Rust

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor built on Intel's Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a thermal design power of 28 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications place the processor in the mobile segment, with support for DDR5 memory running on a dual-channel bus offering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700. Its PassMark multithread score is 22422, while the single-thread score is 3521. The CPU sits at the 81st percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 29093. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 135H trails the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X by just 0.1% (score 29123 vs. 29093), sits 0.5% behind the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (score 29245), and is 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-13500HX (score 29270). Meanwhile, it edges out the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT by 0.5% (score 28940).

For Rust, a survival game that frequently involves large player-built structures, terrain manipulation, and many simultaneous entities, CPU performance matters significantly. The game's simulation of the world—including resource gathering, building stability checks, and AI for wildlife—places demand on multi-core throughput. The Core Ultra 5 135H's 14 cores and 18 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability. The measured frames per second show that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 140 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower graphical loads where the rendering pipeline is less demanding. At higher settings, the CPU's role becomes less direct, as the GPU takes on more of the frame rendering load. The processor's 81st percentile ranking indicates it is a capable part for this workload, though not at the very top tier. Given that the CPU's nearest rival, the Ryzen 7 5800X, is a desktop part with similar average scores, the mobile 135H holds its own in compute tasks. For Rust specifically, the 18 threads allow background simulation tasks to run alongside rendering, which is crucial in a game where the world persists and evolves even when the player is idle.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is a mobile GPU built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with the Navi 32 chip containing 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2145 MHz, and a boost clock of 2335 MHz. The memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU features 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, 96 render output units, and 60 ray tracing cores. Its compute capabilities include 35.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s, along with a texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7800M posts a PassMark G3D score of 17613 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 126668. It ranks at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27883. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (score 27839, 0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (score 27973, 0.3% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (score 28020, 0.5% ahead), and the AMD FirePro S7150 (score 28117, 0.8% ahead). These deltas are small, indicating the RX 7800M sits in a tightly contested performance band.

For Rust, the GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is a significant asset. The game's textures, especially at higher settings, can consume substantial memory, and having more than the typical 8 GB found in many mobile GPUs allows for smoother handling of large texture packs and longer draw distances. The 432.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is also beneficial, as Rust's open-world environments require streaming in geometry and textures as the player moves. The boost clock of 2335 MHz provides solid raw compute for pixel shading. Looking at the measured results, the GPU's influence becomes apparent when comparing settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, going from Low to High drops the average FPS from 140 to 79, a 44% reduction. That scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings, where the increased shading and texture work load the GPU more heavily. The RX 7800M's 73rd percentile ranking suggests it is a competent performer but not a top-tier part, which aligns with the observed FPS numbers. The GPU's ray tracing cores are present but Rust does not heavily utilize ray tracing, so their impact on these results is minimal. The 12 GB VRAM also means that at 4K, the GPU is not likely to be stalling due to memory capacity, as the highest VRAM usage in Rust at Ultra settings would still fit within this allocation.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which helps identify whether the CPU or GPU is the primary bottleneck at each setting level. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 140 at 1080p to 96 at 1440p (a 31% reduction), and then to 57 at 4K (a 41% reduction from 1440p). At Medium settings, the averages are 94 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 38 FPS at 4K (42% drop). At High settings, 1080p yields 79 FPS, 1440p yields 55 FPS (30% drop), and 4K yields 32 FPS (42% drop). At Ultra settings, the numbers are 60 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p (30% drop), and 25 FPS at 4K (40% drop).

The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 30% from 1080p to 1440p and 40% from 1440p to 4K—across all settings is telling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU's workload is largely independent of resolution. Instead, the near-uniform percentage drops indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint in this combo for Rust. The GPU's rendering workload scales with the number of pixels, and the RX 7800M's compute resources (3840 shading units) are being fully utilized as resolution climbs.

At 1080p Low, the 140 FPS average suggests that neither component is severely bottlenecked, but the CPU's 18 threads are sufficient to keep the GPU fed at that level. As we move to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low (140 to 57 FPS, a 59% reduction) is substantial and purely attributable to the GPU's rasterization load. The fact that the FPS drops are proportionally similar for each settings tier reinforces the idea that the GPU is the determining component for this game at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 1700 in Cinebench R23, is not holding back the system; rather, the RX 7800M's raw pixel processing power is what sets the ceiling on performance as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks 1958th out of 2953 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, at approximately the 66th percentile of all tested combinations (calculated from rank 1958 out of 2953, meaning 995 combos are worse and 1957 are better). This ranking is notable because both individual components sit at respectable percentiles—the CPU at 81st and the GPU at 73rd—yet the combined performance lags behind what those individual scores might suggest.

The discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the combo ranking can be explained by Rust's specific performance characteristics. The game is known to be sensitive to memory latency and single-thread performance, and while the Core Ultra 5 135H has a solid single-core score of 1700 in Cinebench R23, it is not exceptional. Additionally, the combo's ranking may be dragged down by the fact that many of the 2953 tested combos include desktop CPUs with higher boost clocks and desktop GPUs with more bandwidth. The RX 7800M's memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is respectable but lower than what high-end desktop GPUs offer, which can matter in a game like Rust that streams large amounts of world data.

Relative to the nearest rivals for each component, the combo's performance makes sense. The CPU's nearest rival, the Ryzen 7 5800X, is a desktop processor with a similar average benchmark score (29123 vs. 29093), but in a desktop system it would typically be paired with a more powerful GPU, pushing the combo rank higher. The GPU's nearest rival, the Radeon Pro Vega 20, has a similar average score (27839 vs. 27883), but those pairings likely use different CPUs. For this specific mobile combo, the rank of 1958 out of 2953 indicates that while the hardware is capable of playing Rust, it does not deliver top-tier frame rates relative to all other tested configurations. The data shows that a large portion of tested combos achieve higher FPS, likely due to more powerful desktop components or newer mobile parts. However, given the constraints of mobile hardware—power limits, thermal headroom, and size—the combo performs reasonably within its class, even if the absolute ranking is not near the top.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1080p, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers 140 FPS at Low, 94 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 108 FPS), 79 FPS at High, and 60 FPS at Ultra. These numbers show a clear progression: each settings tier costs roughly 15-20% of performance compared to the previous tier. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 80 FPS, meaning Ultra delivers only 43% of the frame rate of Low.

Moving to 1440p, the averages drop to 96 FPS at Low, 65 FPS at Medium (minimum 55, maximum 74), 55 FPS at High, and 42 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting at 1440p shows a variance of 19 FPS between min and max, indicating some frame pacing inconsistency. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 54 FPS, with Ultra delivering 44% of Low's frame rate. At 4K, the highest resolution, the combo achieves 57 FPS at Low, 38 FPS at Medium (minimum 32, maximum 44), 32 FPS at High, and 25 FPS at Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 32 FPS, with Ultra delivering 44% of Low's performance.

An interesting observation is that the ratio of Ultra to Low performance is nearly identical across all three resolutions: 43-44%. This consistency suggests that the performance scaling with settings is uniform regardless of resolution, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor in all cases. The minimum FPS values, where available, provide insight into worst-case scenarios. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 80 FPS is still playable, but at 4K Medium, the minimum of 32 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The maximum FPS values show that the combo can occasionally hit 108 FPS at 1080p Medium, but those peaks are not sustained. For each resolution, the Medium preset has the only complete min/max data, which allows for a more detailed look: at 1080p, the range is 80-108 FPS; at 1440p, it is 55-74 FPS; at 4K, it is 32-44 FPS. The width of these ranges (28, 19, and 12 FPS respectively) narrows as resolution increases, indicating that at higher resolutions, the frame time is more consistent but also lower overall.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 140 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and even exceeds 120 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays. However, Low settings in Rust significantly reduce draw distances and texture quality, which can impact gameplay in a survival game where spotting distant players or resources is important. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 94 FPS, which is still very smooth and provides a better balance of visual quality versus performance. The High preset at 79 FPS is also playable, while Ultra at 60 FPS is exactly at the standard target. For 1080p, Medium is the recommended sweet spot, as it maintains a strong FPS buffer while providing improved visuals over Low.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Low delivers 96 FPS, which is still excellent, but Medium drops to 65 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. High at 55 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 42 FPS is below the 60 FPS target. For 1440p, Low is the recommended preset to ensure a smooth experience, as the jump to Medium costs 31 FPS (a 32% reduction) without a proportional visual benefit. If the user prioritizes visuals over FPS, Medium at 65 FPS is the highest playable setting, but it leaves less headroom for frame drops in busy scenes.

At 4K, the data is less favorable. Low delivers 57 FPS, which is close to 60 but not quite there, while Medium drops to 38 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 25 FPS. For 4K, Low is the only preset that approaches playable frame rates, and even then, the 57 FPS average may dip below 60 in heavy moments. Users targeting 4K with this combo should accept Low settings or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p for a more comfortable experience. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset shows the most predictable min/max behavior, with the ranges being 80-108 FPS at 1080p, 55-74 FPS at 1440p, and 32-44 FPS at 4K. This consistency makes Medium a viable choice if the user wants stable frame times, provided the average FPS is acceptable. Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium (94 FPS average, 80 FPS minimum) for a balance of smoothness and visual quality, or 1080p Low (140 FPS) for maximum frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 140, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At 4K resolution, what is the only preset that comes close to 60 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 57 FPS, which is the closest to 60 FPS. All other presets at 4K (Medium, High, Ultra) fall below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, has an average benchmark score of 29123, which is 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 5's 29093.

Q: Does the GPU's VRAM capacity affect performance at higher resolutions?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is sufficient for Rust's texture demands even at 4K Ultra. The performance drops at higher resolutions are due to pixel throughput limits, not memory capacity.

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

A: The combo ranks 1958 out of 2953 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the best balance of FPS and visual quality?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 with Medium settings offers 94 FPS average with an 80 FPS minimum, providing a smooth experience with better visuals than Low.