Palworld

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a unique case for Palworld, a survival title where the GPU is an integrated part of a mobile platform. The recorded data shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution, especially as resolution demands increase. The CPU, a 10-core, 16-thread Raptor Lake part, ranks in the 77th percentile among all tested processors, but the GPU sits in the 9th percentile, a stark contrast that defines the overall performance ceiling for this combo. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, contextualizes the hardware against its nearest rivals, and determines the realistic playable scenarios for this specific configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination in Palworld reveal a clear pattern: playability is exclusively a 1080p proposition, and even then, only at reduced presets. The data is recorded across three resolutions and four quality settings, providing a complete picture of the scaling.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 84 FPS, which is the highest average recorded for any configuration. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset sees a significant decline to an average of 53 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls further to 40 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU can handle the load at Low and Medium settings, but the jump to High and Ultra introduces a performance penalty that pushes the average below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the situation worsens considerably. The Low preset yields an average of 56 FPS, just shy of the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 45 FPS, with a range of 38 to 52 FPS. High drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 26 FPS. None of these settings reach the playable threshold of 60 FPS, which means users at this resolution would have to accept a sub-60 experience even on the lowest settings.

At 3840x2160, the hardware is overwhelmed. The Low preset produces an average of 31 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (with a minimum of 21 and maximum of 29), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. These numbers are uniformly below the playable threshold, confirming that 4K gaming is not feasible with this specific combination.

The data also shows that the gap between presets is not linear. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is 16 FPS, but the difference between Medium and High is 15 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 13 FPS. At 1440p, the differences are 11, 10, and 9 FPS respectively. This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the performance drop per preset is consistent and does not indicate a CPU bottleneck at any point.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware might behave similarly in this game. For the Intel Core i5-13400F, the closest scores in the database are held by the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with a matching average score of 25284, the Intel Core 5 120 with a score of 25362 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D with a score of 25365 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with a score of 25201 (0.4% lower). These processors are all within a fraction of a percent of the i5-13400F's average benchmark score of 25292, meaning that swapping to any of these would result in nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Palworld. The Ryzen 9 6900HS and Ryzen 7 6800H are notably mobile parts, which suggests that the i5-13400F's desktop positioning does not translate into a meaningful advantage in this title.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has a score of 1463 (1.3% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M has a score of 1460 (1.5% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM has a score of 1446 (2.5% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 has a score of 1443 (2.7% lower). The Arc B390's score of 1482 is the highest among these, but the deltas are small. This means that a system with a GT 710 or GT 625 OEM would perform almost identically to the Arc B390 in Palworld, which highlights the GPU's limited capability. The fact that the Arc B390 is a 2026-era part with a 3 nm process and Xe3-LPG architecture, yet it is bracketed by decade-old NVIDIA chips, is a striking indicator of its targeted market segment, not its gaming prowess.

Best Settings per Resolution

The question of the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS has a simple answer based on the recorded data. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the playable threshold. The highest average is 31 FPS on Low, which is far below 60 FPS, so there is no "best settings" recommendation for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same is true. Even the Low preset, which averages 56 FPS, fails to maintain 60 FPS. The database records no playable settings for 1440p, meaning users must lower the resolution to achieve a stable frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the answer is clear. The Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 68 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. The Low preset is also playable at 84 FPS, but Medium offers a higher visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS average. The High preset, at 53 FPS average, and Ultra, at 40 FPS average, both fall short. Therefore, for this combination, the recommended setting at 1080p is Medium, which provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance within the playable range.

The Verdict

Based on the verdictByResolution data, this PC can run Palworld, but only under specific conditions. At 3840x2160, the answer is no: the database lists no playable settings, and the recorded averages (31 FPS on Low, 25 on Medium, 19 on High, 15 on Ultra) are all far below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the answer is also no: no playable settings are listed, and even the best average of 56 FPS on Low does not meet the requirement. At 1920x1080, the answer is yes, with caveats. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with the best setting being Medium at an average of 68 FPS. This means that a user with this combo can enjoy Palworld at 1080p, but must accept Medium or lower quality presets. The system is not capable of handling High or Ultra at any resolution without dropping below 60 FPS.

The practical implication is that this is a 1080p gaming machine for Palworld. Pushing to 1440p or 4K will result in a sub-60 experience that may be tolerable for some but falls short of the playable threshold defined in the database. The minimum FPS of 58 recorded at 1080p Medium also indicates that there will be occasional dips below 60, but the average remains solidly in the playable range.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a stark division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this game. The Intel Core i5-13400F is a capable processor with a 77th percentile ranking and strong multi-threaded scores (a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604). However, the Intel Arc B390 is a severe bottleneck. Its 9th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 1482 place it far below the CPU's capability.

This is evident in the scaling between resolutions. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings drops from 84 to 56, a 33% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the Low preset drops from 56 to 31, a further 45% reduction. These steep drops are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the render resolution directly impacts the frame rate. The CPU, with its 16 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's limited shading units (1536), texture units (48), and ROPs (24) become the primary limiting factor.

The preset scaling at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra halves the average FPS (84 to 40). At 1440p, the same preset change cuts the average from 56 to 26, a similar proportional drop. At 4K, the change from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 31 to 15. This consistent halving across resolutions indicates that the GPU is processing the additional graphical effects with little assistance from the CPU. The CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame pacing, which it does, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's raw performance deficit.

In practical terms, upgrading the CPU would yield no measurable improvement in Palworld. The bottleneck is the GPU, and any gain would require a more powerful graphics solution. The CPU's 3dmark scores (7314 for 16 threads, 7307 for max threads) show it is more than capable of handling the game's physics and AI, but the recorded FPS data shows that the GPU is always the first to reach its limit.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's overall rankings for Palworld, this specific CPU and GPU combination holds the rank of 3297 out of 3711 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's low percentile, as the CPU's 77th percentile is not enough to offset the GPU's 9th percentile.

This rank implies that the vast majority of tested systems will outperform this combo in Palworld. The nearest rival GPUs (GT 710, GT 625 OEM) are themselves low-end parts, and the combo rank reflects that reality. It is a configuration that is suited for entry-level or integrated-graphics-class performance, despite the presence of a mainstream desktop CPU. The combo is functional at 1080p Medium, but it is not a competitive gaming setup by the database's standards. The gap between the CPU's potential and the GPU's delivery is the defining characteristic of this pairing, and it results in a rank that is more indicative of the GPU's limitations than the CPU's strengths.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Palworld?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 84, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system run Palworld at 2560x1440?

A: No. The verdict data lists no playable settings at 1440p, and the best average FPS is 56 on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best visual preset that maintains an average of 60 FPS or higher?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 68 FPS, making it the most demanding playable option. Low also qualifies at 84 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3dmark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which is 2.7% higher than the GT 710's score of 1443. This indicates a small but measurable performance lead for the Arc B390.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The FPS drops sharply with resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 1080p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 58, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. The maximum at that setting is 79 FPS.