Rust

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers a high-performance experience in Rust, with benchmark data showing it ranks in the top 1% of tested system configurations. The measured frame rates reveal a system capable of handling the game’s demanding survival mechanics, though the relationship between CPU and GPU workloads varies significantly across resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock runs at 3.50 GHz, boosting up to 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 24 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is relevant for a game like Rust that frequently loads and streams large world data.

Benchmark results for this CPU show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924 and a single-core score of 4,648. In PassMark tests, the multithread score is 38,706, while single-thread performance registers at 4,394. The data compression score is 400,942, and floating-point math reaches 120,548. These figures place the CPU in the 90th percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 48,995. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (-0.4% delta), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (-0.5% delta), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (+0.6% delta), and Intel Core i5-14600K (+0.8% delta), indicating the Ultra 5 245 sits in a competitive mid-to-high range.

In Rust, the CPU’s role is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 269, which is the highest recorded figure in the measured set. This suggests that at this setting, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. However, the 14 threads without hyper-threading may limit performance in heavily populated server scenarios, though the benchmark data does not include specific multiplayer stress tests. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which is critical for Rust’s game logic and physics calculations.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, featuring 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. The chip, designated GB202, is manufactured on a 5 nm process with 92,200 million transistors. The base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz effective 28 Gbps. The GPU is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Benchmark scores for this GPU include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 310,674, and a Vulkan score of 376,915. The PassMark G3D score is 44,065, with a GPU compute score of 28,396. These results put the GPU in the 92nd percentile against all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (+1.1% delta), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (-1.6% delta), NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (-2.1% delta), and NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (-2.4% delta), though these comparisons are based on average scores rather than gaming-specific metrics.

In Rust, the GPU’s massive 32 GB VRAM and high bandwidth are crucial for handling the game’s large textures and draw distances. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 61, which is a playable figure but indicates the GPU is heavily loaded. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming remains smooth, preventing stutter in open-world environments. At 1080p Low, the GPU is less stressed, achieving 269 average FPS, which shows that the CPU can become a limiting factor at lower settings. The RTX 5090 D’s raw compute power, measured at 104.8 TFLOPS FP32, allows it to maintain high frame rates even at 4K High, where it hits 80 average FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 12th out of 2,953 tested combos in Rust. This places it in the top 0.4% of all configurations, indicating exceptional performance relative to the broader test pool. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU, where the processor’s strong single-thread performance complements the GPU’s high-end capabilities.

Given that the CPU ranks in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 92nd percentile individually, the combo rank of 12 suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for Rust’s specific demands. The data shows that the system is not bottlenecked severely at any tested setting, though the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU becomes the primary limiter at higher resolutions. This combo outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, with only 11 other combinations achieving higher frame rates in the benchmark dataset.

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

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1080p, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 269 FPS, Medium settings produce 231 FPS with a minimum of 196 and maximum of 266, High settings produce 197 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 150 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop of 119 FPS, or approximately 44% lower performance, which is expected as graphical fidelity increases.

Moving to 1440p, the average FPS figures are: Low at 237 FPS, Medium at 161 FPS with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185, High at 136 FPS, and Ultra at 103 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 32 FPS, while at Ultra settings it is 47 FPS. This indicates that the performance penalty for higher resolution is more pronounced at lower settings, where the CPU has more headroom. At 4K, the averages are: Low at 141 FPS, Medium at 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 109, High at 80 FPS, and Ultra at 61 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern where Low settings always provide the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra. The minimum FPS values, only recorded for Medium settings, show that at 1080p the system never drops below 196 FPS, at 1440p it stays above 136 FPS, and at 4K it remains above 81 FPS. These figures suggest the system is capable of maintaining smooth gameplay even under load, with no significant frame time spikes indicated in the data.

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

Examining the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the shifting bottleneck between CPU and GPU. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 269 at 1080p to 237 at 1440p, a decrease of 32 FPS or 11.9%, and then to 141 at 4K, a further decrease of 96 FPS or 40.5%. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 128 FPS, representing a 47.6% reduction in performance. This substantial decrease indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the graphics card increases significantly with each pixel count.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 231 at 1080p to 161 at 1440p (a 30.3% reduction) and then to 95 at 4K (a 41.0% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 136 FPS, or 58.9%. For High settings, the averages are 197 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p (a 31.0% drop), and 80 at 4K (a 41.2% drop from 1440p), totaling a 117 FPS or 59.4% reduction. Ultra settings show the smallest absolute drop: 150 at 1080p, 103 at 1440p (a 31.3% drop), and 61 at 4K (a 40.8% drop from 1440p), totaling 89 FPS or 59.3% reduction.

The pattern across all settings shows a similar relative drop from 1440p to 4K, around 40-41%, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistently around 30% for Medium, High, and Ultra, but only 11.9% for Low settings. This lower percentage at Low settings suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the primary limiter, and increasing resolution to 1440p does not add as much GPU workload relative to the CPU’s capacity. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck across all settings, as evidenced by the consistent 40% drop from 1440p. This data indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting component at 4K, while the Core Ultra 5 245 holds up well at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Rust?

A: The highest average FPS is 269, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 61, which is the lowest recorded in the measured set but still playable.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS values are 196 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 81 at 4K, all recorded at Medium settings.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 12th out of 2,953 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 197 at 1080p to 80 at 4K, a reduction of 117 FPS or approximately 59.4%.

Q: Which component becomes the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows a consistent ~40% FPS drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting component at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings provide playable frame rates, with Low achieving 269 FPS, Medium at 231 FPS, High at 197 FPS, and Ultra at 150 FPS. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, Low or Medium settings are recommended, as they exceed 200 FPS, ensuring minimal input lag. Medium settings offer a good balance with a minimum FPS of 196, guaranteeing smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. High settings at 1080p still provide 197 FPS, which is excellent for most players, while Ultra at 150 FPS is suitable for those prioritizing visual quality.

At 1440p, the recommended preset is High, which achieves 136 FPS, providing a strong visual experience while maintaining high frame rates. Medium settings at 161 FPS are also viable for players seeking higher refresh rates, with a minimum of 136 FPS ensuring no significant drops. Ultra at 103 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action, while Low at 237 FPS is overkill for most displays and sacrifices visual fidelity. For 4K, High settings at 80 FPS offer the best balance between image quality and performance, as Ultra at 61 FPS is near the edge of acceptable smoothness. Medium at 95 FPS is also a strong choice, providing a higher frame rate buffer with a minimum of 81 FPS. Low at 141 FPS is an option for players who prioritize performance over visuals, but the 32 GB VRAM of the RTX 5090 D is more than capable of handling High settings without issue.

The data suggests that the system is well-suited for High settings at 1440p and 4K, delivering frame rates above 80 FPS in both cases. For players with 1080p monitors, Medium or High settings are recommended to balance visual quality and performance, as the CPU and GPU have ample headroom at this resolution.