These Are the Best Graphics Settings for Rust in 2021

November 28, 2024

Optimize your Rust gameplay with the best graphics settings for 2021, enhancing FPS and performance on both high and low-end PCs.

Have you noticed issues like lagging, freezing, or choppiness while playing Rust recently? Well, the underlying issue could be that your computer can’t handle the current graphics settings. Luckily, you can make a few changes to improve gameplay (and stop being pwned by other players).

The best graphics settings for Rust in 2021 include FPS, graphics quality set to 2, a 2000 draw distance, and 100 shadow distance. To increase performance, it’s best to decrease cosmetic values that eat up processing power. If you have a low-end PC, 10GB RAM and 20GB storage are ideal upgrades.

Do you know how to configure your graphics settings to get the most out of Rust? Read on to learn more about frame-rate and the best options to increase them on low and high-level PCs.

Rust Best Graphics Settings for FPS

In a game like Rust, quick thinking and quick reflexes are everything. After all, it only takes a moment for an opponent to find you, kill you, and steal your crafting tools for themselves. So, how do you make sure you stay competitive from moment-to-moment?

The answer is 'FPS.'

What Is FPS and Why Is It So Important?

Like any form of animation, video games are a compilation of fast-moving individual images that result in a moving picture. FPS, or Frames per Second, is a measurement of how many single images display in one second.

The higher the FPS is, the more photos you see in the same amount of time.

In other words, playing with a high FPS will give you more information and details to learn about your surroundings. This advantage will significantly decrease input lag, increasing proficiency.

Unfortunately, console gamers have suffered from lower FPS since 3D polygonal gaming in the ’90s with consoles like the Playstation and Nintendo 64. Most gamers agree that 60 FPS is a preferred stable FPS. However, the last consoles to consistently achieve that feat were the likes of NES or SNES.

The Playstation 2 could only maintain 60 FPS in 2D games or low-end graphics games. Current consoles still struggle when games meet demanding, high-pressure moments.

The most significant benefit of owning a PC, especially a high-end gaming computer, is that players have more control over graphical settings, affecting FPS. If you are running significantly superior hardware, you can reach FPS rates up to 120. It may not seem like much for one measly second, but it gives a significant edge in competitive gaming.

Does this mean high FPS is always better? Yes and no.

Consistently high FPS is better. Your PC may achieve 120 FPS in bursts. However, if it cannot maintain that rate, your game’s pacing will leave you disoriented or frustrated. Therefore, it is best to look for a balance between high-rate and consistency.

Rust Screenshot

What Are the Best Settings?

No two games run alike when it comes to graphics settings, and Rust is no different. To make matters worse, settings that boost specific details may also slow down your FPS, especially if your hardware cannot handle the task.

Here is a list of settings that will give you optimal results for your FPS, as well as your visibility:

Options

Max Gibs: 0

Screen

Resolution: Native monitor resolution
Mode: Exclusive
VSYNC: Off
FPS Limit: 240

Graphics

Graphics Quality: 2
Shadow Quality: 1
Shadow Cascades: No Cascades
Max Shadow Lights: 0
Water Quality: 0
Water Reflections: 0
World Reflections: 0
Shader Level: 100
Draw Distance: 2000
Shadow Distance: 100
Anisotropic Filtering: 2
Parallax Mapping: 0
Grass Displacement: On
Particle Quality: 15
Object Quality: 50
Tree Quality: 40
Max Tree Meshes: 100
Terrain Quality: 25
Grass Quality: 30
Decor Quality: 0

Image Effects

Anti-Aliasing: SMAA
Depth of Field: Off
Ambient Occlusion: Off
High-Quality Bloom: Off
Lens Dirt: Off
Motion Blur: Off
Sun Shafts: Off
Sharpen: Off
Vignetting: Off

Experimental

Occlusion Culling: Off
Grass Shadows: Off
Contact Shadows: Off
Sustain Pedal Support: Off

Rust Screenshot

Rust Best Settings for Low-End PC

Unfortunately, running Rust on a low-end PC might not be smooth sailing. In this case, you may need to make more graphical sacrifices to improve your game’s frame-rate. But there are other actions you can take outside of your game’s settings to make improvements.

Minimum System Requirements

Before going any further, you should make sure your PC meets all of the minimum requirements to run the game. Otherwise, no settings change will make a difference.

If your system falls short of any of these specs, it may be time to make an upgrade:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-9590
GPU: Nvidia GTX 670 2GB or AMD R9 280
RAM: 10GB
Storage: 20GB available (SSD recommended)
OS: Windows 8.1/10 64-bit

Checking FPS

If your system meets minimum requirements and still experiences significant technical difficulties, it is time to check your FPS. Knowing how to identify FPS in Rust is helpful for higher-level PCs as well.

Here is a quick walkthrough:

Start the Rust client.
Type F1 to go to the console screen.
Type perf 1, then ENTER the command.
Connect to a game server.
Your screen will display the current FPS in bold white letters in the lower-left hand corner of the screen.

Rust Screenshot

What Are the Best Settings?

In this situation, your first choice should be upgrading your hardware. However, if that’s out of budget, you can still make significant changes in the game’s settings.

Before getting started, we recommend closing any other applications running on the PC. It’s also a good idea to reboot the system. Then, change the settings to the values listed below. If a tab is not listed, toggle low to mid-range settings.

Graphics

Graphics Quality: 0
Water Quality: 0
Max Shadow Lights: 0
Shader Level: 100
Draw Distance: 1500 (don’t go lower than 1000)
Shadow Cascades: No Cascades
Shadow Distance: 100
Anisotropic Filtering: 1
Parallax Mapping: 0

Image Effects

Depth of Field: Off
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Anti-aliasing: On
High-Quality Bloom: Off
Lens Dirt: Off
Sun Shafts: Off
Sharpen: Off
Vignetting: Off

Performance and Quality

Max Gibs: 0
Particle Quality: 0
Object Quality: 0
Tree Quality: 0
Terrain Quality: 0
Grass Quality: 0
Decor Quality: 0

It’s also worth noting that tabs related to general options, audio, and input will not make significant differences in your FPS. So, you can shift those settings to your preferences.

Rust Screenshot

Testing Outcomes

Now that you adjusted your settings, it is time to test them out and see how well they work for your system. I recommend starting a game on an offline server or a server with a low population.

If you plan to test online, build a tiny house to hide in while adjusting those settings to your liking. Remember: opening the menu and playing with your settings while online doesn’t pause the game for everyone else. The last thing you want is another player interrupting your testing!

The best approach is to apply one change at a time, so you can see how each one affects your FPS while taking the guesswork out of this process. If you notice a significant FPS decrease after a specific change, I recommend changing it back to its last setting.

Most of the graphical options are quantitative values that you control with an easy-to-use slider. Therefore, if you notice that increasing or decreasing a setting worsens your gameplay, you can change it back without trouble!

Final Thoughts

In short, there is no one-size-fits-all list of graphics settings that are the definitive best for Rust. The two lists I offered are a good place to start. However, you will get the best results if you test these settings for yourself and change them accordingly.

Luckily, now that you understand the importance of high and consistent FPS, you know what to look out for during play. Now go out there and get to raiding the newbs! If you, on the other hand, are looking for tips to defend your hard-built forts, you can learn how to protect your base from raiders.