully utilized, and the 45.4 FPS figure is a direct result of the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth limits. The difference between 4K High (60 FPS) and 4K Ultra (45.4 FPS) is 24.3%, which is a significant penalty for the highest settings. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA CMP 50HX (0.7% faster) and the RTX A2000 (1.6% slower), show that the 4070 Ti SUPER is in a competitive tier, but it is not the absolute fastest. In Rust, this means that the GPU will deliver strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra will require compromises to maintain high frame rates.