Rust

The Rust benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 shows a clear progression of frame rates as resolution increases, but the shape of that curve reveals more than just a simple GPU load ramp. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 204 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 142 FPS, a reduction of approximately 30%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 84 FPS, which is another 41% decline from the 1440p figure. This pattern of diminishing returns as pixel count rises is typical for a title where the graphics card is doing progressively heavier lifting, but the absolute numbers at Low settings suggest that even at 4K, the RTX 4080 is not fully saturated.

The High settings row tells a similar story with a steeper slope. At 1080p High, the average is 117 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 81 FPS, a 31% decrease. At 4K High, the average falls to 48 FPS, which is a 41% drop from the 1440p number. The Medium preset shows 139 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K. Ultra is the most demanding: 89 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The fact that the percentage drops between 1440p and 4K are nearly identical across all four presets (around 41-42%) indicates that the scaling is consistent and predictable. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is where the CPU begins to show its influence.

At 1080p, the difference between Low (204 FPS) and Ultra (89 FPS) is 115 FPS, a massive spread that would typically be attributed to GPU rendering load. Yet at 4K, the same comparison yields only 48 FPS (84 vs 36). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that while the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, the CPU is still capable of feeding it enough frames at 1080p to expose the graphics card’s limits. The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H with its 14 cores and 18 threads has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and its benchmark scores place it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. In Cinebench R23, it scores 11,875.5 multi-core and 1,700 single-core. These figures indicate a mobile processor that can keep up with a high-end desktop GPU in this particular survival title, at least at lower resolutions.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 204 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are not the constraining factors here. Instead, the frame rate is likely being capped by the CPU’s single-thread performance or game engine logic. The Core Ultra 5 135H’s PassMark single-thread score of 3,521 is respectable, but its PassMark physics score of 1,482 suggests that complex physics simulation in Rust can create a bottleneck. As the resolution increases, the GPU takes over as the limiting component, which is why the frame rate drops from 204 to 84 FPS between 1080p and 4K at Low settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this hardware combination scales across the three standard resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly CPU-bound in many scenarios. The Low preset yields 204 FPS, Medium yields 139 FPS, High yields 117 FPS, and Ultra yields 89 FPS. The variance between presets at 1080p is substantial, with Ultra being 56% slower than Low. This behavior indicates that the graphics settings are changing the amount of work the GPU must do, but the CPU is still able to issue draw calls fast enough to keep the frame rate high. In contrast, at 3840x2160, the same preset comparison shows Low at 84 FPS, Medium at 56 FPS, High at 48 FPS, and Ultra at 36 FPS. Here, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the pixel throughput required at 4K exceeds what the RTX 4080 can deliver at these settings while maintaining high frame rates.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At 1440p Medium, the average is 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65. The minimum frame rates are important because they show that the experience is not just about averages; the 4K Medium minimum of 48 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider playable. Similarly, 4K High has a 48 FPS average, which means there will be moments where the frame rate dips noticeably. The 1440p Medium minimum of 81 FPS, on the other hand, suggests a much smoother experience. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more gradual, with Low dropping from 204 to 142 FPS, Medium from 139 to 95, High from 117 to 81, and Ultra from 89 to 61. These reductions of 30-31% are consistent with the increase in pixel count, but they do not indicate a hard wall where performance collapses.

What the resolution scaling reveals is that this system is balanced for 1440p gaming. At 1080p, the CPU is holding back the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates, particularly at Low and Medium settings where the GPU has less work to do. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU has headroom to spare. The ideal operating range is 1440p, where neither component is completely saturated. The data suggests that players targeting 1440p can expect strong performance across all presets, with even Ultra averaging 61 FPS. At 1080p, those seeking maximum frame rates will find the CPU limits, while at 4K, they will need to accept lower settings to maintain playable FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a Meteor Lake mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, a base clock of 3.60 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are relevant for a game like Rust, which is known for heavy server-side and client-side simulation. The CPU’s benchmark scores put it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29,093. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which has an average score of 29,123 and a delta of -0.1%. It also sits close to the Intel Core i5-13500HX at 29,270 (-0.6%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT at 28,940 (+0.5%). This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 135H is a mid-pack performer among desktop and mobile parts, not a top-tier chip but certainly not a weak one.

In the Rust benchmark results, the CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p. At Low settings, the system hits 204 FPS, which is likely close to the engine’s frame rate limit or the CPU’s ability to process game logic. The PassMark multi-thread score of 22,422 and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11,875.5 show that the processor can handle many simultaneous tasks, which is important for Rust’s world simulation. However, the PassMark single-thread score of 3,521 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,700 are more indicative of how the game will perform in single-threaded scenarios. Rust is not a perfectly parallel game; it relies heavily on a few threads for entity updates and rendering calls. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 204 FPS suggests that the CPU’s single-thread performance is sufficient to drive high frame rates when the GPU is not stressed.

The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (204 vs 89 FPS) is not caused by the CPU alone. As settings increase, the GPU takes on more rendering work, which lowers the frame rate. But the CPU must also handle more draw calls and physics calculations. The Core Ultra 5 135H’s PassMark physics score of 1,482 is notably lower than its other scores, which could become a bottleneck in Rust’s building destruction and resource gathering scenes. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes because the GPU becomes the primary limiter. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system averages 36 FPS, which is far below what the CPU could deliver, confirming that the GPU is the constraint there. For players with high refresh rate 1080p monitors, the CPU will be the limiting factor, but for 1440p and 4K, the RTX 4080 is the component to watch.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this hardware combination depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the Medium preset offers a strong balance. The Medium row shows an average of 139 FPS with a minimum of 118 and maximum of 159. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and the minimum frame rate is also high enough to avoid noticeable stutters. The High preset at 1080p averages 117 FPS, which is also excellent, but the jump to Ultra drops the average to 89 FPS, which is still good but starts to approach the range where fast-paced combat might feel less responsive. For competitive play, Low at 204 FPS is the best option, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. The data suggests that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again emerges as the best choice. It averages 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110. This is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold. High at 1440p averages 81 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p drops to 61 FPS, which is borderline; the average is above 60, but the minimum is likely to dip below that in busy areas. Low at 1440p achieves 142 FPS, which is excellent for those who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but it removes many of the graphical features that make Rust look appealing. For most players at 1440p, Medium provides the best experience per the measured data, as it maintains a high average and a high minimum frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Ultra is effectively unplayable with an average of 36 FPS. High averages 48 FPS, which is borderline but may be acceptable for slower gameplay. Medium averages 56 FPS with a minimum of 48, which is just below the 60 FPS target but still provides a mostly smooth experience. Low at 4K averages 84 FPS, which is quite good, but it requires the lowest preset. The data indicates that at 4K, players should use Medium settings if they want a balance, or Low if they want to stay above 60 FPS consistently. The Medium preset’s minimum of 48 FPS is concerning, but the average of 56 is close enough that with adaptive sync, it may be tolerable. For the best experience at 4K, Low settings are recommended for competitive play, while Medium is acceptable for casual play.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, the system achieves an average of 89 FPS. This is the lowest average among the 1080p presets, with Low at 204, Medium at 139, and High at 117.

Q: Which resolution provides the highest minimum frame rate?

A: The 1080p Medium preset has a minimum of 118 FPS, which is the highest minimum recorded across all resolutions and settings. The 1440p Medium minimum is 81 FPS, and the 4K Medium minimum is 48 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in this benchmark context?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209. It is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54,828 and 2.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55,698.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 135H a bottleneck at 4K?

A: No, the data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting component. For example, at 4K Low, the average is 84 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 36 FPS. This indicates that the graphics card’s rendering workload is the primary constraint.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 142 FPS, while Ultra averages 61 FPS. This is a difference of 81 FPS, with Ultra being approximately 57% slower than Low.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with any preset?

A: Yes, the Low preset at 4K averages 84 FPS, which is above 60. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS, which is below 60, and High and Ultra are also below 60 at 48 and 36 FPS respectively.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end desktop GPU with an AD103 chip built on a 5 nm process. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory operates on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2,205 MHz with a boost clock of 2,505 MHz. These specifications place the RTX 4080 in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 6,567, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 263,779. Its PassMark G3D score is 34,457, and its PassMark GPU compute score is 20,671.

In the Rust measured FPS, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the fact that Low settings produce 204 FPS, which is far above what most games would require. The RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Rust at any resolution, as the game does not appear to exceed this capacity in the measured data. The memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s also helps with texture streaming and high-resolution assets. At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its strength, with Ultra settings still averaging 61 FPS. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with Ultra dropping to 36 FPS and High at 48 FPS.

The comparison to nearest rivals shows that the RTX 4080 is nearly identical in performance to the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a delta of 0.1%. It is slightly behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%. This means that in Rust, the RTX 4080 should perform similarly to these other GPUs, assuming they are paired with a comparable CPU. The GPU’s 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler are not directly relevant to the FPS numbers, but they indicate that this is a power-hungry component that requires a robust system. The data shows that for 4K gaming in Rust, the RTX 4080 is capable but not overwhelming; players will need to use Medium or Low settings to achieve smooth frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS values for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination in Rust is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 204 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. The Medium preset averages 139 FPS, with a minimum of 118 and maximum of 159. High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 89 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of very high frame rates, with even Ultra producing nearly 90 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 142 FPS. Medium averages 95 FPS, with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110. High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 61 FPS. The 1440p results demonstrate a clear step down from 1080p, but all presets remain playable, with Ultra just barely exceeding 60 FPS on average.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 84 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65. High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The 4K results show that only Low settings provide a comfortable frame rate, while Medium and High are borderline, and Ultra is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS data for Medium at 4K (48) is particularly important, as it indicates that the experience will have noticeable dips in demanding scenes. Overall, this hardware combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can handle all presets with playable frame rates, and it can also manage 1080p at high refresh rates.