Rust

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX delivers a benchmark profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings in Rust. The data reveals a system with substantial headroom at lower resolutions, but one that begins to strain under the combined load of 4K and maximum graphical presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all tested configurations, interprets the scaling behavior, and provides context for the combo's placement among 1717 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 256.3 FPS at 1080p to 183.2 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 73.1 FPS. Moving further to 4K, the average falls to 106.7 FPS, representing a substantial 149.6 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is likely not fully GPU-bound, as the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate.

The pattern shifts when examining the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the average is 114.9 FPS, which drops to 78.1 FPS at 1440p and further to 47.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is steeper at Ultra compared to Low, suggesting that the GPU becomes the limiting factor more aggressively when higher-quality settings are enabled. The 4K Ultra result of 47.6 FPS is notably below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this configuration is not ideal for a smooth experience at that extreme setting.

The data implies that the RX 7900 XTX has significant compute resources, but the demands of 4K Ultra in Rust exceed what this specific pairing can deliver comfortably. The scaling between Medium and High presets also shows a consistent hierarchy, with High consistently outperforming Medium by a margin of roughly 20 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but the gap narrows at 4K where both results are lower. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are progressively saturated as resolution increases, making the choice of preset increasingly critical at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark results reveal strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a 3DMark max threads score of 12412. The single-thread performance is also robust, as evidenced by a 3DMark single thread score of 1136 and a Geekbench singlecore score of 2850.

In the context of Rust, which is known for its CPU-intensive simulation and entity processing, these specifications are highly relevant. The game's performance at 1080p Low, where the average FPS reaches 256.3, demonstrates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz is likely a key factor in maintaining high frame rates when the GPU is not saturated, as it allows for rapid single-threaded execution of game logic.

However, the CPU's role becomes more nuanced at higher resolutions. The fact that FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K at all presets suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiter, but the CPU must still keep up with the increased data throughput. The i7-13700K's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU, but the data shows that even with this capable processor, the 4K Ultra setting results in sub-60 FPS. This indicates that in Rust, the combination of a high core count and high clock speed is not sufficient to overcome the graphical demands at the highest settings.

The percentile rank of 93 for the CPU versus all tested CPUs indicates that this processor is in the top tier of performance. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700KF with a deltaPct of -0.1, show that the performance is nearly identical to the non-K variant, which is expected. The AMD EPYC 4364P is 0.3% ahead, while the Intel Core i9-12900F is 0.4% ahead, placing the i7-13700K in a tightly contested performance band. This CPU's capability is evident in the high FPS numbers at 1440p and 1080p, but the game's scaling behavior suggests that its influence diminishes as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a high-end graphics card built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2498 MHz, with a game clock of 2365 MHz. The GPU's raw compute power is substantial, with an FP32 performance of 61.39 TFLOPS and 96 ray tracing cores. Its benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6841 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 192597.

The GPU's role in Rust is clearly demonstrated by the resolution scaling data. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 47.6, which is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset. This starkly contrasts with the 1080p Low result of 256.3 FPS, showing that the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Rust's textures and assets, so the performance drop is not due to memory capacity limits but rather to the raw processing power required to render at 4K with ultra-quality effects.

The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s is a critical specification for high-resolution gaming. The data shows that at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 59.1 FPS (106.7 vs 47.6), which is a significant gap. This suggests that the GPU's shading units and texture mapping units are heavily taxed at Ultra settings, and the high bandwidth is not enough to compensate for the increased computational load. The 5 nm process node and 57,700 million transistors provide a dense and efficient design, but the game's demands at 4K Ultra exceed what this card can deliver in this specific pairing.

The GPU's percentile rank of 85 versus all tested GPUs places it in the upper echelon, but its nearest rivals show interesting dynamics. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is 0.8% ahead in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is 0.4% behind. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 is 1.6% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is 2% behind. This indicates that the RX 7900 XTX is a top-tier card, but its performance in Rust at 4K Ultra is still limited, as evidenced by the 47.6 FPS result. The data suggests that for 4K gaming in Rust, users may need to dial back settings to High (62.2 FPS) or Medium (71.3 FPS) to achieve a smoother experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX holds a rank of 150 out of 1717 combos. This places it in the top 8.7% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The high rank is likely driven by the combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU, both of which contribute to the overall performance in Rust.

The rank of 150 indicates that there are 149 other combinations that perform better in this game. Given the CPU's percentile rank of 93 and the GPU's percentile rank of 85, it is clear that both components are individually strong, but the game's specific optimization or bottlenecks might favor other pairings. The data does not specify which combos rank higher, but the implication is that systems with even more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance could achieve better results.

The measured FPS at 1080p Low of 256.3 FPS is a standout result, indicating that this combo excels at lower resolutions. However, the 4K Ultra result of 47.6 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, which might be a factor in its ranking. The combo's overall rank suggests that while it is a high-performance system, it is not the absolute best for Rust, particularly at the highest settings and resolutions. The data shows a well-balanced system that can handle most scenarios, but the most demanding configurations will require compromises.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K gaming, the data shows that the Medium preset delivers an average of 71.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a playable experience. The High preset at 4K yields 62.2 FPS, which is also acceptable but closer to the edge. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 47.6 FPS, which is likely to result in noticeable stuttering and is not recommended for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an average of 101.6 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 122.5 FPS, which is even smoother, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it for all users. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 78.1 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid as the lower presets. For 1440p, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot, balancing visual fidelity with performance.

For 1920x1080, the data shows that the High preset achieves 146.3 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any monitor. The Medium preset at 1080p reaches 176.2 FPS, and the Low preset hits 256.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides 114.9 FPS, which is also very playable. At 1080p, users can afford to use the Ultra preset and still maintain a high frame rate, making it the recommended choice for those prioritizing visual quality without sacrificing performance.

The data implies that the best experience per the measured rows is to use the High preset at 4K (62.2 FPS) or the Medium preset at 4K (71.3 FPS) for a balance of quality and smoothness. At 1440p, the High preset (101.6 FPS) is recommended for the best combination of visuals and frame rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset (114.9 FPS) provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a high frame rate, making it the best choice for that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 256.3 FPS, Medium settings produce 176.2 FPS, High settings produce 146.3 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 114.9 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings reduces performance, with the largest drop occurring between Low and Medium at 80.1 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 183.2 FPS, Medium at 122.5 FPS, High at 101.6 FPS, and Ultra at 78.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 60.7 FPS, which is slightly less than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. The difference between High and Ultra is 23.5 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low at 106.7 FPS, Medium at 71.3 FPS, High at 62.2 FPS, and Ultra at 47.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 35.4 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra is 14.6 FPS. This data shows that at 4K, the Low preset is the only one that provides a frame rate above 100 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for a smooth experience. The data across all resolutions and settings provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities, with 12 distinct measured points that highlight the trade-offs between visual fidelity and performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 114.9 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in Rust?

A: This combo ranks 150th out of 1717 tested combinations in Rust.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra setting playable with this hardware?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 47.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may not be ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p based on the data?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 101.6 FPS, offering a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: What is the highest measured FPS in the dataset?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 256.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF in average benchmark score, indicating nearly identical performance.