Rust

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER sits at rank 74 out of 1717 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the top 4.3% of all configurations evaluated. This is a strong position that reflects the balance of a high-end 16-core CPU with a flagship-tier GPU. The ranking suggests this pairing is well-suited for Rust’s demanding survival gameplay, where both draw calls and large world simulations can tax the processor heavily. The data indicates this combo outperforms the vast majority of alternatives, yet it is not the absolute top, implying that either component could be pushed further for marginal gains, but the synergy here is clearly effective.

How This Combo Ranks

At rank 74 out of 1717 combos, the i7-13700K + RTX 4080 SUPER combination demonstrates exceptional performance in Rust. This percentile placement means it outperforms roughly 95% of all tested pairings, which is notable given the wide variety of hardware combinations in the database. The ranking reflects the CPU’s strong 3DMark max-thread score of 12412 alongside the GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6600. The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 93 and the GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 88 both contribute to this high placement, but the combo rank is higher than either component’s individual percentile, suggesting excellent cooperative scaling. The data shows this is not a bottleneck-heavy pairing; instead, the two components complement each other well in Rust’s engine, which is known for being sensitive to both CPU cache and GPU memory bandwidth.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This is critical for Rust, which can consume large amounts of VRAM when rendering expansive bases and terrain at high resolutions. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz provide the compute throughput needed for the game’s lighting and shadow effects. Benchmark results show the GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 34245 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 246994, indicating robust raw performance. In Rust, the data reveals that at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 49.1, which is heavily influenced by the GPU’s ability to handle both geometry and pixel shading. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that even at 4K with high-resolution textures, the card does not run out of memory, as evidenced by the 64 FPS average at 4K High settings. The GPU’s 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are not directly utilized by Rust’s standard rendering path, but they contribute to the card’s overall architectural efficiency.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K, with the limiting component shifting as resolution increases. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 251.4 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 119.1 FPS, a reduction of approximately 52.6%. This scaling indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is more heavily taxed, as the GPU has ample headroom. However, at 4K Ultra, the FPS falls to 49.1, a 61% drop from 1080p Ultra’s 123.6 FPS. This steeper decline at higher settings suggests the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K, particularly with Ultra presets that increase shadow quality and draw distances. The data implies that for 1080p gaming, the CPU’s 30 MB of L3 cache and 16 cores are leveraged effectively, while at 4K, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading units take precedence. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a 41.8% drop in High settings FPS (from 110 to 64), which is consistent with the GPU’s pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s being saturated at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 251.4 FPS on Low, 192.7 FPS on Medium, 163.4 FPS on High, and 123.6 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a smooth degradation curve, with each preset tier costing roughly 15-20% performance. At 2560x1440, the scores are 198.2 FPS on Low, 133 FPS on Medium, 110 FPS on High, and 82.6 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results indicate that even at Ultra, the combo maintains above 80 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. Moving to 3840x2160, the FPS drops to 119.1 on Low, 79 on Medium, 64 on High, and 49.1 on Ultra. The 4K Ultra figure is the only one below 60 FPS in the entire dataset, suggesting that this preset is the breaking point for the combo. The data reveals that the step from Medium to High at 4K costs 15 FPS (from 79 to 64), while High to Ultra costs another 14.9 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance is achieved at 1440p High, which delivers 110 FPS average. This setting provides a substantial frame rate cushion above the 60 FPS threshold while still offering enhanced textures and effects compared to Medium. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that High settings (64 FPS) are the practical ceiling, as Ultra (49.1 FPS) falls below what is typically considered smooth for competitive play. At 1080p, even Ultra settings (123.6 FPS) remain highly playable, making this resolution the best choice for maximizing visual quality without sacrificing responsiveness. The Low preset at 1080p (251.4 FPS) exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors, so it is only useful for extreme competitive scenarios where frame latency is paramount. The Medium preset at 4K (79 FPS) offers a good compromise for those who want higher resolution without dropping to 60 FPS territory, but High is the sweet spot for image quality per frame.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K features 16 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration is powerful for Rust, which often benefits from multiple cores for server-side simulation and entity processing. The CPU’s 30 MB shared L3 cache is particularly relevant, as Rust’s world data can be cache-intensive. Benchmark scores show a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 39000 and a PassMark multithread score of 45887, indicating strong parallel performance. The CPU’s single-thread score of 5505 in Cinebench R23 and 4333 in PassMark single-thread highlight its ability to handle the game’s main thread. The data suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU is not fully utilized, evidenced by the 251.4 FPS ceiling. Compared to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, the i7-13700K is only 0.1% behind in average benchmark score (47282 vs 47334), meaning there is no practical difference in gaming performance. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces that it is a top-tier processor for this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in Rust?

A: The combo ranks 74 out of 1717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4.3% of all configurations.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER’s memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The GPU’s 736.3 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB GDDR6X memory support 4K High at 64 FPS, but Ultra drops to 49.1 FPS, showing bandwidth is sufficient for most presets.

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

A: At 1080p Low (251.4 FPS), the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU’s performance headroom is not fully used due to the i7-13700K’s processing limits.

Q: What settings provide the best experience at 1440p?

A: High settings at 1440p deliver 110 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, staying well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its closest CPU rival?

A: It is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF in average benchmark score (47282 vs 47334), making them effectively identical in performance.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded across all tested settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 49.1 at 4K Ultra settings, which is the only preset in the dataset that falls below 60 FPS.