Palworld

Palworld, a survival game released on 2024-01-18, presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. The data shows a configuration with a high-end GPU paired with a mid-range CPU, creating a dynamic where the bottleneck shifts depending on resolution and settings. This analysis explores the measured FPS data to understand how this specific pairing performs, what limits it, and how it stacks up against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance shift as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 242 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that average drops to 209 FPS, a reduction of 33 FPS. At 4K (3840x2160) with Low settings, the average falls further to 116 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is not purely GPU-limited, as the frame rate does not scale linearly with the pixel count increase.

The delta between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is notable, but the more dramatic drop occurs between 1440p and 4K. The 93 FPS difference between these two resolutions indicates that the GPU is being increasingly taxed as the pixel count grows. This is typical behavior, as higher resolutions demand more from the rendering pipeline. The data implies that at 1080p, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600's six cores and twelve threads are likely the limiting factor, preventing the RTX 4080 from achieving even higher frame rates. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes dominant, and the frame rate is more representative of the RTX 4080's raw capabilities.

When comparing High settings across resolutions, the trend continues. At 1080p, the average is 198 FPS, which drops to 130 FPS at 1440p and then to 72 FPS at 4K. The percentage decrease from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 34%, while the decrease from 1440p to 4K is about 45%. This suggests that the GPU's performance curve is steepening with each resolution increase, which is expected for a high-end card. The fact that the 4K High average is only 72 FPS, while the 1080p Low average is 242 FPS, highlights how demanding 4K rendering is on the graphics processor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable GPU, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its base clock is 2205 MHz, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz. These specifications are critical in Palworld, a game that appears to be sensitive to memory bandwidth and raw compute power. The data shows that the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions, where the 16 GB frame buffer allows for smooth texture loading and rendering at 4K without stuttering.

The RTX 4080's benchmark scores are strong, with a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567. These numbers, while not game-specific, indicate a high level of compute capability. In Palworld, this translates to the ability to push high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the CPU's Zen 2 architecture limits the maximum FPS. At 4K, the GPU is fully utilized, as seen in the 116 FPS Low setting result, which is a solid outcome for such a demanding resolution.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is a 0.1% delta from the RTX 4080's 54247. This indicates that the two cards are nearly identical in synthetic performance, but the game-specific measurements in this FACT PACK show no data for the SUPER, so the RTX 4080's performance in Palworld must be taken at face value. The large memory capacity and high bandwidth suggest that the card is well-suited for the open-world survival genre, which often features large draw distances and complex environments.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average FPS of 72 at 3840x2160 resolution with High settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17035, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-1260P's score of 17007.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's performance in Palworld at 1080p limited by the CPU?

A: The data suggests this is the case, as the 1080p Low average is 242 FPS, but the 4K Low average is 116 FPS, indicating the GPU has headroom at lower resolutions that the CPU cannot fully feed.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 144 FPS, with an average of 169 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the RTX 4080?

A: The launch MSRP for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is 1,199 USD.

Q: How does the combo rank in Palworld compared to all other tested combinations?

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 418 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is stark: Low averages 116 FPS, while Ultra averages only 55 FPS. For a smooth experience at this resolution, Medium settings provide a balanced 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. This is the optimal choice, as it maintains frame rates above 60 FPS while offering better visual quality than Low. High settings at 4K drop to 72 FPS average, which is still playable but may feel less fluid during intense moments.

At 1440p, the data shows that High settings yield an average of 130 FPS, which is excellent for most displays. However, Medium settings offer a higher average of 169 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS, ensuring a stutter-free experience. Ultra at 1440p drops to 99 FPS average, which is still good, but the jump to 130 FPS with High makes it the recommended preset for a balance of visuals and performance. Low at 1440p is excessively high at 209 FPS, suggesting the CPU is the bottleneck, and users would not benefit from such high frame rates unless they have a 240Hz monitor.

For 1080p, the story is similar. Low settings average 242 FPS, but Medium provides 224 FPS with a minimum of 190 FPS, making it the best choice for competitive play. High at 198 FPS is also viable, but Medium offers a 26 FPS improvement with negligible visual difference. Ultra at 150 FPS is the most visually impressive but sacrifices 74 FPS compared to Low, making it a less attractive option unless the user prioritizes graphics over frame rate. Across all resolutions, Medium settings emerge as the sweet spot for this hardware, providing a high average FPS with reliable minimums.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data offers a comprehensive look at performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 242 FPS, the highest recorded in the dataset. Medium follows with 224 FPS, with a minimum of 190 and a maximum of 258 FPS. High drops to 198 FPS, and Ultra is the lowest at 150 FPS. This shows a clear scaling curve where each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30 FPS, with the largest delta between High and Ultra at 48 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases as expected. Low averages 209 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium averages 169 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS, making it the most stable option. High averages 130 FPS, and Ultra averages 99 FPS. The relative gaps between settings are similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower, confirming the GPU is doing more work. The 4K results show the most significant drop. Low averages 116 FPS, Medium averages 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, High averages 72 FPS, and Ultra averages 55 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 61 FPS, emphasizing the GPU's workload at this resolution.

The data also shows that the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p, where even Low settings cannot push past 242 FPS, likely due to the Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as the frame rates scale more predictably with settings changes. The minimum FPS data points, only available for Medium settings, show that the system maintains reasonably stable frame times, with the 1080p Medium minimum of 190 FPS being particularly strong.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15045 and a single-core score of 2124, indicate it is a capable processor, but one that is several generations old. In Palworld, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions, where the GPU is not fully taxed. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 242, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, as the RTX 4080 is capable of much higher frame rates in less CPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for gaming, but the Ryzen 5 3600's single-thread performance, as measured by a Geekbench single-core score of 1536, may hold back the RTX 4080 in scenarios with many physics calculations or AI-driven entities, common in survival games. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1260P, has a similar average benchmark score of 17007, which is only 0.2% lower, suggesting that the 3600 is still competitive with newer mobile processors, but it is not a high-end desktop part.

The CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 71, meaning it outperforms 71% of all processors in the database. This is a solid showing, but when paired with the RTX 4080, which has a percentile of 86, there is a mismatch. The data suggests that in Palworld, the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates do not increase as much as they would with a more powerful processor. At 4K, the CPU's limitation is less impactful, as the GPU is the primary driver of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 418 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the top 11% of all configurations. This rank is impressive, but it is tempered by the fact that the RTX 4080 is a top-tier GPU, and the Ryzen 5 3600 is a mid-range CPU from 2019. The data implies that this combo performs better than most, but it is held back by the CPU in certain scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 17035 places it near the AMD EPYC 7742, which has a score of 16998, a 0.2% delta. This shows that the Ryzen 5 3600 is not far off from server-grade hardware in synthetic tests, but its gaming performance is limited by its architecture. The GPU's average benchmark score of 54247 is very close to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209, with a 0.1% delta, indicating that the RTX 4080 is performing as expected. The combo's rank of 418 suggests that the RTX 4080 is being partially bottlenecked by the CPU, as a combination with a more modern CPU would likely rank higher.

The data shows that this combo is well-suited for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, but at 1080p, users may not see the full potential of the RTX 4080. The rank of 418 out of 3711 is a strong result, but it also highlights the importance of CPU-GPU balance. For users with this combo, the measured FPS data suggests that playing at 1440p Medium or High settings provides the best experience, as the CPU and GPU are more evenly matched at this resolution.