Rust

Rust places a significant load on both the CPU and GPU, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900M illustrate a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates across all settings, with the average FPS ranging from 185 on Low to 80 on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 127 on Low and 55 on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably, with the average FPS falling to 75 on Low and 32 on Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 4K at the Low setting shows a 59.5% reduction in average FPS, while the High setting shows a 59.0% reduction. This consistent drop of roughly 60% across different presets suggests that the rendering pipeline is heavily dependent on the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth as pixel count increases.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the combination is likely more balanced, with the CPU able to feed the GPU adequately. However, the scaling pattern from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K is steep, which is typical for a game like Rust that has complex draw calls and physics calculations. The 1440p results show a 31.1% decrease in average FPS from 1080p at Medium settings, indicating that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the average FPS at Ultra is only 32, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. The performance drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K is 36.0%, which is larger than the 19.2% drop from Low to Medium at the same resolution, highlighting the increasing cost of higher fidelity effects.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, featuring a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5 and a single-core score of 1647.5, place it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested. In the context of Rust, which is known for its server-side and client-side simulation, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are crucial for handling the game's world simulation and entity updates. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 185, which is high enough to suggest that the CPU is not the primary constraint at lower resolutions and graphical presets.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 has an average benchmark score of 27535, which is nearly identical to the Core Ultra 5 125H's score of 27507, with a deltaPct of -0.1. Similarly, the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X both score 27578, showing a deltaPct of -0.3. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 125H is on par with these desktop processors in general compute tasks. However, in a game like Rust, the performance at 1080p High (105 FPS) versus 1080p Low (185 FPS) shows a 43.2% difference, which suggests that the CPU can still deliver high frame rates when the GPU load is low. The processor's L3 cache is 18 MB shared, which is modest compared to some desktop parts, but the dual-channel memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is sufficient for feeding the GPU.

The boost clock of 4.50 GHz is important for single-threaded tasks, which Rust still relies on for some game logic. The single-core performance, as measured by PassMark's single-thread score of 3399, is competitive. The data suggests that in mixed-resolution testing, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, and the measured FPS at 1080p Medium (124 FPS) and 1440p Medium (85 FPS) indicates that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output at these settings. The bottleneck becomes apparent at 4K, where the CPU is likely waiting on the GPU, but the overall combo performance is still dictated by the GPU's limits.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings presets offer the best balance between visual quality and performance for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average FPS of 124, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143. This is a strong result, providing a smooth experience on standard refresh rate monitors (60Hz or 75Hz) and even on 144Hz displays, as the average is close to that threshold. The High preset at 1080p drops to 105 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset offers a 18.1% higher average FPS with only a modest reduction in visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 80 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit occasional dips in busy scenes, making Medium the recommended choice for competitive play.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 98. This is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it provides a fluid experience on most high-refresh monitors (100Hz+). The High preset at 1440p averages 72 FPS, which is still acceptable for many users, but the 15.3% increase in average FPS from High to Medium is significant. The Low preset at 1440p averages 127 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced gameplay, but the visual quality is heavily reduced. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 55 FPS, which is below the ideal range for smooth motion, so it is not recommended. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 50 FPS, with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 58. This is borderline for playability, and the Low preset at 75 FPS is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience at 4K. The High preset at 43 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are not suitable for sustained gameplay.

Based on the data, the Medium preset is the best overall recommendation for this combo across all resolutions. It provides a 65.2% higher average FPS than Ultra at 1080p, a 54.5% higher average FPS than Ultra at 1440p, and a 56.3% higher average FPS than Ultra at 4K. The jump from Medium to Low is also notable, with Low being 49.2% faster than Medium at 1080p, but the visual trade-off is substantial. For users prioritizing frame rate, Low at 1440p or 4K offers the highest headroom, but Medium balances quality and performance effectively.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Radeon RX 7900M combination is ranked 1189 out of 2953 tested combos for Rust, placing it in the 60th percentile of all systems tested. This rank indicates that while the hardware is capable, there are many other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. The GPU alone has a percentile rank of 94 among all GPUs, suggesting that the graphics card is a high-end part, but the CPU's percentile of 79 is lower, which may be contributing to the combo's mid-pack ranking. The data shows that the combination is not the top performer, but it is above average, with the ranking being influenced by the CPU's limitations in a game that can be CPU-intensive at lower resolutions.

When considering the GPU's nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX 7900M has an average benchmark score of 97487, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro VII (97131) and 5.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 (92466). However, it is 4.3% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 (101872). These comparisons are based on general compute benchmarks, not Rust specifically, but they provide context for the GPU's overall capability. The combo's rank of 1189 suggests that in Rust, the actual FPS is influenced by more than just raw GPU compute, and the CPU's 14-core configuration may not be fully optimized for the game's engine. The fact that the combo is in the 60th percentile means that a significant portion of tested systems, likely with stronger desktop CPUs or higher clock speeds, outperform this mobile setup.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with the Medium preset?

A: The average FPS is 124, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 143.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 32, while at 1080p Ultra it is 80, representing a 60% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the average FPS is 72, which is lower than the 105 FPS at 1080p High, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for Rust?

A: The combo is ranked 1189 out of 2953 tested combinations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 43, with an average of 50 and a maximum of 58.

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

A: The Low preset averages 185 FPS, while Ultra averages 80 FPS, making Low 131.3% faster.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination, as recorded in the FACT PACK.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Maximum FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 3840x2160 | High | 43 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 75 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 50 | 43 | 58 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 32 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 72 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 127 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 85 | 73 | 98 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 55 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 105 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 185 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 124 | 105 | 143 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 80 | - | - |

The data shows a clear trend: at each resolution, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is consistent, with Low being approximately 49.2% faster at 1080p, 49.4% faster at 1440p, and 50.0% faster at 4K. The gap between Medium and High is smaller but still significant, with Medium being 18.1% faster at 1080p, 18.1% faster at 1440p, and 16.3% faster at 4K. The jump from High to Ultra is the most costly, with High being 31.3% faster at 1080p, 30.9% faster at 1440p, and 34.4% faster at 4K. These percentages indicate that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy penalty on frame rate, likely due to advanced shadow and texture filtering effects.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is a high-end mobile GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 192 render output units. It has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1825 MHz, with a boost clock of 2090 MHz. In terms of compute power, it delivers 38.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU's percentile rank is 94, indicating it is in the top 6% of all GPUs tested, and its average benchmark score of 97487 is competitive with professional workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro VII, which scores 97131, and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000, which scores 101872.

In Rust, the GPU's role is to render the game's large, open-world environments, including terrain, building structures, and dynamic lighting. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for the game at 4K resolution, even with High textures, and the 576.0 GB/s bandwidth helps to stream textures efficiently. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (50 FPS) and 4K Low (75 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU is capable of handling the game at high resolutions, but the performance at 4K Ultra (32 FPS) suggests that the most demanding settings, such as maximum draw distance and anti-aliasing, are too heavy for sustained play. The GPU's 192 ROPs are responsible for pixel output, and the pixel rate of 401.3 GPixel/s is a key factor in the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 7900M is 0.4% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro VII in general benchmarks, but 4.3% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000. This suggests that in compute-heavy tasks, the GPU is a strong performer, but in a real-time game like Rust, the driver optimizations and game-specific engine characteristics can alter the outcome. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant component in this combo for frame rate, as evidenced by the steep drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 185 is likely near the CPU's limit, but at 4K Low, the average FPS of 75 is more representative of the GPU's raw rendering capability. The GPU's TDP of 180 W also suggests that it is a power-hungry part, which can impact thermal performance in a mobile chassis, but the benchmark data shows that it is capable of delivering high frame rates in Rust when paired with a suitable CPU.