Rust

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile delivers a wide performance envelope in Rust, scaling from high-refresh 1080p play to playable 4K. Benchmark data shows this combination ranks 775th out of 3,723 tested combos in this title, placing it in the top 21% of all configurations. The measured frame rates across four resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is consistently GPU-bound at higher settings, yet capable of exceeding 200 FPS when the CPU is given room to stretch at lower presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 follows a predictable pattern, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly by preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 226 at 1080p to 156 at 1440p — a reduction of 70 FPS (31%) — and then to 92 at 4K, another 64 FPS (41%) drop. This steep decline at Low settings indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, as the RTX 4090 Mobile is not being fully taxed when pixel count is modest.

At High settings, the scaling is more linear: 128 FPS at 1080p, 88 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. That represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 41% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent proportional decline suggests a more balanced workload between CPU and GPU at this preset. The Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute differences — 98 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K — with the 4K result dropping to just 40.8% of the 1080p figure.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, provides additional insight into the scaling behavior. At 1080p Medium, the average is 152 FPS with a min of 129 and max of 175. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 105 FPS with min 89 and max 120. At 4K Medium, the average is 62 FPS with min 52 and max 71. The gap between min and max FPS narrows as resolution increases: 46 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. This compression of frame time variance at higher resolutions indicates that GPU workload becomes more dominant, smoothing out CPU-bound hitches.

The data suggests that at 1080p Low, the Core Ultra 9 275HX's 24 cores and 24 threads are the limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of far more than 226 FPS in this title. The 31% reduction from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is almost identical to the reduction at High settings (31%), which is unusual — typically GPU-bound scenarios show larger percentage drops at higher quality presets. This implies that even at High settings, the CPU is still constraining performance at 1080p, and only at 4K does the GPU fully take over as the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Rust?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with 88 FPS at High settings and 156 FPS at Low. At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 90 FPS (92), while High drops to 52 FPS. For competitive play, 1920x1080 Low delivers 226 FPS, but 1440p Low at 156 FPS still provides a high-refresh experience with more visual detail.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at the same resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 98 FPS versus 128 FPS on High — a 30 FPS (23%) reduction. At 1440p, Ultra averages 67 FPS versus 88 FPS on High, a 21 FPS (24%) reduction. At 4K, Ultra averages 40 FPS versus 52 FPS on High, a 12 FPS (23%) reduction. The consistent ~23-24% penalty across all resolutions indicates the Ultra preset adds a uniform load increase.

Q: Is this combo CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Rust?

A: The data shows both, depending on settings and resolution. At 1080p Low, the 226 FPS average suggests CPU limitation, since the RTX 4090 Mobile is capable of much higher frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the 40 FPS result shows clear GPU limitation. The Medium preset at 4K (62 FPS) shows the transition zone where neither component is fully saturated.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only min FPS values provided are for the Medium preset: 129 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. These represent the 1% low performance in the measured runs. The 4K Medium min of 52 FPS is identical to the 4K High average of 52 FPS, indicating that Medium at 4K has frame drops that approach the High preset's typical performance.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark performance relate to Rust results?

A: The Core Ultra 9 275HX scores 35,589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,204 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 20,795 multi-core and 2,458 single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 55,759. These strong multi-threaded results align with Rust's ability to use many cores, but the game's frame rate at 1080p Low (226 FPS) suggests that per-core performance is the more relevant metric for maximum FPS.

Q: Is this GPU's performance in Rust consistent with its overall benchmark ranking?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has a Passmark G3D score of 27,212 and ranks in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (avg score 44,075, delta -0.9%) and the Quadro M6000 (avg score 43,301, delta 0.8%). In Rust specifically, the measured frame rates at 4K High (52 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (67 FPS) are consistent with a high-end mobile GPU that sits just below desktop workstation cards in raw compute.

How This Combo Ranks

This configuration ranks 775th out of 3,723 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the 79.2nd percentile of all combinations. This means roughly 21% of tested combos perform better in this specific game. The rank reflects the fact that while both the CPU and GPU are high-end mobile components, Rust's engine does not scale perfectly with the Ultra 9 275HX's 24-core configuration — many desktop combos with fewer but faster cores can achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU's overall benchmark percentile is 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs in synthetic tests. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (avg score 67,673, delta -0.3%), AMD EPYC 4484PX (avg score 67,822, delta -0.5%), and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (avg score 67,868, delta -0.6%). These deltas of less than 1% indicate that the Ultra 9 275HX sits in a tightly-packed performance cluster at the top of the CPU hierarchy.

The GPU's percentile is 84, lower than the CPU's 94, which suggests the RTX 4090 Mobile is relatively less dominant in the GPU landscape. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (avg score 44,075, delta -0.9%), NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (avg score 43,301, delta 0.8%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (avg score 43,268, delta 0.9%). The small deltas again indicate a close grouping, but the 84th percentile means 16% of GPUs outperform it in synthetic benchmarks.

The gap between the combo's in-game rank (79.2nd percentile) and the CPU's synthetic percentile (94) suggests Rust is not fully utilizing the CPU's capabilities. The GPU's 84th percentile is closer to the combo's rank, indicating that in this game, the GPU is the more significant determinant of overall ranking. The 4K results support this: at Ultra settings, the 40 FPS average is typical of a GPU that ranks in the mid-80s percentile, while the 1080p Low result of 226 FPS shows the CPU can push well beyond what the GPU delivers at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured averages span from 98 FPS at Ultra to 226 FPS at Low. The Medium preset averages 152 FPS with a minimum of 129 and maximum of 175. High settings average 128 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows: 226 → 152 → 128 → 98. This represents a 56.6% reduction from Low to Ultra, meaning Ultra delivers less than half the frame rate of Low at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 156 FPS, Medium 105 FPS (min 89, max 120), High 88 FPS, and Ultra 67 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 57.1% reduction (156 to 67). The Medium preset's min-to-max range of 31 FPS (89 to 120) is narrower than at 1080p, where the range was 46 FPS (129 to 175). This indicates more consistent frame pacing at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 92 FPS, Medium 62 FPS (min 52, max 71), High 52 FPS, and Ultra 40 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 56.5% (92 to 40). The Medium preset shows a 19 FPS range (52 to 71), which is the tightest of any resolution. The 4K High average of 52 FPS equals the 4K Medium minimum, suggesting that High settings occasionally dip to Medium-level performance.

Comparing across resolutions at the same preset: Low settings drop from 226 FPS at 1080p to 156 FPS at 1440p (-31%) and then to 92 FPS at 4K (-41% from 1440p). Medium settings drop from 152 to 105 (-31%) and then to 62 (-41%). High settings drop from 128 to 88 (-31%) and then to 52 (-41%). Ultra settings drop from 98 to 67 (-32%) and then to 40 (-40%). This remarkably consistent scaling pattern across all presets indicates that resolution is the dominant factor in frame rate reduction, with each preset adding a roughly constant percentage overhead.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The L3 cache is 36 MB shared, with 3 MB L2 per core and 192 KB L1 per core. With a TDP of 55W, it is a mobile processor that draws relatively modest power for its core count.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 35,589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,204 in single-core. The single-core score is particularly relevant for Rust, which often has a primary simulation thread that limits maximum FPS. The 2,204 single-core score is competitive but not class-leading — desktop CPUs with higher single-thread performance would likely push higher frame rates at 1080p Low.

The multi-threaded performance is exceptional: 19,899 in Cinebench R20, 5,619.5 in Cinebench R15, and 55,759 in Passmark multithread. The Passmark integer math score is 155,218 and floating point math is 191,186. These scores suggest the CPU can handle Rust's complex calculations, including the game's world simulation, entity processing, and building integrity checks that run across multiple threads.

The CPU's 94th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with nearest rivals showing deltas under 1%, places it in a performance tier that includes workstation Xeon and Threadripper processors. However, in Rust, the measured 1080p Low average of 226 FPS is likely near the ceiling for this CPU's single-thread performance. The fact that increasing resolution to 1440p at Low settings only drops FPS to 156 (still very high) suggests that the CPU is still delivering enough frame production to feed the GPU at that resolution.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s (dual-channel DDR5) and PCIe Gen 5 support provides ample data throughput for Rust's streaming assets. The 36 MB L3 cache is substantial and helps with the game's frequently accessed world data. The 24 threads, while not all fully utilized by Rust, provide headroom for background tasks and the game's auxiliary systems.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience on this combo. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 152 FPS average with a minimum of 129 FPS, which is the best combination of smoothness and visual quality for competitive play. The High preset at 1080p offers 128 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS, but the 24 FPS difference between Medium and High (152 vs 128) suggests Medium is the sweet spot for frame rate consistency.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1440p gaming, as it maintains frame rates above the 90 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 88 FPS is close but dips below 90, while the Ultra preset at 67 FPS is playable but significantly less fluid.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 92 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 62 FPS is the best visual quality option that remains comfortably above 60 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS that occasionally dips below the 60 FPS mark. The High preset at 52 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are best reserved for screenshots or non-competitive play.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests 2560x1440 Medium as the primary recommendation: 105 FPS average, 89 FPS minimum, and 120 FPS maximum. This configuration balances the GPU's workload (using roughly two-thirds of its 4K capability) with the CPU's frame production, resulting in a stable experience. Players who prioritize frame rate over visuals should use 1920x1080 Low for 226 FPS, while those who prefer maximum visual fidelity can use 4K Medium at 62 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is built on the AD103 chip using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The boost clock is 1,695 MHz with a base clock of 1,335 MHz. Memory consists of 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a TDP of 120W and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 27,212 in Passmark G3D and 180,831 in Geekbench OpenCL, with a Vulkan score of 170,774. Its 84th percentile ranking places it below the very top-tier GPUs but above the majority of the field. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 44,075 in average benchmark score, just 0.9% higher, indicating this mobile GPU performs nearly identically to a professional desktop workstation card.

In Rust, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU is not the limiting factor, as the 226 FPS result is far below the GPU's theoretical maximum in this title. However, at 4K Ultra, the 40 FPS result shows the GPU is fully saturated. The 4K High result of 52 FPS and 1440p Ultra of 67 FPS both indicate GPU-bound scenarios.

The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is ample for Rust, which is not typically a VRAM-intensive title. The 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures without bottleneck. The 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are not directly relevant to Rust's rendering, which uses traditional rasterization, but they contribute to the GPU's overall compute capability. The FP32 performance of 32.98 TFLOPS provides substantial raw compute for any shader complexity Rust might present.

The GPU's Passmark DirectX 12 score of 107 and DirectX 11 score of 262 indicate strong API performance, with the DirectX 12 result being particularly relevant for Rust's modern rendering path. The GPU's 112 ROPs and 515.3 GTexel/s texture rate ensure that pixel fill and texture sampling are not bottlenecks at any tested resolution. The measured frame rates, particularly the 4K Medium result of 62 FPS, demonstrate that this mobile GPU delivers desktop-class performance in a 120W power envelope.