Rust

The data for Rust on the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile combination shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. This analysis examines the measured frame rates, the system’s ranking among tested combinations, and the respective roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the gameplay experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system’s performance degrades as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 92 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p, a 30% decrease, and further to 38 FPS at 4K, a 59% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, where the rendering load on the RTX 4070 Mobile increases significantly.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic in absolute terms but less severe proportionally. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 163, dropping to 112 at 1440p (a 31% decrease) and to 66 at 4K (a 60% decrease). This suggests that even with reduced graphical complexity, the GPU remains the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate still cannot reach the 60 FPS threshold. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (51 FPS difference) is larger than the drop from 1440p to 4K (46 FPS difference), indicating that the GPU’s shading and rasterization capabilities are being taxed heavily as pixel count increases.

Medium settings show a similar trend, with 109 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 31% and 41% respectively for the two resolution steps, suggesting that the scaling is slightly more efficient at Medium settings compared to High. The frame time data for Medium settings shows that the minimum FPS at 4K (38 FPS) is close to the average FPS at High 4K (38 FPS), indicating that the GPU is consistently saturated regardless of the preset.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across all resolutions, with 70 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. The absolute values suggest that Ultra settings push the GPU to its limits, as even at 1080p the average frame rate is below the 100 FPS mark. The scaling data collectively indicates that the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming at most settings, but 4K gaming requires significantly reduced settings to maintain playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 2039th out of 3723 tested combinations for Rust. This places it in the 55th percentile, meaning it outperforms just over half of all tested systems in this specific game. The rank is a composite measure that reflects the interplay between the CPU’s processing power and the GPU’s rendering capabilities in Rust’s specific workload.

The CPU’s benchmark averages provide context for this ranking. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which places it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H with an average score of 33989 (a 0.3% difference), the AMD EPYC 4244P at 34220 (a -0.4% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X at 34260 (a -0.5% difference). These close margins indicate that the CPU’s performance is competitive with a range of desktop and mobile processors, though it is not a top-tier performer.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 27435, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT with a score of 27425 (a 0% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 at 27565 (a -0.5% difference), and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell at 27135 (a 1.1% difference). The parity with the RX 6700 XT and the RTX 3090 in synthetic benchmarks is notable, but the in-game ranking shows that Rust’s specific demands may differ from these generic benchmarks.

The combo rank of 2039 out of 3723 indicates that while the individual components are solid mid-to-high performers, their combination does not boost them to the top tier in Rust. This is likely due to the game’s heavy reliance on single-threaded performance and memory latency, which may not favor this particular CPU-GPU pairing. The rank suggests that other combinations with faster CPUs or higher-tier GPUs achieve better results, even if the individual component scores are comparable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. It has 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores, which support DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. The GPU’s base clock is 1395 MHz with a boost clock of 1695 MHz, and it operates at a TDP of 115 W. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s.

In Rust, the GPU’s role is critical at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 29 FPS, which is below the minimum playable threshold for most users. The GPU’s 8 GB memory capacity is likely a limiting factor at 4K, as Rust’s open-world environments with many entities and textures can consume significant video memory. The 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is also modest by modern standards, which may contribute to the performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, as measured by the PassMark G3D score of 19587, indicate strong raw performance. However, Rust is known for being CPU-intensive in certain scenarios, particularly when many players or entities are present. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 15.62 TFLOPS is sufficient for most rendering tasks, but the frame rate data suggests that at 4K High and Ultra settings, the GPU is fully utilized and cannot maintain 60 FPS. The pixel rate of 81.36 GPixel/s and texture rate of 244.1 GTexel/s are respectable for a mobile GPU, but they are not enough to handle 4K Ultra settings in Rust.

The GPU’s benchmark scores relative to its rivals show that it offers performance similar to a desktop RX 6700 XT and an RTX 3090 in synthetic tests. In Rust specifically, the 4K performance shows that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with resolution. The memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) is standard for GDDR6, and the 128-bit bus width limits the bandwidth compared to wider-bus GPUs. This is a potential explanation for why the GPU struggles at 4K despite its high compute throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 163 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors. Medium settings yield 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 and maximum of 126 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings average 92 FPS, which is still smooth for most users, while Ultra settings drop to 70 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, with all presets offering playable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 112 FPS, which is still excellent, but Medium settings fall to 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 87 FPS. High settings average 64 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, and Ultra settings average 48 FPS. This resolution requires users to choose between visual fidelity and frame rate, as the GPU’s capabilities are stretched. The data shows that Low settings at 1440p offer a 75% improvement over High settings at the same resolution, highlighting the significant impact of graphical presets.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium settings drop to 44 FPS with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 51 FPS. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings average 29 FPS. The 4K data indicates that only Low settings provide a smooth experience, while Medium and above result in frame rates that may cause noticeable stuttering. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is 22 FPS, suggesting that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are key constraints.

Across all resolutions, the Medium settings row provides the only complete data with minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 93 to 126 FPS, a 33 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 64 to 87 FPS, a 23 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 38 to 51 FPS, a 13 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming saturated, as frame times become more consistent but at lower averages.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. The CPU’s benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551 and a single-core score of 1759. The PassMark multi-thread score is 25933, and the single-thread score is 3509.

In Rust, the CPU’s role is significant due to the game’s simulation and physics calculations. The 16 cores and 22 threads provide ample parallelism for background tasks, but Rust’s main thread is often the bottleneck in crowded areas. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz is high for a mobile processor, which helps with single-threaded performance. The L3 cache of 24 MB is shared across all cores, which can reduce memory latency for frequently accessed data.

The CPU’s benchmark performance relative to its rivals shows it is competitive with desktop processors like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which has a similar average score (34260 vs 34083, a -0.5% difference). The Core Ultra 5 338H is nearly identical in performance (33989, a 0.3% difference), suggesting that the extra cores in the Ultra 7 do not translate to significant gains in Rust. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 84th indicates it is faster than most CPUs, but in Rust, the game’s engine may not fully utilize all 16 cores.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is dual-channel DDR5, which is adequate for most games. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG 128EU graphics could theoretically assist with some tasks, but in this configuration, the discrete RTX 4070 Mobile handles all rendering. The CPU’s TDP of 28 W is low for a 16-core part, which may result in thermal throttling in sustained loads, but the benchmark scores indicate it maintains competitive performance.

The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p Low, where the average frame rate of 163 FPS is likely near the CPU’s limit for Rust’s game logic. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the decreasing FPS with increasing pixel count. However, in scenarios with many players or complex structures, the CPU’s single-threaded performance may become critical, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock helps mitigate this.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p High settings in Rust?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 92 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 29, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the system’s ranking among all tested combinations in Rust?

A: The combination ranks 2039th out of 3723 tested combinations, placing it in the 55th percentile.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of performance and visual quality?

A: 1440p with Low settings provides an average of 112 FPS, while Medium settings at 1440p yield 75 FPS, making it a viable option for higher fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Rust at 4K?

A: The data shows that as resolution increases, FPS drops significantly, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Mobile’s benchmark score compare to the RX 6700 XT?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 27435, while the RX 6700 XT scores 27425, a 0% difference.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s resolution and performance priorities. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but Medium settings offer the best balance with an average of 109 FPS and a minimum of 93 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without excessive GPU load. Low settings at 1080p provide 163 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, while High and Ultra settings sacrifice some frame rate for improved visuals.

At 2560x1440, Low settings are the safest choice for consistent performance, with an average of 112 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p still deliver 75 FPS, which is acceptable for most users, but the minimum of 64 FPS may result in occasional stutters in demanding scenes. High settings at 1440p average 64 FPS, making them marginal for fast-paced gameplay, while Ultra settings drop to 48 FPS and are not recommended for serious play.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings provide a playable experience, with an average of 66 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and High and Ultra settings are not viable for smooth gameplay. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming in Rust with this hardware requires significant compromises, and users seeking higher visual quality should consider using a lower resolution or upgrading the GPU.

For the best overall experience, the measured data suggests that 1080p Medium or 1440p Low settings offer the highest frame rates while maintaining reasonable visual quality. Users with 144 Hz monitors should prioritize Low settings at 1080p to maximize FPS, while those with 60 Hz displays can comfortably use Medium or High settings at 1440p. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and RTX 4070 Mobile is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Rust, but 4K gaming requires reducing settings to Low for acceptable performance.