Rust

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

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock sits at 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 2 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. This configuration places the chip in the 96th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074.

In Rust, the CPU's influence is most visible when comparing frame rates across settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the frame rate swings dramatically depending on the graphics preset: 225.2 FPS at Low, 152.2 FPS at Medium, 125.3 FPS at High, and 96.3 FPS at Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is roughly 57% of the Low value, which indicates that even at lower resolutions where GPU load is reduced, the processor is not the sole limiting factor—the settings themselves alter the workload distribution.

The i7-14700K's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70104 in average benchmarks, a 0% delta from the 14700K. The AMD EPYC 9115 sits 0.3% higher at 69887, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.5% lower at 70420. These deltas are within noise, meaning the 14700K's raw compute capability is effectively tied with these chips. For Rust, this suggests that any frame rate differences between these CPUs at the same GPU and settings would be minimal, since the game's single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads are unlikely to be sensitive to sub-1% benchmark deltas.

The boost clock of 5.60 GHz is relevant for Rust's simulation and physics threads, which are often latency-sensitive. A higher boost clock can reduce frame time spikes in busy scenes with many entities. The processor's 28 threads also help when multiple background tasks compete with the game, though the measured data does not isolate thread scaling directly.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. Its base clock is 1365 MHz, with a boost of 1665 MHz, and memory runs at 19 Gbps effective. The GPU has 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. It processes 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The GPU's average benchmark score is 41224, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

In Rust, the GPU's role becomes clearer as resolution increases. At 4K, the average FPS falls from 91.3 at Low to 50.4 at High, a drop of 44.8%. At Medium, it is 59.3 FPS, and at Ultra it drops to 37.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 53.8 FPS, or roughly 59% of the Low result. This pattern indicates that Rust's settings scale heavily with GPU work, particularly at higher resolutions where pixel throughput dominates.

The RTX 3080 Ti's nearest rival is the RTX 3090, which scores 41441, a 0.5% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610 (0.9% higher), the RTX 5070 scores 41687 (1.1% higher), and the Tesla M40 scores 41897 (1.6% higher). These small deltas mean the 3080 Ti is competitively positioned against these cards in aggregate benchmarks, but for Rust specifically, the measured FPS numbers are the more reliable guide.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Rust at 4K Ultra, where the game's textures and draw distances can be demanding, but the 37.5 FPS result suggests that raw compute, not memory capacity, is the bottleneck at that preset. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the 225.2 FPS figure shows the GPU can push high frame rates when the workload is light.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700K compare to its closest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The i7-14700K scores 70074 on average, while the i7-14700KF scores 70104, a 0% delta. The AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.5% lower. These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Rust, and at what settings?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 225.2 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Ultra settings drop to 96.3 FPS.

Q: How much does the RTX 3080 Ti's performance vary between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 91.3 FPS, while Ultra yields 37.5 FPS. This is a 53.8 FPS difference, indicating a strong GPU scaling with settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Rust?

A: The combo ranks 407 out of 1717 tested combinations, placing it in the top 23.7% of all combos.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 152.4 FPS, while High produces 91.1 FPS. The 61.3 FPS gap between these presets suggests the GPU is the primary limiter, as the CPU's 20 cores and 5.60 GHz boost are sufficient to feed the GPU at these frame rates.

Q: How does the 14700K's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The processor scores 6287 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 44534 in multi-core. The multi-core score is roughly 7.1 times higher, but for Rust, the single-core score matters more for game logic threads, while the multi-core score helps with compilation and background tasks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 407 out of 1717 tested combinations in Rust. This places it in the 76.3rd percentile of all combos, meaning 1310 other combinations rank below it. The rank reflects a balance between the i7-14700K's strong CPU performance (96th percentile) and the RTX 3080 Ti's respectable but lower GPU percentile (83rd).

Given that the CPU and GPU are both above the 80th percentile individually, the combined rank of 407 suggests that Rust's workload does not perfectly utilize both components to their full potential. The game's performance is often limited by single-threaded simulation and memory bandwidth, which can create a bottleneck that neither component fully overcomes. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 225.2 FPS, which is high but not exceptional for a top-tier CPU and GPU pair. In contrast, at 4K Ultra, the 37.5 FPS result is below what the GPU's 83rd percentile rank might suggest, indicating that Rust's Ultra settings impose a heavy load that the 3080 Ti cannot fully handle.

The rank also reflects the fact that many combos with higher-end GPUs (e.g., RTX 3090 or newer cards) would outperform this pairing at higher resolutions. However, the 14700K's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 33 MB of L3 cache help ensure that at lower resolutions, the CPU does not become a limiting factor, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 225.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 152.4, a 32.3% decrease. At 4K Low, it drops to 91.3, a further 40.1% decrease from 1440p. This scaling shows that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises.

For High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute values: 125.3 FPS at 1080p, 91.1 FPS at 1440p (27.3% drop), and 50.4 FPS at 4K (44.7% drop from 1440p). The larger percentage drop at 4K High compared to 4K Low indicates that the High preset adds additional GPU work, such as shadows and post-processing, which scales super-linearly with pixel count.

Ultra settings show the steepest decline: 96.3 FPS at 1080p, 65.0 FPS at 1440p (32.5% drop), and 37.5 FPS at 4K (42.3% drop). The absolute FPS at 4K Ultra is below 40, which suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the most demanding preset at that resolution. The 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute also appears to be a limiting factor, as the game's geometry and lighting calculations become more intensive at Ultra.

The limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's 20 cores and high boost clock are sufficient to maintain high FPS even at Ultra (96.3 FPS), but the GPU is still the primary constraint, as evidenced by the 129 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, with Low to Ultra spanning only 53.8 FPS. The data shows that for players targeting 4K High or Ultra, a more powerful GPU than the RTX 3080 Ti would be necessary to achieve smoother frame rates. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo provides strong performance, with 1440p High hitting 91.1 FPS and 1080p Ultra hitting 96.3 FPS.