Palworld

Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with Intel Arc B390 lands near the bottom of the database for Palworld, ranking 3297 out of 3711 tested combos. This places the configuration in the 11th percentile of all recorded systems, meaning roughly 89% of tested hardware combinations deliver higher frame rates in this survival title. The score is not a reflection of the CPU, which sits in the 79th percentile against all processors, but rather the integrated-class GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile against all graphics cards. The combination produces a system that can handle the game at lower presets on 1080p, but it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at higher resolutions and quality settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3297 out of 3711 is a decisive indicator of where this hardware stands. Only 414 combinations in the database perform worse in Palworld. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the graphics solution, as the Arc B390 is an integrated GPU with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmark scores are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443. The Arc B390 leads this group by margins of 1.3% to 2.7%, but all of these parts belong to the same performance tier, one that is far below what modern discrete gaming GPUs offer.

The CPU, by contrast, is a strong performer. The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at 27896, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at 27887, the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27872, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE at 27712. The deltas are tiny, ranging from -0.3% to +0.3%, meaning these five processors are effectively equivalent in synthetic workloads. In Palworld, however, CPU strength does little to rescue the system because the GPU becomes the limiting factor at every resolution tested.

The rank of 3297 out of 3711 should be interpreted with the game's requirements in mind. Palworld is not an exceptionally demanding title by modern standards, yet this combo still struggles. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 15 FPS, which is unplayable by any reasonable measure. The data shows a clear pattern: the system is playable only at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where it hits 84 and 68 FPS respectively. Every other configuration falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the Intel Arc B390 is heavily skewed toward the GPU being the bottleneck. The CPU has 10 cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. These are respectable numbers that indicate ample processing headroom for a game like Palworld. The GPU, however, is an integrated solution with 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, delivering 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its 80 W TDP and system-shared memory further confirm its position as a low-power integrated part rather than a gaming-class discrete GPU.

The scaling between resolutions demonstrates GPU dominance. At 1080p Low, the system produces 84 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 56 FPS, a 33% decrease. Moving to 4K Low yields 31 FPS, another 45% drop. This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where increasing pixel count directly taxes the render output units and shading units. The CPU is not the constraint here; if it were, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

Preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces average FPS from 84 to 68, a 19% penalty. High drops to 53 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. At 1440p, the same progression goes from 56 to 45 to 35 to 26 FPS. At 4K, it goes from 31 to 25 to 19 to 15 FPS. The consistent degradation across both resolution and preset axes points to a GPU that is saturated even at moderate settings. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU, and with a PassMark multi-thread score of 27575 and a single-thread score of 3925, it does so without becoming the limiting factor.

The 1080p Medium result of 68 FPS average, with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 79, is the most balanced point in the dataset. It is the only preset at any resolution that stays comfortably above 60 FPS on average while also maintaining a minimum above 55 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 84 FPS has no recorded minimum or maximum, so the Medium preset offers the most complete picture of stability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering hardware swaps, the nearest CPU rivals provide a reference point. The Intel Core i9-10900K has an average score of 27872, which is 0.3% lower than the i5-12600KF's 27799. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896, 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712, 0.3% lower. These differences are within noise, so any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Palworld when paired with the same GPU. The i5-12600KF is not the source of the system's limitations.

The GPU side tells a different story. The Arc B390's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all older NVIDIA entries: the GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, the GeForce 800M at 1460, the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446, and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443. The Arc B390 leads them by 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 2.7% respectively. These are all low-end parts from previous generations, and their presence in the rival list confirms that the Arc B390 is not in the same league as modern gaming GPUs. Swapping the Arc B390 for any of these NVIDIA parts would yield similar or slightly worse frame rates in Palworld.

The practical implication is that the CPU can be upgraded or swapped without meaningful change in game performance, while the GPU is the component that would need to be replaced to achieve playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The data does not include any discrete GPU alternatives for the Arc B390, so the comparison set is limited to other low-end parts.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Palworld at 4K?

A: No. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 31 FPS on Low settings. Medium produces 25 FPS, High produces 19 FPS, and Ultra produces 15 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for this combo at 1080p?

A: Medium is the best playable preset, with an average of 68 FPS, a minimum of 58 FPS, and a maximum of 79 FPS. Low produces a higher average of 84 FPS but lacks recorded minimum and maximum values.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712 (0.3% lower). These are effectively tied.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU the bottleneck in Palworld?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 79th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. Frame rates drop sharply as resolution increases, a clear sign of GPU limitation.

Q: What GPU scores are closest to the Intel Arc B390?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443.

Q: Can this system reach 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. The best 1440p result is 56 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. No 1440p preset reaches 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 84 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Medium settings yield an average of 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 79. High settings drop to 53 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 40 FPS average. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution with a full set of frame time data, and it shows a consistent range between 58 and 79 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance falls below the playable threshold across the board. Low settings average 56 FPS. Medium settings average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52. High settings average 35 FPS. Ultra settings average 26 FPS. The Medium preset again provides the only complete min/max data, showing a spread of 14 FPS between minimum and maximum.

At 3840x2160, the system is firmly in unplayable territory. Low settings average 31 FPS. Medium settings average 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 29. High settings average 19 FPS. Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 21 FPS is the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset.

The progression across resolutions is consistent. At Low settings, average FPS goes from 84 at 1080p to 56 at 1440p to 31 at 4K. At Medium, it goes from 68 to 45 to 25. At High, it goes from 53 to 35 to 19. At Ultra, it goes from 40 to 26 to 15. Each resolution step costs roughly a third of the remaining performance, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best available result is Low at 31 FPS, which is far below the playable threshold. The database records no playable settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS either. Low settings come closest at 56 FPS, just 4 FPS short of the threshold. Medium drops to 45 FPS. The database records no playable settings for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, two presets clear the threshold. Low settings average 84 FPS, and Medium settings average 68 FPS. The best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 68 FPS, a minimum of 58 FPS, and a maximum of 79 FPS. High settings at 53 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS do not qualify.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B390 combination can run Palworld, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, Low and Medium presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Medium being the recommended choice at 68 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the system falls short: the best preset, Low, averages 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable mark. At 3840x2160, all presets are unplayable, with the highest average being 31 FPS on Low.

The verdict by resolution is clear. For 1080p gaming, the system is viable at Medium settings. For 1440p and 4K, it is not. The bottleneck is the integrated Arc B390 GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile of all graphics cards and is outperformed by only a narrow margin over its nearest rivals, all of which are older low-end NVIDIA parts. The CPU, which ranks in the 79th percentile and is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Intel Core i9-10900K, is not the limiting factor. Users seeking higher frame rates at higher resolutions would need to address the GPU side of the equation, as the data shows no CPU swap among the nearest rivals would change the outcome.