Rust

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a compelling 4K experience in Rust, with the data showing that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset produces an average of 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS, which is a more stable and higher baseline than the High preset's 80 FPS average. The Low preset at 4K achieves 141 FPS, but the jump from Low to Medium costs only 46 FPS on average while providing substantially better visuals. The Ultra preset is the only option that dips below 60 FPS, with a 61 FPS average, making it less suitable for smooth gameplay. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1440p or 1080p is the clear choice, but for a balanced experience across all resolutions, Medium is the recommended starting point.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for Rust shows a clear hierarchy across the four available presets, and the optimal choice depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields a 150 FPS average, which is perfectly playable, but the Medium preset provides a significant boost to 225 FPS with a minimum of 191 FPS. This indicates that the performance cost of Ultra over Medium is substantial, and for competitive or high-refresh-rate gameplay, Medium is the superior choice. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 262 FPS, but the difference between Low and Medium is only 37 FPS, suggesting that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for most users.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues, with Medium delivering 161 FPS average and a minimum of 136 FPS, which is still well above the 144Hz refresh rate commonly used at this resolution. The High preset at 1440p produces 136 FPS, which is slightly lower than Medium, but the difference is minor. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 103 FPS, which is still playable but requires a high-refresh-rate monitor to fully utilize. For 1440p, the data suggests that Medium or High are the best options, as they maintain frame rates above 135 FPS without sacrificing too much visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the story changes. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is the only option that provides both a high average and a respectable minimum of 81 FPS. The High preset at 80 FPS is close, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, which may indicate less stable performance. The Low preset at 141 FPS is the best for pure performance, but it sacrifices visual fidelity, which is often more noticeable at 4K. The Ultra preset at 61 FPS is borderline, as it hovers near the 60 FPS threshold and may result in occasional stutter. Given the data, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best experience, balancing the 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS, which ensures smooth gameplay in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card with a 32 GB GDDR7 memory pool and a 512-bit memory bus, which provides a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory allocation is particularly relevant for Rust, as the game is known for its large, persistent worlds and frequent asset streaming. The GPU's 21,760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units allow it to handle complex rendering tasks with ease, and the 176 ROPs ensure efficient pixel output. The base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz are the operating frequencies that drive the card's performance, and the data shows that these clocks are sufficient to maintain high frame rates across all tested resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its position in the market. Its Passmark G3D score is 44,065, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 376,915, which are impressive numbers. However, the nearest rivals data shows that the RTX 5090 D is only slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT by 1.1% and behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.6% in average benchmark score. This is a surprising result for a flagship card, but it is important to note that these benchmark scores are aggregate measures and may not directly translate to game-specific performance. In Rust, the GPU's role is to render the game's large draw distances and complex lighting, and the measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5090 D is more than capable of handling these tasks at 1440p and 1080p, while at 4K, the performance is solid but not overwhelming.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is a key factor in Rust, as the game frequently loads and unloads assets as players explore the map. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory ensures that there is no VRAM bottleneck, even at 4K with high-resolution textures. The data shows that the GPU does not become a limiting factor until the resolution and settings are pushed to their extremes, such as at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops to 61 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at high resolutions, while at lower resolutions, the CPU may play a more significant role.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions reveals a clear scaling pattern that highlights the interaction between the GPU and CPU. At 1920x1080, the average FPS for the Medium preset is 225, which drops to 161 at 2560x1440 and further to 95 at 3840x2160. This represents a 28% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 41% decrease from 1440p to 4K. Similarly, the High preset shows a 197 FPS average at 1080p, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 80 FPS at 4K, which is a 31% drop and a 41% drop, respectively. The Low preset follows the same trend, with 262 FPS at 1080p, 231 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K, representing an 12% drop and a 39% drop.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU may be a limiting factor, as the frame rates are extremely high, and the GPU has more headroom. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the frame rates drop significantly. This is evident from the fact that the Low preset at 4K (141 FPS) is still far below the Low preset at 1080p (262 FPS), which indicates that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel count. The data also shows that the difference between Low and Medium settings is relatively small at 1080p (37 FPS), but at 4K, the difference grows to 46 FPS, indicating that the GPU is more sensitive to settings changes at higher resolutions.

The frame time data for the Medium preset further illustrates this trend. At 1080p, the minimum FPS is 191 and the maximum is 259, which is a spread of 68 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 136 and the maximum is 185, a spread of 49 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 81 and the maximum is 109, a spread of 28 FPS. This tightening of the frame time distribution at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded, while at lower resolutions, the CPU may cause occasional frame dips.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 15th out of 2,953 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the top 0.5% of all configurations. This is an exceptional ranking, indicating that this combo is among the best-performing systems for this game. The high rank is likely due to the combination of the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's high memory bandwidth, which are both critical for Rust's demanding simulation and rendering workloads.

The CPU's benchmark scores are particularly relevant to its ranking. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 44,167, and its Geekbench multicore score is 21,462, which are both in the top tier of desktop processors. The nearest rivals data shows that the i7-14700KF is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while being 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. This performance parity means that the CPU is not a weak link in the system, and it can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates.

The GPU's ranking is also strong, with a percentile of 92 against all GPUs, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of graphics cards. However, the nearest rivals data shows that its average benchmark score is only slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. This suggests that the RTX 5090 D's game-specific performance in Rust may be more dependent on its unique features, such as its 32 GB VRAM, rather than its raw compute power. The combo's 15th overall rank out of 2,953 reflects the synergy between these two components, which together provide a fluid experience in Rust.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming in Rust with this combo?

A: According to the measured data, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 provides the best balance, with an average of 95 FPS, a minimum of 81 FPS, and a maximum of 109 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS, making it the most reliable option.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested configurations in Rust?

A: The combo ranks 15th out of 2,953 tested combinations, placing it in the top 0.5%. This indicates that it is one of the best-performing systems for Rust, outperforming 99.5% of all tested configurations.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset reaching 262 FPS and the Medium preset reaching 225 FPS. The small difference between Low and Medium (37 FPS) suggests that the CPU may be the limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU has enough headroom to handle the lower settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows a minimum FPS of 136 at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with an average of 161 FPS and a maximum of 185 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate stays above 136 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average FPS of 61, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. However, this leaves little headroom for frame drops, and the minimum FPS is not recorded, indicating potentially unstable performance.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 262 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 150 FPS. This represents a 112 FPS difference, meaning the Low preset is approximately 75% faster than Ultra at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured FPS data for Rust with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, organized by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 262 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. The Medium preset shows an average of 225 FPS, a minimum of 191 FPS, and a maximum of 259 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 197 FPS, with no min or max data. The Ultra preset achieves an average of 150 FPS, with no min or max recorded. This resolution demonstrates the highest overall performance, with all presets exceeding 150 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset reaches an average of 231 FPS, with no min or max. The Medium preset shows an average of 161 FPS, a minimum of 136 FPS, and a maximum of 185 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 136 FPS, with no min or max. The Ultra preset produces an average of 103 FPS, with no min or max. This resolution shows a significant drop from 1080p, but all presets remain above 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 141 FPS, with no min or max. The Medium preset shows an average of 95 FPS, a minimum of 81 FPS, and a maximum of 109 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, with no min or max. The Ultra preset produces an average of 61 FPS, with no min or max. This resolution is the most demanding, and the frame rates reflect the increased GPU load, with only the Low and Medium presets exceeding 90 FPS on average.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Medium preset provides the most stable frame times, as evidenced by the recorded minimum and maximum values, while the Low preset maximizes the average FPS. The Ultra preset is consistently the slowest, and the High preset falls between Medium and Ultra in performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This high core count is particularly beneficial for Rust, which is known to utilize multiple threads for its server-side simulation, world generation, and entity management. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is critical for the game's frequent data access patterns.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44,167 and a Passmark multithread score of 52,425. Its single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,235 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,578. This balance between single and multi-thread performance is ideal for Rust, as the game relies on both for different tasks. The CPU's percentile of 94 against all CPUs places it in the top 6% of all processors, and its nearest rivals are all within a 1% performance delta, indicating that it is competitive with the best consumer CPUs.

The data suggests that the CPU plays a significant role at lower resolutions, where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's processing power can become a bottleneck, especially in scenes with many entities or complex physics calculations. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the primary bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is less critical. This is evident from the FPS scaling pattern, where the drop from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced than the drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the CPU is being utilized more heavily at the lower resolution. The i7-14700KF's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that it can handle the game's single-threaded tasks, such as rendering and input processing, while its many cores handle the background simulation.