Rust

# Rust Performance Analysis: Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

This combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a compelling dataset for Rust, a survival title known for its demanding simulation and rendering loads. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that scales predictably with graphical load, yet shows distinct bottlenecks depending on the settings and resolution chosen. With a combo rank of 58 out of 3,723 tested configurations, this pairing sits comfortably in the upper tier of performance, but the data suggests that the CPU and GPU roles shift dramatically as you move from 1080p to 4K, and from Low to Ultra presets.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior in Rust for this combo is revealing. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 185 to 127, a reduction of 58 FPS or roughly 31%. This is a significant decline, indicating that the GPU is becoming more stressed as pixel count increases. However, the jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 at High is even more pronounced, with the average FPS falling from 127 to 75, a drop of 52 FPS or about 41%. This steep decline at 4K strongly suggests that the RTX 5090 is now the limiting factor, as the rendering load at 8.3 million pixels overwhelms even this flagship GPU's capabilities.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS at 1080p is 254, which drops to 224 at 1440p (a 12% decrease) and then to 132 at 4K (a 41% decrease from 1440p). The relatively modest drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings hints that the CPU might be holding back performance at lower resolutions, where the GPU has less work to do. The massive 92 FPS difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low indicates that once the resolution increases sufficiently, the GPU workload dominates again.

Looking at Ultra settings, the pattern is consistent: 140 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 31% and 41% respectively, mirroring the High preset scaling almost exactly. This suggests that the relative performance penalty of increasing resolution is uniform across higher quality settings, which points to a GPU-bound scenario at these presets. The data implies that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, while 4K Ultra is only viable for slower-paced, visually-focused gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, which is critical for Rust's simulation-heavy gameplay. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this: a single-thread score of 1136 in 3dmark and 2116 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicate strong per-core capability. The multi-threaded scores are equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 multicore reaching 30745, placing this chip in the 89th percentile of all CPUs tested.

In Rust, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully taxed. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 254 FPS, but this is likely near the CPU's limit for the game's engine. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 10717 suggests that the CPU can handle significant parallel workloads, yet Rust's core simulation often relies on fewer threads. The data shows that going from 1080p Low to 1440p Low only drops FPS by 30 (254 to 224), a smaller relative drop than the 4K transition, which indicates the CPU is maintaining performance until the GPU becomes the constraint.

The nearest rivals to the 13700K in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, with average scores of 46971 and 47022 respectively, showing a delta of -0.2% and -0.3% compared to the 13700K's avgBenchmarkScore of 46881. This means the 13700K is essentially on par with these competitors, differing by less than a percent. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 and AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX trail by 0.5% in either direction, further confirming that the 13700K sits in a tight performance cluster. For Rust, this means the CPU is not a differentiator at this performance tier, and the GPU will dictate the experience more clearly.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Rust?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 254, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the ceiling for this configuration, likely limited by CPU performance at this low graphical load.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 58th out of 3,723 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1.6% of all configurations tested for Rust. This is a strong showing, indicating that this pairing is well-suited for high-performance gameplay.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings yield an average of 127 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 97 FPS. This represents a 30 FPS difference, or a 23.6% reduction in average frame rate when moving to Ultra.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 a bottleneck at 4K resolution in Rust?

A: The data strongly suggests yes. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 75 on High and 57 on Ultra, compared to 127 and 97 at 1440p respectively. The steep scaling indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU's multi-threading capability impact Rust performance?

A: Yes, but not uniformly. The 3dmark max threads score of 12412 shows strong parallel performance, yet Rust's engine likely doesn't utilize all 24 threads effectively. The relatively small FPS drop from 1080p Low (254) to 1440p Low (224) suggests CPU limits, while larger drops at higher settings point to GPU constraints.

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

A: The only measured minimum FPS values are at Medium settings: 76 FPS at 4K, 128 FPS at 1440p, and 185 FPS at 1080p. No minimum FPS data is available for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 58 out of 3,723 tested configurations places this system in the 98.4th percentile of all combinations tested for Rust. This is an exceptional position, indicating that the i7-13700K and RTX 5090 pair delivers top-tier performance in this title. The ranking suggests that only 57 other tested combos outperform this setup, which likely include higher-end CPUs or more optimized configurations.

Given that the RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU with an avgBenchmarkScore of 79842 and sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, its contribution to this ranking is substantial. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking further supports this high combo placement. However, the data shows that the combo's performance is not uniform across all settings and resolutions—it excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals show that the RTX 5090 outperforms the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by 0.3% and the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB by 0.6%, but trails the Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%. These are synthetic benchmark comparisons, but they contextualize the GPU's raw compute power. For Rust specifically, the measured FPS data is more relevant, showing that the combo's rank is earned through strong performance at lower resolutions rather than 4K dominance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's display resolution and performance goals. At 1920x1080, High settings provide 185 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on most monitors. The jump to Ultra brings a significant drop to 140 FPS, a 24% reduction that may not be worth the visual improvements for competitive players. For those with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, High settings at 1080p offer the best balance of visual quality and frame rate headroom.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more nuanced. High settings yield 127 FPS, which is excellent for most gaming monitors, while Medium provides 150 FPS and Low offers 224 FPS. The Medium preset, with its measured minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS, offers a solid experience with some visual fidelity retained. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at 1440p delivers 224 FPS, but this sacrifices nearly all graphical enhancements. Ultra at 1440p drops to 97 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less responsive.

For 3840x2160, the recommendations become more conservative. High settings at 75 FPS is the most balanced choice, providing decent visual quality while maintaining playability. Medium settings at 89 FPS offer a slight improvement but with a minimum of 76 FPS that could cause noticeable stutters in demanding scenes. Low settings at 132 FPS is the only way to approach high refresh rates at 4K, but the visual compromise is severe. Ultra at 57 FPS is only recommended for players who prioritize image quality over smoothness stub. The data suggests that High settings at 4K is the sweet spot for this combo, offering the best compromise between the 75 FPS average and the game's visual demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 254 for Low, 218 for Medium, 185 for High, and 140 for Ultra. The Medium preset includes a minimum FPS of 185 and a maximum of 251, showing a tight range that indicates consistent performance. The Low preset's 254 FPS is the highest recorded for this combo, while Ultra's 140 FPS represents a 45% reduction from Low, highlighting the substantial cost of maxed-out settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 224 for Low, 150 for Medium, 127 for High, and 97 for Ultra. The Medium preset's minimum of 128 FPS and maximum of 173 FPS show a wider variance than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is working harder. The drop from Low to Ultra is 127 FPS, or 56.7%, which is more severe than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU's workload scales super-linearly with resolution at lower quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 132 for Low, 89 for Medium, 75 for High, and 57 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 102 FPS, which is a 26 FPS range, indicating some frame time inconsistency at this high pixel count. The transition from Low to Ultra at 4K results in a 75 FPS drop, or 56.8%, which closely mirrors the percentage drop at 1440pressive. This consistency suggests that the RTX 5090's rendering pipeline scales predictably with quality settings, regardless of resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a massive GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, a 512-bit memory bus, and a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz provide substantial raw compute power, with an FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS. The GPU's 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs contribute to its ability to handle high-resolution textures and complex shading, which is critical for Rust's large world and dynamic lighting.

The GPU's role in Rust becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and quality settings rise. At 1080p Low, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the 254 FPS that is likely CPU-limited. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully taxed, delivering only 57 FPS. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Rust's needs, and the GDDR7 memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming at 4K is not a bottleneck. The GPU's avgBenchmarkScore of 79842 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, though its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are older Tesla P100 models and AMD's Radeon Pro Vega 64X, which confirms the 5090's raw compute leadership.

The data shows that the GPU's performance in Rust is best utilized at 1440p High or 1080p Ultra, where the frame rates are high enough to take advantage of high refresh rate displays. At 4K, the GPU is the clear limiter, and the measured FPS drops below 100 for all settings except Low. This suggests that for Rust, the RTX 5090's immense power is somewhat wasted at lower resolutions, but at 4K it provides a playable experience at High settings, which is a significant achievement given the game's demanding nature. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking and the combo's 58th overall rank confirm that this is a top-tier configuration, but the resolution scaling data reveals that the GPU's full potential is only realized at higher pixel counts.