Palworld

Palworld with the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B390 presents a stark case study in hardware bottlenecking. The combination’s overall rank of 2607 out of 2944 tested combos places it in the bottom 11% of systems, signaling a severe performance ceiling. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the roles of each component, and what the data implies for playability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic collapse as resolution increases, pointing squarely at the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 84 FPS, but this falls to 56 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 31 FPS at 4K. This represents a 63% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a scaling pattern that is characteristic of a GPU that is already saturated at lower resolutions and simply cannot handle the increased pixel count.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings sees the average frame rate drop from 53 to 35 FPS, a 34% reduction. The jump from 1440p to 4K at High settings is even more punishing, with the average falling from 35 to 19 FPS, a 45% loss. This accelerating decline with each resolution step indicates that the Intel Arc B390's rendering capabilities are being overwhelmed, and the system is not CPU-bound at any point in this range.

The data suggests that the CPU has plenty of headroom. The Ryzen 5 8400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is a modern desktop processor, while the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the FPS drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel workload. For a game like Palworld, which involves large open worlds and dynamic lighting, this resolution scaling behavior is a clear indicator that the user is GPU-limited in every scenario measured.

Settings Recommendations

Based strictly on the measured rows, the optimal experience is found at 1080p with Low settings, which yields an average of 84 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate playability. The jump to Medium at 1080p provides a 68 FPS average, which is still playable, but the 16 FPS cost for slightly better visuals may not be worth it given the performance ceiling. The data shows that at 1080p, the step from High (53 FPS) to Ultra (40 FPS) is a 25% performance hit, making these presets less desirable for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings deliver 56 FPS, which is the only acceptable preset at this resolution, though it is still below the 60 FPS target. Medium drops to 45 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS, making both less ideal for action-heavy survival gameplay. Ultra at 1440p is effectively unplayable at 26 FPS. The data implies that 1440p should only be considered with the lowest settings, and even then, frame pacing may be inconsistent.

At 4K, no settings preset provides a playable experience. The highest average is 31 FPS at Low settings, which is a marginal frame rate for a game that requires constant environmental awareness. Medium and High dip to 25 and 19 FPS respectively, while Ultra renders the game at a slideshow-like 15 FPS. The recommendation from the data is clear: stick to 1080p for any semblance of fluid gameplay, or be prepared for a significant compromise in visual fidelity at higher resolutions. The 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that consistently stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2607 out of 2944 places it in the bottom 11.4% of all tested combinations for Palworld. This is a very low standing, indicating that this hardware pairing is not well-suited for the game's demands. The low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a relatively capable part. The ranking suggests that the vast majority of other system configurations will outperform this one in Palworld.

The GPU’s individual benchmark score is the primary driver of this poor ranking. The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, which are legacy entry-level parts. This comparison highlights the extreme performance deficit of the Arc B390 for gaming workloads. The CPU, by contrast, performs well in its own benchmarks, but it is held back by the GPU's inability to keep up with the rendering demands of the game.

The data indicates that the system is heavily imbalanced. The CPU's average benchmark score of 25005 places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and it is within 0.4% of rivals like the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Core i7-13620H. This is a modern, capable processor. However, the GPU's 9th percentile standing effectively negates the CPU's strength. In Palworld, the overall combo rank reflects the fact that a powerful processor cannot compensate for a severely underpowered graphics solution. The system is GPU-bound to an extreme degree.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of the combo's capabilities and limitations.

At 1920x1080, the performance is as follows:

• Low: 84 FPS average
• Medium: 68 FPS average (min 58, max 79)
• High: 53 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop considerably:

• Low: 56 FPS average
• Medium: 45 FPS average (min 38, max 52)
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates:

• Low: 31 FPS average
• Medium: 25 FPS average (min 21, max 29)
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 15 FPS average

The frame time data for Medium settings shows a consistent pattern across resolutions. The difference between the minimum and maximum FPS (e.g., 58-79 at 1080p, 38-52 at 1440p, 21-29 at 4K) indicates noticeable frame time variance, which could lead to stuttering in gameplay. The data shows a clear linear trend: as resolution increases, both the average and the minimum frame rates decrease proportionally, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU is the bottleneck. There is no scenario where the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as the FPS scales almost entirely with the GPU's workload.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system’s performance. Its specifications are those of an integrated graphics processor, not a discrete gaming card. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The memory is "System Shared," which means its bandwidth and capacity are dependent on the system's main DDR5 RAM, a configuration that is inherently slower than dedicated VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark results are the most telling. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile, directly alongside the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, which are over a decade old. This data confirms that the Arc B390 is not a gaming-oriented part. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, which is a theoretical maximum that is not realized in real-world gaming scenarios due to its shared memory architecture and IGP bus interface.

In Palworld, the GPU's role is to render the voxel-based world, characters, and lighting effects. The data shows that it is overwhelmed by this task. The 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are insufficient for the game's demands at any resolution above 1080p with high settings. The GPU's 80W TDP and "IGP" slot width further confirm its integrated nature. The system's performance is entirely dictated by this component's limited capabilities, making it the primary reason for the low combo rank.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a stark contrast to the GPU. It is a modern 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 4nm process. Its base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are healthy for gaming. The CPU's benchmarks show it is a strong performer, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. Its average benchmark score of 25005 places it in the 77th percentile, and it is essentially tied with rivals like the Ryzen 5 7500F (0.2% ahead) and the Core i7-13620H (0.4% ahead).

In Palworld, the CPU is responsible for game logic, physics, AI, and world streaming. The data suggests it handles these tasks with ease. The FPS scaling pattern shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor; if it were, we would see a plateau in performance as resolution decreases. Instead, the FPS continues to rise as resolution drops, indicating that the CPU has significant headroom left on the table.

The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide a solid foundation for game data. However, this potential is unrealized due to the GPU's bottleneck. The CPU's high single-thread performance is critical for Palworld's core game logic, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to push frames. The data implies that this CPU is more than capable of driving a much more powerful GPU, and it is effectively wasted in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo to achieve a playable frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that averages above 60 FPS, achieving 84 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings remain viable at 56 FPS. 4K is not playable at any setting.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The average FPS at Low settings falls from 84 at 1080p to 56 at 1440p and then to 31 at 4K. This 63% total reduction is due to the Intel Arc B390's limited rendering power, which is overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F holding back the Intel Arc B390 in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. The FPS scales directly with resolution, which means the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a 77th percentile ranking, suggest it has significant performance headroom.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to other tested systems in Palworld?

A: This combo ranks 2607 out of 2944 tested, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This is driven by the GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What are the average frame rates for the Medium preset at each resolution?

A: The Medium preset averages 68 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K. The frame time data shows a minimum of 58, 38, and 21 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390's performance on par with any known discrete GPUs?

A: Based on its benchmark score of 1482, its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% ahead) and the GeForce GT 710 (2.7% ahead), which are legacy entry-level parts.