Palworld

Palworld presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 combination, with benchmark results indicating that this pairing struggles to deliver smooth gameplay at higher resolutions. The data shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, particularly as resolution increases, though the CPU's capabilities are sufficient to avoid being the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. This analysis explores the measured performance across various settings and resolutions, contextualizes the results within a broader hardware landscape, and offers guidance based strictly on the observed data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced impact on performance as resolution scales from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160. At the 'High' preset, the average frame rate drops from 47 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 17 FPS at 4K. This represents a significant 64% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is overwhelming the graphics solution. The trend is consistent across all settings; for instance, at 'Low' settings, the average FPS falls from 76 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p and 28 at 4K, a 63% decrease. This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component, as its performance curve degrades sharply with the increasing pixel count.

The data implies that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in Palworld. Even at 'Low' settings, which typically reduce shader complexity and texture loads, the 4K resolution proves too demanding, yielding only 28 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p also shows a substantial performance hit, with average FPS dropping by roughly a third across all presets. This is a classic sign of a GPU that is saturated; the CPU, while perhaps not idle, is not the primary constraint at these resolutions. The fact that the frame rate does not hold up better at lower settings in 4K further confirms that the GPU's raw throughput, not CPU-bound game logic, is the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Palworld, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks at 2706 out of 2944 combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a position that underscores its struggles with this particular title. The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 5, meaning it performs better than only 5% of all GPUs in the database, which is a stark indicator of its low relative performance. While the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile overall, the combination's low rank is almost entirely attributable to the graphics solution's limited capabilities.

The `comboRankInGame` data suggests that while the CPU is a mid-to-high-tier performer in general, it is paired with a GPU that is at the very bottom of the performance spectrum. This creates a significant imbalance, where the system's overall gaming performance is dragged down by the weakest link. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is not well-suited for a game like Palworld, which appears to have significant GPU demands. The data positions this combo firmly in the entry-level segment for gaming, and the measured FPS confirms that it will only provide acceptable performance at lower resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Palworld at 4K resolution?

A: The measured data shows that it cannot provide a playable experience at 4K. At 4K with 'Low' settings, the average FPS is 28, and with 'High' settings, it drops to 17 FPS. These frame rates are well below what is generally considered smooth for gameplay.

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average frame rate exceeds 60 FPS, and that is only at 'Low' settings (76 FPS). At 'Medium' settings, it achieves 62 FPS, which is also acceptable. Higher resolutions fail to reach this performance level.

Q: How does the performance at 'High' settings compare between 1080p and 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 'High' settings drops from 47 FPS at 1920x1080 to 31 FPS at 2560x1440. This is a 34% decrease in performance, showing that the GPU is significantly stressed by the jump to 1440p.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the FPS is higher, but still limited. If the CPU were the main constraint, the FPS would likely be similar across different resolutions, which is not the case. The sharp FPS drops with increasing resolution point to the GPU being the limiting factor.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 76 on 'Low' settings and 36 on 'Ultra' settings. This represents a 53% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Given the low GPU percentile, is this combo considered high-performance?

A: No. The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a very low-performing part. The combined system ranks 2706 out of 2944 combos for Palworld, placing it in the bottom tier of tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across a matrix of resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. The 'Low' preset yields an average of 76 FPS, which is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo. The 'Medium' preset averages 62 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. The 'High' preset drops to an average of 47 FPS, while the 'Ultra' preset averages only 36 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where the system can approach or exceed the 60 FPS mark, and only on lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades considerably. The 'Low' preset averages 50 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 76 FPS seen at 1080p. 'Medium' settings average 41 FPS, with a range of 35 to 47 FPS. The 'High' preset averages 31 FPS, and 'Ultra' averages 24 FPS. None of these averages reach a level that would be considered smooth for an action-oriented survival game. At 3840x2160, the performance is largely unplayable. The 'Low' preset averages 28 FPS, 'Medium' averages 23 FPS (ranging from 19 to 26 FPS), 'High' averages 17 FPS, and 'Ultra' averages a mere 13 FPS. The data shows a consistent and steep decline in performance with each step up in resolution, confirming the GPU's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

According to the measured data, the only way to achieve a playable frame rate with this hardware is to play at 1920x1080 with the 'Low' or 'Medium' presets. The 'Low' preset provides an average of 76 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 'Medium' preset offers an average of 62 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS, which is still acceptable but may experience occasional dips. These two presets present the best balance between visual quality and performance based on the data. The 'High' preset at 1080p, with its 47 FPS average, is borderline and may be acceptable for some players, but it does not offer the same margin for error as the lower presets.

For players willing to tolerate lower visual fidelity, 'Low' settings are the clear choice. If a bit more visual detail is desired without sacrificing too much performance, 'Medium' is the recommended choice. The 'Ultra' preset should be avoided, as the 36 FPS average at 1080p will likely result in a stuttery and less responsive experience. At 1440p and 4K, the data shows that no preset provides adequate performance, with even the 'Low' settings failing to reach 60 FPS. Therefore, based on the measured FPS, the recommendation is to play at 1080p with 'Medium' settings as the primary option, falling back to 'Low' if a higher and more stable frame rate is desired.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943, indicate that it is a capable mid-range CPU. With a percentile ranking of 77 against all CPUs, it performs better than the majority of processors in the database. In the context of Palworld, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The FPS scaling with resolution suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate drops dramatically with increased resolution, a pattern typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide adequate bandwidth for feeding the GPU. However, the data indicates that even at 1080p with 'Low' settings, the maximum average FPS is 76, which is not exceptionally high. This could suggest that the CPU is still contributing to the performance ceiling, but the more dramatic drops at higher resolutions point to the GPU as the main limiting factor. The processor's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, have similar average benchmark scores, showing that the 8400F is competitive in its class. Ultimately, the Ryzen 5 8400F is a strong performer, but its capabilities are largely untapped due to the significant performance constraints imposed by the graphics solution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a very low 25 W TDP and uses system-shared memory, which means its performance is highly dependent on the system's RAM. Its benchmark results are poor; it has a percentile ranking of 5 among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include much older cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The single 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark score of 1184 places it in the same performance tier as legacy hardware from over a decade ago. This context is crucial for understanding the Palworld results.

The GPU's specifications, such as 1280 shading units and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, are not sufficient for the demands of modern games at high resolutions. The measured FPS data in Palworld confirms this, as the GPU fails to maintain playable frame rates at 1440p and 4K. The fact that it is an IGP with system-shared memory means its effective bandwidth is "System Dependent," which can severely limit performance in games that require high memory throughput. The 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a theoretical metric, but the real-world results show that it is far below what is needed for a smooth experience. This GPU is the definitive bottleneck for this combination, and its low standing in the performance percentile is directly reflected in the game's frame rates.