Palworld

Palworld, the survival game released on 2024-01-18, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and quality settings. For the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, the measured data reveals a system capable of smooth 1080p and 1440p play, but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher presets. This analysis details the measured performance across the board, highlighting the specific trade-offs between visual fidelity and average FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are the practical resolutions for this setup. At 1080p, the system delivers between 78.8 FPS (Ultra) and 167.7 FPS (Low). At 1440p, the range is 50.1 FPS (Ultra) to 111.9 FPS (Low), which remains playable across all settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Palworld?

A: The measured data indicates that 3840x2160 is not viable for smooth gameplay. The average FPS at this resolution ranges from 30.4 (Ultra) to 59.1 (Low). Only the Low preset approaches acceptable playability, but the High preset (35.9 FPS) and Medium preset (51.6 FPS) fall below standard thresholds for a fluid experience.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600 perform relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 21765, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.6% faster than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (21635) and 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i7-11700F (21957), while being 0.6% slower than the AMD EPYC 9554P (21899).

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The performance delta is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 167.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 78.8 FPS. This represents a 112.9% increase in average frame rate when dropping from Ultra to Low.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 2.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile’s score of 22729 (the deltaPct is -2.3 from the mobile GPU's perspective). This indicates the desktop 2070 SUPER holds a slight edge over that mobile part.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor in Palworld?

A: The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the significant frame rate drops at 4K High (35.9 FPS) versus 4K Low (59.1 FPS) suggest that memory capacity and bandwidth are stressed at higher resolutions and presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver for Palworld's frame rate, especially at higher resolutions. Built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process node, this GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its performance is anchored by 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The core clock operates at 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, delivering a raw FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS.

These specifications directly correlate with the measured FPS in Palworld. At 1920x1080, the GPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the jump from 78.8 FPS on Ultra to 103.2 FPS on High, a 31% improvement. The scaling is non-linear; the difference between Medium (133.9 FPS) and Low (167.7 FPS) is another 25% gain, showing that the GPU is heavily utilized even at 1080p when settings are maxed. However, the 4K results reveal the GPU's limitations. The 3840x2160 Ultra preset (30.4 FPS) is nearly unplayable, and even the High preset (35.9 FPS) fails to hit 60 FPS. The 4K Low preset (59.1 FPS) is the only 4K option that approaches a playable threshold, indicating that the 8 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are insufficient for high-detail 4K rendering.

The GPU's benchmark percentile (65th) and its relative performance against rivals (0.9% faster than the GTX TITAN Z, 2.5% faster than the RX 5700, but 0.5% slower than the RTX A400) suggest it is a mid-range performer in 2024. In Palworld, this translates to a strong 1440p experience; the data shows the system can maintain 71.2 FPS on High at 2560x1440, which is a sweet spot for visual quality and smoothness.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and RTX 2070 SUPER depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset (103.2 FPS) provides an excellent balance, offering nearly double the frame rate of Ultra (78.8 FPS) while still delivering significantly better visuals than Medium (133.9 FPS). The High preset is the recommended choice for most users seeking a crisp and fluid experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (71.2 FPS) remains the best recommendation, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset (86.5 FPS) is a viable alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over fidelity, but the jump to High is worth the small performance cost. The Ultra preset (50.1 FPS) is not recommended for competitive play due to sub-60 FPS average, but it can be used for visual showcases if slight stutter is acceptable.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that only the Low preset (59.1 FPS) is playable, and even then, it barely hits 60 FPS. The Medium preset (51.6 FPS) is borderline, while High (35.9 FPS) and Ultra (30.4 FPS) are not recommended. Users with 4K displays should stick to Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to take advantage of the higher quality presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 78.8 (Ultra) to 167.7 (Low). The Medium preset achieves 133.9 FPS, and the High preset achieves 103.2 FPS. This resolution offers the highest headroom, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly but remains playable. The Ultra preset delivers 50.1 FPS, High delivers 71.2 FPS, Medium delivers 86.5 FPS, and Low delivers 111.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 55.2% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the cost of increasing detail at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain fluid gameplay. The Low preset averages 59.1 FPS, which is the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium drops to 51.6 FPS, High falls to 35.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30.4 FPS. The performance cliff between Medium and High (a 30.4% drop) is particularly steep, indicating that the High preset imposes a significant load on the GPU's memory subsystem.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600, a 6-core/12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides the computational foundation for this system. Running on the AM4 socket with a 7 nm process, it features a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for feeding the RTX 2070 SUPER in most gaming scenarios.

However, the CPU's role in Palworld is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low (167.7 FPS), the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames faster than the CPU can process game logic. The CPU's single-threaded performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 882) and multi-threaded performance (cinebench_r23_multicore score of 18309) suggest it can handle the game's simulation demands without bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

The data shows that the CPU is less of a constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates are primarily dictated by GPU load, as the gap between Low (59.1 FPS) and Ultra (30.4 FPS) is nearly 2x, indicating a GPU-bound scenario. The Ryzen 5 5600's benchmark scores position it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21765. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-11700F (21957), are within 0.9% performance, confirming that this CPU is not a weak link in the system. In Palworld, the Ryzen 5 5600 provides sufficient processing power to keep the RTX 2070 SUPER fed at 1080p and 1440p, ensuring that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate.