Palworld

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Palworld with this configuration covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates ranging from a low of 15 FPS to a high of 84 FPS depending on the combination.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently below the playable threshold. The Low preset delivers an average of 31 FPS, which is the best outcome at this resolution. Medium drops to 25 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS. High falls further to 19 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 15 FPS. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS target, and even the fastest preset leaves substantial headroom missing.

At 2560x1440, performance improves but still does not clear the playable bar. Low reaches an average of 56 FPS, just 4 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. High drops to 35 FPS, while Ultra manages only 26 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 11 FPS, and the gap between Medium and High is another 10 FPS, showing a steep cost for each step up in quality.

At 1920x1080, the configuration finally reaches playable territory. Low averages 84 FPS, which is the highest recorded result in the entire dataset. Medium averages 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. High drops to 53 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra falls to 40 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 16 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 15 FPS, and from High to Ultra another 13 FPS. The minimum frame rate at Medium, 58 FPS, sits just under the average threshold, but the average itself is comfortably playable.

Across all resolutions, the scaling follows a consistent pattern: each preset step costs roughly 10 to 16 FPS, and each resolution step costs roughly 15 to 30 FPS at the same settings. The data shows no anomalies such as a preset outperforming a lower one; the hierarchy is strict from Low to Ultra at every resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake generation, with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with 1536 shading units and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is system shared, meaning the GPU relies on the same DDR4 memory pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as system dependent.

The measured FPS scaling between resolutions reveals how the balance shifts. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The average frame rates at Low, 31 FPS, versus Ultra, 15 FPS, show a 2.1x spread purely from quality settings. The integrated GPU is being asked to fill over eight million pixels, and the rendering workload clearly saturates the Arc B390's capabilities. The CPU, with its six threads and 2.90 GHz base clock, has relatively less work per frame at this resolution because the GPU is the bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes slightly. Low averages 56 FPS, which is 25 FPS higher than the same preset at 4K. This 1.8x improvement from a 1.78x reduction in pixel count indicates that the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU is beginning to contribute more meaningfully. The Medium preset at this resolution, 45 FPS, sits between the 4K Low and 4K Medium results, reinforcing that pixel throughput is the main variable.

At 1920x1080, the CPU and GPU roles become more balanced. Low averages 84 FPS, which is a 28 FPS jump from the 1440p Low result. Medium averages 68 FPS, and the minimum of 58 FPS suggests that scene complexity can occasionally push the CPU into a more prominent role. The six-core, six-thread configuration without hyper-threading means the processor has a limited thread pool for handling game logic, world simulation, and draw calls simultaneously. At 1080p, where the GPU has fewer pixels to process, the CPU's workload per frame becomes a larger fraction of the total frame time.

The preset scaling supports this interpretation. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 16 FPS. At 1440p, the same spread is 30 FPS. At 1080p, the spread is 44 FPS. As resolution decreases, the preset choice has a larger absolute impact on frame rate, which indicates that the GPU is less saturated and the CPU is more able to feed frames. The data suggests that for this game, the Arc B390 is the limiting factor at 4K and 1440p, while at 1080p the CPU starts to matter more, particularly at higher presets where the integrated GPU still has headroom.

The system shared memory design of the Arc B390 also plays a role. Because the GPU uses the same memory bus as the CPU, bandwidth contention can affect performance, especially at higher resolutions where texture and geometry data demands increase. The recorded data does not isolate this effect, but the steep drops between Medium and High at every resolution are consistent with memory bandwidth pressure.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with a score of 2259 and a delta of -0.2%, meaning the i7 is effectively identical in performance. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3%, so it sits 0.3% behind the i5-9400. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4%, and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4%. These four processors bracket the i5-9400 within a range of less than one percent, so any of them would produce nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Palworld. The i5-9400 sits in the 47th percentile of all CPUs tested in the database.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts from older generations. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, a delta of 1.3%, meaning it is 1.3% ahead of the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, a delta of 1.5%. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a delta of 2.5%. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a delta of 2.7%. The Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs tested, which places it among the slowest discrete and integrated solutions in the database. In practical terms, a system with any of these rival GPUs paired with a similar CPU would deliver frame rates in the same range as the recorded data, with the GT 520MX being the closest match at 1.3% ahead.

The CPU percentile of 47 indicates that the i5-9400 is a mid-pack processor, while the GPU percentile of 9 indicates that the Arc B390 is far below the median. This asymmetry matters: the CPU is not the primary constraint in most scenarios, but the GPU is severely underpowered for modern titles. A user upgrading from the GT 710 to the Arc B390 would see roughly a 2.7% improvement in GPU benchmark scores, which is negligible in real-world frame rates.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Palworld depends entirely on resolution and preset. The database records a playable threshold of 60 FPS, and the verdict by resolution is clear.

At 3840x2160, no preset is playable. The best average is 31 FPS at Low, which is less than half of the 60 FPS target. Ultra averages 15 FPS, which is effectively a slideshow. This resolution is not viable for this configuration.

At 2560x1440, no preset is playable either. Low averages 56 FPS, which is close but still 4 FPS short of the threshold. Medium averages 45 FPS, High 35 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The data shows that even the lowest quality setting cannot maintain 60 FPS at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the configuration is playable at two presets. Low averages 84 FPS, which is well above the threshold. Medium averages 68 FPS, also above the threshold, with a minimum of 58 FPS. High drops to 53 FPS, and Ultra to 40 FPS, both below the playable bar. The verdict is that this PC can run Palworld at 1080p, but only on Low or Medium settings. The best settings for a consistent 60 FPS experience are Medium, which provides an average of 68 FPS.

The overall picture is that this is a 1080p machine for Palworld. It cannot handle 1440p or 4K at any quality level, and even at 1080p, the higher presets are out of reach. The combination of a mid-range six-core CPU and a very low-end integrated GPU creates a system where the GPU caps the experience at low-to-medium 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist. The highest average recorded at this resolution is 31 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold. There is no playable preset, so the best settings are effectively none. The database lists no best settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same situation applies. Low averages 56 FPS, which is below 60. No preset clears the threshold, and the database lists no best settings for this resolution. The closest option, Low at 56 FPS, is still not playable by the defined standard.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 68 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS. Low is also playable at 84 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold. High at 53 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not playable. The recommended configuration for this resolution is Medium, which delivers 68 FPS on average, with frame times ranging from 58 to 79 FPS.

For users who prioritize smoothness over visuals, Low at 84 FPS provides a larger safety margin. For users who want the best visual quality that remains playable, Medium is the ceiling. There is no scenario where High or Ultra is recommended at any resolution, given the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3297 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the bottom 11 percent of all configurations in the database. The rank reflects the severe GPU limitation: the Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 47th percentile. The system is dragged down primarily by the graphics solution.

Out of 3711 combos, this configuration is ahead of only 414 others. That puts it in the lower tail of the distribution. The practical implication is that most other tested systems, even those with modest discrete GPUs, outperform this combo in Palworld. The i5-9400 is not the problem; its 47th percentile ranking shows it is a competent mid-range processor. The Arc B390, at the 9th percentile, is the limiting factor.

The rank also explains the resolution behavior. At 1080p, the combo manages playable frame rates because the CPU can keep up and the integrated GPU has enough pixel throughput for Low and Medium presets. At higher resolutions, the GPU falls too far behind, and the rank reflects that the system is only suitable for low-demand scenarios. The data indicates that this combo is best treated as a 1080p Low-to-Medium machine, and users with expectations beyond that will need a different GPU, as the CPU has headroom to support a much faster graphics card.